Elise Brickhouse

Second year medical student at BCM, BS in neuroscience from the College of William & Mary; publication in JAGS on language discordance in delirium screening in the ED as well as other research on consulting PT for older adults who fall, the feasibility of geriatric screenings in the ED, and other academic emergency medicine topics; research experience involving members of SAEM; as our population ages, I think it will become only more important that our care for older adults improves. Through my classes at BCM, we have learned a lot about delirium and the importance in recognizing it earlier, both to improve outcomes and disposition, and as an indicator of underlying disease that otherwise might not be recognized. Through some of my research, I’ve been able to talk to numerous physicians in the ED about delirium, and have found that’s it’s an often misunderstood condition. Increasing physician awareness about delirium, fall risk, etc. and showing them the importance of finding and addressing these conditions early, could greatly improve our care for older adults in the ED.