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. 2020 Jun;7(3):346-356.
doi: 10.1177/2374373519837238. Epub 2019 Apr 8.

Experiences of an Emergency Department Visit Among Older Adults and Their Families: Qualitative Findings From a Mixed-Methods Study

Deniz Cetin-Sahin  1   2   3 , Francine Ducharme  4   5 , Jane McCusker  1   2 , Nathalie Veillette  4   5 , Sylvie Cossette  4   6 , T T Minh Vu  4   5   7 , Alain Vadeboncoeur  4   8 , Paul-André Lachance  4   9 , Rick Mah  10 , Simon Berthelot  11
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Experiences of an Emergency Department Visit Among Older Adults and Their Families: Qualitative Findings From a Mixed-Methods Study

Deniz Cetin-Sahin et al. J Patient Exp. 2020 Jun.

Abstract

Background: Emergency department (ED) visits are critical events for older adults, but little is known regarding their experiences, particularly about their physical needs, the involvement of accompanying family members, and the transition back to the community.

Objective: To explore experiences of an ED visit among patients aged 75 and older.

Methods: In a mixed-methods study, a cohort of patients aged 75 and older (or a family member) discharged from the ED back to the community was recruited from 4 urban EDs. A week following discharge, structured telephone interviews supplemented with open-ended questions were conducted. A subsample (76 patients, 32 family members) was purposefully selected. Verbatim transcripts of responses to the open-ended questions were thematically analyzed.

Results: Experiences related to physical needs included comfort, equipment supporting mobility and autonomy, help when needed, and access to drink and food. Family members required opportunities to provide patient support and greater involvement in their care. At discharge, patients/families required adequate discharge education, resolution of their health problem, information on medications, and greater certainty about planned follow-up medical and home care services.

Conclusions: Our findings suggest several areas that could be targeted to improve patient and family perceptions of the care at an ED visit.

Keywords: emergency medicine; family; older adults; patient experiences; transitional care.

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Conflict of interest statement

Declaration of Conflicting Interests: The author(s) declared no potential conflicts of interest with respect to the research, authorship, and/or publication of this article.

Figures

Figure 1.
Figure 1.
Recruitment flow chart in 4 emergency departments.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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