The wisdom of elders: a new patient experience survey for older patients could tell us how to fix our emergency departments for everyone

Abstract

It will not be news to readers that the emergency department (ED) population is ageing. Nor will it be surprising to know that, for the most part, we have done relatively little to accommodate the changing demographic profile of our patients. A systematic review of older patients’ experiences published in the EMJ in 2019 found that older patients felt vulnerable in the ED, and they wanted holistic care, support with decision-making, prompt waiting times and clear communication.1 A little over a year ago, EMJ published a qualitative study relating the experiences of older patients in the ED. Although the participants were understanding of the pressures staff were facing, they described poor experiences with information delivery, participation in decisions about their own care and lack of attention to simple comfort measures. ED patients of all ages likely have similar concerns and issues about their ED experiences, and expectations (or at least hopes) for their care.2 However, younger patients are often more physically capable of finding solutions, such as hopping off the trolley to find …