Grant: Doctoral Research Award: Canada Graduate Scholarships

There is no doubt that Canada's population is ageing. Many older adults use the emergency department (ED) as their first point of contact with the healthcare system. As the number of older adults increases, so too will the number who visit EDs for care. Many of these patients will have some form of cognitive impairment, such as, delirium. Science shows that these ED patients tend to have poorer outcomes (e.g., longer hospital stays and risk of death), partly because traditional ED care strategies are not appropriate for these patients. To address this issue, my research will create measures to evaluate the quality of care provided to older ED patients with delirium. I will first review the current literature that describes best care practices for older adults with delirium in general. I will then work with ED stakeholders (practitioners, administrators, and patients) from across Canada to determine which of these care practices best apply to the ED to create a set of quality measures for ED care. I will present my research findings at conferences and to ED planners and providers. My study results are a first step in helping to improve the quality of care for older ED patients with delirium. In future research I will pilot test these measures to examine their impact on quality care. My longer term career goal is to expand successful ED care improvement strategies across Canada and internationally.