Federal Grant Award Summary

Massachusetts General Hospital's Research Management Division received a $679,058 Project Grant from the National Institute on Aging (NIA) under the Aging Research program (CFDA 93.866), awarded July 1, 2026, with a completion date of March 31, 2030. The grant funds a mixed-methods research initiative investigating the clinical impact of Geriatric Emergency Department Accreditation (GEDA) on emergency care processes and outcomes for older adults with Alzheimer's disease and related dementias (ADRD). The project integrates three population-based datasets (NEDI-USA, HCUP SEDD/SID, and Medicare claims data from 2022–2024) with qualitative research on ADRD-related emergency care practices to examine whether GEDA-accredited emergency departments achieve higher rates of ADRD documentation, shorter emergency department length-of-stay, and reduced avoidable hospitalizations compared to non-accredited facilities.

The deliverables include empirical evidence on the association between GEDA accreditation levels (Gold, Silver, Bronze) and recognition of cognitive impairment among persons living with dementia, comparative analysis of clinical outcomes stratified by accreditation status, and qualitative findings on adoption and implementation barriers to GEDA standards. By addressing documented gaps in ADRD recognition during emergency visits—where preliminary data show approximately one-third of relevant visits lack ADRD coding—the research aims to inform quality improvement strategies for geriatric emergency care nationally across the growing population of older Americans utilizing emergency departments.