TABLE 2.
Baseline characteristics for 1061 older ED patients (65 years and older) evaluated with the interRAI ED Contact Assessment
| Variable | interRAI ED Screener, n (%) | interRAI ED Screener, n (%) | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Score = 4 | Scores = 5–6 | ||
| n (%) | N = 71, 6.7% | N = 938, 88.4% | |
| Age, years a | 85.4 (6.1) | 86.5 (5.8) | 85.3 (6.1) |
| Sex, female | 613 (57.8) | 20 (28.2) | 399 (42.5) |
| Lives alone | 462 (43.5) | 39 (54.9) | 402 (42.9) |
| Caregiver distress b | 501 (47.2) | 9 (12.6) | 484 (51.6) |
| Cognitive impairment c | 442 (41.7) | 22 (31) | 403 (43) |
| Acute change in mental status d | 252 (23.8) | 10 (14.1) | 232 (24.7) |
| ADL impairment | |||
| Bathing | 643 (60.6) | 42 (59.1) | 590 (62.9) |
| Personal hygiene | 329 (31) | 8 (11.2) | 318 (33.9) |
| Dressing lower body | 410 (38.6) | 17 (23.9) | 390 (41.6) |
| Locomotion | 215 (20.3) | 11 (15.4) | 203 (21.6) |
| Independent ADL | |||
| Difficulty with medications e | 579 (54.5) | 24 (33.8) | 540 (57.6) |
| Difficulty with stairs f | 643 (60.6) | 42 (59.2) | 590 (62.8) |
| Impaired comprehension g | 87 (8.2) | 3 (4.2) | 83 (89) |
| Conditions and symptoms | |||
| Poor self‐reported health h | 255 (24) | 19 (26.7) | 227 (24.2) |
| Symptoms of a mood disorder i | 260 (24.5) | 23 (32.4) | 227 (24.2) |
| Hallucinations or delusions | 87 (8.2) | 3 (4.2) | 83 (8.8) |
| Any falls in the past 90 days | 519 (48.9) | 26 (36.7) | 466 (49.7) |
| Traumatic injury | 204 (19.2) | 12 (16.9) | 179 (19.1) |
| Daily or severe pain j | 496 (46.7) | 36 (50.7) | 436 (46.4) |
| Dyspnea k | 392 (36.9) | 29 (40.8) | 350 (37.3) |
| Decrease food intake or weight loss l | 457 (43.1) | 40 (56.3) | 391 (41.7) |
| Urgent Triage Score, CTAS ≤3 | 950 (89.5) | 59 (83.1) | 844 (90) |
| High‐risk AUA score, 5 or 6 | 830 (78.3) | 32 (45.1) | 773 (82.4) |
| Province | |||
| Ontario | 853 (80.4) | 20 (28.1) | 784 (83.5) |
| Québec | 172 (16.2) | 49 (69) | 32 (3.4) |
| Newfoundland | 36 (3.4) | 2 (2.8) | 122 (13) |
Abbreviations: ADL, activities of daily living; AUA, Assessment Urgency Algorithm; CTAS, Canadian Triage Acuity Scale; ED, emergency department.
Data are reported as mean (standard deviation).
Primary informal helper(s) expresses feelings of distress, anger, or depression.
Modified independent or any impairment in making decisions regarding tasks of daily living.
Acute change in mental status from person's usual functioning (eg, restlessness, lethargy, difficult to arouse, altered environmental perception).
Difficulty remembering to take medicines, opening bottles, taking correct drug dosages, giving injections, or applying ointments.
Supervision or the need for any assistance while walking a full flight of stairs (12–14 stairs).
Sometimes, rarely, or never understands direct communication.
When asked, “In general, how would you rate your health?” Person responds “Poor.”
When asked, patient reports feeling sad, depressed, hopeless, anxiousness, or anhedonia.
Pain that is excruciating or daily in past 3 days.
Dyspnea at rest or present when performing normal day‐to‐day activities.