Development of an indicator matrix for the quality of care for older adults in emergencies

ABSTRACT Objective: To develop an indicator matrix to assess the quality of care provided to older adults in Emergency Care Units. Method: Applied methodological study, conducted in three stages, between September 2023 and March 2024: Bibliographic survey and selection of structuring foundations; Development of the analysis and judgment matrix; Content validation by a panel of experts (16), using the Delphi technique, calculating the Agreement Rate and the Content Validity Index. Results: At the end of the two rounds, the matrix showed an overall agreement of 0.94. As for the Content Validity Index, the mean values were 0.95 in the first round and 0.93 in the second round. After adjustments recommended by the expert judges and the reallocation of 2 indicators between the process and outcome dimensions, the matrix comprised 16 items, distributed as follows: structure (n=7), process (n=3), and outcome (n=6). Conclusion: The matrix was conceptually validated to measure the quality of care for older adults in Emergency Care Units and to capture specific aspects across the three dimensions addressed. It proved to be a technology capable of supporting managers and professionals in decision-making, enabling continuous, sustainable improvement in the quality of care for the older population.