Access to Care and Health-Related Quality of Life Among Older Adults with Nonurgent Emergency Department Visits

The purpose of this study was to examine access to care and quality of life among a convenience sample of 41 adults, aged 65 and older, seeking nonurgent care in a safety net Emergency Department. Data collected included demographics, presenting symptoms, and access to care. Health-related quality of life (HRQOL) was measured using the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's HRQOL—14 questionnaire, and a telephone interview was completed 30 days after the visit. Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics. Participants reported multiple barriers to primary care access and a higher risk of experiencing at least 2 weeks per month of poor health (relative risk [RR] = 3.1, P < 0.001), physical unhealthy days (RR = 3.8, P < 0.001), and mental unhealthy days (RR = 3.1, P < 0.001) and had a higher proportion of poor physical (P = 0.003) and mental health (P = 0.004) days compared with overall Massachusetts data.