The University of Alabama at Birmingham (UAB) Geriatric Emergency Medicine research program aims to improve healthcare efficiency and mitigate disparities in the acute care of older adults through patient-centered outcomes research, establishing geriatric emergency care protocols, and translating research evidence to clinical practice. The rapidly aging U.S. population of adults 65 or older brings unique challenges for those providing emergency care, as older adults visiting the ED often present with multiple chronic conditions, polypharmacy, and social/physical needs. To address these challenges, UAB Hospital – Highlands received Level 1 Geriatric ED accreditation, which is part of UAB’s Age-Friendly Healthcare System (AFHS) to provide high-quality care to older adults. Our group is working within the 4Ms – What Matters, Medication, Mentation, and Mobility - AFHS framework by developing novel programs to improve the care delivered to acutely ill older adults.
Primary research areas with dedicated effort and funding include developing preventive and management strategies for delirium in the ED, improving early recognition and management of potentially inappropriate medications (PIMs) leading to adverse outcomes in the ED, and designing care transition models for older adults, especially persons living with dementia (PLWD), to improve continuity of care from the ED. Other geriatric-focused quality improvement initiatives include implementing computerized clinical decision support (CDS) tools to screen older adults at high-risk of frailty fractures and falls, enhance quality of prescribing practices for older adults discharged from the ED, and improve communication of patient and caregiver preferences and goals.
Our Team
