Hospital Costs and Reimbursement Model for a Geriatric Emergency Department

Impact of Geriatric Consult Evaluations on Hospital Admission Rates for Older Adults

Introduction

We examined the impact of a geriatric consult program in the emergency department (ED) and an ED observation geriatric care unit (GCU) setting on hospital admission rates for older ED patients.

Methods

We performed a retrospective case control study from June 1-August 31, 2019 (pre-program) to September 24, 2019-January 31, 2020 (post-program). Post-program geriatric consults were readily available in the ED and required in the GCU setting. Hospital admission rates (outcome) are reported for patients who received a geriatric consult evaluation (intervention). We analyzed probability of admission using a mixed-effects logistic regression model that included age, gender, recent ED visit, Charlson Comorbidity Index, referral to ED observation, and geriatric consult evaluation as predictor variables.

Results

A total of 9,663 geriatric ED encounters occurred, 4,042 pre-program and 5,621 post-program. Overall, ED admission rates for geriatric patients were similar pre- and post-program (44.8% vs 43.9%, P = 0.39). Of 243 geriatric consults, 149 (61.3%) occurred in the GCU. Overall admission rates post-program for patients receiving geriatric intervention were significantly lower compared to pre-program (23.4% vs 44.9%, P < 0.001). Post-program GCU hospital admission rates were significantly lower than pre-program ED observation unit admission rates (14/149, 9.4%, vs 111/477, 23.3%, P < 0.001). In the logistic regression model, admissions post-program were lower when a geriatric consult evaluation occurred (odds ratio [OR] 0.58, 95% confidence interval [CI] 0.41-0.83). Hospital admissions for older ED observation patients were also significantly decreased when a geriatric consult was obtained (GCU vs pre-program ED observation unit; OR 0.27, 95% CI 0.14-0.50).

Conclusion

Geriatric consult evaluations were associated with significantly lower rates of hospital admission and persisted when controlled for age, gender, comorbidities, and ED observation unit placement. This model may allow healthcare systems to decrease potentially avoidable hospital admission rates in older ED patients.

An Outcome Comparison Between Geriatric and Nongeriatric Emergency Departments

STUDY OBJECTIVE

We sought to describe diagnosis rates and compare common process outcomes between geriatric emergency departments (EDs) and nongeriatric EDs participating in the American College of Emergency Physicians Clinical Emergency Data Registry (CEDR).

METHODS

We conducted an observational study of ED visits in calendar year 2021 within the CEDR by older adults. The analytic sample included 6,444,110 visits at 38 geriatric EDs and 152 matched nongeriatric EDs, with the geriatric ED status determined based on linkage to the American College of Emergency Physicians' Geriatric ED Accreditation program. Stratified by age, we assessed diagnosis rates (X/1000) for 4 common geriatric syndrome conditions and a set of common process outcomes including the ED length of stay, discharge rates, and 72-hour revisit rates.

RESULTS

Across all age categories, geriatric EDs had higher diagnosis rates than nongeriatric EDs for 3 of the 4 following geriatric syndrome conditions of interest: urinary tract infection, dementia, and delirium/altered mental status. The median ED site-level length of stay for older adults was lower at geriatric EDs compared with that at nongeriatric EDs, whereas 72-hour revisit rates were similar across all age categories. Geriatric EDs exhibited a median discharge rate of 67.5% for adults aged 65 to 74 years, 60.8% for adults aged 75 to 84 years, and 55.6% for adults aged >85 years. Comparatively, the median discharge rate at nongeriatric ED sites was 69.0% for adults aged 65 to 74 years, 64.2% for adults aged 75 to 84 years, and 61.3% for adults aged >85 years.

CONCLUSION

Geriatric EDs had higher geriatric syndrome diagnosis rates, lower ED lengths of stay, and similar discharge and 72-hour revisit rates when compared with nongeriatric EDs in the CEDR. These findings provide the first benchmarks for emergency care process outcomes in geriatric EDs compared with nongeriatric EDs.

Geriatric assessment in the emergency department reduces healthcare costs-So when will CMS pay for it?

This editorial comments on the article by Haynesworth et al. in this issue.

A short multi-factor screening tool to assess falls-risk in older people presenting to an Australian emergency department: A feasibility study

OBJECTIVE

The purpose of this study was to evaluate use of a short multi-factor falls-risk screening tool for older people within the emergency department, to enable rapid identification of falls-risk and triggers for multidisciplinary referral for further falls-specific assessment.

METHODS

Older people, aged ≥70 years, presenting to the emergency department with a fall-related injury or disease (n = 137) were recruited by a research nurse following randomisation. A short multi-factor screening tool was completed, comprised of 14 falls-risk-related assessment components.

RESULTS

Only one participant did not generate any referrals. Participants generated most referrals for medications (85.4%), social and housing (84.6%), vision (67.2%), podiatry (66.9%), or function and mobility (54.7%). Based on our results, the screening tool could be reduced to eleven components. The median time-to-screen was 11 min (IQR 9-15), with 736 triggers generated for referral and further assessment of falls-risk.

CONCLUSION

Falls are a major cause of ED presentation for older people. A short multi-factor screening tool with eleven components could be adapted to local familiar falls-risk tools and be completed in less than 10 min. Further research to trial the feasibility of completing ED referrals based on screening results is required to confirm the usefulness of such screening and referral within the ED.

Clinical and financial outcome impacts of comprehensive geriatric assessment in a level 1 geriatric emergency department

BACKGROUND

The aging population has led to an increase in emergency department (ED) visits by older adults who have complex medical conditions and high social needs. The purpose of this study was to assess if comprehensive geriatric evaluation and management impacted service utilization and cost by older adults admitted to the ED.

METHODS

This is a retrospective matched case-control study at a level 1 geriatric ED (GED) from January 1, 2018-March 31, 2020. Geriatric nurse specialists (GENIEs) provided comprehensive evaluations and management for GED patients. Propensity score matching was used to match patients receiving GENIE consultations to ED patients who did not receive a GENIE consult. Regression was used to assess the impact of the GENIE services on inpatient admissions, ED revisits and cost of inpatient and ED care from the payor perspective.

RESULTS

GENIE consults were associated with a 13.0% reduction in absolute risk of admission through the ED at index (95% confidence interval [CI] -17.0%, -9.0%, p < 0.001) and a reduction in risk for total admissions at 30 and 90-days post discharge (-11.3%, 95% CI -15.6%, -7.1%, p-value < 0.001; and -10.0, 95% CI -13.8%, -6.0%; p < 0.001 respectively), both driven by reduced risk of admission at the index visit. GENIE consults were associated with a 4% increase in absolute risk of revisits to the ED within 30 days (95% CI 0.6%, 7.3%; p = 0.001). GENIE consults were associated with a decrease in cost of inpatient and ED care, with savings of $2344 within 30 days (95% CI $2247, $2441, p < 0.001) and savings of $2004 USD within 90 days (95% CI $1895, $2114, p < 0.001), driven by reduced costs at the index visit.

CONCLUSIONS

GENIE consults were associated with decreased inpatient admissions through the ED, modestly increased ED revisits, and decreased cost of inpatient and ED care. The results of this study can be useful for EDs considering approaches to better serve older adults. They can also be of interest to payers as an area of potential cost savings.

Physical therapy consultation in the emergency department for older adults with falls: A qualitative study

Objectives

Little is known about current practices in consulting physical therapy (PT) in the emergency department (ED) for older adults with falls, a practice that can reduce fall-related ED revisits. This qualitative study aimed to understand perspectives of ED staff about ED PT consultation for older adults with falls and fall-related complaints, specifically regarding perceived value and associated challenges and strategies.

Methods

We performed focus groups and key informant interviews with emergency physicians, advanced practice clinicians, nurses, physical therapists, occupational therapists, and technicians who perform ED geriatric screenings. We used rapid qualitative analysis to identify common themes related to decisions to consult PT from the ED, perceived value of PT, and common challenges and strategies in ED PT consultation.

Results

Twenty-five participants in 4 focus groups and 3 interviews represented 22 distinct institutions with ED PT consultation available for older adults with falls. About two thirds of EDs represented relied on clinician gestalt to request PT consultation (n = 15, 68%), whereas one third used formal consultation pathways (n = 7, 32%). Participants valued physical therapists' expertise, time, and facilitation of hospital throughput by developing safe discharge plans and contact with patients to improve outpatient follow-up. Common challenges included limited ED PT staffing and space for PT evaluations; strategies to promote ED PT consultation included advocating for leadership buy-in and using ED observation units to monitor patients and avoid admission until PT consultation was available.

Conclusion

ED PT consultation for older adults with falls may benefit patients, ED staff, and hospital throughput. Uncertainty remains over whether geriatric screening-triggered consultation versus emergency clinician gestalt successfully identifies patients likeliest to benefit from ED PT evaluation. Leadership buy-in, designated consultation space, and formalized consultation pathways are strategies to address current challenges in ED PT consultation.

Developing a novel integrated geriatric palliative care consultation program for the emergency department

With the aging of our population, older adults are living longer with multiple chronic conditions, frailty, and life‐limiting illnesses, which creates specific challenges for emergency departments (EDs). Older adults and those with serious illnesses have high rates of ED use and hospitalization, and the emergency care they receive may be discordant with their goals and values. In response, new models of care delivery have begun to emerge to address both geriatric and palliative care needs in the ED. However, these programs are typically siloed from one another despite significant overlap. To develop a new combined model, we assembled stakeholders and thought leaders at the intersection of emergency medicine, palliative care, and geriatrics and used a consensus process to define elements of an ideal model of a combined palliative care and geriatric intervention in the ED. This article provides a brief history of geriatric and palliative care integration in EDs and presents the integrated geriatric and palliative care model developed.

Balancing Vision With Pragmatism: The Geriatric Emergency Department Guidelines-Realistic Expectations From Emergency Medicine and Geriatric Medicine

BACKGROUND

In 2014, the Geriatric Emergency Department (GED) Guidelines were published and endorsed by four major medical organizations. The multidisciplinary GED Guidelines characterized the complex needs of the older emergency department (ED) patient and current best practices, with the goal of promoting more cost-effective and patient-centered care. The recommendations are extensive and most EDs then and now have neither the resources nor the hospital administrative support to provide this additional service.

DISCUSSION

At the 2021 American Academy of Emergency Medicine's Scientific Assembly, a panel of emergency physicians and geriatricians discussed the GED Guidelines and the current realities of EDs' capacity to provide best practice and guideline-recommended care of GED patients. This article is a synthesis of the panel's presentation and discussion. With the substantial challenges in providing guideline-recommended care in EDs, this article will explore three high-impact GED clinical conditions to highlight guideline recommendations, challenges, and opportunities, and discuss realistically achievable expectations for non-GED-accredited institutions.

CONCLUSIONS

In 2014, the GED Guidelines were published, describing the current best practices for GED patients. Unfortunately, most of the EDs worldwide do not provide the level of service recommended by the GED Guidelines. The GED Guidelines can best be termed aspirational for U.S. EDs at the present time.

An implementation science approach to geriatric screening in an emergency department

BACKGROUND

The Geriatric Emergency Department (ED) Guidelines recommend screening older adults during their ED visit for delirium, fall risk/safe mobility, and home safety needs. We used the Consolidated Framework for Implementation Research (CFIR) and the Expert Recommendations for Implementation Change (ERIC) tool for preimplementation planning.

METHODS

The cross-sectional survey was conducted among ED nurses at an academic medical center. The survey was adapted from the CFIR Interview Guide Tool and consisted of 21 Likert scale questions based on four CFIR domains. Potential barriers identified by the survey were mapped to identify recommended implementation strategies using ERIC.

RESULTS

Forty-six of 160 potential participants (29%) responded. Intervention Characteristics: Nurses felt geriatric screening should be standard practice for all EDs (76.1% agreed some/very much) and that there was good evidence (67.4% agreed some/very much). Outer setting: The national and regional practices such as the existence of guidelines or similar practices in other hospitals were unknown to many (20.0%). Nurses did agree some/very much (64.4%) that the intervention was good for the hospital/health system. Inner Setting: 67.4% felt more staff or infrastructure and 63.0% felt more equipment were needed for the intervention. When asked to pick from a list of potential barriers, the most commonly chosen were motivational (I often do not remember (n = 27, 58.7%) and It is not a priority (n = 14, 30.4%)). The identified barriers were mapped using the ERIC tool to rate potential implementation strategies. Strategies to target culture change were identifying champions, improve adaptability, facilitate the nurses performing the intervention, and increase demand for the intervention.

CONCLUSION

CFIR domains and ERIC tools are applicable to an ED intervention for older adults. This preimplementation process could be replicated in other EDs considering implementing geriatric screening.

National trends in extremity fracture hospitalizations among older adults between 2003 and 2017

BACKGROUND

Fractures in late life are highly consequential for health, services use, and spending. Little is known about trends in extremity fracture hospitalizations among older adults in the United States.

DESIGN

Retrospective longitudinal cohort study.

SETTING

The 2003-2017 National Inpatient Sample (NIS), a representative sample of U.S. community hospitals.

PARTICIPANTS

Hospitalized adults aged 65 and older with a diagnosis of upper or lower extremity fracture.

MEASUREMENTS

Incidence of extremity fracture hospitalization and mortality, using NIS discharge and trend weights, and population denominators derived from the U.S. Census Bureau. Incidence was reported separately for men and women by age, fracture diagnosis, and injury mechanism. Weighted linear regression was used to test for significant trends over time.

RESULTS

Incidence of extremity fracture hospitalizations declined in both women (15.7%, p trend < 0.001) and men (3.2%, p trend < 0.001) between 2003 and 2017. This trend was primarily attributed to a decline in low energy femur fractures which accounted for 65% of all fracture hospitalizations. Among older adults with an extremity fracture hospitalization, mortality declined from 5.1% in 2003 to 3.3% in 2017 in men, and from 2.6% to 1.9% in women (p trend < 0.001). High energy fractures were due to falls (53%), motor vehicle accidents (34%), and other high impact injuries (13%). Overall, 12% of extremity fracture hospitalizations were attributed to high-energy injuries: increases were observed among men ages 65-74 (20%; p trend < 0.001) and 75-84 (10%; p trend = 0.013), but not among women of any age.

CONCLUSION

Observed declines in the incidence of extremity fracture hospitalizations and related mortality are encouraging. However, increasing incidence of fracture hospitalization from high energy injuries among men suggests that older adults with complex injuries will be seen with more prevalence in the future.

Can an Emergency Department-Initiated Intervention Prevent Subsequent Falls and Health Care Use in Older Adults? A Randomized Controlled Trial

STUDY OBJECTIVE

We determine whether an emergency department (ED)-initiated fall-prevention intervention can reduce subsequent fall-related and all-cause ED visits and hospitalizations in older adults.

METHODS

The Geriatric Acute and Post-acute Fall Prevention intervention was a randomized controlled trial conducted from January 2018 to October 2019. Participants at 2 urban academic EDs were randomly assigned (1:1) to an intervention or usual care arm. Intervention participants received a brief, tailored, structured, pharmacy and physical therapy consultation in the ED, with automated communication of the recommendations to their primary care physicians.

RESULTS

Of 284 study-eligible participants, 110 noninstitutionalized older adults (≥65 years) with a recent fall consented to participate; median age was 81 years, 67% were women, 94% were white, and 16.3% had cognitive impairment. Compared with usual care participants (n=55), intervention participants (n=55) were half as likely to experience a subsequent ED visit (adjusted incidence rate ratio 0.47 [95% CI 0.29 to 0.74]) and one third as likely to have fall-related ED visits (adjusted incidence rate ratio 0.34 [95% CI 0.15 to 0.76]) within 6 months. Intervention participants experienced half the rate of all hospitalizations (adjusted incidence rate ratio 0.57 [95% CI 0.31 to 1.04]), but confidence intervals were wide. There was no difference in fall-related hospitalizations between groups (adjusted incidence rate ratio 0.99 [95% CI 0.31 to 3.27]). Self-reported adherence to pharmacy and physical therapy recommendations was moderate; 73% of pharmacy recommendations were adhered to and 68% of physical therapy recommendations were followed.

CONCLUSION

Geriatric Acute and Post-acute Fall Prevention, a postfall, in-ED, multidisciplinary intervention with pharmacists and physical therapists, reduced 6-month ED encounters in 2 urban EDs. The intervention could provide a model of care to other health care systems aiming to reduce costly and burdensome fall-related events in older adults.