Evidence map›Paper›PMID 34863159›Full record

Observational studyBMC health services research2021

Trends of chronic illness in emergency department admissions among elderly adults in a tertiary hospital over ten years.

Zhongxun Hu, Fahad Javaid Siddiqui, Qiao Fan, Sherman W Q Lian, Nan Liu, Marcus E H Ong

Abstract readObservational Study
In one paragraph

Observational study in BMC health services research, 2021. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 5 papers, 1 of them a synthesis that pooled it.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
5citing papers in PubMed, 1 pooled it
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

5 citing papers in PubMed, 1 synthesis or guideline pooled it.

  1. Pooled it
  2. Observational
  3. Article
  4. Article
  5. Article
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

6 authors.

Zhongxun HuDuke-NUS Medical School, Singapore, Singapore. zhu@u.duke.nus.edu.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0003-1404-3194
Fahad Javaid SiddiquiPrehospital and Emergency Research Centre, Health Services & Systems Research, Duke-NUS Medical School, Singapore, Singapore.
Qiao FanCenter for Quantitative Medicine, Duke-NUS Medical School, Singapore, Singapore.
Sherman W Q LianDepartment of Emergency Medicine, Singapore General Hospital, Singapore, Singapore.
Nan LiuHealth Services & Systems Research, Duke-NUS Medical School, Singapore, Singapore.
Marcus E H OngDepartment of Emergency Medicine, Singapore General Hospital, Singapore, Singapore.

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundThis study aimed to determine to what extent an aging population and shift to chronic illness has contributed to emergency admissions at a tertiary care hospital over ten years.

methodsThis was a retrospective observational study performed using a database of all emergency admissions from the Emergency Department (ED) at a single tertiary hospital in Singapore during a ten-year period (January 1st, 2008 to December 31st, 2017). Emergency admissions were defined as ED visits with inpatient admission as the disposition. This study analyzed the trends of demographics, pre-existing comorbidities, chronic conditions or ambulatory care sensitive conditions (ACSC) of all patients who underwent emergency admissions in Singapore General Hospital.

resultsA total of 446,484 emergency records were included. For elderly patients, the proportions of them had pre-existing multimorbidity at the time of undergoing emergency admissions were found to be lower at the end the 10-year study period relative to the beginning of the study period. The proportions of emergency admissions whose ED primary diagnoses were categorized as chronic conditions and certain chronic ACSC including chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, congestive heart failure, diabetes complications, and epilepsy also decreased for elderly patients over the 10-year study period.

conclusionsIn Singapore, despite a rapidly aging population, there have been surprisingly lower proportions of chronic conditions, pre-existing comorbidities, and chronic ACSC among the elderly emergency admissions. This is possibly consistent with an overall improved management of the chronic conditions among the elderly population. Future studies should include similar studies at the national level and comparison with other healthcare settings in different countries.

Indexed as

Ambulatory Care Sensitive ConditionsPulmonary Disease, Chronic ObstructiveAdultAgedEmergency Service, HospitalHospitalizationHumansTertiary Care CentersAging populationChronic illnessEmergency admissionHealth services

Identifiers

PMID34863159
PMCPMC8645127

What OpenQuestion holds

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Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.