ArticleBMC emergency medicine2026
Emergency department culture and the care of older patients with frailty: a focused ethnography.
Article in BMC emergency medicine, 2026. 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
7 authors.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
backgroundCulture shapes care delivery, professional communication, and the development of trust between patients and providers. Culture encompasses identifiable elements, shared values and beliefs, and underlying assumptions that shape behaviour. The Emergency Department (ED) subculture arises from its complex, high-pressure focus on acute illness. ED professionals increasingly encounter older patients with frailty, whose complex but often non-urgent needs require more holistic, individualised care. However, the ED subculture may hinder the provision of appropriate geriatric emergency care. Despite its relevance, little is known of the influence of the ED subculture on the care for older patients. This study provides insight into the ED subculture in relation to the care of older patients with frailty by exploring its visible elements, shared values and beliefs, and underlying assumptions that shape behaviour.
methodsA qualitative, micro-ethnographic study was performed. Data were collected through topic-guided observations of ED professionals over twelve days, followed by interviews. Ethnographic methods were used to analyse the data, with iterative cycles of collection and analysis.
resultsThe themes ‘Equality and professional solidarity as drivers of care delivery’, and ‘Responsibility and compassion in navigating the misalignment between emergency care and the needs of older patients with frailty’ describe the ED subculture in relation to the care of older patients with frailty. The ED is highly structured, efficiency-driven, and professionals believe in equal care to all patients through responsibility and teamwork. Stabilising acute illness is prioritised during the initial assessment; other needs are considered once patients are stable or assertive. Professionals believe the ED is intended for acute problems; non-acute referrals of older patients are considered inappropriate. However, they value a strong moral responsibility, navigating between emergency care priorities and the needs of older adults with frailty.
conclusionsThe ED subculture prioritises efficient, protocol-driven care and equal care for all patients, creating a challenge for delivering holistic, patient-centred care to older adults with frailty. Improving education and communication and integrating biopsychosocial principles into emergency care are essential. The ED subculture must be considered when developing and implementing future interventions to improve emergency care for older patients.
Indexed as
Identifiers
What 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.