Australian recommendations for the integration of emergency care for older people: Consensus Statement

Objectives: Management of older patients during acute illness or injury does not occur in isolation in emergency departments. We aimed to develop a collaborative Consensus Statement to enunciate principles of integrated emergency care. Methods: Briefing notes, informed by research and evidence reviews, were developed and evaluated by a Consensus Working Party comprising cross-specialty representation from clinical experts, service providers, consumers and policymakers. The Consensus Working Party then convened to discuss and develop the statement's content. A subcommittee produced a draft, which was reviewed and edited by the Consensus Working Party. Results: Consensus was reached after three rounds of discussion, with 12 principles and six recommendations for how to follow these principles, including an integrated care framework for action. Conclusion: Dissemination will encourage stakeholders and associated policy bodies to embrace the principles and priorities for action, potentially leading to collaborative work practices and improvement of care during and after acute illness or injury.