Volume 13, Issue 12 pp. 1345-1351
Free Access

Geriatric Emergency Medicine and the 2006 Institute of Medicine Reports from the Committee on the Future of Emergency Care in the U.S. Health System

Scott T. Wilber MD

Corresponding Author

Scott T. Wilber MD

Summa Health System, Northeastern Ohio Universities College of Medicine, Akron, OH

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Lowell W. Gerson PhD

Lowell W. Gerson PhD

Summa Health System, Northeastern Ohio Universities College of Medicine, Akron, OH

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Kevin M. Terrell DO, MS

Kevin M. Terrell DO, MS

Department of Emergency Medicine, Indiana University School of Medicine, Indiana University Center for Aging Research, Regenstrief Institute for Health Care, Indianapolis, IN

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Christopher R. Carpenter MD

Christopher R. Carpenter MD

Division of Emergency Medicine, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO

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Manish N. Shah MD

Manish N. Shah MD

Department of Emergency Medicine, School of Medicine and Dentistry, University of Rochester, Rochester, NY

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Kennon Heard MD

Kennon Heard MD

Division of Emergency Medicine, University of Colorado School of Medicine, Denver, CO

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Ula Hwang MD

Ula Hwang MD

Department of Emergency Medicine, Mount Sinai School of Medicine (UH), New York, NY

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First published: 28 June 2008
Citations: 95

Abstract

Three recently published Institute of Medicine reports, Hospital-Based Emergency Care: At the Breaking Point, Emergency Medical Services: At the Crossroads, and Emergency Care for Children: Growing Pains, examined the current state of emergency care in the United States. They concluded that the emergency medicine system as a whole is overburdened, underfunded, and highly fragmented. These reports did not specifically discuss the effect the aging population has on emergency care now and in the future and did not discuss special needs of older patients. This report focuses on the emergency care of older patients, with the intent to provide information that will help shape discussions on this issue.

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