The emergency department (ED) is uniquely positioned to improve care for older adults and affect patient outcome trajectories. The Mount Sinai Hospital ED cares for 15,000+ patients >65 years old annually. From 2012 to 2015, emergency care in a dedicated Geriatric Emergency Department (GED) replicated an Acute Care for Elderly (ACE) model, with focused assessments on common geriatric syndromes and daily comprehensive interdisciplinary team (IDT) meetings for high-risk patients.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFIn the era of Medicaid Redesign and the Affordable Care Act, the emergency department (ED) presents major opportunities for social workers to assume a leading role in the delivery of care. Through GEDI WISE-Geriatric Emergency Department Innovations in care through Workforce, Informatics and Structural Enhancements,-a unique multidisciplinary partnership made possible by an award from the Center for Medicare and Medicaid Innovation, social workers in The Mount Sinai ED have successfully contributed to improvements in health outcomes and transitions for older adults receiving emergency care. This article will describe the pivotal and highly valued role of the ED social worker in contributing to the multidisciplinary accomplishments of GEDI WISE objectives in this new model of care.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFEmerg Med Pract
October 2015
Delirium represents the complex junction between vulnerable patients, medical conditions, and environmental factors. Given the varied presentations of this disorder and the emergency department clinical environment, recognition and treatment may be challenging. Delirium can be diagnosed using validated standardized screening tools such as the Confusion Assessment Method.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFThe effect of emergency department (ED) crowding on equitable care is the least studied of the domains of quality as defined by the Institute of Medicine (IOM). Inequities in access and treatment throughout the health care system are well documented in all fields of medicine. While there is little evidence demonstrating that inequity is worsened by crowding, theory and evidence from social science disciplines, as well as known barriers to care for vulnerable populations, would suggest that crowding will worsen inequities.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFBackground: The authors surveyed U.S. medical students to learn their perceptions of the adequacy of women's health and sex/gender-specific teaching and of their preparedness to care for female patients.
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