Predictors of Emergency Department Transfer Among Older Adults Seen by an Emergency Medicine Mobile Integrated Health Team.
Kennedy, Maura; Pang, Sharon; Meeker, Melissa A.; Santangelo, Ilianna; Liu, Shan W.; Ouchi, Kei; Dorner, Stephen; White, Benjamin A.; Nentwich, Lauren M.; Russell, Matthew L.; Hayden, Emily
Why this matters
Hospital-at-home models can spare older adults an emergency department visit when triage reliably identifies who can be treated safely. Of 813 older adults visited by an emergency medicine mobile team, 19 percent were directed to the emergency department, with geriatric syndromes and non-specific complaints predicting transfer.
Abstract
This retrospective study described utilization of an emergency medicine-led mobile integrated health program, the Mobile Response Program (MRP), by older adults aged 65+. Of 1,167 referrals, 813 were accepted and received a visit, and 129 were directed to the ED. Among patients with an MRP visit, 19% were directed to the ED. Geriatric syndromes and non-specific complaints were associated with greater odds of ED direction. Most older adults referred for acute medical needs were safely treated at home.