Abstract
Objective: To explore health professionals' perspectives about caring for community-dwelling older patients in the ED. Methods: This exploratory qualitative study was undertaken with emergency nursing, medical and allied health staff from the ED of a large metropolitan public hospital in Melbourne. Nine focus groups (n =54) and seven interviews were conducted between 2013 and 2014. Data were thematically analysed. Results: Health professionals described tailoring their approach when caring for older patients, including adopting a specific communication approach (i.e. increased voice volume, slower rate of speech). Caring for older patients was perceived as challenging given the need to balance the expectations of family members to deal with associated complex needs and limited time for transitional care planning in the ED. The environment and equipment were perceived as unsuitable, alongside a lack of geriatric-specific knowledge; contributing to what health professionals described as a poor fit between the ED system and older patients' needs. Conclusion: The growing number of older patients presents numerous challenges for emergency health professionals and necessitates a tailored approach to care. Understanding health professionals' perspectives about caring for older patients can inform strategies that may improve the quality of care. Creating older person-friendly areas, improving transitional care and providing staff with specific education would foster an environment that promotes person-centred care, safety, independence and functional wellbeing.
| Original language | English |
|---|---|
| Pages (from-to) | 83-89 |
| Number of pages | 7 |
| Journal | EMA - Emergency Medicine Australasia |
| Volume | 31 |
| Issue number | 1 |
| DOIs | |
| Publication status | Published - Feb 2019 |
Keywords
- Emergency care
- Multidisciplinary perspectives
- Older patients
- Qualitative research methods
- Quality
Cite this
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Caring for older patients in the emergency department : Health professionals' perspectives from Australia - The Safe Elderly Emergency Discharge project. / Lennox, Alyse; Braaf, Sandra; Smit, De Villiers; Cameron, Peter; Lowthian, Judy A.
In: EMA - Emergency Medicine Australasia, Vol. 31, No. 1, 02.2019, p. 83-89.Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › Research › peer-review
TY - JOUR
T1 - Caring for older patients in the emergency department
T2 - Health professionals' perspectives from Australia - The Safe Elderly Emergency Discharge project
AU - Lennox, Alyse
AU - Braaf, Sandra
AU - Smit, De Villiers
AU - Cameron, Peter
AU - Lowthian, Judy A.
PY - 2019/2
Y1 - 2019/2
N2 - Objective: To explore health professionals' perspectives about caring for community-dwelling older patients in the ED. Methods: This exploratory qualitative study was undertaken with emergency nursing, medical and allied health staff from the ED of a large metropolitan public hospital in Melbourne. Nine focus groups (n =54) and seven interviews were conducted between 2013 and 2014. Data were thematically analysed. Results: Health professionals described tailoring their approach when caring for older patients, including adopting a specific communication approach (i.e. increased voice volume, slower rate of speech). Caring for older patients was perceived as challenging given the need to balance the expectations of family members to deal with associated complex needs and limited time for transitional care planning in the ED. The environment and equipment were perceived as unsuitable, alongside a lack of geriatric-specific knowledge; contributing to what health professionals described as a poor fit between the ED system and older patients' needs. Conclusion: The growing number of older patients presents numerous challenges for emergency health professionals and necessitates a tailored approach to care. Understanding health professionals' perspectives about caring for older patients can inform strategies that may improve the quality of care. Creating older person-friendly areas, improving transitional care and providing staff with specific education would foster an environment that promotes person-centred care, safety, independence and functional wellbeing.
AB - Objective: To explore health professionals' perspectives about caring for community-dwelling older patients in the ED. Methods: This exploratory qualitative study was undertaken with emergency nursing, medical and allied health staff from the ED of a large metropolitan public hospital in Melbourne. Nine focus groups (n =54) and seven interviews were conducted between 2013 and 2014. Data were thematically analysed. Results: Health professionals described tailoring their approach when caring for older patients, including adopting a specific communication approach (i.e. increased voice volume, slower rate of speech). Caring for older patients was perceived as challenging given the need to balance the expectations of family members to deal with associated complex needs and limited time for transitional care planning in the ED. The environment and equipment were perceived as unsuitable, alongside a lack of geriatric-specific knowledge; contributing to what health professionals described as a poor fit between the ED system and older patients' needs. Conclusion: The growing number of older patients presents numerous challenges for emergency health professionals and necessitates a tailored approach to care. Understanding health professionals' perspectives about caring for older patients can inform strategies that may improve the quality of care. Creating older person-friendly areas, improving transitional care and providing staff with specific education would foster an environment that promotes person-centred care, safety, independence and functional wellbeing.
KW - Emergency care
KW - Multidisciplinary perspectives
KW - Older patients
KW - Qualitative research methods
KW - Quality
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85047508760&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1111/1742-6723.13108
DO - 10.1111/1742-6723.13108
M3 - Article
VL - 31
SP - 83
EP - 89
JO - EMA - Emergency Medicine Australasia
JF - EMA - Emergency Medicine Australasia
SN - 1742-6731
IS - 1
ER -