ArticleCJEM2025
A qualitative study on the perspectives of patients and providers on the integration of geriatric personal support workers for improving quality of care in the emergency department.
Article in CJEM, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Not yet cited in PubMed.
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.
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.
Who cites it
0 citing papers in PubMed.
No citing paper in PubMed yet.
Corrections and comments
PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.
Authors and funding
11 authors.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
introductionCanada's emergency departments (EDs) face extreme overcrowding, with older adults (65 +) comprising up to 25% of visits and often presenting with cognitive disorders, multiple comorbidities, and complex care needs. Personal support workers assist people needing help with daily activities, typically in homes or long-term care, but not EDs. The objective of this study was to describe patients, family members, and providers' perspectives on the implementation and impact of a novel Geriatric Personal Support Worker program in an ED setting in Toronto, Ontario.
methodsThis qualitative descriptive study used semi-structured interviews and focus groups with older adult patients, caregivers, and healthcare providers (n = 30). The guiding framework for the study was the Consolidated Framework for Implementation Research. Data were analyzed using an inductive thematic analysis.
resultsBoth patients and providers valued personal support worker support in the ED, noting improvements in care efficiency and patient-centered service. Participants noted that personal support workers reduced nurses' workload by supporting patients' activities of daily living, which enabled nurses to prioritize clinical tasks, thereby improving the ED care experience for both patients and providers. The key factors identified to influence the program's implementation were organizational cohesiveness (personal support workers as unionized employees), the need for sustainable funding, and clearer role description.
conclusionsIntegrating Geriatric Personal Support Workers in the ED improved patient-centered care as well as nursing care efficiency. While well received, there are organizational, logistical and funding issues that require further exploration to sustain a Geriatric Personal Support Worker program in EDs.
Indexed as
Identifiers
40826208What OpenQuestion holds
Registered trials
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.