Emergency Department Re-attendance Research Articles

Older adults experience of transition to the community from the emergency department: a qualitative evidence synthesis

AimOlder adults comprise a growing proportion of Emergency Department (ED) attendees and are vulnerable to adverse outcomes following an ED visit including ED reattendance within 30 days. Interventions to reduce older adults’ risk of adverse outcomes following an ED attendance are proliferating and often focus on improving the transition from the ED to the community. To optimise the effectiveness of interventions it is important to determine how older adults experience the transition from the ED to the community. This study aims to systematically review and synthesise qualitative studies reporting older adults’ experiences of transition to the community from the ED.MethodsSix databases (Academic Search Complete, CINAHL, MEDLINE, PsycARTICLES, PsycINFO, and Social Science Full Text) were searched in March 2022 and 2023. A seven-step approach to meta-ethnography, as described by Noblit and Hare, was used to synthesise findings across included studies. The methodological quality of the included studies was appraised using the 10-item Critical Appraisal Skills Programme (CASP) checklist for qualitative research. A study protocol was registered on PROSPERO (Registration: CRD42022287990).FindingsTen studies were included, and synthesis led to the development of five themes. Unresolved symptoms reported by older adults on discharge impact their ability to manage at home (theme 1). Limited community services and unresolved symptoms drive early ED reattendance for some older adults (theme 2). Although older adults value practical support and assistance transporting home from the ED this is infrequently provided (theme 3). Accessible health information and interactions are important for understanding and self-managing health conditions on discharge from the ED (theme 4). Fragmented Care between ED and community is common, stressful and impacts on older adult’s ability to manage health conditions (theme 5). A line of argument synthesis integrated these themes into one overarching concept; after an ED visit older adults often struggle to manage changed, complex, health and care needs at home, in the absence of comprehensive support and guidance.Discussion/ conclusionKey areas for consideration in future service and intervention development are identified in this study; ED healthcare providers should adapt their communication to the needs of older adults, provide accessible information and explicitly address expectations about symptom resolution during discharge planning. Concurrently, community health services need to be responsive to older adults’ changed health and care needs after an ED visit to achieve care integration. Those developing transitional care interventions should consider older adults needs for integration of care, symptom management, clear communication and information from providers and desire to return to daily life.

1986 Hypoglycaemia in older people with diabetes and symptoms suggestive of hypoglycaemia - continuous glucose monitoring (CGM) study

Abstract Introduction Older people with diabetes are often admitted with falls, dizziness or confusion that may stem from undiagnosed episodes of hypoglycaemia. We examined the use of a 10-day period of round the clock glucose monitoring (CGM), to detect hypoglycaemia in older people with diabetes with symptoms potentially related to hypoglycaemia. Methods Population: Age 75 years and older, on sulfonylureas and/or insulin, presenting to hospital with a fall and/or symptoms suggestive of unrecognised hypoglycaemia. Design Single-centre, observational study (no change to standard diabetes care). Intervention: 10 days of CGM with Dexcom G6 sensor and Android app on smartphone to continuously transmit data. Primary outcomes Proportion of participants with captured hypoglycaemia; within that group, time spent in the hypoglycaemic range (Battelino T, Danne T, Biester T, et al. Diabetes Care. 2019;42(8):1593-603.). Secondary outcomes Overall time in range; emergency department re-attendances and/or hospital re-admissions for falls, fractures, heart attacks, ischaemic strokes and death within 30 days. REC IRAS project ID: 301286. Results 26 eligible participants of which 13 consented to participate. At the time of writing, nine participants (mean age 81 years) completed the study. There were no reports of pain or skin reactions from the participants. Hypoglycaemic events were captured in 3 of 9 participants, with two participants suffering >1 hour below 3.9mmol/L. Only 3 participants achieved >50% time in range target (3.9-10.0mmol/L). Discussion We have detected significant hypoglycaemic episodes in our participants. CGM should be used more widely in older patients with diabetes who present with falls, dizziness or confusion. Limitations include issues around data capture due to participants struggling to navigate the mobile phone app. Despite this, all participants felt that CGM was better than finger-prick glucose testing. Future work is needed to explore how CGM can be deployed after acute admissions in this patient group.

Patients pathways before and after treatments in emergency departments: A retrospective analysis of secondary data in Germany

Increasing emergency department (ED) utilization induces considerable pressure on ED staff and organization in Germany. Reasons for certain ED attendances are seen partly in insufficient continuity of care outside of hospitals. To explore the health care patterns before and after an ED attendance in Germany, we used claims data from nine statutory health insurance funds, covering around 25 % of statutory health insurees (1). We descriptively analyzed ED attendances for adult patients in 2016 according to their sociodemographic characteristics and diagnoses (2). Based on the ED attendance as initial event, we investigated health care provider utilization 180 days before and after the respective ED treatment and are presented by means of Sankey diagrams. In total, 4,757,536 ED cases of 3,164,343 insured individuals were analyzed.Back pain was the most frequent diagnosis in outpatient ED cases (5.0 %), and 80.2 % of the patients visited primary care physicians or specialists 180 days before and 78.8 % 180 days after ED treatment. Among inpatient cases, heart failure (4.6 %) was the leading diagnosis and 74.6 % used primary care physicians or specialists 180 days before and 65.1 % 180 days after ED treatment. The ED re-attendance slightly increased for back pain (4.9 % to 7.9 %) and decreased for heart failure (13.4 % to 12.6 %).

A single centre study of the level of parents' satisfaction with the COVID-19 telemedicine consultation.

Telemedicine is an effective tool for video consultation of COVID-19 patients in the setting of the COVID-19 pandemic. Weprospectively determined the level of parents' satisfaction with the COVID-19 telemedicine consultation. This was asingle centre prospective study. COVID-19 paediatric patients who were seen in the children's emergency department of KK Women's and Children's Hospital, Singapore, and deemed fit for home recovery were discharged with a COVID-19 telemedicine follow-up in two to three days' time. Paediatric patients who were seen in the COVID-19 telemedicine visits were included in the parents' satisfaction survey. We excluded patients who defaulted their telemedicine visits. The telemedicine satisfaction survey was conducted using an online form consisting of 16 Likert scale questions, sent via text messaging. Our primary outcome was telemedicine satisfaction scores. Our secondary outcome was children's emergency department reattendance or hospital admission within 10days after the telemedicine consultation. 1238 patients attended the COVID-19 video consultation clinic from 15 December 2021 till 25 March 2022, out of which 476 parents of the COVID-19 patients completed the survey questionnaire. The mean age of the COVID-19 patients was 3.6years. There was a high level of overall satisfaction among parents of the COVID-19 patients, with a mean score of 6.1 out of 7. 12 out of 16 questions had a positive response (mean score of 6 or more). There was a total of 9 reattendances to children's emergency department, out of which 3 cases needed hospital admission. Conclusion: There was a high level of overall satisfaction with the use of telemedicine in symptomatic COVID-19 paediatric patients. What is Known: • Telemedicine is a cost-effective and feasible mode of delivering health care for conditions such as diabetes, heart disease, and depressive disorder, especially in the setting of the COVID-19 pandemic. What is New: • To gauge the parents' satisfaction with the COVID-19 telemedicine visit, in order to improve the patient and caregiver experience with telemedicine, and to improve the telemedicine service delivery. • Information from this study is crucial in order to prevent unnecessary hospital reattendance due to parental concern from poor telemedicine delivery.

49 Older adults’ experience of transition to the community from the Emergency Department: a qualitative evidence synthesis

Abstract Background Older adults comprise a growing proportion of Emergency Department (ED) attendees and are vulnerable to adverse outcomes on discharge. Interventions to reduce older adults’ risk of adverse outcomes following an ED attendance are proliferating and often focus on improving the transition from the ED to the community. To optimise the effectiveness of interventions, it is important to determine how older adults experience the transition from the ED to the community. This study systematically reviewed and synthesised qualitative studies reporting older adults’ experiences of transition to the community from the ED. Methods A systematic literature search of six databases was completed in March 2022 and updated in March 2023. Nine studies were included following full text review representing the experiences of over 490 older adults from five countries. Findings from included studies were synthesised as a meta-ethnography. Results Older adults often reported un-resolved symptoms on discharge (theme 1) which negatively affected transition home and return to daily life. Unresolved symptoms were also a major driver of ED re-attendance shortly after discharge (theme 2). Although older adults wanted a planned discharge home with organised transport (theme 4) however, this was not often achieved. Fragmented care at the point of transition home (theme 3) was a reoccurrence experience for older adults alongside inadequate healthcare provider communication/instructions on ED discharge (theme 5). Conclusion Study findings identified key areas for consideration in service development and intervention development for older adult’s care when transitioning from the ED to the community. ED healthcare providers should consider adapting their communication to meet the needs of older adults. Healthcare providers need to explicitly address expectations about symptom resolution during discharge planning as a collaborative process with older adults. Those developing transitional care interventions should consider older adults needs for integration of care, symptom management, clear communication from providers and desire to return to daily life.

Real-world evidence that among atrial fibrillation patients warfarin is associated with reduced nonelective admissions compared with those on DOACs.

Randomized trials show inconsistent estimates on risks of direct-acting oral anticoagulants (DOACs) versus warfarin in bleeding and mortality for atrial fibrillation (AF) patients. Trials are confounded by additional DOAC adherence support, while warfarin has a low time in therapeutic range. Few real-world studies compared emergency hospitalization risk between DOAC and warfarin users in AF. This study aimed to determine emergency hospitalization risk for AF patients on DOACs or warfarin in real-world settings. A tapered-matched real-world cohort extracted data from 412 English general practices' primary care records linked with emergency department (ED) and hospitalization data from the ECLIPSE database. AF patients with new DOAC or warfarin prescriptions were included. The primary outcome was all-cause ED attendance; the secondary outcomes were ED re-attendance, nonelective hospitalization, and rehospitalization within 12 months. Weighted Cox regression estimated relative risk difference. 39 201 DOAC patients were matched with 13 145 warfarin patients. DOAC patients had a 25% higher likelihood of attending ED (odds ratio 1.25; 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.01-1.55). DOAC use also associated with higher ED re-attendance, nonelective hospitalization, and rehospitalization within 12 months: 1.41 (95% CI 1.00-1.98), 1.26 (1.00-1.57), and 1.54 (1.01-2.34), respectively, with p-values < .05. DOACs for AF thromboprophylaxis are associated with the increased risk of ED attendance, recurrent hospitalization, and numerical rise in ED re-attendance and first nonelective hospitalization compared to warfarin. However, these real-world data cannot establish if this difference results from medication adherence, lack of regular warfarin clinic monitoring, unmeasured confounders, or fundamental agent efficacy disparities.

Efficiency of a virtual fracture care protocol in non-operative treatment of adult patients with a distal radial fracture.

This study aimed to determine the effects of virtual fracture care (VFC) on secondary healthcare utilization in non-operative treatment of adult patients with a distal radial fracture. A retrospective cohort study was performed, including those who received non-operative treatment without VFC (pre-VFC) and with VFC (VFC). Outcomes included secondary healthcare utilization, calculated treatment costs, emergency department (ED) reattendances and complication rates. In total, 88 pre-VFC and 99 VFC patients were included. Pre-VFC patients had more follow-up appointments, with a median of 4 (IQR: 3) versus a median of 4 (IQR: 1) in VFC patients. In addition, 3% of follow-up appointments for pre-VFC patients were performed remotely compared to 18% for VFC patients. Complications and ED reattendances were comparable between groups. In this study, non-operative treatment of adult patients with a distal radial fracture through VFC reduced secondary healthcare utilization, with similar reported complication and ED reattendance rates compared with treatment without VFC.Level of evidence: III.

Evaluation of a remote monitoring service for patients with COVID-19 discharged from University College London Hospital.

In May 2020 a virtual ward for COVID-19 patients seen at University College London Hospital (UCLH) was established. The aim of this study was to see if specific factors can be used to predict the risk of deterioration and need for Emergency Department (ED) reattendance or admission. We performed a service evaluation of the COVID-19 virtual ward service at UCLH between 24/10/2020 and 12/2/2021. 649 patients were included with data collected on vital signs, basic measurements, and blood tests from their initial ED attendance, allowing calculation of ISARIC-4C mortality scores. Outcomes of interest were ED reattendance, facilitation of this by virtual ward physician, level of care if admitted, and death within 28 days of the first COVID-19 virtual ward appointment. Analysis was performed using Mann-Whitney U tests. Reattendance rate to ED was 17.3% (112/649) of which 8% (51/649) were admitted. Half of ED reattendances were facilitated by the virtual ward service. Overall mortality was 0.92%. Patients who reattended ED, facilitated by the virtual ward service, had a higher mean CRP (53.63 vs 41.67 mg/L), presented to ED initially later in their COVID-19 illness (8 vs 6.5 days) and had a higher admission rate (61 vs 39%). The mean ISARIC-4C score was higher in the reattendance group compared to the non-reattendance group (3.87 vs 3.48, difference of 0.179, p = 0.003). The mean ISARIC-4C score was higher in the admission group than the non-reattendance group (5.56 vs 3.48, difference of 0.115, p = 0.003). Identification of patient risk factors for reattendance following a diagnosis of COVID-19 in ED can be used to design a service to safely manage patients remotely. We found that the ISARIC -4C mortality score was associated with risk of hospital admission and could be used to identify those requiring more active remote follow up.

Screening instruments to predict adverse outcomes for undifferentiated older adults attending the Emergency Department: Results of SOAED prospective cohort study.

frailty screening facilitates the stratification of older adults at most risk of adverse events for urgent assessment and subsequent intervention. We assessed the validity of the Identification of Seniors at Risk (ISAR), Clinical Frailty Scale (CFS), Programme on Research for Integrating Services for the Maintenance of Autonomy seven item questionnaire (PRISMA-7) and InterRAI-ED at predicting adverse outcomes at 30days and 6months amongst older adults presenting to the Emergency Department (ED). a prospective cohort study of adults ≥65years who presented to the ED was conducted. The ISAR, CFS, PRISMA-7 and InterRAI-ED were assessed. Blinded follow-up telephone interviews were completed at 30days and 6months to assess the incidence of mortality, ED re-attendance, hospital readmission, functional decline and nursing home admission. The sensitivity, specificity, negative predictive value and positive predictive value of the screening tools were calculated using 2 × 2 tables. a total of 419 patients were recruited; 47% female with a mean age of 76.9 (Standard deviation = 7.2). The prevalence of frailty varied across the tools (CFS 57% versus InterRAI-ED 70%). At 30 days, the mortality rate was 5.1%, ED re-attendance 18.1%, hospital readmission 14%, functional decline 47.6% and nursing home admission 7.1%. All tools had a high sensitivity and positive predictive value for predicting adverse outcomes. older adults who screened positive for frailty were at significantly increased risk of experiencing an adverse outcome at 30days with the ISAR being the most sensitive tool. We would recommend the implementation of the ISAR in the ED setting to support clinicians in identifying older adults most likely to benefit from specialised geriatric assessment and intervention.

Sustainability and impact of the implementation of a frailty checklist for the acute medical unit: experience from a tertiary public hospital in Singapore

BackgroundAccelerated population ageing is associated with an increasing prevalence of frailty. International guidelines call for systematic assessment and timely interventions for older persons requiring acute care. Checklists have been applied...

353 FACTORS ASSOCIATED WITH ADVERSE OUTCOMES IN OLDER ADULTS DIRECTLY DISCHARGED FROM THE EMERGENCY DEPARTMENT

Abstract Background Older adults attend the Emergency Department (ED) frequently. Over 40% are directly discharged from the ED. The risk of adverse outcomes is high following discharge including unplanned ED return, institutionalisation, and mortality. The purpose of this study was to highlight factors that predict these adverse outcomes. Methods A secondary analysis was completed of SOAED (a prospective cohort study examining screening instruments to predict adverse outcomes for undifferentiated older adults attending the ED) and OPTIMEND (randomised control trial examining the effectiveness of an intervention by a team of Health and Social Care Professionals along with usual care and compared this to standard ED care alone). Inclusion criteria were adults aged 65 years and over presenting to ED at a University Teaching Hospital with medical complaints and a Manchester Triage System category 2–5. Results Three-hundred and nine patients were discharged directly from ED (mean age 80 years; 58% female). 96 patients re-attended ED within 6 months. 66 patients were re-hospitalised within 6 months. 16 patients died within six months of discharge. 63% of the discharged patients screened positive for frailty measured by PRISMA-7 (3 or more). Relative risk ratio analysis confirmed that the risk of revisiting a hospital was 1.241 times for patients that scored frail compared to those who scored not frail. The risk of mortality was 1.075 times for patients that scored frail compared to those who scored not frail. The risk of being admitted to a nursing home was 1.146 times for patients that scored frail compared to those who scored not frail. Conclusion Older people have a high ED re-attendance rate of 31% after an index visit. Frailty (scored on PRISMA-7) is a significant predictor of adverse outcomes. Focused screening and intervention for frail patients who attend the ED should be a priority.

Comprehensive geriatric assessment in the emergency department: A protocol for a prospective cohort study.

Background: Comprehensive geriatric assessment (CGA) has been shown to improve outcomes in hospitalised older adults; however, there is currently no compelling evidence to support CGA interventions within the Emergency Department (ED). The aim of this study is to explore the clinical and process outcomes of older adults who receive ED-CGA over a period of six months after their initial ED attendance. Design: Prospective cohort study. Methods: The STrengthening the Reporting of the OBservational studies in Epidemiology (STROBE) standardised reporting guidelines will be adhered to. Older adults aged ≥65 years who score ≥2 on the Identification of Seniors at Risk (ISAR) tool and present to the ED with a medical complaint during the operational hours of the dedicated interdisciplinary team, will be considered eligible for recruitment. Demographic and health assessment information will be obtained at the ED index attendance followed by completion of an interdisciplinary CGA. A dedicated research nurse will complete follow-up telephone interviews with participants at 30 days and six months. The primary outcome will be incidence of hospital admission from the ED index attendance. Secondary outcomes will include functional decline, patient satisfaction with the ED index attendance, unscheduled ED reattendance(s), unscheduled hospital (re)admission(s), nursing home admission(s), healthcare utilisation, and death. Descriptive statistics will be used to profile the characteristics of the study participants and multivariate logistic and linear regression analysis will be used to analyse risk of adverse outcomes. Ethics and dissemination: Ethical approval was granted by the University of Limerick Hospital Group Research Ethics Committee (107/2021). The authors will disseminate study findings through publication in a peer-reviewed journal and presentation at national and international conferences. Patient and public involvement will be sought from a panel of older adults at the Ageing Research Centre in the University of Limerick. Clinicaltrials.gov Identifier: NCT05252182.

Comprehensive geriatric assessment in the emergency department: A protocol for a prospective cohort study

Background: Comprehensive geriatric assessment (CGA) has been shown to improve outcomes in hospitalised older adults; however, there is currently no compelling evidence to support CGA interventions within the Emergency Department (ED). The aim of this study is to explore the clinical and process outcomes of older adults who receive ED-CGA over a period of six months after their initial ED attendance. Design: Prospective cohort study. Methods: The STrengthening the Reporting of the OBservational studies in Epidemiology (STROBE) standardised reporting guidelines will be adhered to. Older adults aged ≥65 years who score ≥2 on the Identification of Seniors at Risk (ISAR) tool and present to the ED with a medical complaint during the operational hours of the dedicated interdisciplinary team, will be considered eligible for recruitment. Demographic and health assessment information will be obtained at the ED index attendance followed by completion of an interdisciplinary CGA. A dedicated research nurse will complete follow-up telephone interviews with participants at 30 days and six months. The primary outcome will be incidence of hospital admission from the ED index attendance. Secondary outcomes will include functional decline, patient satisfaction with the ED index attendance, unscheduled ED reattendance(s), unscheduled hospital (re)admission(s), nursing home admission(s), healthcare utilisation, and death. Descriptive statistics will be used to profile the characteristics of the study participants and multivariate logistic and linear regression analysis will be used to analyse risk of adverse outcomes. Ethics and dissemination: Ethical approval was granted by the University of Limerick Hospital Group Research Ethics Committee (107/2021). The authors will disseminate study findings through publication in a peer-reviewed journal and presentation at national and international conferences. Patient and public involvement will be sought from a panel of older adults at the Ageing Research Centre in the University of Limerick. Clinicaltrials.gov Identifier: NCT05252182.

To the emergency room and back again: Circular healthcare pathways for acute functional neurological disorders

Background and objectivesStudies of Functional Neurological Disorders (FND) are usually outpatient-based. To inform service development, we aimed to describe patient pathways through healthcare events, and factors affecting risk of emergency department (ED) reattendance, for people presenting acutely with FND. MethodsAcute neurology/stroke teams at a UK city hospital were contacted regularly over 8 months to log FND referrals. Electronic documentation was then reviewed for hospital healthcare events over the preceding 8 years. Patient pathways through healthcare events over time were mapped, and mixed effects logistic regression was performed for risk of ED reattendance within 1 year. ResultsIn 8 months, 212 patients presented acutely with an initial referral suggesting FND. 20% had subsequent alternative diagnoses, but 162 patients were classified from documentation review as possible (17%), probable (28%) or definite (55%) FND. In the preceding 8 years, these 162 patients had 563 ED attendances and 1693 inpatient nights with functional symptoms, but only 26% were referred for psychological therapy, only 66% had a documented diagnosis, and care pathways looped around ED. Three better practice pathway steps were each associated with lower risk of subsequent ED reattendance: documented FND diagnosis (OR = 0.32, p = 0.004), referral to clinical psychology (OR = 0.35, p = 0.04) and outpatient neurology follow-up (OR = 0.25, p < 0.001). ConclusionPeople that present acutely to a UK city hospital with FND tend to follow looping pathways through hospital healthcare events, centred around ED, with low rates of documented diagnosis and referral for psychological therapy. When better practice occurs, it is associated with lower risk of ED reattendance.

Comprehensive geriatric assessment in the emergency department: A protocol for a prospective cohort study.

Background: Comprehensive geriatric assessment (CGA) has been shown to improve outcomes in hospitalised older adults; however, there is currently no compelling evidence to support CGA interventions within the Emergency Department (ED). The aim of this study is to explore the clinical and process outcomes of older adults who receive ED-CGA over a period of six months after their initial ED attendance. Design: Prospective cohort study. Methods: The STrengthening the Reporting of the OBservational studies in Epidemiology (STROBE) standardised reporting guidelines will be adhered to. Older adults aged ≥65 years who score ≥2 on the Identification of Seniors at Risk (ISAR) tool and present to the ED with a medical complaint during the operational hours of the dedicated interdisciplinary team, will be considered eligible for recruitment. Demographic and health assessment information will be obtained at the ED index attendance followed by completion of an interdisciplinary CGA. A dedicated research nurse will complete follow-up telephone interviews with participants at 30 days and six months. The primary outcome will be incidence of hospital admission from the ED index attendance. Secondary outcomes will include functional decline, patient satisfaction with the ED index attendance, unscheduled ED reattendance(s), unscheduled hospital (re)admission(s), nursing home admission(s), healthcare utilisation, and death. Descriptive statistics will be used to profile the characteristics of the study participants and multivariate logistic and linear regression analysis will be used to analyse risk of adverse outcomes. Ethics and dissemination: Ethical approval was granted by the University of Limerick Hospital Group Hospital Research Ethics Committee (107/2021). The authors will disseminate study findings through publication in a peer-reviewed journal and presentation at national and international conferences. Patient and public involvement will be sought from a panel of older adults at the Ageing Research Centre in the University of Limerick. Clinicaltrials.gov Identifier: NCT05252182.

Hospitalizations for Acute Gout: Process Mapping the Inpatient Journey and Identifying Predictors of Admission.

To identify predictors of admission following emergency department (ED) attendances for gout flares and to describe barriers to optimal inpatient gout care. ED attendances and hospital admissions with primary diagnoses of gout were analyzed at 2 UK-based hospitals between January 1, 2017, and December 31, 2020. Demographic and clinical predictors of ED disposition (admission or discharge) and reattendance for gout flares were identified using logistic regression and survival models, respectively. Case note reviews (n = 59), stakeholder meetings, and process mapping were performed to capture detailed information on gout management and to identify strategies to optimize care. Of 1220 emergency attendances for gout flares, 23.5% required hospitalization (median length of stay: 3.6 days). Recurrent attendances for flares occurred in 10.4% of patients during the study period. In multivariate logistic regression models, significant predictors of admission from ED were older age, overnight ED arrival time, higher serum urate (SU), higher C-reactive protein, and higher total white cell count at presentation. Detailed case note reviews showed that only 22.6% of patients with preexisting gout were receiving urate-lowering therapy (ULT) at presentation. Initial diagnostic uncertainty was common, yet rheumatology input and synovial aspirates were rarely obtained. By 6 months postdischarge, 43.6% were receiving ULT; however, few patients had treat-to-target dose optimization, and only 9.1% achieved SU levels ≤ 360 μmol/L. We identified multiple predictors of hospitalization for acute gout. Treat-to-target optimization of ULT following hospitalization remains inadequate and must be improved if admissions are to be prevented.

Emergency department interventions for frailty (EDIFY): improving functional outcomes in older persons at the emergency department through a multicomponent frailty intervention.

emergency department interventions for frailty (EDIFY) delivers frailty-centric interventions at the emergency department (ED). We evaluated the effectiveness of a multicomponent frailty intervention (MFI) in improving functional outcomes among older persons. a quasi-experimental study. a 30-bed ED observation unit within a 1,700-bed acute tertiary hospital. patients aged ≥65years, categorised as Clinical Frailty Scale 4-6, and planned for discharge from the unit. we compared patients receiving the MFI versus usual-care. Data on demographics, function, frailty, sarcopenia, comorbidities and medications were gathered. Our primary outcome was functional status-Modified Barthel Index (MBI) and Lawton's iADL. Secondary outcomes include hospitalisation, ED re-attendance, mortality, frailty, sarcopenia, polypharmacy and falls. Follow-up assessments were at 3, 6 and 12months. we recruited 140 participants (mean age 79.7 ± 7.6years; 47% frail and 73.6% completed the study). Baseline characteristics between groups were comparable (each n = 70). For the intervention group, MBI scores were significantly higher at 6months (mean: 94.5 ± 11.2 versus 88.5 ± 19.5, P = 0.04), whereas Lawton's iADL scores experienced less decline (change-in-score: 0.0 ± 1.7 versus -1.1 ± 1.8, P = 0.001). Model-based analyses revealed greater odds of maintaining/improving MBI in the intervention group at 6months [odds ratio (OR) 2.51, 95% confidence interval (CI) 1.04-6.03, P = 0.04] and 12months (OR2.98, 95%CI 1.18-7.54, P = 0.02). This was similar for Lawton's iADL at 12months (OR4.01, 95%CI 1.70-9.48, P = 0.002). ED re-attendances (rate ratio 0.35, 95%CI 0.13-0.90, P = 0.03) and progression to sarcopenia (OR0.19, 95%CI 0.04-0.94, P = 0.04) were also lower at 6months. the MFI delivered to older persons at the ED can possibly improve functional outcomes and reduce ED re-attendances while attenuating sarcopenia progression.

Multimorbidity, disease count, mortality and emergency care use in persons attending the emergency department: a cross-sectional data-linkage study.

Multimorbidity (two or more concurrent chronic conditions) is associated with poorer health outcomes and increased healthcare utilisation in primary care and general populations. Less is known about the prevalence of multimorbidity in emergency department attenders, or its association with poor outcomes in this population. This study sought to explore the relationship between multimorbidity, mortality and health-care utilisation in a large urban cohort of persons attending emergency departments. Validated algorithms for the identification of 28 chronic conditions from ICD-10 codes were deployed on a cross-sectional sample of patients attending emergency departments in Glasgow, Scotland between April 2019 and March 2020. Analysis was conducted on complete cases (n=63,328) and compared with results from data with imputed missing values (n=75,723). Models adjusted for age, sex, deprivation and ethnicity were fitted to test for the association between (i) multimorbidity, (ii) complex multimorbidity, (iii) disease count and the following outcomes: admission to hospital, reattendance at 30 and 90 days, and death during admission. Multimorbidity, complex multimorbidity and disease count were significantly associated with hospital admission and emergency department reattendance. Those with 1-3 conditions were at increased risk of inpatient mortality. This study further evidences the impact of multimorbidity and disease burden on health-care use, and mortality to a lesser extent. Deployed algorithms were sufficiently sensitive to detect associations, despite limited access (21 months) to secondary-care data. This should allow for the construction of more robust models to prospectively identify persons at risk of poor outcomes in similar populations.

236 PREDICTORS OF ADVERSE OUTCOMES IN OLDER PATIENTS DISCHARGED DIRECTLY FROM THE EMERGENCY DEPARTMENT

Abstract Background Over 40% of older patients are discharged directly from the Emergency Department (ED) and this cohort is at increased risk of adverse outcomes. The purpose of this study was to explore the factors that predict future adverse outcomes in this cohort to inform practice, resource planning and policy. Methods A secondary analysis of the OPTIMEND, a single-centre, randomized-controlled trial was completed. OPTIMEND examined the effectiveness of an intervention by a team of Health and Social Care Professionals along with usual care and compared this to standard ED care alone (Dec 2018-May 2019). The inclusion criteria were adults aged 65 years and over presenting to the ED at a University Teaching Hospital with medical complaints and a Manchester Triage System category 2–5. Results 220 patients were included (median age 79 years; 62% female). Median length of stay in ED was 5.5 hrs. 70 patients re-attended the ED within 6 months with 43 re-hospitalised within 6 months. 9 patients died within six months of discharge. Multivariant logistic regression was completed. Age was the only independent predictor of mortality within six months of discharge {Odds Ratio (OR) 1.15, p = 0.044}. Past hospitalisation (&amp;lt;6 months) was associated with a lower likelihood of ED re-attendance, and rehospitalization within six months of discharge (OR: 0.452 p = 0.022; OR:0.442, p = 0.046; respectively). Clinical Frailty Score was associated with a significantly higher likelihood of rehospitalization (OR:1.48, p = 0.031) but not with ED revisits (OR: 1.235, p = 0.165). Conclusion Older people have a high ED re-attendance rate of 33% after an index visit with 20% hospitalized subsequently. Frailty is a significant predictor of rehospitalisation. Rapid and targeted intervention for frail patients who reattend the ED should be a priority for the integrated care program to enhance admission avoidance.

SARC-F at the Emergency Department: Diagnostic Performance for Frailty and Predictive Performance for Reattendances and Acute Hospitalizations.

Sarcopenia is associated with adverse health outcomes including mortality, functional loss, falls, and poorer quality of life. However, the value of screening sarcopenia at the Emergency Department (ED) remains unclear. We aimed to examine the SARC-F questionnaire for its (1) diagnostic ability in identifying frailty, and (2) predictive ability for adverse health outcomes. A secondary analysis of a quasi-experimental study. An ED within a 1700-bed tertiary hospital. ED patients aged ≥85 years (mean age 90.0 years) recruited into the Emergency Department Interventions of Frailty (EDIFY) study. Data of demographics, premorbid function, frailty status [Frailty Index (FI), Clinical Frailty Scale (CFS), FRAIL], comorbidities, medications, and cognitive status were gathered. We also captured outcomes of mortality, acute hospitalization, and ED reattendance at 1-, 3-, and 6-month. We then compared area under the operating characteristic curves (AUCs) for the abovementioned measures against the FI (reference) for diagnosis of frailty. Lastly, we performed univariate analyses and logistic regression to compare SARC-F and other measures against the adverse outcomes of interest. Amongst the various instruments, the SARC-F (AUC 0.92, 95% Confidence Interval (CI) 0.86-0.98, P<0.001; Sensitivity 79.0%, and Specificity 88.9%) performed best for frailty detection as defined by FI. Optimal cutoff was ≥3 (Sensitivity 91.4%, Specificity 83.3%, and Negative Predictive Value 68.2%). Only SARC-F was predictive of acute hospitalization [Adjusted Odds Ratio (OR) 4.00, 95% CI 1.47-10.94, P=0.007] and ED-reattendance [Adjusted OR 3.29, 95% CI 1.26-8.56, P=0.015] at 3-month. The SARC-F demonstrated excellent diagnostic ability for frailty detection and predictive validity for ED reattendance and acute hospitalization at 3 months. Lowering cutoff score to ≥3 may improve case-finding at the ED to facilitate early identification and management of sarcopenia. Further studies are required to validate the diagnostic and predictive performance of SARC-F at ED settings.