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Observational Study
. 2023 Jan;23(1):54-59.
doi: 10.1111/ggi.14509. Epub 2022 Dec 3.

Emergency calls concerning older patients: Are the appropriate questions asked?

Nathalie Jomard  1 , Adélaïde Vincent  2 , Rita Chammem  3 , Thomas Gilbert  3   4 , Heloïse Rouze  3   5 , Brigitte Comte  6 , Julie Haesebaert  3   5 , Anne-Marie Schott  3   5
Affiliations
Observational Study

Emergency calls concerning older patients: Are the appropriate questions asked?

Nathalie Jomard et al. Geriatr Gerontol Int. 2023 Jan.

Abstract

Aim: In the present study, we evaluated the triage process particularly for older patients after calls to Emergency Medical Call Centers (ECC), according to the geriatric assessment tool.

Methods: In this observational population-based cross-sectional study in the Rhône (France), we analyzed the audiotapes of all calls received by ECC concerning patients aged ≥75 years, during seven randomly selected days, over a period of 1 year. We analyzed whether information about seven key items, predefined by a panel of experts as essential for quality telephone triage of seniors, was actually collected.

Results: Among 4168 calls, 712 (17.1%) concerned patients >75 years (mean ± SD, age 84.6 ± 5.6 years). The mean duration of calls was 3 min 28 s. Information about living arrangements (alone or not), dependency, multiple pathologies, polymedication, ability to walk independently or with help, and hospitalization in the previous 3 months was not collected in 20%, 42%, 40%, 45%, 58% and 61% of calls, respectively. All seven geriatric items were collected for only 54 (7.8%) calls, and only three criteria collected for 277 (40%) calls. Nurse-managed calls were significantly associated with the collection of less geriatric items compared with physician-managed calls.

Conclusion: Key information is particularly important to guide the orientation, and further management of older patients may be lacking during the telephone triage of patients in ECCs. This may represent an important level of improvement of the triage process, to address the needs of older patients better and avoid inappropriate emergency department visits. Geriatr Gerontol Int 2023; 23: 54-59.

Keywords: clinical medicine; emergency department; geriatric medicine.

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Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
Flow chart of calls received during the study period and eventually included in the study.
Figure 2
Figure 2
Distribution of the included calls over 24 h.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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