Can a Rapid 2 Day Followup After Discharge From the ED Reduce Readmissions and Death for Patients 75 Years and Older?

University of North Carolina (UNC)

Status: Completed

Conditions: Emergencies

Treatments: Other: 2-3 day return appointment

Study type: Interventional

Funder types: Other

Identifiers

NCT01769495

DE 6366-SP

Details and patient eligibility

About

Our hypothesis is that a rapid follow up for elderly patients in a Geriatric Clinic discharged from the Emergency Department (ED) will have fewer unplanned return ED visits and fewer unplanned hospital admissions with no attendant increase in mortality.

Patients 75 years of age and older will be randomized following discharge from the ED into two groups. The first will receive standard post ED care. The second will receive an appointment to our Geriatric Clinic within 2-3 days for stabilization, further treatment and contact with the patient's primary physician to communicate the course of the patient's illness and to schedule subsequent follow-up with the patients regular medical provider.

There will be two primary outcomes: The first will be a composite of morality and/or return to the ED at 30 days, and the secondary primary outcome will be mortality. Economic data regarding resource utilization by patients will also be analyzed.

Enrollment: 26 patients

Sex: All

Ages: 75+ years old

Volunteers: No Healthy Volunteers

Inclusion criteria

• All patients 75 years of age and older discharged from the ED

Exclusion criteria

• Younger than 75.

Trial design

Primary purpose: Prevention

Allocation: Randomized

Interventional model: Parallel Assignment

Masking: None (Open label)

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26 participants in 2 patient groups

Control

No Intervention group

Description:

Standard post ED care

2-3 day return appointment

Experimental group

Description:

Patients will receive further treatment in Geriatric Clinic 2-3 days post ED discharge.

Treatment:

Other: 2-3 day return appointment