Biomaterial Database

Emergency department observation units and the older patient. 2013

Mark G Moseley, and Miles P Hawley, and Jeffrey M Caterino

Department of Emergency Medicine, The Ohio State University, Columbus, 43035, USA.

An increasing number of emergency departments (EDs) are providing extended care and monitoring of patients in ED observation units (EDOUs). EDOUs can be useful for older adults as an alternative to hospitalization and as a means of risk stratification for older adults with unclear presentations. They can also provide a period of therapeutic intervention and reassessment for older patients in whom the appropriateness and safety of immediate outpatient care are unclear. This article discusses the general characteristics of EDOUs, reviews appropriate entry and exclusion criteria for older adults in EDOUs, and discusses regulatory implications of observation status for patients with Medicare.

UI	MeSH Term	Description	Entries
D008875	Middle Aged	An adult aged 45 - 64 years.	Middle Age
D004636	Emergency Service, Hospital	Hospital department responsible for the administration and provision of immediate medical or surgical care to the emergency patient.	Emergency Outpatient Unit,Emergency Services Utilization,Hospital Emergency Room,Hospital Emergency Service,Hospital Emergency Services Utilization,Accident and Emergency Department,Emergency Departments,Emergency Hospital Service,Emergency Room,Emergency Units,Emergency Ward,Hospital Service Emergency,Service, Hospital Emergency,Department, Emergency,Departments, Emergency,Emergencies, Hospital Service,Emergency Department,Emergency Hospital Services,Emergency Outpatient Units,Emergency Room, Hospital,Emergency Rooms,Emergency Rooms, Hospital,Emergency Services, Hospital,Emergency Unit,Emergency Wards,Emergency, Hospital Service,Hospital Emergency Rooms,Hospital Emergency Services,Hospital Service Emergencies,Hospital Service, Emergency,Hospital Services, Emergency,Outpatient Unit, Emergency,Outpatient Units, Emergency,Room, Emergency,Room, Hospital Emergency,Rooms, Emergency,Rooms, Hospital Emergency,Service Emergencies, Hospital,Service Emergency, Hospital,Service, Emergency Hospital,Services Utilization, Emergency,Services Utilizations, Emergency,Services, Emergency Hospital,Services, Hospital Emergency,Unit, Emergency,Unit, Emergency Outpatient,Units, Emergency,Units, Emergency Outpatient,Utilization, Emergency Services,Ward, Emergency,Wards, Emergency
D006278	Medicare	Federal program, created by Public Law 89-97, Title XVIII-Health Insurance for the Aged, a 1965 amendment to the Social Security Act, that provides health insurance benefits to persons over the age of 65 and others eligible for Social Security benefits. It consists of two separate but coordinated programs: hospital insurance (MEDICARE PART A) and supplementary medical insurance (MEDICARE PART B). (Hospital Administration Terminology, AHA, 2d ed and A Discursive Dictionary of Health Care, US House of Representatives, 1976)	Health Insurance for Aged and Disabled, Title 18,Insurance, Health, for Aged and Disabled,Health Insurance for Aged, Disabled, Title 18,Health Insurance for Aged, Title 18
D006757	Hospital Units	Those areas of the hospital organization not considered departments which provide specialized patient care. They include various hospital special care wards.	Hospital Unit,Unit, Hospital,Units, Hospital
D006760	Hospitalization	The confinement of a patient in a hospital.	Hospitalizations
D006801	Humans	Members of the species Homo sapiens.	Homo sapiens,Man (Taxonomy),Human,Man, Modern,Modern Man
D000368	Aged	A person 65 years of age or older. For a person older than 79 years, AGED, 80 AND OVER is available.	Elderly
D000369	Aged, 80 and over	Persons 80 years of age and older.	Oldest Old
D014481	United States	A country in NORTH AMERICA between CANADA and MEXICO.
D018579	Patient Selection	Criteria and standards used for the determination of the appropriateness of the inclusion of patients with specific conditions in proposed treatment plans and the criteria used for the inclusion of subjects in various clinical trials and other research protocols.	Patient Recruitment,Research Subject Recruitment,Selection Criteria,Research Subject Selection,Selection for Treatment,Selection of Research Volunteers,Selection of Subjects,Criteria, Selection,Recruitment, Patient,Recruitment, Research Subject,Recruitments, Research Subject,Research Subject Recruitments,Research Subject Selections,Research Volunteers Selection,Research Volunteers Selections,Selection for Treatments,Selection, Patient,Selection, Research Subject,Selections, Research Subject,Subject Recruitment, Research,Subject Recruitments, Research,Subject Selection, Research,Subject Selections, Research,Subjects Selection,Subjects Selections,Treatment, Selection for,Treatments, Selection for,Volunteers Selection, Research