Resident transfers from aged care facilities to emergency departments: Can they be avoided?

Morphet, J; Innes, K; Griffiths, DL; Crawford, K; Williams, A

Resident transfers from aged care facilities to emergency departments: Can they be avoided?

Morphet, J Innes, K

Griffiths, DL Crawford, K Williams, A

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Publication Type:: Journal Article
Citation:: EMA - Emergency Medicine Australasia, 2015, 27 (5), pp. 412 - 418
Issue Date:: 2015-10-01

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Field	Value	Language
dc.contributor.author	Morphet, J	en_US
dc.contributor.author	Innes, K https://orcid.org/0000-0002-3501-8046	en_US
dc.contributor.author	Griffiths, DL	en_US
dc.contributor.author	Crawford, K	en_US
dc.contributor.author	Williams, A	en_US
dc.date.available	2015-05-27	en_US
dc.date.issued	2015-10-01	en_US
dc.identifier.citation	EMA - Emergency Medicine Australasia, 2015, 27 (5), pp. 412 - 418	en_US
dc.identifier.issn	1742-6731	en_US
dc.identifier.uri	http://hdl.handle.net/10453/46621
dc.description.abstract	© 2015 Australasian College for Emergency Medicine and Australasian Society for Emergency Medicine. Objective: Residents from aged care facilities make up a considerable proportion of ED presentations. There is evidence that many residents transferred from aged care facilities to EDs could be managed by primary care services. The present study aimed to describe the characteristics of residents transferred from residential aged care facilities to EDs, and to evaluate the appropriateness and cost of these presentations. Methods: A retrospective review of ED records was undertaken for residents transferred from residential aged care facilities to two EDs in Melbourne, Victoria, in 2012. Data examined included residents' mode and time of arrival to ED, presenting complaint, triage category, procedures within ED, diagnosis, length of stay, and disposition. Data were examined against a previously established tool to identify resident transfers that might be 'potentially avoidable'. Results: There were 2880 resident transfers included in the sample, of which 408 transfers were randomly selected for scrutiny of documentation. Seventy-one residents (17.4%) were identified as being potentially avoidable transfers. Conclusion: Many resident transfers might have been avoided with better primary care services in place. Future strategies to improve resident care might include aged care staff skill mix and the availability of outreach or primary care services.	en_US
dc.relation.ispartof	EMA - Emergency Medicine Australasia	en_US
dc.relation.isbasedon	10.1111/1742-6723.12433	en_US
dc.subject.classification	Emergency & Critical Care Medicine	en_US
dc.subject.mesh	Humans	en_US
dc.subject.mesh	Hospitalization	en_US
dc.subject.mesh	Length of Stay	en_US
dc.subject.mesh	Patient Discharge	en_US
dc.subject.mesh	Patient Transfer	en_US
dc.subject.mesh	Retrospective Studies	en_US
dc.subject.mesh	Aged, 80 and over	en_US
dc.subject.mesh	Emergency Service, Hospital	en_US
dc.subject.mesh	Homes for the Aged	en_US
dc.subject.mesh	Health Services Misuse	en_US
dc.subject.mesh	Unnecessary Procedures	en_US
dc.subject.mesh	Victoria	en_US
dc.subject.mesh	Female	en_US
dc.subject.mesh	Male	en_US
dc.title	Resident transfers from aged care facilities to emergency departments: Can they be avoided?	en_US
dc.type	Journal Article
utslib.citation.volume	5	en_US
utslib.citation.volume	27	en_US
utslib.for	1103 Clinical Sciences	en_US
utslib.for	1117 Public Health and Health Services	en_US
pubs.embargo.period	Not known	en_US
pubs.organisational-group	/University of Technology Sydney
pubs.organisational-group	/University of Technology Sydney/Faculty of Health
pubs.organisational-group	/University of Technology Sydney/Students
utslib.copyright.status	closed_access
pubs.issue	5	en_US
pubs.publication-status	Published	en_US
pubs.volume	27	en_US

Abstract:

© 2015 Australasian College for Emergency Medicine and Australasian Society for Emergency Medicine. Objective: Residents from aged care facilities make up a considerable proportion of ED presentations. There is evidence that many residents transferred from aged care facilities to EDs could be managed by primary care services. The present study aimed to describe the characteristics of residents transferred from residential aged care facilities to EDs, and to evaluate the appropriateness and cost of these presentations. Methods: A retrospective review of ED records was undertaken for residents transferred from residential aged care facilities to two EDs in Melbourne, Victoria, in 2012. Data examined included residents' mode and time of arrival to ED, presenting complaint, triage category, procedures within ED, diagnosis, length of stay, and disposition. Data were examined against a previously established tool to identify resident transfers that might be 'potentially avoidable'. Results: There were 2880 resident transfers included in the sample, of which 408 transfers were randomly selected for scrutiny of documentation. Seventy-one residents (17.4%) were identified as being potentially avoidable transfers. Conclusion: Many resident transfers might have been avoided with better primary care services in place. Future strategies to improve resident care might include aged care staff skill mix and the availability of outreach or primary care services.

Please use this identifier to cite or link to this item:

http://hdl.handle.net/10453/46621