ALERT-ED: Awareness and Linkage to Resources for At-Risk Emergency Department Patients

Falls are the leading reason for injury-related emergency department (ED) visits in older adults with high rates of ED revisits for falls. Evidence-based fall prevention programs can reduce falls by 30%, but older adults commonly describe limited awareness of resources. Currently, all UCHealth ED patients receive fall risk screening on ED arrival, but patients are rarely made aware of their screening results or referred to resources. To address this gap, our team developed ALERT-ED, an intervention where study patients receive automated notification of fall risk screening results and referral via Livi to evidence-based fall prevention programs near their homes. If ALERT-ED is successful, we will demonstrate that UCHealth can improve patient health via pragmatic, automated notification of screening results and referral to resources. Although we designed ALERT-ED to intervene on fall risk in EDs, the intervention could be used for other health concerns central to UCHealth's mission including for patients seeking care for transplants, cancer, brain health, or orthopedic concerns.