Geropsychiatric emergency services: utilization and outcome predictors.
Chart data on emergency room visits by elderly patients and a younger control group were examined in an exploratory study of utilization of psychiatric emergency services by the elderly and factors predictive of their subsequent admission to a psychiatric inpatient unit. Elderly patients had lower utilization of psychiatric services than their younger counterparts, but they were significantly more likely to be hospitalized following an emergency room visit. Dementia, the single most frequent diagnosis of the elderly patients, increased the likelihood of hospitalization only if it existed in combination with another psychiatric diagnosis. Medical comorbidity appeared to have no effect on whether the elderly patient was subsequently hospitalized.
Thienhaus
O J
OJ
Department of Psychiatry, University of Cincinnati College of Medicine, Ohio 45267.
Rowe
C
C
Woellert
P
P
Hillard
J R
JR
D000368:Aged; D003704:Dementia / Q000523:psychology / Q000628:therapy*; D004636:Emergency Service, Hospital / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D004637:Emergency Services, Psychiatric / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D005852:Geriatric Psychiatry; D006746:Hospital Bed Capacity, 500 and over; D006801:Humans; D008605:Mental Health Services / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D009820:Ohio; D011379:Prognosis; D012017:Referral and Consultation / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D014481:United States