Patient Priorities in Age-Friendly 4Ms Care

The Institute for Healthcare Improvement developed the 4Ms Framework— What Matters, Medication, Mentation, and Mobility—to enhance age-friendly, person-centered care. At one medical center, nurses ask inpatients daily, “What is most important to you?” to align care with patient priorities and the “What Matters” component of the 4Ms. Thus, the current study aimed to identify patterns and recur-ring themes across age groups and departments. METHOD: The current study analyzed >11,000 responses from geriatric inpatients using unsupervised clustering and topological data analysis. RESULTS: Four key themes emerged: Inpatient Quality of Life, Discharge Planning, Pain Management, and Clarification of Medical Terminology. CONCLUSION: Understanding these priorities can help provide more responsive and tailored care. Integrating these themes into system-level pathways and consult triggers may strengthen alignment with the 4Ms.