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Gloucester hospital-at-home: a randomized controlled trial
I P Donald1, R N Baldwin, M Bannerjee
1Elderly Care Unit, Gloucestershire Royal Hospital NHS Trust, Gloucester.
Age and Ageing
|September 1, 1995
Summary
Hospital-at-Home (HAH) care enabled earlier discharge for elderly medical patients by an average of 5 days compared to conventional discharge. While independence improvements were similar, HAH showed a positive trend.
Area of Science:
- Geriatric Medicine
- Health Services Research
- Rehabilitation
Background:
- Hospital-at-Home (HAH) schemes are gaining traction for expediting elderly orthopaedic patient discharge.
- The effectiveness of HAH for elderly medical patients requires further investigation.
Purpose of the Study:
- To prospectively evaluate the benefits of a Hospital-at-Home rehabilitation team for elderly medical patients nearing discharge.
Main Methods:
- Sixty consecutive elderly medical patients approaching discharge were randomized.
- Intervention group: Hospital-at-Home (HAH) rehabilitation team.
- Control group: Conventional discharge (CD) preparation and domiciliary support.
Main Results:
- Patients in the HAH group were discharged an average of 5 days earlier than the CD group.
- Sixty-four percent of patients in both groups remained at home during 6 months of follow-up.
- Modest and similar improvements in patient independence were observed in both groups, with a trend favoring HAH.
Conclusions:
- Hospital-at-Home care can facilitate earlier discharge for elderly medical patients.
- HAH demonstrates a potential, though not statistically significant, trend towards greater independence compared to conventional discharge.