Annals of emergency medicine
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Randomized Controlled Trial Multicenter Study Comparative Study Clinical Trial
Case finding and referral model for emergency department elders: a randomized clinical trial.
Elderly emergency department patients have complex medical needs and limited social support. A transitional model of care adapted from hospitals was tested for its effectiveness in the ED in reducing subsequent service use. ⋯ An ED-based transitional model of care reduced subsequent nursing home admissions but did not decrease overall service use for older ED patients. Further studies are needed to determine the best models of care for this setting and for at-risk patients.