Developing a National Collaborative to Improve Emergency Department Care of Older Adults

Grant Summary

This two-year foundational grant will create a national Geriatric Emergency Department Collaborative (GEDC) to improve the quality of care that older adults receive in the emergency department (ED) setting. An initial nine healthcare systems will engage in quality improvement projects based on Geriatric ED Guidelines developed by the project leaders and endorsed by four collaborating organizations: the American College of Emergency Physicians, the Society for Academic Emergency Medicine, the Emergency Nurses Association, and the American Geriatrics Society (AGS). The project also will study the impact of guideline recommended care, set up an infrastructure for ongoing data collection and research, and develop a business plan for the expansion of the collaborative to 50 hospitals in a second grant-funded phase before becoming self-sustaining. The West Health Institute is co-funding the research and AGS will serve as the grantee and convener of the collaborating national organizations that will support the GEDC and its long-term spread and sustainability.