Geriatrics & gerontology international
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Geriatr Gerontol Int · Sep 2015
ReviewEfficacy of emergency department-based interventions designed to reduce repeat visits and other adverse outcomes for older patients after discharge: A systematic review.
There is an urgent need for effective geriatric interventions to meet the health service demands of the growing older population. In this paper, we systematically review and update existing literature on interventions within emergency departments (ED) targeted towards reducing ED re-visits, hospitalizations, nursing home admissions and deaths in older patients after initial ED discharge. ⋯ Of the few studies that met the inclusion criteria, there was a lack of consistency and clarity in study designs and evaluative outcomes. Despite this, more intensive interventions that followed patients beyond a referral and the use of a clinical risk prediction tool appeared to be associated with improved outcomes. The dearth of rigorous evaluations with standardized methodologies precludes further recommendations.