Evaluation of Turkey's First Geriatric Emergency Department and Quality Indicators

Introduction: The global population of individuals aged 65 years and older is increasing, and the number of visits to emergency departments is rising accordingly. The establishment of geriatric emergency departments is recommended for managing medical emergencies in geriatric patients. This study aimed to evaluate the quality indicators of the first geriatric emergency department established in Turkey. Materials and Method: The quality criteria for patient care in the Geriatric Emergency Department at the Antalya Training and Research Hospital Emergency Department, established under the Erasmus + (2020-1-TR01-KA202- 094358) Strategic Partnerships for Vocational Education and Training project, were recorded and evaluated for both the pre- and post-establishment periods. Quality criteria determined by both international standards and the Ministry of Health were used for this comparison. For this purpose, during the period before the establishment of the service, from September 1 to November 1, 2021, 1,516 patients aged 65 and over who presented with non-traumatic reasons and were in triage categories 2–5 were compared with 1,516 geriatric patients in the same triage categories seen after the establishment of the geriatric emergency service between June 1 and August 1, 2023. Results: Following the establishment of the geriatric emergency department, statistically significant improvements were observed in the quality criteria related to the evaluation processes of patients aged 65 and older in the emergency department. In the pre- and post-establishment measurements of the quality criteria for triage categories 2–5, significant reductions were identified in waiting times for examinations (p=0.00), number of requested tests (p=0.00), number of requested imaging studies (p=0.00), number of necessary consultations (p=0.00), duration of stay in the emergency department (p=0.00), and cost per patient (p=0.00). The rate of readmission within 72 h was 3.7% (p=0.27). Conclusion: The development and implementation of a geriatric emergency department model, applied for the first time in our country, have led to significant improvements in quality indicators that objectively evaluate service delivery. The establishment and expansion of geriatric emergency departments, specific to the growing population aged 65 years and older, should be supported and promoted both in our country and worldwide.