GAPcare: The Geriatric Acute and Post-Acute Fall Prevention Intervention for Emergency Department Patients - A Qualitative Evaluation

Application of Algorithm-Based Treatment Approach to Low Back Pain in the Emergency Department

Low back pain accounts for nearly 4 million annual emergency department (ED) visits, and patient outcomes following an ED visit for low back pain are poor. Additionally, only a small portion of patients visiting the ED for low back pain follow up with outpatient physical therapy within 3 months, despite established benefits of early versus delayed physical therapy referral such as improved patient outcomes, less opioid use, and reduced downstream health care utilization. Integrating a physical therapist directly into the ED care team can facilitate evidence-based guideline concordant care and improve patient outcomes, however, physical therapists who are staffed into this role from other settings may lack experience with evaluating and managing patients with acute low back pain. Additionally, there are several unique considerations of the ED care environment which may make existing treatment-based classification approaches difficult to apply in this setting, including physical constraints (eg, delivering care in stretchers and hallways), higher symptom severity and psychosocial stressors necessitating an emergency visit, and greater likelihood of alternative medical diagnoses (eg, kidney stone, aortic aneurysm) contributing to symptoms of low back pain. This perspective presents a modified ED treatment-based classification system (ED-TBC) for low back pain with 3 illustrative case examples. The ED-TBC for low back pain can be used to facilitate guideline concordant care, increase physical therapist confidence in evaluating low back pain in the ED, and reduce clinical practice variation.

A scoping review of geriatric emergency medicine research transparency in diversity, equity, and inclusion reporting

INTRODUCTION

The intersection of ageism and racism is underexplored in geriatric emergency medicine (GEM) research.

METHODS

We performed a scoping review of research published between January 2016 and December 2021. We included original emergency department-based research focused on falls, delirium/dementia, medication safety, and elder abuse. We excluded manuscripts that did not include (1) original research data pertaining to the four core topics, (2) older adults, (3) subjects from the United States, and (4) for which full text publication could not be obtained. The primary objective was to qualitatively describe reporting about older adults' social identities in GEM research. Secondary objectives were to describe (1) the extent of inclusion of minoritized older adults in GEM research, (2) GEM research about health equity, and (3) feasible approaches to improve the status quo of GEM research reporting.

RESULTS

After duplicates were removed, 3277 citations remained and 883 full-text articles were reviewed, of which 222 met inclusion criteria. Four findings emerged. First, race and ethnicity reporting was inconsistent. Second, research rarely provided a rationale for an age threshold used to define geriatric patients. Third, GEM research more commonly reported sex than gender. Fourth, research commonly excluded older adults with cognitive impairment and speakers of non-English primary languages.

CONCLUSION

Meaningful assessment of GEM research inclusivity is limited by inconsistent reporting of sociodemographic characteristics, specifically race and ethnicity. Reporting of sociodemographic characteristics should be standardized across different study designs. Strategies are needed to include in GEM research older adults with cognitive impairment and non-English primary languages.

Prevalence and outcomes of fear of falling in older adults with falls at the emergency department: a multicentric observational study

PURPOSE

Fear of falling (FOF) may result in activity restriction and deconditioning. The aim of the study was to identify factors associated with FOF in older patients and to investigate if FOF influenced long-term outcomes.

METHODS

Multicentric, observational, prospective study including patients 65 years or older attending the emergency department (ED) after a fall. Demographical, patient- and fall-related features were recorded at the ED. FOF was assessed using a single question. The primary outcome was all-cause death. Secondary outcomes included new fall-related visit, fall-related hospitalisation, and admission to residential care. Logistic regression and Cox regression models were used for statistical analyses.

RESULTS

Overall, 1464 patients were included (47.1% with FOF), followed for a median of 6.2 years (2.2-7.9). Seven variables (age, female sex, living alone, previous falls, sedative medications, urinary incontinence, and intrinsic cause of the fall) were directly associated with FOF whereas use of walking aids and living in residential care were inversely associated. After the index episode, 748 patients (51%) died (median 3.2 years), 677 (46.2%) had a new fall-related ED visit (median 1.7 years), 251 (17.1%) were hospitalised (median 2.8 years), and 197 (19.4%) were admitted to care (median 2.1 years). FOF was associated with death (HR 1.239, 95% CI 1.073-1.431), hospitalisation (HR 1.407, 95% CI 1.097-1.806) and institutionalisation (HR 1.578, 95% CI 1.192-2.088), but significance was lost after adjustment.

CONCLUSION

FOF is a prevalent condition in older patients presenting to the ED after a fall. However, it was not associated with long-term outcomes. Future research is needed to understand the influence of FOF in maintenance of functional capacity or quality of life.

Sex differences in mortality of older adults with falls after emergency department consultation: FALL-ER registry

BACKGROUND

To investigate if sex is a risk factor for mortality in patients consulting at the emergency department (ED) for an unintentional fall.

METHODS

This was a secondary analysis of the FALL-ER registry, a cohort of patients ≥65 years with an unintentional fall presenting to one of 5 Spanish EDs during 52 predefined days (one per week during one year). We collected 18 independent patient baseline and fall-related variables. Patients were followed for 6 months and all-cause mortality recorded. The association between biological sex and mortality was expressed as unadjusted and adjusted hazard ratios (HR) with the 95% confidence interval (95% CI), and subgroup analyses were performed by assessing the interaction of sex with all baseline and fall-related mortality risk variables.

RESULTS

Of 1315 enrolled patients (median age 81 years), 411 were men (31%) and 904 women (69%). The 6-month mortality was higher in men (12.4% vs. 5.2%, HR = 2.48, 95% CI = 1.65-3.71), although age was similar between sexes. Men had more comorbidity, previous hospitalizations, loss of consciousness, and an intrinsic cause for falling. Women more frequently lived alone, with self-reported depression, and the fall results in a fracture and immobilization. Nonetheless, after adjustment for age and these eight divergent variables, older men aged 65 and over still showed a significantly higher mortality (HR = 2.19, 95% CI = 1.39-3.45), with the highest risk observed during the first month after ED presentation (HR = 4.18, 95% CI = 1.31-13.3). We found no interaction between sex and any patient-related or fall-related variables with respect to mortality (p > 0.05 in all comparisons).

CONCLUSIONS

Male sex is a risk factor for death following ED presentation for a fall in the older population adults aged 65 and over. The causes for this risk should be investigated in future studies.

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.

Emergency department-to-community care transition barriers: A qualitative study of older adults

BACKGROUND

Over one-half of older adults are discharged to the community after emergency department (ED) visits, and studies have shown there is increased risk of adverse health outcomes in the immediate post-discharge period. Understanding the experiences of older adults during ED-to-community care transitions has the potential to improve geriatric emergency clinical care and inform intervention development. We therefore sought to assess barriers experienced by older adults during ED-to-community care transitions.

METHODS

We conducted a qualitative analysis of community-dwelling cognitively intact patients aged 65 years and older receiving care in four diverse EDs from a single U.S. healthcare system. We constructed a conceptual framework a priori to guide the development and iterative revision of a codebook, used purposive sampling, and conducted recorded, semi-structured interviews using a standardized guide. Two researchers coded the professionally transcribed data using a combined deductive and inductive approach and analyzed transcripts to identify dominant themes and representative quotations.

RESULTS

Among 25 participants, 20 (80%) were women and 17 (68%) were white. We identified four barriers during the ED-to-community care transition: (1) ED discharge process was abrupt with missing information regarding symptom explanation and performed testing, (2) navigating follow-up outpatient clinical care was challenging, (3) new physical limitations and fears hinder performance of baseline activities, and (4) major and minor ramifications for caregivers impact an older adult's willingness to request or accept assistance.

CONCLUSIONS

Older adults identified barriers to successful ED-to-community care transitions that can inform the development of novel and effective interventions.

Collaborative design and implementation of a clinical decision support system for automated fall-risk identification and referrals in emergency departments

Of the 3 million older adults seeking fall-related emergency care each year, nearly one-third visited the Emergency Department (ED) in the previous 6 months. ED providers have a great opportunity to refer patients for fall prevention services at these initial visits, but lack feasible tools for identifying those at highest-risk. Existing fall screening tools have been poorly adopted due to ED staff/provider burden and lack of workflow integration. To address this, we developed an automated clinical decision support (CDS) system for identifying and referring older adult ED patients at risk of future falls. We engaged an interdisciplinary design team (ED providers, health services researchers, information technology/predictive analytics professionals, and outpatient Falls Clinic staff) to collaboratively develop a system that successfully met user requirements and integrated seamlessly into existing ED workflows. Our rapid-cycle development and evaluation process employed a novel combination of human-centered design, implementation science, and patient experience strategies, facilitating simultaneous design of the CDS tool and intervention implementation strategies. This included defining system requirements, systematically identifying and resolving usability problems, assessing barriers and facilitators to implementation (e.g., data accessibility, lack of time, high patient volumes, appointment availability) from multiple vantage points, and refining protocols for communicating with referred patients at discharge. ED physician, nurse, and patient stakeholders were also engaged through online surveys and user testing. Successful CDS design and implementation required integration of multiple new technologies and processes into existing workflows, necessitating interdisciplinary collaboration from the onset. By using this iterative approach, we were able to design and implement an intervention meeting all project goals. Processes used in this Clinical-IT-Research partnership can be applied to other use cases involving automated risk-stratification, CDS development, and EHR-facilitated care coordination.

Moving the needle on fall prevention: A Geriatric Emergency Care Applied Research (GEAR) Network scoping review and consensus statement

BACKGROUND

Although falls are common, costly, and often preventable, emergency department (ED)-initiated fall screening and prevention efforts are rare. The Geriatric Emergency Medicine Applied Research Falls core (GEAR-Falls) was created to identify existing research gaps and to prioritize future fall research foci.

METHODS

GEAR's 49 transdisciplinary stakeholders included patients, geriatricians, ED physicians, epidemiologists, health services researchers, and nursing scientists. We derived relevant clinical fall ED questions and summarized the applicable research evidence, adhering to the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses for Scoping Reviews. The highest-priority research foci were identified at the GEAR Consensus Conference.

RESULTS

We identified two clinical questions for our review (1) fall prevention interventions (32 studies) and (2) risk stratification and falls care plan (19 studies). For (1) 21 of 32 (66%) of interventions were a falls risk screening assessment and 15 of 21 (71%) of these were combined with an exercise program or physical therapy. For (2) 11 fall screening tools were identified, but none were feasible and sufficiently accurate for ED patients. For both questions, the most frequently reported study outcome was recurrent falls, but various process and patient/clinician-centered outcomes were used. Outcome ascertainment relied on self-reported falls in 18 of 32 (56%) studies for (1) and nine of 19 (47%) studies for (2).

CONCLUSION

Harmonizing definitions, research methods, and outcomes is needed for direct comparison of studies. The need to identify ED-appropriate fall risk assessment tools and role of emergency medical services (EMS) personnel persists. Multifactorial interventions, especially involving exercise, are more efficacious in reducing recurrent falls, but more studies are needed to compare appropriate bundle combinations. GEAR prioritizes five research priorities: (1) EMS role in improving fall-related outcomes, (2) identifying optimal ED fall assessment tools, (3) clarifying patient-prioritized fall interventions and outcomes, (4) standardizing uniform fall ascertainment and measured outcomes, and (5) exploring ideal intervention components.

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.