What Matters” in the Emergency Department

A Prospective Analysis of Older Adults’ Concerns and Desired Outcomes

Bibliographic Data

ID9101036
AuthorsTonya Chera (Department of Emergency Medicine, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, corresponding author), Mary E Tinetti (0000-0003-0940-9702, Yale University), Mary Tinetti (Department of Internal Medicine, Section of Geriatrics, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT), Jasmine Travers (0000-0003-3327-5062, New York University), James Galske (0000-0002-1328-0131, Department of Emergency Medicine, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, corresponding author), Alladi Venkatesh (0000-0002-8248-0567, Yale University, corresponding author), Arjun K Venkatesh (Department of Emergency Medicine, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, CT), Lauren Southerland (Department of Emergency Medicine, The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center, Columbus, OH), Lauren T Southerland (0000-0002-3561-8332, The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center), Scott M Dresden (0000-0002-9250-3320, Department of Emergency Medicine, Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, Chicago, IL), Colleen McQuown (Geriatric Research Education and Clinical Center, Louis Stokes Cleveland VA Medical Center, Cleveland, OH), Colleen M McQuown (0000-0002-8627-9094, Geriatric Research Education and Clinical Center, corresponding author), Cameron J Gettel (0000-0002-6249-1023, Department of Emergency Medicine, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, corresponding author)
Year2024
Volume62
Issue12
PagesS50-S56
Publication date2024-12-01
Peer ReviewedYes
Open AccessNo
TypeARTICLE
VenueMedical Care (JOURNAL)
Journal identifiersISSN: 0025-7079 • E-ISSN: 1537-1948
PublisherOvid Technologies (Wolters Kluwer Health) (PUBLISHER)
DOI10.1097/mlr.0000000000002053
PMID39514495
OpenAlexW4404166224
LanguageEN
Citations received1
References cited28

OBJECTIVE: To describe "What Matters" to older adults seeking emergency department (ED) care and to identify patient characteristics associated with meeting desired outcomes. BACKGROUND: As part of the 4Ms framework, identifying "What Matters" has been captured across healthcare settings, yet limited attention has been directed to older adults in the ED. METHODS: We performed a secondary analysis of a multicenter prospective observational study. The study enrolled 1013 patients aged 65 and older during an ED encounter and performed 90-day follow-up interviews. The primary outcome was the quantification of "What Matters" (concerns and desired outcomes) to older adults during emergency care. As secondary outcomes, we assessed concerns at day 90, if desired outcomes were met at follow-up, and patient characteristics associated with outcome achievement by estimating multivariable logistic regression models. RESULTS: Older adults reported specific concerns at the time of the ED visit including: (1) symptom identification and/or persistence (31.4%), (2) ability to take care of oneself (19.4%), and (3) end-of-life (17.8%). Desired outcomes expressed by participants included: (1) getting well and symptom resolution (72.0%), (2) obtaining a diagnosis (25.7%), and (3) functional independence (19.5%). At day 90 follow-up, concerns remained similar to the initial ED visit, and the majority of participants (66.2%) achieved their desired outcome. Frailty (adjusted odds ratio = 0.56, 95% CI: 0.38-0.83, P < 0.01) was associated with older adults not meeting their desired outcomes. CONCLUSIONS: Older adults identified a variety of concerns during emergency care, and two-thirds reported that desired outcomes were met at longitudinal day 90 follow-up

Emergency department · Medical emergency · MEDLINE · Political science · Emergency and Acute Care Studies · Frailty in Older Adults · Geriatric Care and Nursing Homes · Law · Medicine · Nursing