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Impact of Geriatric Consultation Services for Elderly Patients Admitted to Acute Care Hospitals

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  29 November 2010

David B. Hogan
David B. Hogan
Affiliation:
Department of Medicine, Dalhousie University
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Abstract

Geriatric consultation programs have been developed to service elderly patients in a number of acute care hospitals. Evaluation studies examining their utility have shown variable results. Suggested explanations for these inconsistent findings include differing study designs, various service delivery strategies, differing outcome measurements, and site-specific factors. The evidence suggests that the critical variable may well be the methods utilized in patient recruitment. Further work is required in a number of areas such as: (1) development of optimal targeting strategies, (2) determination of appropriate service composition and function, (3) study of how these programs interact with other components of a comprehensive geriatric program, (4) documentation of the long-term (1 year) impact on assessed patients, and (5) evaluation of the institutional impacts of these programs.

Résumé

Certains centres hospitaliers de soins à courte durée ont mis sur pied des programmes de consultation gériatrique destinés à l'intention des patients âgés. Des études évaluatives explorant l'utilité de ces programmes ont produit des résultats variés. Ces résultats inconsistants pourraient être causés par la différence au niveau de la conception des études de recherche, les différentes stratégies utilisées, les différentes façons d'analyser les résultats, et finalement certains facteurs propres à l'institution même. De toute évidence, la variable critique serait celle qui porte sur les méthodes utilisées pour recruter les patients. Des études plus poussées devraient être mises au point dans le but de (1) développer des stratégies cibles optimales, (2) déterminer la composition appropriée de service et fonction (3) étudier l'interaction entre ces programmes et les autres éléments d'un programme gériatrique d'envergure, (4) documenter l'effet à long terme (une année) sur les patients évalués et (5) évaluer l'impact institutionnel de ces programmes.

Keywords

GeriatricsConsultationHospital CareHealth Service ResearchGeriatric Assessment.
Type
Articles
Information
Canadian Journal on Aging / La Revue canadienne du vieillissement , Volume 9 , Issue 1 , Spring/printemps 1990 , pp. 35 - 44
Copyright
Copyright © Canadian Association on Gerontology 1990

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