Evaluating age-friendly emergency care quality in Iranian hospitals

With the global population aging rapidly, the quality of emergency care for older adults has become a critical priority. This study evaluated the age-friendly emergency care quality in selected healthcare centers. The study was carried out in two sequential phases. In the first phase, an assessment instrument was developed and validated using established age-friendly care criteria. The second phase involved a descriptive application of the instrument across three hospitals affiliated with Babol University of Medical Sciences. Data were gathered from emergency department managers, nurses, and physicians, and subsequently analyzed with SPSS version 26, employing descriptive statistics to examine patterns and differences in care quality. The finalized instrument consisted of 68 items organized into six key dimensions. Reliability testing demonstrated strong psychometric properties, with an overall intraclass correlation coefficient (ICC) of 0.833 and subscale coefficients ranging from 0.692 to 0.971, confirming acceptable consistency across domains. The mean care quality score was 28 out of 68 reflecting a moderate overall level of performance. Dimension-specific findings showed that Personnel and Screening achieved moderate ratings, Community-Based Services and Service Scheduling/Prioritization were rated poor, while Physical Environment and Equipment demonstrated good quality. The instrument developed in this study showed robust psychometric properties, confirming its suitability for use in clinical practice. By applying this instrument, healthcare teams can more effectively identify strengths and gaps in emergency care services, inform managerial decision-making, and ultimately enhance the quality of care delivered to older adults in hospital settings.