Older adults may represent as much as 33% of ED patients by 2030. Optimizing acute, unscheduled care for these patients is challenging given diagnostic and treatment complexity caused by: atypical presentations, multiple chronic conditions, frailty, delirium, polypharmacy, and cognitive impairment. Emergency Medicine investigators funded by the National Institute on Aging (NIA) are exploring a broad range of research questions focused on generating evidence to address these challenges and improve care for older adults.
I was glad to contribute with Andrea Gilmore Bykovskyi, Lauren Southerland, and Kori Sauser Zachrison to writing an article for Society for Academic Emergency Medicine (SAEM) Pulse describing current support from NIA for EM as well as future potential opportunities. This article — the first in a new series from the recently-formed SAEM Federal Funding Committee — provides an overview of current NIA-funded emergency medicine research and outlines opportunities to expand and strengthen this funding portfolio. NIA-supported investigators are addressing a wide range of questions essential to improving emergency care for older adults, from clinical challenges to systems-level innovations.
Grateful to collaborate with Andrea Gilmore Bykovskyi, Lauren Southerland, and Kori Sauser Zachrison on this work, and to the SAEM Federal Funding Committee for launching this important series.
Thanks to Manish N. Shah for leading the committee and for his mentorship, to Melissa McMillian, CAE, CNP for all of her amazing committee support, and to all of the committee members.
Read the article in SAEM Pulse (pp. 42–45).