Table 1 Detailed description of reviews included in overview

Older Adults (n = 12)

Hughes et al. (2019)

To understand how effective emergency department (ED) interventions are in improving clinical, patient experience, and utilization outcomes in older adults (age > 65)

Older adults

Any of discharge planning, case management, medication safety or management geriatric EDs

Meta-analysis

17/12/12/71

H

Hesselink et al. (2019)

Effectiveness of interventions to alleviate emergency department crowding by older adults

Older adults

Any intervention aimed at reducing crowding

Meta-analysis

16/13/4/25

H

Elliott et al. (2022)

Interventions for the discharge of older people to their home from the emergency department

Older adults

Any intervention

Narrative

25/15/9/36

H

Harper et al. (2021)

To understand if providing a fall prevention service in the emergency department is effective

Older patient (with a fall)

Any intervention

Meta-analysis

20/6/6/30

H

Galvin et al. (2017)

Summarise the totality of evidence regarding the predictive value in identifying older adults at risk of adverse outcomes after ED discharge/hospitalisation

Older adults (screening)

Screening tools

Meta-analysis and impact analysis

32/1/1/3

M

Santosaputri et al. (2019)

Efficacy of interventions delivered by staff with geriatric medicine expertise that involve direct patient care (rather than organisational improvement programs), in reducing the hospitalisation of nursing home residents

Nursing home residents

Any intervention by a Geriatric team member

Meta-analysis

16/3/3/19

M

Cassarino et al. (2019)

To explore the impact of early assessment or intervention conducted by interdisciplinary teams with two or more HSCP members in the ED on the quality, safety, and cost-effectiveness of care of adults presenting to the ED

Adults assessed by a non-medical clinician

Interventions conducted in the ED by interdisciplinary teams comprising one or more HSCP members

Narrative

6/3/2/33

M

Fealy et al. (2009)

Analyse data from published studies reporting nursing interventions targeted at older ED attendees, and to provide a critical appraisal of the evidence concerning their effectiveness

Older adults

Gerontologically informed nursing intervention

Narrative

22/8/1/5

L

Ratsimbazafy et al. (2020)

Provide an inventory of all interventions or processes designed to prevent unplanned readmissions or ED visits of older patients presenting to hospital with a fall

Older patient (with a fall)

Any intervention aimed at preventing unplanned admissions

Narrative

6/4/2/33

L

Sinha et al. (2011)

Review of ED-based case management models designed to improve the health, social, and health service utilization outcomes for non-institutionalized older patients within the context of an index ED visit

Older adults

Any intervention

Narrative

20/13/2/10

CL

Karam et al. (2015)

Review the literature on ED-based interventions and examine the evidence on reductions in ED re-visits, hospitalizations, nursing home admissions and deaths among older adults

Older adults

Any intervention aimed at preventing adverse events

Narrative

9/8/2/22

CL

Aminzadeh and Dalziel (2002)

Establish the patterns of use of emergency services among older adults, the risk factors associated with adverse health outcomes in older ED patients, and the effectiveness of intervention strategies targeting this population

Older adults

Any intervention

Narrative

11/3/1/9

CL

Frequent Attenders (FA) (n = 7)

Moe et al. (2017)

Evaluating the effectiveness of interventions targeting adult frequent ED users at reducing ED visit frequency and improving hospital admissions, mortality, costs, and social outcome

FA

Any intervention

Narrative

31/31/31/100

H

Althaus et al. 2011)

Review the type and effectiveness of interventions to reduce the number of ED visits by frequent users

FA

Case management, less comprehensive case management, Previous notes available to clinician

Narrative

11/11/11/100

H

Berkman et al. ((2021)

Management of High-Need, High-Cost Patients: A Best Fit Framework Synthesis, Realist Review, and Systematic Review

FA

Any intervention

Narrative

40/7/6/15

H

Wong et al. (2020)

Synthesize all available evidence on ED-based interventions aimed at improving the management of recurrent ED utilizing patients with Chronic Non-cancer pain

FA (non-cancer pain)

Any intervention

Narrative

13/12/10/77

M

Deschamps et al. (2021)

Association between supportive interventions and healthcare utilization and outcomes in patients on long-term prescribed opioid therapy presenting to acute healthcare settings

FA (opioids)

Any harm reduction intervention

Meta-analysis

21/13/5/24

L

Iovan et al. (2020)

Interventions aimed at reducing prehospital and emergency care use among superutilizer populations in the United States

FA

Any intervention

Narrative

43/33/16/37

CL

Mauro et al. (2019)

Examine if and how the Case Management (CM) programs are implemented to reduce the number of FU visits to the ED

FA

Case Management

Narrative

14/14/4/29

CL

Adults in the ED (n = 3)

Aghajafari et al. (2020)

Review care transition interventions (CTIs) for adult patients to understand how effective ED-based CTIs are in reducing return visits to the ED and increasing follow-up visits with primary care physicians

Adult ED patients

Care Transitions

Meta-analysis

42/42/41/98

H

Katz et al. (2012)

Synthesis the effectiveness of ED-based interventions for care coordination with outpatient providers, with the goal of identifying which interventions are effective in improving quality by reducing return visits to the ED and increasing follow-up visits with primary care providers

Adult ED patients

Care co-ordination

Narrative

23/12/4/17

CL

Hersh et al. (2001)

Evaluate the efficacy of telemedicine interventions for health outcomes in two classes of application: home-based and office/hospital based

Adult ED patients

Telemedicine

Narrative

25/1/1/4

CL

Asthma (n = 3)

Villa-Roel et al. (2018)

In adults presenting to EDs with asthma exacerbations do ED-directed educational interventions involving the provision of individualized Asthma Action Plans, when compared to usual care, reduce the proportion of asthma relapses after an asthma exacerbation?

Asthma

Any educational intervention

Meta-analysis

3/3/2/67

M

Villa-Roel et al. (2016)

Assess and describe the evidence from randomized controlled trials (RCTs) on the effectiveness of ED-directed educational interventions to improve office follow-up visits with PCPs in adults who were discharged from the ED after being treated for acute asthma

Asthma

Any educational intervention

Meta-analysis

5/5/5/100

M

Tapp et al. (2007)

Education interventions for adults who attend the emergency room for acute asthma

Asthma

Any educational intervention

Meta-analysis

13/4/3/23

L

ED patients on antibiotics (n = 2)

Kooda et al. (2022)

Impact of Pharmacist-Led Antimicrobial Stewardship on Appropriate Antibiotic Prescribing in the Emergency Department

ED patient on antibiotics

Pharmacist

Meta-analysis

24/10/10/42

H

Losier et al. (2017)

To characterize antimicrobial stewardship (AMS) interventions in the ED and to identify stewardship initiatives that result in decreased consequences of antimicrobial use (e.g., Clostridium difficile infection, antimicrobial resistance) and improvement of patient outcomes

ED patient on antibiotics

Antimicrobial Stewardship Intervention

Narrative

43/4/2/67

L

Atrial Fibrillation (n = 2)

Vandermolen et al. (2018)

Management strategies and decision aids for triaging ED patients with AF, specifically with a plan for selecting patients appropriate for outpatient management

Atrial Fibrillation

Any intervention

Narrative

34/2/1/3

CL

Rush et al. (2020)

Synthesise the evidence examining the impact of transitional care interventions on patient, provider, and health care utilisation outcomes

Atrial Fibrillation

Care Transitions

Narrative

14/7/7/50

CL

Lower Back Pain (n = 1)

Liu et al. (2018)

Examine the effectiveness and fidelity of interventions aimed at reducing image ordering in the ED for patients with Lower back pain

Lower back pain

Clinical decision support

Meta-analysis

5/2/2/40

M

Alcohol (n = 1)

Bray et al. (2011a)

To examine effect of screening and brief intervention on outpatient, emergency department, and inpatient health care utilization outcomes

Alcohol

Screening tools

Meta-analysis

29/4/4/14

CL

Palliative Care (n = 1)

da Silva Soares et al. (2016)

Effectiveness of ED-based Palliative Care interventions on hospital admissions, length of stay, symptoms, quality of life, use of other health care services, and Palliative Care referrals for adults with advanced disease

Palliative Care

Any intervention by a palliative care team member

Narrative

5/2/2/40

L

Risky Behaviour (Domestic Violence) (n = 1)

Choo et al. (2012)

Evaluate the evidence for use of computer technologies to assess and reduce high-risk health behaviours in emergency department (ED) patients

Risky Behaviour

Computer technology

Narrative

20/2/2/10

L

Shared decision-making (n = 1)

Flynn et al. (2012b)

Evaluate the approaches, methods, and tools used to engage patients or their surrogates in shared decision-making in the ED

Shared decision-making

Shared decision-making

Narrative

5/2/2/40

H

Mental Health (n = 1)

Inagaki et al. (2019)

Effect of ED-initiated active contact and follow-up interventions on the risk of a repeat suicide attempt within 6 months in patients admitted to an ED for suicidal injury

Mental Health (Suicide)

Any intervention

Meta-analysis

34/7/7/21

L

Primary Care ED patients (n = 1)

Goncalves-Bradley et al. (2018)

To assess the effects of locating primary care professionals in hospital EDs to provide care for patients with non-urgent health problems, compared with care provided by regularly scheduled EPs

Primary Care patients in ED

GP review in ED

Narrative

4/2/2/50

H

ED Short Stay Unit (n = 1)

Galipeau et al. (2015)

Evaluate the effectiveness and safety of ED short-stay units compared with care not involving short-stay units

Adults in ED short stay unit

Short stay units

Meta-analysis and Narrative

5/5/5/100

H

Chest Pain (n = 1)

Hulten Edward et al. (2013)

Evaluate RCTs of ED triage of acute chest pain and compare CCTA and usual care for the incidence of coronary angiography, coronary revascularization, death, nonfatal myocardial infarction, repeat ED evaluations for chest pain, re-admission to the hospital for ACS, LOS, and cost

Chest pain

CCTA—coronary computed tomography angiography (CCTA)

Meta-analysis

4/4/4/100

L