Evidence map›Paper›PMID 40021579›Full record

Observational studyAging clinical and experimental research2025

Risk screening by the emergency medical services identifies older patients at risk of emergency department readmission: a retrospective observational study.

Eeva Saario, Marja Mäkinen, Maaret Castrén, Esa Jämsen

Abstract readObservational Study
In one paragraph

Observational study in Aging clinical and experimental research, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Not yet cited in PubMed.

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0cells of the map it votes in
0citing papers in PubMed
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1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

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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

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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

0 citing papers in PubMed.

No citing paper in PubMed yet.

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

4 authors.

Eeva SaarioDepartment of Emergency Medicine and Services, Helsinki University Hospital and University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland. eeva.saario@helsinki.fi.ORCID https://orcid.org/0000-0002-6901-1256
Marja MäkinenDepartment of Emergency Medicine and Services, Helsinki University Hospital and University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland.ORCID https://orcid.org/0000-0002-2105-3107
Maaret CastrénDepartment of Emergency Medicine and Services, Helsinki University Hospital and University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland.ORCID https://orcid.org/0000-0001-7164-4733
Esa JämsenFaculty of Medicine (Clinicum), University of Helsinki and Department of Geriatrics, Helsinki University Hospital, Helsinki, Finland.ORCID https://orcid.org/0000-0002-8218-7432

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundMalnutrition, falls, and cognitive impairment are common in older patients visiting the emergency department (ED). Early recognition of these conditions could trigger interventions to improve outcomes following ED visits.

aimTo analyze whether a simple risk screening protocol in the emergency medical services (EMS) identifies older patients at risk of ED readmission.

methodsThe EMS screened the falls risk, nutritional risk, and cognition of 472 patients (age ≥ 70 years) transported to the ED of a Finnish secondary care hospital between November 2018 and July 2019. Data on the risk screening, comorbidities, and ED readmissions were collected from electronic patient records. Data were analyzed using negative binomial regression, and the results are presented as incidence rate ratios (IRRs).

resultsAltogether 312 patients (66%) experienced 880 ED readmissions during the 12-month follow-up. Nutritional risk was associated with an increased ED readmission rate across all time categories (< 1, 1-3, 3-6, and ≥ 6 months; IRRs 1.36-1.62, p-values < 0.05). Falls risk was associated with ED readmissions from one month after the index ED visit (IRRs 1.41-1.57, p-values < 0.05). Impaired cognition had no effect on readmissions (IRRs 1.14-1.26, p-values > 0.1).

conclusionsPatients with nutritional risk or falls risk, identified by the EMS, had a higher ED readmission rate independent of comorbidity. EMS risk screening could supplement the assessment in the ED to better identify older patients who might benefit from more detailed assessment of their health status and interventions to prevent ED readmission.

Indexed as

Emergency Medical ServicesEmergency Service, HospitalPatient ReadmissionAccidental FallsAgedAged, 80 and overCognitive DysfunctionFemaleFinlandGeriatric AssessmentHumansMaleMalnutritionRetrospective StudiesRisk AssessmentRisk FactorsEmergency departmentsEmergency medical servicesOlder patientsRisk screening

Identifiers

PMID40021579
PMCPMC11870983

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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.