A European Research Agenda for Geriatric Emergency Medicine: a modified Delphi study

Abstract

Purpose Geriatric Emergency Medicine (GEM) focuses on delivering optimal care to (sub)acutely ill older people. This involves a multidisciplinary approach throughout the whole healthcare chain. However, the underpinning evidence base is weak and it is unclear which research questions have the highest priority. The aim of this study was to provide an inventory and prioritisation of research questions among GEM professionals throughout Europe. Methods A two-stage modified Delphi approach was used. In stage 1, an online survey was administered to various professionals working in GEM both in the Emergency Department (ED) and other healthcare settings throughout Europe to make an inventory of potential research questions. In the processing phase, research questions were screened, categorised, and validated by an expert panel. Subsequently, in stage 2, remaining research questions were ranked based on relevance using a second online survey administered to the same target population, to identify the top 10 prioritised research questions. Results In response to the first survey, 145 respondents submitted 233 potential research questions. A total of 61 research questions were included in the second stage, which was completed by 176 respondents. The question with the highest priority was: Is implementation of elements of CGA (comprehensive geriatric assessment), such as screening for frailty and geriatric interventions, effective in improving outcomes for older patients in the ED? Conclusion This study presents a top 10 of high-priority research questions for a European Research Agenda for Geriatric Emergency Medicine. The list of research questions may serve as guidance for researchers, policymakers and funding bodies in prioritising future research projects.

Providing care for older adults in the Emergency Department: expert clinical recommendations from the European Task Force on Geriatric Emergency Medicine

“…Our recommendations are based on expert consensus and not systematic reviews. In response to the limited empirical evidence in this area, we have recently publishes a research agenda that will hopefully stimulate more research in this field [28].…”

The updated national research agenda 2021–2026 for prehospital emergency medical services in the Netherlands: a Delphi study

“…To our knowledge, this is the first updated national research agenda in the field of EMS care. Our findings contribute to structural monitoring and frequent evaluation of research priorities in EMS care, which is important as the context of emergency care remains rapidly changing, and may guide other researchers in their efforts to update similar agenda’s in other countries [ 34 , 35 ].…”

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A physiotherapy-led transition to home intervention for older adults following emergency department discharge: protocol for a pilot feasibility randomised controlled trial

“…A synthesis of the literature was undertaken and input was also provided from geriatricians, geriatric nurses, dietitians, occupational therapists, physiotherapists and a PPI panel of older adults. Implementing care to older adults is complex due to the presence of multimorbidity [ 37 ]. This programme is designed with the latest evidence base on the management of people with multiple chronic conditions [ 52 ], in particular a 6-week occupational therapy-led, multidisciplinary, self-management programme for community dwelling people with multimorbidity [ 53 ].…”