Evidence map›Paper›PMID 38553011›Full record

ArticleJournal of the American Geriatrics Society2024

Emergency department communication with diverse caregivers and persons living with dementia: A qualitative study.

Anita N Chary, Norvin Hernandez, Ana Paulina Rivera, Ilianna Santangelo, Christine Ritchie, Kei Ouchi, Shan W Liu, Aanand D Naik, Maura Kennedy

Open access · greenAbstract read
In one paragraph

Article in Journal of the American Geriatrics Society, 2024. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 16 papers, 2 of them syntheses that pooled it.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
16citing papers in PubMed, 2 pooled it
9.8field-weighted citation impact, top 1% of its field
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

16 citing papers in PubMed, 2 syntheses or guidelines pooled it, 18 citations in OpenAlex.

  1. A Systematic Review Evaluating Pain Assessment Strategies for Patients With Dementia in the Emergency Department: The Geriatric ED Guidelines 2.0.Academic emergency medicine : official journal of the Society for Academic Emergency Medicine · 2026
    Pooled it
  2. Pooled it
  3. Article
  4. Disposition at Equipoise: A Qualitative Study of Emergency Physicians' Decision-Making About Hospitalizing People With Dementia.Academic emergency medicine : official journal of the Society for Academic Emergency Medicine · 2026
    Article
  5. Article
  6. Communicating Across Languages: Experiences of Spanish-Speaking People With Dementia and Care Partners in the Emergency Department.Academic emergency medicine : official journal of the Society for Academic Emergency Medicine · 2026
    Article
  7. Article
  8. Cognitive Interviews With Emergency Physicians to Understand Disposition Decisions With People With Dementia With Borderline Cases.Journal of applied gerontology : the official journal of the Southern Gerontological Society · 2026
    Article
  9. Article
  10. Article
  11. Article
  12. Article
  13. Emergency Care for Persons Living with Dementia.Emergency medicine clinics of North America · 2025
    Review
  14. Review
  15. Article
  16. 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

9 authors at 5 institutions in 1 country.

Anita N CharyDepartment of Emergency Medicine, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, Texas, USA.
Norvin HernandezSchool of Medicine, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, Texas, USA.
Ana Paulina RiveraSchool of Medicine, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, Texas, USA.
Ilianna SantangeloDepartment of Emergency Medicine, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, Massachusetts, USA.
Christine RitchieDivision of Palliative Care and Geriatric Medicine, Mongan Institute Center for Aging and Serious Illness, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, Massachusetts, USA.
Kei OuchiHarvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts, USA.
Shan W LiuDepartment of Emergency Medicine, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, Massachusetts, USA.
Aanand D NaikCenter for Innovations in Quality, Effectiveness and Safety, Michael E. DeBakey VA Medical Center, Houston, Texas, USA.
Maura KennedyDepartment of Emergency Medicine, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, Massachusetts, USA.ORCID 0000-0002-8755-7324
Baylor College of Medicine · USHarvard University · USMassachusetts General Hospital · USMichael E. DeBakey VA Medical Center · USBrigham and Women's Hospital · US

Funding

ED GOAL: An Advance Care Planning Intervention for Seriously Ill Older Adults in the Emergency DepartmentK76AG064434 · NIA · BRIGHAM AND WOMEN'S HOSPITAL · PI OUCHI, KEI · 2020 to 2024
$1.3M
Department of Emergency Medicine, Baylor College of MedicineHouston Veterans Administration Health Services Research and Development Center for Innovations in Quality, Effectiveness, and Safety CIN13-413NIA NIH HHS K76 AG064434
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundResearch to date has detailed numerous challenges in emergency department (ED) communication with persons living with dementia (PLWD) and their caregivers. However, little is known about communication experiences of individuals belonging to minoritized racial and ethnic groups, who are disproportionately impacted by dementia and less likely to be included in dementia research.

methodsWe conducted semi-structured interviews with 29 caregivers of PLWD from two urban academic hospital EDs with distinct patient populations. The first site is an ED in the Northeast serving a majority White, English-speaking, and insured population. The second site is an ED in the South serving a majority Black and/or Hispanic, Spanish-speaking, and underinsured population. Interviews lasted an average of 25 min and were digitally recorded and transcribed. We used an inductive approach to analyze interview transcripts for dominant themes and compared themes between sites.

resultsOur sample included caregivers of diverse racial and ethnic backgrounds. Caregivers cared for PLWD who spoke English, Spanish, Arabic, Chinese, and Vietnamese. We identified three themes. First, caregiver advocacy was central to experiences of ED communication, particularly when PLWD primarily spoke a non-English language. Second, routine care plans did not address what mattered most to participants and PLWD. Participants felt that care arose from protocols and did not address what mattered most to them. Third, White English-speaking caregivers in Site 1 more commonly expected ED staff to engage them in care decision-making than Black, Hispanic, Asian, and Middle Eastern caregivers in Site 2.

conclusionLanguage barriers amplify the higher intensity care needed by PLWD in the ED. Strategies should be developed for communicating with PLWD and caregivers about what matters most in their ED care.

Indexed as

CaregiversDementiaEmergency Service, HospitalQualitative ResearchAdultAgedAged, 80 and overBlack or African AmericanCommunicationCommunication BarriersEthnicityFemaleHispanic or LatinoHumansInterviews as TopicMaleacute carecaregivercommunicationdementiadiversity, equity, and inclusionemergency departmentlanguage barriersracially or ethnically minoritized groups

Identifiers

PMID38553011
PMCPMC12492501
OpenAlexW4394762464

What OpenQuestion holds

Textmetadata
LicenceTDM
Read underepoch 390

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.