Validation of the detection of elder abuse through emergency care technicians (DETECT) screening tool: a study protocol

Introduction Elder mistreatment (EM) is a high prevalence threat to the health and well-being of older adults in the USA. Medics are well-positioned to help with identification of older adults at risk for EM, however, field robust screening tools appropriate for efficient, observation-based screenin...

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Main Authors: Melvin D Livingston, Brad Cannell, Julie Weitlauf, Jason Burnett, Megin Parayil, Jennifer Reingle Gonzalez
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: BMJ Publishing Group 2020-09-01
Series:BMJ Open
Online Access:https://bmjopen.bmj.com/content/10/9/e037170.full
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author Melvin D Livingston
Brad Cannell
Julie Weitlauf
Jason Burnett
Megin Parayil
Jennifer Reingle Gonzalez
author_facet Melvin D Livingston
Brad Cannell
Julie Weitlauf
Jason Burnett
Megin Parayil
Jennifer Reingle Gonzalez
author_sort Melvin D Livingston
collection DOAJ
description Introduction Elder mistreatment (EM) is a high prevalence threat to the health and well-being of older adults in the USA. Medics are well-positioned to help with identification of older adults at risk for EM, however, field robust screening tools appropriate for efficient, observation-based screening are lacking. Prior work by this team focused on the development and initial pilot testing of an observation-based EM screening tool named detection of elder abuse through emergency care technicians (DETECT), designed to be implemented by medics during the course of an emergency response (911) call. The objective of the present work is to validate and further refine this tool in preparation for clinical dissemination.Methods and analysis Approximately 59 400 community-dwelling older adults who place 911 calls during the 36-month study observation period will be screened by medics responding to the call using the DETECT tool. Next, a random subsample of 2520 of the 59 400 older adults screened will be selected to participate in a follow-up interview approximately 2 weeks following the completion of the screening. Follow-up interviews will consist of a medic-led semistructured interview designed to assess the older adult’s likelihood of abuse exposure, physical/mental health status, cognitive functioning, and to systematically evaluate the quality and condition of their physical and social living environment. The data from 25% (n=648) of these follow-up interviews will be presented to a longitudinal, experts and all data panel for a final determination of EM exposure status, representing the closest proxy to a ‘gold standard’ measure available.Ethics and dissemination This study has been reviewed and approved by the Committee for the Protection of Human Subjects at the University of Texas School of Public Health. The results will be disseminated through formal presentations at local, national and international conferences and through publication in peer-reviewed scientific journals.
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spelling doaj-art-9c907bc919fe4407be6199af7b46a5522025-01-07T12:10:11ZengBMJ Publishing GroupBMJ Open2044-60552020-09-0110910.1136/bmjopen-2020-037170Validation of the detection of elder abuse through emergency care technicians (DETECT) screening tool: a study protocolMelvin D Livingston0Brad Cannell1Julie Weitlauf2Jason Burnett3Megin Parayil4Jennifer Reingle Gonzalez5Behavioral, Social, and Health Education Sciences, Emory University Rollins School of Public Health, Atlanta, Georgia, USAEpidemiology, Human Genetics and Environmental Sciences, UTHealth School of Public Health, Dallas, Texas, USAPsychiatry, Stanford University, Palo Alto, California, USADivision of Geriatric and Palliative Medicine, UTHealth McGovern Medical School, Houston, Texas, USAEpidemiology, Human Genetics and Environmental Sciences, UTHealth School of Public Health, Dallas, Texas, USAPopulation Health, Meadows Mental Health Policy Institute, Dallas, Texas, USAIntroduction Elder mistreatment (EM) is a high prevalence threat to the health and well-being of older adults in the USA. Medics are well-positioned to help with identification of older adults at risk for EM, however, field robust screening tools appropriate for efficient, observation-based screening are lacking. Prior work by this team focused on the development and initial pilot testing of an observation-based EM screening tool named detection of elder abuse through emergency care technicians (DETECT), designed to be implemented by medics during the course of an emergency response (911) call. The objective of the present work is to validate and further refine this tool in preparation for clinical dissemination.Methods and analysis Approximately 59 400 community-dwelling older adults who place 911 calls during the 36-month study observation period will be screened by medics responding to the call using the DETECT tool. Next, a random subsample of 2520 of the 59 400 older adults screened will be selected to participate in a follow-up interview approximately 2 weeks following the completion of the screening. Follow-up interviews will consist of a medic-led semistructured interview designed to assess the older adult’s likelihood of abuse exposure, physical/mental health status, cognitive functioning, and to systematically evaluate the quality and condition of their physical and social living environment. The data from 25% (n=648) of these follow-up interviews will be presented to a longitudinal, experts and all data panel for a final determination of EM exposure status, representing the closest proxy to a ‘gold standard’ measure available.Ethics and dissemination This study has been reviewed and approved by the Committee for the Protection of Human Subjects at the University of Texas School of Public Health. The results will be disseminated through formal presentations at local, national and international conferences and through publication in peer-reviewed scientific journals.https://bmjopen.bmj.com/content/10/9/e037170.full
spellingShingle Melvin D Livingston
Brad Cannell
Julie Weitlauf
Jason Burnett
Megin Parayil
Jennifer Reingle Gonzalez
Validation of the detection of elder abuse through emergency care technicians (DETECT) screening tool: a study protocol
BMJ Open
title Validation of the detection of elder abuse through emergency care technicians (DETECT) screening tool: a study protocol
title_full Validation of the detection of elder abuse through emergency care technicians (DETECT) screening tool: a study protocol
title_fullStr Validation of the detection of elder abuse through emergency care technicians (DETECT) screening tool: a study protocol
title_full_unstemmed Validation of the detection of elder abuse through emergency care technicians (DETECT) screening tool: a study protocol
title_short Validation of the detection of elder abuse through emergency care technicians (DETECT) screening tool: a study protocol
title_sort validation of the detection of elder abuse through emergency care technicians detect screening tool a study protocol
url https://bmjopen.bmj.com/content/10/9/e037170.full
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