[Geriatric consultations in a general hospital]

Area of Science:

• Geriatric Medicine
• Hospital Administration
• Patient Care Management

Background:

• Increasing numbers of elderly patients in general hospitals present complex health challenges.
• The need for specialized geriatric consultations has grown significantly.
• Geriatric consultations aim to improve care for older adults with multiple comorbidities.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the effectiveness and implementation of geriatric consultations at Wolfson Medical Center.
• To compare the hospital's consultation model with international practices.
• To assess the efficiency and acceptance of the consultation process by medical staff.

Main Methods:

• A 6-month retrospective analysis of geriatric consultations across various departments (medical, surgical, urologic, neurologic, orthopedic, intensive care).
• Data collection included patient demographics, consultation numbers, and departmental rates.
• Patient selection for consultation was managed by the admitting ward's staff, differing from typical geriatric team-led approaches.

Main Results:

• Out of 7,910 elderly admissions (58% of total), 742 (9.4%) received geriatric consultations.
• Medical wards had the highest number of consultations (525), while orthopedic wards showed the highest consultation rate, particularly for hip fracture rehabilitation.
• The ward-staff-led selection method yielded consultation rates comparable to international models.

Conclusions:

• The geriatric consultation model at Wolfson Medical Center, utilizing ward staff for patient selection, is effective and efficient.
• This approach is easily implemented, simple to operate, and well-received by hospital medical staff.
• The findings suggest that localized, staff-driven geriatric consultation can be a viable alternative to centralized geriatric team models.