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Abstract Aim Several scores have been developed to identify SDEC patients from Emergency Department (ED) triage and acute medical intakes. Scores are designed to improve system efficiency, overcrowding and patient experience but none have been developed for older adults. Previous work has shown that existing scores e.g. Glasgow Admission Prediction Score, Sydney Triage to Admission Risk Tool and the Ambulatory Score were not able to predict admission in our population (1). We have developed a novel, frailty-focused score. Methods The Older Person’s Assessment service (OPAS) is ED based, accepting patients with frailty syndromes aged 70 years to provide a comprehensive geriatric assessment (CGA) and is extended into medical SDEC. The databases were retrospectively analysed and interactions with age, Charlson Co-morbidity index (CCI) and Clinical Frailty Score (CFS) were evaluated alongside NEWS, 4AT, including who with and where the patient resides. Results 1011 attendances, 414 (40.9%) Male, mean age 82.3(±8.4) years, CFS 5.3(±1.2) and CCI 8.0(±1.8), 701 (69.3%) discharged same-day and 629 (62.2%) fallers. OPAS: 776 attendances, 306 (39.4%) Male, age 82.4(±8.7) years, CFS 5.3(±1.1) and CCI 7.9(±1.9), 540 (69.5%) discharged same-day, 557 (71.8%) fallers. SDEC: 234 attendances, 108 (46.2%) Male, age 81.8(±8.0) years, CFS 5.2(±1.3) and CCI 8.2(±1.7),162 (69.2%) discharged same-day, 72 (30.1%) fallers. There was significant difference between groups with NEWS (p 0.02), mortality (P 0.001) and presenting complaint (p 0.001). We used a cut-off Score 6.5 indicating admission (p 0.0001). Each variable’s weighing was determined using T-tests and Chi-squared analysis. Overall score Sensitivity 0.75, Specificity 0.63, Positive Predictive Value 0.65, Negative Predictive value 0.57, Area under Curve 0.65. Conclusion Frailty is an important determinant in identifying whether ambulatory care is appropriate. The efficacy of the score is comparable to the results derived in validation cohorts of existing and recommended scores. We are currently prospectively testing the score but clinical judgement, alongside a MDT providing a CGA is gold standard care.
Burgess et al. (Thu,) studied this question.