Randomized controlled pilot study of an educational video plus telecare for the early outpatient management of musculoskeletal pain among older emergency department patients.

BACKGROUND: Musculoskeletal pain is a common reason for emergency department (ED) visits. Following discharge from the ED, patients, particularly older patients, often have difficulty controlling their pain and managing analgesic side effects. We conducted a pilot study of an educational video about pain management with and without follow-up telephone support for older adults presenting to the ED with musculoskeletal pain. METHODS: ED patients aged 50 years and older with musculoskeletal pain were randomized to: (1) usual care, (2) a brief educational video only, or (3) a brief educational video plus a protocol-guided follow-up telephone call from a physician 48-72 hours after discharge (telecare). The primary outcome was the change from the average pain severity before the ED visit to the average pain severity during the past week assessed one month after the ED visit. Pain was assessed using a 0-10 numerical rating scale. RESULTS: Of 75 patients randomized (mean age 64 years), 57 (76%) completed follow up at one month. Of the 18 patients lost to follow up, 12 (67%) had non-working phone numbers. Among patients randomized to the video (arms 2 and 3), 46/50 viewed the entire video; among the 25 patients randomized to the video plus telecare (arm 3), 23 were reached for telecare. Baseline pain scores for the usual care, video, and video plus telecare groups were 7.3, 7.1, and 7.5. At one month, pain scores were 5.8, 4.9, and 4.5, corresponding to average decreases in pain of -1.5, -2.2, and -3.0, respectively. In the pairwise comparison between intervention groups, the video plus telecare group had a 1.7-point (95% CI 1.2, 2.1) greater decrease in pain compared to usual care, and the video group had a 1.1-point (95% CI 0.6, 1.6) greater decrease in pain compared to usual care after adjustment for baseline pain, age, and gender. At one month, clinically important differences were also observed between the video plus telecare and usual care groups for analgesic side effects, ongoing opioid use, and physical function. CONCLUSION: Results of this pilot trial suggest the potential value of an educational video plus telecare to improve outcomes for older adults presenting to the ED with musculoskeletal pain. Changes to the protocol are identified to increase retention for assessment of outcomes. TRIALS REGISTRATION: ClinicalTrials.gov, NCT02438384 . Registered on 5 May 2015.

Social Support and Pain Outcomes After Trauma Exposure Among Older Adults: A Multicenter Longitudinal Study.

OBJECTIVES: Certain forms of social support have been shown to improve pain-coping behaviors and pain outcomes in older adults with chronic pain, but little is known about the effect of social support on pain outcomes in older adults following trauma exposure. METHODS: We analyzed data from a prospective longitudinal study of adults aged 65 years and older presenting to an emergency department after a motor vehicle collision (MVC) to characterize the relationship between perceived social support and MVC-related pain after trauma overall and by subgroups based on sex, depressive symptoms, and marital status. RESULTS: In our sample (N=176), patients with low perceived social support had higher pain severity 6 weeks after MVC than patients with high perceived social support after adjustment for age, sex, race, and education (4.2 vs. 3.2, P=0.04). The protective effect of social support on pain severity at 6 weeks was more pronounced in men and in married individuals. Patients with low social support were less likely to receive an opioid prescription in the emergency department (15% vs. 32%, P=0.03), but there was no difference in opioid use at 6 weeks (22% vs. 20%, P=0.75). DISCUSSION: Among older adults experiencing trauma, low perceived social support was associated with higher levels of pain at 6 weeks.

Risk Factors for Malnutrition among Older Adults in the Emergency Department: A Multicenter Study.

BACKGROUND: Among older adults, malnutrition is common, often missed by healthcare providers, and influences recovery from illness or injury. OBJECTIVE: To identify modifiable risk factors associated with malnutrition in older patients. DESIGN: Prospective cross-sectional multicenter study. SETTING: 3 EDs in the South, Northeast, and Midwest. PARTICIPANTS: Non-critically ill, English-speaking adults aged ≥65 years. MEASUREMENTS: Random time block sampling was used to enroll patients. The ED interview assessed malnutrition using the Mini Nutritional Assessment Short-Form. Food insecurity and poor oral health were assessed using validated measures. Other risk factors examined included depressive symptoms, limited mobility, lack of transportation, loneliness, and medication side effects, qualified by whether the patient reported the risk factor affected their diet. The population attributable risk proportion (PARP) for malnutrition was estimated for each risk factor. RESULTS: In our sample (n = 252), the prevalence of malnutrition was 12%. Patient characteristics associated with malnutrition included not having a college degree, being admitted to the hospital, and residence in an assisted living facility. Of the risk factors examined, the PARPs for malnutrition were highest for poor oral health (54%; 95% CI 16%, 78%), food insecurity (14%; 95% CI 3%, 31%), and lack of transportation affecting diet (12%; 95% CI 3%, 28%). CONCLUSION: Results of this observational study identify multiple modifiable factors associated with the problem of malnutrition in older adults.

Availability of Advance Care Planning Documentation for Older Emergency Department Patients: A Cross-Sectional Study.

INTRODUCTION: Increasing advance care planning (ACP) among older adults is a national priority. Documentation of ACP in the electronic health record (EHR) is particularly important during emergency care. OBJECTIVE: We sought to characterize completion and availability of ACP among a subset of older patients at an academic emergency department (ED) with an integrated EHR. METHODS: In this cross-sectional study, patients were eligible if aged ≥80 years or aged 65-79 with ≥1 indicator of high risk for short-term mortality. Patient-reported completion of ACP and availability of ACP documentation in the EHR were assessed. RESULTS: Among study patients (n = 104), 59% reported completing some form of ACP: living will 52%, heathcare power of attorney 54%, do not resuscitate 38%, and medical orders for scope of treatment or physician orders for life-sustaining treatment 6%. Whites were more likely to report having some form of ACP than minorities (66% vs. 37%, p < 0.01), as were patients aged ≥80 years than those aged 65-79 (79% vs. 44%, p < 0.01). Only 13% of all patients had either a current code status or any other current ACP documentation in the EHR. Among patients whose primary care provider uses the same EHR system as the study ED, only 19% had a current code status or any other ACP documentation in the EHR. CONCLUSION: In a sample of older ED patients likely to benefit from ACP, few patients had documented end-of-life care preferences in the EHR.