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. 2022 Apr;79(4):367-373.
doi: 10.1016/j.annemergmed.2021.06.013. Epub 2021 Aug 11.

Reach and Adoption of a Geriatric Emergency Department Accreditation Program in the United States

Maura Kennedy  1 , Adriane Lesser  2 , Juhi Israni  2 , Shan W Liu  3 , Ilianna Santangelo  4 , Nicole Tidwell  5 , Lauren T Southerland  6 , Christopher R Carpenter  7 , Kevin Biese  8 , Surriya Ahmad  9 , Ula Hwang  10
Affiliations

Reach and Adoption of a Geriatric Emergency Department Accreditation Program in the United States

Maura Kennedy et al. Ann Emerg Med. 2022 Apr.

Abstract

Study objective: The objectives of this study were to describe the reach and adoption of Geriatric Emergency Department Accreditation (GEDA) program and care processes instituted at accredited geriatric emergency departments (EDs).

Methods: We analyzed a cross-section of a cohort of US EDs that received GEDA from May 2018 to March 2021. We obtained data from the American College of Emergency Physicians and publicly available sources. Data included GEDA level, geographic location, urban/rural designation, and care processes instituted. Frequencies and proportions and median and interquartile ranges were used to summarize categorical and continuous data, respectively.

Results: Over the study period, 225 US geriatric ED accreditations were issued and included in our analysis-14 Level 1, 21 Level 2, and 190 Level 3 geriatric EDs; 5 geriatric EDs reapplied and received higher-level accreditation after initial accreditation at a lower level. Only 9 geriatric EDs were in rural regions. There was significant heterogeneity in protocols enacted at geriatric EDs; minimizing urinary catheter use and fall prevention were the most common.

Conclusion: There has been rapid growth in geriatric EDs, driven by Level 3 accreditation. Most geriatric EDs are in urban areas, indicating the potential need for expansion beyond these areas. Future research evaluating the impact of GEDA on health care utilization and patient-oriented outcomes is needed.

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Conflict of interest statement

Conflict of Interest: None

Figures

Figure 1:
Figure 1:
Flow diagram of geriatric ED accreditations included in detailed analysis. Analysis included 225 GED accreditations from 220 EDs; five GEDs re-applied and were approved for a higher level of accreditation during study period. GED=Geriatric Emergency Department; ED=Emergency Department
Figure 2:
Figure 2:
Geographic distribution of accredited geriatric emergency departments in the United States, by accreditation level, and superimposed on a heatmap that reflects the percent of the population that is aged 65 and older, by county.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

Comment in

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