[Descriptive study of the type of patient cared for in a link-nursing program]

Determine the type of patients in a program of link nursing of the urban area.

Descriptive observational study conducted at the Hospital Clinic de Barcelona (HCB). The study population were patients hospitalized in the Institute of Orthopedics, Internal Medicine, Cardiology, Vascular Surgery and Post Coronary Care. The data was obtained through the registration of patients enrolled in the program between November 2006 and April 2008. We analyzed sociodemographic variables (gender, age, reason for admission, the institution where hospitalized, hospital stay, primary care (PAC) reference destination of the patient on discharge from hospital) and physical variables (Barthel dependency score and recommendations of the link nurse to reference PAC).

Information was analysed from 2025 (99.26%) out of 2040 eligible patients. Fifteen were excluded because they did not have complete information for data analysis. The average age for men was 73.55 years and 66.53 years for women (P<0.01). There was sever dependence in 92 (9.10%) males and 61 (6.02%) women (P<0.01). The average number of hospital stays for men was 9.7 and 9.65 for women (P<0.01). Continuity of care at home was not required in 571 (56.48%) males and 605 (59.66%).

The majority of the population was elderly with an index of slight dependence, demonstrating that this population need continuous monitoring of their progress after discharge, although the Barthel index was not severe or total.