General practitioner follow-up in older patients after an emergency department admission

Background and objective: New studies have investigated older patients with regards to general practice follow-up after an emergency department (ED) admission. We measured the proportion of older patients given explicit general practice follow-up instructions who sought care by day seven after an ED admission. Method: Patients discharged from Fairfield Hospital ED (south-western Sydney) who were 65 years and older were approached for a structured telephone interview. Data from the interview and patients' ED discharge summaries were analysed descriptively. Exploratory statistical analyses were conducted to identify potential explanatory factors. Results: Fifty patients participated in the study. Most participants (76%) attended general practice follow-up by day seven. Those with more relatives who could be called on for help were more likely to attend the follow-up appointment (P = 0.003). Participants were who were not married (54% versus 84%) and non-drivers (53% versus 90%) were less likely to attend for follow-up. Discussion: Close family support and car transport might influence general practice follow-up in older people. Further exploration of contributing factors may be warranted.