Intermediate Care for Elderly Patients
Author Information
Author(s): Garåsen Helge, Windspoll Rolf, Johnsen Roar
Primary Institution: The Norwegian University of Science and Technology (NTNU)
Hypothesis
Intermediate care at a community hospital compared to traditional prolonged care at a general hospital would reduce morbidity assessed as number of readmissions for the same disease.
Conclusion
Intermediate care at a community hospital significantly decreased the number of readmissions for the same disease and increased the number of patients independent of community care after 26 weeks, without increasing mortality.
Supporting Evidence
- 14 patients (19.4%) in the intervention group were readmitted for the same disease compared to 25 patients (35.7%) in the general hospital group.
- 18 (25.0%) patients in the intervention group were independent of community care compared to seven (10.0%) in the general hospital group.
- There was no significant increase in mortality between the two groups.
Takeaway
This study shows that taking care of older patients in a community hospital instead of a big hospital can help them go home faster and stay out of the hospital.
Methodology
A randomised controlled trial comparing intermediate care at a community hospital with standard care at a general hospital.
Potential Biases
Information bias may have occurred due to the collection of data from medical records.
Limitations
The study may not identify which specific components of intermediate care are most effective.
Participant Demographics
Patients aged 60 or more, with a mix of genders and various health conditions.
Statistical Information
P-Value
p = 0.03 for readmissions, p = 0.02 for independence from community care
Confidence Interval
95% CI 1.18–6.49 for readmissions, 95% CI 0.11–0.88 for independence from community care
Statistical Significance
p<0.05
Digital Object Identifier (DOI)
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