Evaluation of a care pathway for older adults presenting with nonspecific complaints at the emergency department: a before-and-after study.

ABSTRACT:

Purpose

Managing older patients presenting at the Emergency Department (ED) poses challenges due to their predisposition to present with nonspecific complaints (NSC). With an ageing population and ED overcrowding, significance of NSC is expected to grow. Therefore, we implemented a structured care pathway to address the complexity of NSC presentations. The aim of this study is to evaluate the effectivity of this care pathway.

Methods

We conducted a before-and-after study to evaluate the NSC care pathway, which included risk stratification, standardized assessment and diagnostic measurements. A control group receiving standard care was established in two hospitals (hospital 1 and 2) before implementation. Patient enrollment occurred from April 2021 to November 2024. Outcomes

SUBMITTER: van der Velde MGAM 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC12378488 | biostudies-literature | 2025 Aug

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature