title: Emergency department (ED) utilization of oldest old men in a veterans care home in Taiwan.
abstract: ED is a common channel for older people to seek for medical services. However, unlike most care homes in the world, veterans care home in Taiwan has a constantly operating outpatient and inpatient services. Therefore, utilization of ED services among veterans care home may be different from most care home residents. Records of residents in Banciao Veterans Home residents visiting the ED of Taipei Veterans General Hospital from January to December of 2006 were retrospectively collected and analyzed. Demographic variables including age, sex, modes of arrival, category of triage, time of visit, main presenting symptoms, principal diagnosis, medical expenditure and the disposition after the ED visit or after admission to wards were carefully recorded. In total, 368 residents (mean age=81.9+/-5.9 years, all men) with 635 visits were identified. Nearly a half of Banciao Veterans Home residents had visited ED for at least once in 2006 and the medical expenditure was four times higher than other ED visitors. In average, 52.3% of ED visitors would be hospitalized and the most common diagnosis was infectious conditions. Onsite primary care geriatricians may play an important role in such settings.
authors.affiliation: Department of Family Medicine, Kaohsiung Veterans General Hospital, Kaohsiung, Taiwan.
authors.forename: Ming-Yueh
authors.initials: MY
authors.lastname: Chou
authors.forename: Shang-Lin
authors.initials: SL
authors.lastname: Chou
authors.forename: Yuann-Meei
authors.initials: YM
authors.lastname: Tzeng
authors.forename: Liang-Kung
authors.initials: LK
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.forename: David
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Oliver
authors.forename: David-Hung Tsang
authors.initials: DH
authors.lastname: Yen
authors.forename: Shinn-Jang
authors.initials: SJ
authors.lastname: Hwang
authors.forename: Chun-I
authors.initials: CI
authors.lastname: Huang
authors.forename: Ming-Shium
authors.initials: MS
authors.lastname: Tu
authors.forename: Chen-Hsen
authors.initials: CH
authors.lastname: Lee
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D015331:Cohort Studies; D004636:Emergency Service, Hospital / Q000191:economics / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D017048:Health Care Costs; D006707:Homes for the Aged; D006801:Humans; D007902:Length of Stay; D008297:Male; D009735:Nursing Homes; D010343:Patient Admission; D013624:Taiwan; D014728:Veterans