Here are some outcome measures you might want to consider in tracking your quality improvement activities relating to senior-friendly care.
The ED should track metrics for structures, processes, and outcomes related to the following criteria:
- Numbers of older adults with repeat ED visits
- Numbers of older adults with repeat ED admissions
- Number of older adults staying >8 hours in the ED
- Mortality data for patients according to designated diagnosis
- Numbers of older adults admitted to the hospital with specific chief complaints and admitting diagnosis
- Numbers of older adults discharged to home, long-term care, rehabilitation with ED diagnosis and chief complaints
- Numbers of patients screening positively on applicable screen(s) (e.g. delirium, functional decline, falls, elder abuse)
- Numbers of patients accessing a referral pathway for positively screened patients (e.g. assessment by an in-department assessment team or referral to a Falls or Memory Clinic)
- Percentage of eligible positively screened patients who are referred appropriately
- Percentage of eligible positively screened patients who complete the referral
- Outcomes of such referral
References and Resources
- Terrell KM, Hustey FM, Hwang U, et al. Quality indicators for geriatric emergency care. Acad Emerg Med. 2009 16: 441-449.
- Carpenter CR, Heard K, Wilber ST, et al. Research priorities for high-quality geriatric emergency care: medication management, screening, and prevention and functional assessment. Acad Emerg Med. 2011;18: 644-654. 26.
- Carpenter CR, Shah MN, Hustey FM, et al. High yield research opportunities in geriatric emergency medicine research: prehospital care, delirium, adverse drug events, and falls. J Gerontol Med Sci. 2011;66: 775-783.
- Inouye SK, Studenski S, Tinetti ME, et al. Geriatric syndromes: clinical, research, and policy implications of a core geriatric concept. J Am Geratr Soc. 2007;55: 780-791.
