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Centre for Policy on Ageing | |
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The interface between residential aged care and the emergency department
— a systematic review | | Author(s) | Glenn Arendts, Kirsten Howard |
| Journal title | Age and Ageing, vol 39, no 3, May 2010 |
| Pages | pp 306-312 |
| Source | http://www.ageing.oxfordjournals.org http://www.bgs.org.uk doi:10.1093/ageing/afq008 |
| Keywords | Care homes ; Residents [care homes] ; Accident & emergency depts ; Admission [hospitals] ; Literature reviews. |
| Annotation | Emergency care for older people living in residential aged care facilities (RACF) is a complex area of health policy. The epidemiology of patient transfer between RACF and hospital emergency departments (ED), clinical outcomes and costs associated with transfer and efficacy of programmes aiming to reduce transfer are not well known. A systematic review based on a comprehensive literature search in three electronic databases and published article reference lists was carried out. The incidence of transfer from RACF to ED is >30 transfers/100 RACF beds/year in most studies. The casemix from RACF is varied and reflects that of the broad population of older people, with some risk difference. At least 40% of transfers are not admitted to hospital. There is insufficient data to fully address our other questions; however, hospitalisations from RACF can be reduced through advanced care planning, use of management guidelines for acute illnesses and improved primary care. Residents of RACF have a high annual risk of transfer to ED. The clinical benefit and cost effectiveness of ED care, and alternate programmes to reduce ED transfer, cannot be confidently compared from published work. Further research is required to accurately describe these and to determine their comparative worth. (KJ/RH). |
| Accession Number | CPA-100524204 A |
| Classmark | KW: KX: LD6: LD:QKH: 64A |
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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