The Role of the Geriatric Measurement Tool in Predicting Clinical Outcomes Among Elderly Patient in the Emergency...

Due to the global rise in life expectancy, emergency departments (EDs) frequently encounter elderly patients with complex medical needs. The Geriatric Measure Tool (GMT) assesses both frailty and dependency in a single tool.

The aim of this study is to evaluate the role of the GMT for predicting the clinical outcomes of elderly patients admitted to the ED.

This prospective, observational study was conducted between January and April 2025. Patients aged 65 and over, who visited the ED for various reasons, were consecutively enrolled. The GMT categorizes patients based on premorbid functional status and frailty, with the FRAIL questionnaire (assessing fatigue, resistance, ambulation, illness, and weight loss) and the Barthel index (evaluating daily living activity dependency). Primary outcomes focused on 24-h mortality, while secondary outcomes examined discharge and hospital admission rates.

From 700 enrolled patients, GMT categorization revealed that 53.6% of patients were in Category-4 (moderate/more dependent and frail), while 34% were in Category-1 (independent or slight dependency, prefrail/fit). The 24-h mortality rate was 9%. GMT Category-4 demonstrated high sensitivity (87.3%) for mortality prediction, but low specificity (49.7%). Conversely, GMT Category-1 showed low sensitivity (44.1%) but high specificity (90.2%) for predicting discharge.

The GMT may aid in predicting clinical outcomes in elderly ED patients. While Category-4 effectively identifies high mortality risk, its specificity limitations suggest careful integration with broader clinical assessments. Category-1's high specificity supports its use in discharge planning, although its low sensitivity underscores the need for comprehensive clinical evaluation.