Sizing and characterizing the demand of elderly in emergency service

• Grant number: 20/10815-5
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships in Brazil - Scientific Initiation
• Start date: January 01, 2021
• End date: December 31, 2021
• Field of knowledge: Health Sciences - Medicine - Medical Clinics
• Principal Investigator: Adriana Polachini Do Valle
• Grantee: Nicole de Micy Ferreira Cintra
• Host Institution: Faculdade de Medicina (FMB). Universidade Estadual Paulista (UNESP). Campus de Botucatu. Botucatu , SP, Brazil

Abstract

The total of elderly patients seen in emergency services is increasing due to the growth of the population with a longer life expectancy. The number of elderly people seen in emergency rooms is a worldwide concern. Elderly patients generally require more personalized care due to an atypical presentation of symptoms, multimorbidity and concomitant polypharmacy. Although the elderly are the fastest growing segment of the population, little or no planning is underway to meet the emergency health care needs of the elderly in the future. The purpose of this study is a broad assessment of the elderly's demand for public emergency services in a city in the interior of São Paulo, contributing to the strategic organization of comprehensive and longitudinal health care for the elderly. Objectives: To characterize the demographic and morbidity and mortality profile of the demand for elderly people in emergency services in a city in São Paulo and to analyze the outcomes of a sample of elderly people who were referred to the referred emergency room in the city. Methodology: Observational and retrospective study through the analysis of data on the demand for elderly people in the adult emergency room and referrals to the emergency room referenced from January to December 2018. In a first stage, the demographic data and the causes that led the elderly to the emergency service. In a second step, a sample of elderly people who needed referral to a more specialized service will be evaluated through the study of medical records regarding the evolution of the condition and outcomes such as discharge or death.