Using non-geriatric clinical indicators in a department of rehabilitation and aged care

We describe an audit using Gastroenterology Clinical Indicators (CIs) to measure quality of care for older patients with gastrointestinal haemorrhage. The gastroenterology CI for gastroscopy within 24 hours of admission was 60%, it was 70% for diagnosis of a cause of acute gastrointestinal bleeding after upper gastroscopy, and it was 30% for death after blood transfusion in a geriatric restorative unit. We discuss whether it is appropriate for a hospital department (Geriatric Medicine) to use the CIs for the specialty (Gastroenterology) providing the service to measure the quality of service being provided. This may be a useful approach given the trend towards cost recouping between different clinical departments.