Meeting diagnostic related group goals for elderly patients

Strong economic incentives for prompt discharge under the diagnostic related group (DRG) system challenge hospital social workers to balance the needs of individual patients and the needs of their employing institution. A sample of 219 elderly patients at a large, urban teaching hospital were assigned to regular or early intervention groups. The relationships among timing, type, and amount of social work intervention; ability of patients to care for themselves; availability of social support; and other variables were examined. Early and adequate social work diagnosis and intervention tended to limit excessive hospital stays and facilitate the institution's ability to adhere to DRG guidelines.