Telehealth for geriatric post-emergency department visits to promote age-friendly care

To describe a feasibility pilot study for older adults that addresses the digital divide, unmet health care needs, and the 4Ms of Age-Friendly Health Systems via the emergency department (ED) follow-up home visits supported by telehealth.

Data sources were a pre-implementation site survey and pilot phase individual-level patient data from six US Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) EDs.

A pre-implementation survey assessed existing geriatric ED processes. In the pilot called SCOUTS (Supporting Community Outpatient, Urgent care & Telehealth Services), sites identified high-risk patients during an ED visit. After ED discharge, Intermediate Care Technicians (ICTs, former military medics), performed follow-up telephone, or home visits. During the follow-up visit, ICTs identified "what matters," performed geriatric screens aligned with Age-Friendly Health Systems, observed home safety risks, assisted with video telehealth check-ins with ED providers, and provided care coordination. SCOUTS visit data were recorded in the patient's electronic medical record using a standardized template.

Sites were surveyed via electronic form. Administrative pilot data extracted from VA Corporate Data Warehouse, May-October 2021.

Site surveys showed none of the EDs had a formalized way of identifying the 4 M "what matters." During the pilot, ICT performed 56 telephone and 247 home visits. All home visits included a telehealth visit with an ED provider (n = 244) or geriatrician (n = 3). ICTs identified 44 modifiable home fall risks and 99 unmet care needs, recommended 80 pieces of medical equipment, placed 36 specialty care consults, and connected 180 patients to a Patient Aligned Care Team member for follow-up.

A post-ED follow-up program in which former military medics perform geriatric screens and care coordination is feasible. Combining telehealth and home visits allows providers to address what matters and unmet care needs.