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Geriatric consultation service in emergency department: how does it work?
Terry Man Yue Yuen1, Larry Lap Yip Lee, Ikea Lai Chun Or
1Accident and Emergency Department, Alice Ho Miu Ling Nethersole Hospital, 11 Chuen On Road, Tai Po, New Territories, Hong Kong SAR, China. dr_myyuen@yahoo.com.hk
The "We Care" program effectively reduced acute hospital admissions for elderly patients by providing comprehensive geriatric assessments. This initiative successfully lowered the need for emergency department admissions in Hong Kong.
Area of Science:
- Geriatric Medicine
- Public Health
- Healthcare Management
Background:
- High prevalence of elderly patients requiring hospital admission in Hong Kong.
- Geriatric consultation programs aim to mitigate acute medical admissions for the elderly.
Purpose of the Study:
- Analyze the impact of a geriatric consultation service on acute medical admissions.
- Characterize geriatric patients and their outcomes.
Main Methods:
- Retrospective study of patients receiving geriatric consultations from January 2009 to March 2011.
- Analysis of demographic data, disease profiles, discharge destinations, clinical severity, and adverse outcomes.
Main Results:
- 84.7% of consultations successfully averted acute medical admission.
- Common conditions included chronic pulmonary disease (30.6%) and cardiac disease (23.9%).
- Low incidence rate of adverse outcomes (1.6%).
Conclusions:
- The 'We Care' program effectively reduced acute geriatric hospital admissions.
- Comprehensive geriatric assessment is crucial for suitable elderly patients.
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