Published Work by AGEM Members

 

AGEM Author Spotlight: Craig Rothenberg, MPH, Department of Emergency Medicine at Yale School of Medicine

Emergency Department Visits Among Patients With Dementia Before and After Diagnosis

Emergency department (ED) visits among individuals with dementia pose a significant healthcare challenge, often requiring targeted interventions to improve care and support. Our study analyzed data from the Medicare Current Beneficiary Survey to examine ED use before and after a dementia diagnosis. We found a 40% spike in ED visits in the year surrounding a dementia diagnosis, with a sharp increase just before the diagnosis. These findings highlight a valuable opportunity the ED setting provides to identify cognitive impairment early and address unmet needs, potentially preventing future hospitalizations.

Craig Rothenberg, MPH is a statistician in the Department of Emergency Medicine at the Yale University School of Medicine. He completed his Master of Public Health degree at the Yale School of Public Health. His research has focused on trends in ED visitation and health care costs linked to emergency department utilization.