Enhancing Communication Pathways between the Emergency Department and General Practitioners, for Older Adults Assessed by the Geriatric Emergency Multidisciplinary Service

Abstract Background Effective communication during transitions of care for older adults is crucial (Goncalves-Bradley et al., 2016; Hickman et al., 2015). A lack of integrated healthcare records between acute and community settings presents a significant barrier leading to inadequate communication with General Practitioners (GPs) upon discharge from the Emergency Department (ED). This can result in negative outcomes, such as hospital readmissions, duplication of clinical tasks, and medication-related harm. Enhancing communication can promote holistic, patient-centred care. The goal of this quality improvement project was to enhance direct communication between the Geriatric Emergency Multidisciplinary Service (GEMS) and GPs, for older adults discharged from the ED. Methods This pilot took place over 6 months in 2024. After a GEMS assessment, a copy of the Comprehensive Geriatric Assessment (CGA) was sent to the patient's GP via Healthlink when the patient was discharged directly home from the Emergency Department. GPs did not receive communication for patients who were acutely admitted or discharged to a destination other than their own home. At the end of the 6 months 20 GPs were selected at random to complete a feedback form. Results: 758 CGAs were completed by GEMsand 378(49.8%) of these were sent to GPs. Feedback was returned from 6 (33.3%) GPs. 3 (50%) GP’s reported the CGA positively influenced onward management of their patient. 4 (66%) GP’s reported the information shared was useful in the care for their patient. Conclusion This pilot demonstrated that a significant proportion of CGAs were successfully shared with GPs. Feedback from GPs indicated that receiving communication regarding patient assessment in ED had a positive impact on patient care and influenced their management decisions. Findings suggest that improving communication between the GEMS and GPs has the potential to enhance care coordination and support better outcomes for older adults following ED discharge.