Predicting which older adults may return to the emergency room soon after discharge

GEMRA: Geriatric Emergency Medicine Risk Prediction Model for Return VisitAdmissions

NIH-funded research Weill Medical Coll of Cornell Univ · NIH-11311862

This project builds a computer tool to predict which older adults are likely to return to the emergency department and be admitted within 72 hours after discharge.

Quick facts

Grant typeR01 grant
Study typeNIH-funded research
Funding institutionWeill Medical Coll of Cornell Univ NIH-funded
Lab location1 site (New York, United States)
Project IDNIH-11311862 on NIH RePORTER

What this research studies

If you are an older adult seen in the emergency department, the team will use data normally collected in your medical record to train a machine-learning model. They will combine records from five different hospitals so the tool works for different kinds of patients and EDs. The goal is to make a model that can run inside electronic health records as a decision-support aid for clinicians making discharge plans. Researchers will test and refine the model so it uses information already gathered during routine care.

Who could benefit from this research

Good fit: Older adults who are discharged from the emergency department at one of the participating hospitals are the intended candidates for this work.

Not a fit: People who are admitted on their first ED visit, treated at hospitals not participating in the project, or who are much younger than the study's geriatric focus may not see direct benefit from this tool.

Why it matters

Potential benefit: This could help clinicians spot high-risk older patients before discharge and reduce unsafe discharges, short-term returns, and related admissions.

How similar studies have performed: Existing geriatric ED risk tools have had limited predictive success, while machine-learning approaches have shown promise in other emergency-department predictions but are not yet proven for 72-hour return-with-admission in older adults.

Where this research is happening

New York, United States

Researchers

About this research

  1. This is an active NIH-funded research project — typically early-stage science, not a clinical trial accepting patient enrollment.
  2. Some NIH-funded labs run parallel clinical studies or seek volunteers for related work. To check, contact the principal investigator or institution listed above.
  3. For full project details, budget, and progress reports, visit the official NIH RePORTER page below.
Last reviewed 2026-06-13 by the Find a Trial editorial team. Information on this page is for educational purposes and is not medical advice. Always consult qualified healthcare professionals about clinical trial participation.