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The impact of a mobile geriatric acute team on healthcare consumption

Arvidsson, Sofie A ; Biegus, Karol R LU and Ekdahl, Anne W LU orcid (2024) In European Geriatric Medicine
Abstract

PURPOSE: This study describes the effects of a mobile geriatric acute team (GAT) treating acutely ill geriatric patients in their homes. GAT offered more advanced diagnostic and treatment options than are normally available to primary-care led mobile teams. The aim of this study was to evaluate if interventions by GAT had effect on the number of emergency department (ED) visits, hospitalisations, and length of stay in hospital.

METHODS: This is a before-after study, with outcomes recorded for each participant during the 3 months prior to the first visit by GAT and compared to the same outcomes for each participant during the 3 months after the first visit.

RESULTS: The participant's mean age was 84.6 years, 56% were women.... (More)

PURPOSE: This study describes the effects of a mobile geriatric acute team (GAT) treating acutely ill geriatric patients in their homes. GAT offered more advanced diagnostic and treatment options than are normally available to primary-care led mobile teams. The aim of this study was to evaluate if interventions by GAT had effect on the number of emergency department (ED) visits, hospitalisations, and length of stay in hospital.

METHODS: This is a before-after study, with outcomes recorded for each participant during the 3 months prior to the first visit by GAT and compared to the same outcomes for each participant during the 3 months after the first visit.

RESULTS: The participant's mean age was 84.6 years, 56% were women. There was no observed difference in ED visits, hospitalisations, and length of stay in hospital for all participants (n = 102). However, for the 27 participants living in nursing homes; ED-visits reduced on average by 0.5/participant (p = 0.002), the number of hospitalisations reduced by 0.3/participant (p = 0.018) and length of stay in hospital reduced by 4.3 days/participant (p = 0.045). For the 13 participants referred by ambulance, the number of hospitalisations reduced by 0.7/participant (p = 0.044) and length of stay in hospital reduced by 4.1 days/participant (p = 0.028). The participants who got intravenous antibiotics also had less hospital care.

CONCLUSION: This geriatric acute mobile team did not cause reduced hospital care among the participants overall. However, it might have reduced hospitalization in some subgroups, such as patients living in nursing homes or those who got intravenous antibiotics.

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Please use this url to cite or link to this publication:
author
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organization
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Contribution to journal
publication status
epub
subject
in
European Geriatric Medicine
publisher
Springer
external identifiers
  • pmid:39261400
ISSN
1878-7649
DOI
10.1007/s41999-024-01045-3
language
English
LU publication?
yes
additional info
© 2024. The Author(s).
id
7bf69d9a-ed84-46dd-aaae-2416e66d9fa8
date added to LUP
2024-09-12 09:57:33
date last changed
2024-09-12 14:03:36
@article{7bf69d9a-ed84-46dd-aaae-2416e66d9fa8,
  abstract     = {{<p>PURPOSE: This study describes the effects of a mobile geriatric acute team (GAT) treating acutely ill geriatric patients in their homes. GAT offered more advanced diagnostic and treatment options than are normally available to primary-care led mobile teams. The aim of this study was to evaluate if interventions by GAT had effect on the number of emergency department (ED) visits, hospitalisations, and length of stay in hospital.</p><p>METHODS: This is a before-after study, with outcomes recorded for each participant during the 3 months prior to the first visit by GAT and compared to the same outcomes for each participant during the 3 months after the first visit.</p><p>RESULTS: The participant's mean age was 84.6 years, 56% were women. There was no observed difference in ED visits, hospitalisations, and length of stay in hospital for all participants (n = 102). However, for the 27 participants living in nursing homes; ED-visits reduced on average by 0.5/participant (p = 0.002), the number of hospitalisations reduced by 0.3/participant (p = 0.018) and length of stay in hospital reduced by 4.3 days/participant (p = 0.045). For the 13 participants referred by ambulance, the number of hospitalisations reduced by 0.7/participant (p = 0.044) and length of stay in hospital reduced by 4.1 days/participant (p = 0.028). The participants who got intravenous antibiotics also had less hospital care.</p><p>CONCLUSION: This geriatric acute mobile team did not cause reduced hospital care among the participants overall. However, it might have reduced hospitalization in some subgroups, such as patients living in nursing homes or those who got intravenous antibiotics.</p>}},
  author       = {{Arvidsson, Sofie A and Biegus, Karol R and Ekdahl, Anne W}},
  issn         = {{1878-7649}},
  language     = {{eng}},
  month        = {{09}},
  publisher    = {{Springer}},
  series       = {{European Geriatric Medicine}},
  title        = {{The impact of a mobile geriatric acute team on healthcare consumption}},
  url          = {{http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/s41999-024-01045-3}},
  doi          = {{10.1007/s41999-024-01045-3}},
  year         = {{2024}},
}