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Centre for Policy on Ageing | |
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The older persons' assessment and liaison team 'OPAL'
— evaluation of Comprehensive Geriatric Assessment in acute medical inpatients | | Author(s) | D Harari, F C Martin, A Buttery |
| Journal title | Age and Ageing, vol 36, no 6, November 2007 |
| Pages | pp 670-675 |
| Source | http://www.ageing.oupjournals.org |
| Keywords | In-patients ; Health [elderly] ; Needs [elderly] ; Multi disciplinary ; Evaluation ; Admission [hospitals] ; Discharge [hospitals]. |
| Annotation | Reducing hospital length of stay (LOS) in older acute medical inpatients is a key productivity measure. Evidence-based predictors of greater LOS may be targeted through Comprehensive Geriatric Assessment (CGA). The objective was to evaluate a novel service model for CGA screening of older acute medical inpatients linked to geriatric intervention in an urban teaching hospital, with acute medical inpatients aged 70+ years. The intervention comprised multidisciplinary CGA screening of all acute medical admissions aged 70+ years leading either to rapid transfer to geriatric wards, or case management on general medical wards by an Older Persons Assessment and Liaison team (OPAL). Pre-OPAL, 0% fallers versus 92% post-OPAL were specifically assessed and/or referred to a falls service post-discharge. Results found management of delirium, chronic pain, constipation, and urinary incontinence similarly improved. Over twice as many patients were transferred to geriatric wards, with mean days from admission to transfer falling from 10 to 3. Mean LOS fell by 4 days post-OPAL. Only the OPAL intervention was associated with LOS (P=0.023) in multiple linear regression including case-mix variables (e.g. age, function). Benchmarking data showed the LOS reduction to be greater than comparable hospitals. CGA screening of acute medical inpatients leading to early geriatric intervention (ward-based case management, appropriate transfer to geriatric wards), improved clinical effectiveness and general hospital performance. (KJ/RH). |
| Accession Number | CPA-080121220 A |
| Classmark | LF7: CC: IK: 3DM: 4C: LD:QKH: LD:QKJ |
Data © Centre for Policy on Ageing |
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| ...from the Ageinfo database published by Centre for Policy on Ageing. |
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