Implementation of a care-pathway at the emergency department for older people presenting with nonspecific complaints; a protocol for a multicenter parallel cohort study.

ABSTRACT:

Background

Older adults frequently attend the Emergency Department (ED) with poorly defined symptoms, often called nonspecific complaints (NSC). NSC such as 'weakness' and 'not feeling well', often lead to an extensive differential diagnosis. Patients with NSC experience a prolonged length of stay at the ED and are prone to adverse outcomes. Currently, a care pathway for patients with NSC does not exist. A special structured care pathway for patients with NSC was designed to improve the efficiency and quality of care at the ED.

Method

A multicenter parallel cohort study, organized in different hospitals in the Noord-Brabant area, the Netherlands, in which general practitioners (GP), elderly care physicians (ECP), Emergency Physicians (EP), geriatricians and internists will c

SUBMITTER: van der Velde MGAM 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC10464958 | biostudies-literature | 2023

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature