"Transitional Care Nurses In The Geriatric Emergency Department Reduce Risk Of Inpatient Admissions"
Geriatric patients seen by transitional care nurses in the emergency department (ED) are less likely to be admitted to the hospital, according to a study conducted at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai and published today in the Journal of the American Geriatrics Society. These findings show that interventions initiated during an older patient's arrival through the ED can have a significant impact on care. "These findings will allow hospitals and health care systems to focus on better geriatric emergency care programs for a vulnerable, aging population," says lead investigator Ula Hwang, MD, associate professor of emergency medicine and of geriatrics and palliative medicine at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai. "At a time when the national average for emergency department admissions with older adults is on the rise, programs that can reduce hospitalization risk are crucial." Hospitalization of older adults carries risks, such as adverse drug effects, falls, cognitive decline, and ulcers. More than 30 percent of older adults develop a hospital-associated disability after an acute admission, and many do not return to their previous functional state.
Ula Hwang, MD, Associate Professor, Emergency Medicine, Geriatrics and Palliative Medicine, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai
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