The impact of an Emergency Department based frailty team on PET times of frail adults over 75

Abstract Background This level 3 hospital has an established in-hours frailty service working in the emergency department since 2016. The Irish Association of Emergency Medicine (IAEM) Patient Experience Time (PET) Key Performance Indicator (KPI) aim for 95% of patients to spend less than 6 hours in an emergency department, to improve patient flow and ‘trolley waits’. This audit aims to examine the effect of this frailty service on average PET times of frail attendees, aged over 75, who attended the emergency department over the month of January. Methods Data were extracted from hospital IPMS software reports of all ED attendances of patients aged over 75 from 1st-31st January 2025, and compared against frailty collected data. Data were analysed to focus on the audit objectives. Results Total ED attendances in the 75 age group in January was 731, with 402 (54.99%) of these being categorised as frail at triage. Of the frail cohort, 237 (59%) were admitted with a median ED PET of 08:17 hours, compared to 165 (41%) who were discharged, with a median ED PET of 05:16 hours. The RAFT team reviewed 183 patients aged over 75 throughout January, of which 132 (72%) were classified as frail, and 64(48.5%) were admitted. 283 patients were seen out of regular working hours, of which 179 (63.5%) were identified as frail, and 113 (63.1%) were admitted. Median PET times for frail patients reviewed out of regular hours prior to discharge was 06:25 hours, compared to frail patients reviewed by RAFT team at 05:03 hours. Conclusion Admission rates in frail adults over 75 years are higher out of regular work hours (63.13% vs 48.5%), when the Frailty team ED services are not operating. In those suitable for discharge, frailty team review in the emergency department can reduce PET times.