Characteristics and outcomes of older patients attending the emergency department at an academic university hospital

Yusuf Kenan Tekin; Erdal Demirtaş; Naim Nur; İlhan Korkmaz

doi:10.7197/223.vi.571281

EN

Characteristics and outcomes of older patients attending the emergency department at an academic university hospital

Abstract

Objective: Because older populations have been increased significantly over the last decades globally, emergency departments (ED) have become a vital place in the care of older patients. Characterizing the usage of the ED by older patients will facilitate the qualifying planning activities in emergency care delivery.

Method: The retrospective data were extracted from a database and included all patients, aged 65 years or over, admitted to the ED between 1 January 2017- 31 December 2017.

Results: The rate of ED visits accounted for 16.1%. A large majority of the ED visits were during the day shift (49.6 %), and in summer months (June-August 28.7 %). The most common diagnoses (18.4%) were cardiovascular conditions. A large majority (67.8%) of ED visits involved diagnostic imaging and nearly half (46.7%) of them received consultation services. Nearly one-third (31.3%) of older patients were admitted to hospital following their ED visit. Hospital admission, length of stay in ED, having consulting service, involving some kind of diagnostic imaging and being triaged as urgent/emergent are more likely to be increased with age group.

Conclusions: ED visits increase with age and also the resource use intensity of the ED, including the length of stay, diagnostic imaging, consultation and admission to the hospital after an ED visit appears to increase with ageing. Patterns of the ED usage were described in this study may be helpful in resource planning, or may provide an approach for the future the investigation involving improved or alternative care options for the older patient.

Keywords

Emergency service,geriatric patients

References

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Details

Primary Language

English

Subjects

Health Care Administration

Journal Section

Research Article

Authors

Yusuf Kenan Tekin ^*
0000-0001-8047-4836
Türkiye

Erdal Demirtaş
0000-0003-0853-0623

Naim Nur
0000-0002-7675-9342

İlhan Korkmaz
0000-0001-5182-3136
Türkiye

Publication Date

June 30, 2019

Submission Date

May 29, 2019

Acceptance Date

June 26, 2019

Published in Issue

Year 2019 Volume: 41 Number: 2

DOI

https://doi.org/10.7197/223.vi.571281

IZ

https://izlik.org/JA77XF54DX

Cite

RIS / Bibtex

AMA

1.Tekin YK, Demirtaş E, Nur N, Korkmaz İ. Characteristics and outcomes of older patients attending the emergency department at an academic university hospital. CMJ. 2019;41(2):413-422. doi:10.7197/223.vi.571281

Öz

Characteristics and outcomes of older patients attending the emergency department at an academic university hospital

Abstract

Keywords

References

Details

Primary Language

Subjects

Journal Section

Authors

Publication Date

Submission Date

Acceptance Date

Published in Issue

DOI

IZ

Cite