Identification of Risk Patients in Emergency Medical Services
Identification of Risk Patients in Emergency Medical Services
Background: Inadequate nutrition has been associated with growing risk of falling and impaired ability in elderly patients. Falling is a significant threat to the health of the elderly. It is estimated that one third of people over the age of 65 experience at least one falling each year. Over 60% of the falls cause serious injury or disability. Adequate nutrition increases the muscle strength of the elderly. Therefore, determining and managing the nutrition level is important for preventing falling. As far as we know emergency medical services has never before reported being a part of prevention by performing risk identification.
Aim: The purpose of the study is to assess whether it is possible to use a simple screening tool to find out the risk of falling, the nutritional status and the level of cognitive functioning activity when the EMS faces the elderly over the age of 70 years. In addition, the flow of information between primary care and emergency services and nutritionists is examined.
Material and method: Identification of poor nutrition is carried out in the Helsinki University hospital area. All people over the age of 70 requiring ambulance transport will be included in the study for 4 months during 2018. A structured electronic form is used to identify the malnutrition, the level of cognitive functioning activity and the risk of falling. The assessment is performed during the transport. The data is analyzed by the SPSS statistical program both by descriptive and statistical significance by looking at the methods suitable for the data.
Conclusion: The information produced by the research aims to develop (a) Identifying in the ambulance those patients who are at risk; and (b) activating nursing staff and nutritionists and, by means of these measures, increase the number of patients receiving effective nutrition therapy.
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