Tracking the Rise of Geriatric Emergency Departments in the United States

• In Event: 2184 - Section on Medical Sociology Refereed Roundtable Session
  In Refereed Roundtable 60min: Table 01. New Health Technologies and Alternative Care Approaches

Abstract

The traditional model of emergency care no longer fits the growing needs of the over 20 million older adults annually seeking emergency department care. In 2007 a tailored “geriatric emergency department” model was introduced and rapidly replicated among hospitals, steeply rising over the past 5 years. This survey examined all U.S. emergency departments actively promoting themselves as Geriatric Emergency Departments (GEDs) and/or providing enhanced geriatric emergency care services. It was guided by the recently adopted Geriatric Emergency Department Guidelines (March 2014) and examined domains including: GED identity, staffing, policies, procedures, physical environment, and outcomes tracked. Results identified N=83 GEDs nationwide and responses from N=54 GEDs (65%) reveal a heterogeneous mix of GED staffing, procedures, physical environments and that GEDs familiarity with the national GED Guidelines is low. Findings will inform emergency departments and gerontologists nationwide about key GED model elements and will help hospitals to optimize ED services for their older adult patients.

Authors

• John G. Schumacher, University of Maryland-Baltimore County

• Jon Mark Hirshon, University of Maryland, Baltimore

• Phil Magidson, Johns Hopkins University

• Marilyn Chrisman, Winter Park Memorial Hospital

• Terisita M. Hogan, University of Chicago