HOSPITAL EMERGENCY DEPARTMENT SERVICE MANAGEMENT FOR ELDERLY: A SCOPING REVIEW

Abstract

The increase in the number and changes in population structure are the main factors influencing changes in global emergencies, where the increasing number of elderly patient visits to the emergency department (ED) must be followed up in improving ED service policies. This study aims to examine ED management for the elderly in hospitals using the scoping review method. The articles were obtained from several databases including the Cumulative Index to Nursing and Allied Health Literature (CINAHL), Google Scholar, ProQuest and PubMed between 2016 and 2021. Based on the results of the analysis, there are at least 3 main topics that are the reasons why emergency management enhancements for the elderly in hospitals are important, namely (1) the elderly as ED service users who need extra services, (2) Efforts to improve the quality of emergency services by management, and (3) the use of information technology as a way to improve emergency services for the elderly. Nurses need to consider developing strategies to improve the quality of care in the ED for the elderly given that there are significant differences in the profile of the age group visiting the ED, where the elderly are a relatively vulnerable group.