Comprehensive Geriatric Assessment in an Emergency Department

Purpose Frailty and multi-morbidity have been associated with increased pressure on Emergency Departments (ED), higher hospital admissions and more risks for patients arising from the ED stay. The advantages of developing specific attention to frailty in ED have been highlighted. The benefits of these approaches are related to patients but also to organizations. The aim is to observe how a Program of Care for Frailty (PCF) in an ED impacts on patient health and flows. Objective 1. Analyze the clinical impact of Comprehensive Geriatric Care (CGA) in the Emergency Department (ED). 2. Analyze the impact on patient flows following the implementation of a Comprehensive Geriatric Assessment in the Emergency Department (ED). Methods Setting: A tertiary, teaching, 550-bed urban hospital, with 80,000 adult patients/year ED attendances (43%≥65 years). First period (before CGA implantation) del 01/04/2016 - 15/04/2016 and second period (after) 01/04/2017 - 15/04/2017 Intervention: In the second period, the AGI was carried out by the emergency medical teams. It basically consists of care adapted to the special needs of geriatric patients, with systematic screening of delirium, delirium prevention, early treatment, pain management with scales adapted to chronicity, conciliation of medication to discharge from the emergency department, among others A comparison will be made of health outcomes and patient flows in ED: direct discharge, admission to emergency observation unit, admission to short stay unit, transfer to intermediate hospital, admission, admission to critical care area, death, time spent in the Emergency Department (ED) and in intermediate hospital, mortality during admission at one and six months, re-entry or reconsultation in the Emergency Department at 30 days and six months will be measured.