National Foundation of Emergency Medicine Scholar, Justin Brooten, MD, received a grant to study the effect of the COVID-19 infection outcomes in hospitalized older adults. 

TUCSON, Ariz. — To encourage COVID-19 related research, the National Foundation of Emergency Medicine (NFEM) has awarded emergency medicine research across the country. Justin Brooten, MD, an Assistant Professor of Emergency and Palliative Medicine with Wake Forest Baptist Health, received a $10,000 grant from the foundation to study the association between frailty scores and health-related outcomes in patients over age 65 with COVID-19 infection. Dr. Brooten will implement a retrospective cohort study of patients over age 65 with and without COVID-19 infection. He will assess whether the electronic Frailty Index (eFI) is an independent predictor of poor outcomes for patients with COVID-19.   

Dr. Brooten is the principal investigator (PI) of the study called “Analysis of The Electronic Frailty Index (eFI) in Relation to COVID-19 Infection Outcomes in Hospitalized Older Adults in a Southeastern US Health Care System.” NFEM Mentor, David M. Cline, MD, along with Brian C. Hiestand, MD, an Emergency Medicine Physician and Jennifer Gabbard, MD, a geriatrics and palliative care specialist, are also part of the research team.  

 “It is understood that older adults with higher eFI scores are at a higher risk of hospitalization, falls, and all-cause mortality” said Dr. Brooten. “Our team will utilize the eFI to examine the relationship between frailty and health related outcomes for older patients with COVID-19.” 

Dr. Brooten’s team anticipates that the results of this study could be used to further support the use of electronic index reporting tools and other means by which to provide accurate and timely prognostic information to emergency physicians caring for frail older adults while navigating complex medical decision making in the emergency setting.  

About the NFEM Scholar/Mentor Program 

Dr. Brooten is part of NFEM’s Scholar/Mentor Program. The Scholar/Mentor Program is a 2-year program that matches junior faculty members in an academic track in Emergency Medicine with mentors at their institution. This program provides an opportunity for scholars from 10 partner institutions to work on translational medicine research and foster professional development. Dr. Brooten is one of nine scholar-mentor pairs who will receive funding for their COVID-19 related research projects. Dr. Brooten is mentored by David Cline, MD, a Physician and Professor of Emergency Medicine at Wake Forest Baptist Health.  

Read more about other COVID-19 related research other NFEM scholars are involved in here. 

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About the National Foundation of Emergency Medicine      

The National Foundation of Emergency Medicine was founded in 2010 in order to encourage and support the development of career academic emergency medicine scientists. The Scholar/Mentor Program has been running for 3 years, producing three cohorts of scholars and mentors from 10 partner institutions across the United States.   

NFEM Board of Directors include Michael Rolnick, MD, David Taylor, MD, Harvey Meislin, MD, David Sheehan, Esquire, and Charles Cairns, MD, who reviewed and approved the eight grant proposals by nine Foundation Scholars interested in COVID-19 related research. Karen Lutrick, PhD is the NFEM Director of Programs and Operations. Dr. Lutrick coordinated the grant application process and will provide support and guidance to the scholars as they begin their research projects.       

The National Foundation of Emergency Medicine’s mission is to:  

•       Serve as a national platform for the improvement and expansion of research in Emergency Medicine 
•       Advance best practices and clinical excellence in Emergency Medicine 
•       Identify and support emergency medicine academic physicians to engage in and fund multi-institutional testing and research 

For more information, email: info@NFOEM.com (Follow us on Twitter).