Older adults in the emergency department: Predictors of emergency physician encounter satisfaction

This research examines the clinical encounter between emergency medicine physicians and their older adult patients. The primary outcome of the study is the encounter satisfaction of emergency physicians who treat older adult patients. The research was conducted in an active, urban, emergency medicine department with an annual census of (n = 60,000). The research involved (n = 22) emergency medicine physicians and their encounters with (n = 329) older adult patients (Age ≥ 55).;A comprehensive conceptual model is proposed to model the hypothesized paths associated with the outcome of emergency medicine physician encounter satisfaction. The conceptual model derives theoretical support from the sociological areas of (1) the sociology of work and occupations (e.g. job satisfaction) and, (2) medical sociology (e.g. physician-patient relationships, physician-patient communication). The major findings of this research demonstrated that ED physicians' satisfaction with older ED patients is strongly influenced by their relationship with the patient. In other words, establishing a good relationship and rapport with the patient leads to higher satisfaction among ED physicians.;For many older adults in the U.S., the hospital emergency department is an important health care delivery site. Emergency medicine should continue to consider how it will respond as a profession to the changing demographics of its patient base. As a medical specialty, emergency medicine can evaluate how it is preparing its practitioners to respond to older adult patients. The current sociological research has demonstrated some of the influence that older adult patients have on emergency medicine residents assessments of the situation. Such sociological research can provide systematic empirical information regarding the need for emergency medicine to consider how it is responding the growing older adult emergency medicine needs of this society.