Association of Geriatric Emergency Department Care With Patient Outcomes in Older Adults - Late Breaking - Quality Improvement

Sep 29, 2026

Upload by Blitz

Geriatric Emergency Department (GED) accreditation has expanded since 2018, yet its impact on patient-centered outcomes using national data remained unstudied. This study evaluated whether GED care was associated with improved outcomes among adults aged 65+ using 2018-2021 Health and Retirement Study-Medicare linked data. Multivariable logistic regression assessed associations with hospital admission and 30-day mortality. Among 4,570 older adults with ED visits, GED care was linked to lower odds of admission overall, with strongest effects in ages 65-80 and non-Hispanic White patients, and reduced 30-day mortality in non-Hispanic White individuals.

LanguageEnglish

CategoryResearch & Report

FormatPDF

Pages1

Reading Time3 min

AccessFree to download

Abstract

Objective and Data

Methods

Key Findings

Implications

Innovation in Aging, 2025, Vol. 9, No. S2 1319 University School of Medicine, New Haven, Connecticut, United States, 7. Yale University, New Haven, Connecticut, United States, 8. NYU Grossman School of Medicine, New York, New York, United States Since 2018, the Geriatric Emergency Department (GED) accreditation program has recognized EDs that provide high-quality care tailored to older adults. Despite its considerable expansion in recent years, no studies have evaluated the impact of GED care on patient-centered outcomes using national data. Our objective was to determine whether GED care is associated with improved outcomes among older adults. We used the 2018-2021 Health and Retirement Study-Medicare linked data of adults aged≥65 years, weighted for national estimates. Receipt of GED care was defined as having an ED visit at a GED (versus not). Patient-level analyses were conducted using each individual’s most recent ED visit. Multivariable logistic regression models were used to estimate associations between receipt of GED care and outcomes of hospital admission and 30-day mortality, adjusting for patient demographics, socioeconomic status, health conditions, and hospital-level characteristics. Among 4,570 older adults – representing 25,317,444 adults nationally – with an ED visit, 270 (5.9%) received GED care. Compared with those treated in non-GEDs, patients treated in GEDs had significantly lower odds of hospital admission (OR, 0.710; 95% CI, 0.505-0.998), primarily among adults aged 65-80 years (OR, 0.565; 95% CI, 0.336-0.952) and non-Hispanic White individuals (OR, 0.614; 95% CI, 0.410-0.920). Among non-Hispanic White individuals, GED care was also associated with a significant reduction in 30-day mortality (OR, 0.554; 95% CI, 0.324-0.945) . This is the first study using national data to demonstrate that GED care significantly improves outcomes for older adult subgroups. Broader implementation can enhance reach and impact across programs and diverse populations. SESSION 9140 (PAPER) LATE BREAKING: QUALITY IMPROVEMENT INNOVATIONS IN HEALTH CARE II Abstract citation ID: igaf122.4391 ASSOCIATION OF GERIATRIC EMERGENCY DEPARTMENT CARE WITH PATIENT OUTCOMES IN OLDER ADULTS Yuting Qian1, Cameron Gettel2, Jasmine Su3, Elyssa Grogan4, Inessa Cohen5, Craig Rothenberg6, Xi Chen7, and Ula Hwang8, 1. Yale School of Public Health, New Haven, Connecticut, United States, 2. Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, Connecticut, United States, 3. New York University School of Medicine, New York, New York, United States, 4. NYULangone Health, New York, New York, United States, 5. Yale University, Yale University, Connecticut, United States, 6. Yale

FAQs

What was the study objective regarding GED care?

To determine whether GED care is associated with improved patient-centered outcomes among older adults using national data.

How was GED care defined in the analysis?

GED care was defined as having an ED visit at a GED versus not.

Which outcomes were evaluated and what main results were found?

Outcomes were hospital admission and 30-day mortality. GED care was associated with lower odds of hospital admission overall, especially among ages 65-80 and non-Hispanic White individuals, and with reduced 30-day mortality among non-Hispanic White individuals.

Sep 29, 2026

Upload by Blitz