A Randomized Controlled Trial of Geriatric Emergency Department Innovations

Northwestern University

Status

Completed

Conditions

Frailty

Treatments

Behavioral: Intervention

Study type

Interventional

Funder types

Other

Identifiers

NCT04115371

R01HS026489

Details and patient eligibility

About

This study evaluates the Geriatric Emergency Department Innovations (GEDI) program at Northwestern Memorial Hospital to care for older adults in the emergency department. Half of the patients will be cared for by a standard ED team plus the GEDI team, while half of the patients will receive usual ED care.

Full description

Hospitalization is common for older adults in the Emergency Department (ED) but it carries significant risks including the development of delirium, falls, and nosocomial infections. The Geriatric Emergency Department Innovations (GEDI) program at Northwestern Memorial Hospital attempts to identify and address health related risks for older adults without exposing them to the risks of hospitalization,. GEDI is a unique program consisting of a multidisciplinary team of Transitional Care Nurses (TCN), social workers, pharmacists, occupational therapists and physical therapists who perform ED-based geriatric assessment and care coordination.

To determine the impact of GEDI on health services use and Health Related Quality-of-Life (HRQoL) we will conduct a randomized controlled trial comparing GEDI compared to usual ED care(which often involves hospitalization).

Enrollment

822 patients

Sex

All

Ages

65+ years old

Volunteers

No Healthy Volunteers

Inclusion criteria

Northwestern Emergency Department patients who are:

65 years or older
living independently or with friends, family, or caregivers in the community
Clinical Frailty Scale (CFS) score of 4 or greater

Exclusion criteria

Patients will be excluded if they:

Tested positive for COVID-19
Are unable to complete the assessments in English
Are unable to provide informed consent with no Legally Authorized Representative Present or are unable to complete follow-up participation
Are held in the ED involuntarily as a prisoner or patient with a psychiatric complaint
Are enrolled in another study to avoid patient fatigue and confounding
Received a GEDI, Social Work, Pharmacy, or Physical Therapy consult outside of this trial during the current ED visit
Leave the ED against medical advice or without being seen by a physician
Are admitted to the ICU
Are too medically unstable to participate in the assessment