Identifying roles in older adults’ emergency department transitions

Abstract

Older adults frequently visit the emergency department (ED) and participate in multiple transitions of care following an ED visit. These transitions of care, e.g. to hospital, long-term care facility or home, represent patient safety risks because of communication and coordination failures between the various roles involved, but also provide opportunities for error detection and recovery and, therefore, resilience. The objective of this study was to identify and describe the multiple roles involved in older adult care transitions during an ED visit. As part of a large research project, we conducted patient-centered observations and interviewed ED clinicians and hospital administrators. We identified 16 ED roles involved in older adult care transitions out of the ED, including 4 roles solely focused on coordinating transitions. By better understanding the roles involved in ED care transitions, we can improve the design of team processes and technologies to support care of older adults throughout their care transitions.