title: [Prevalence rate, place of hospitalization and source of referral of complex nursing care patients in geriatric hospitalization].
abstract: For the past several years, the hospitalization and care of complex nursing care patients (CNCP) has caused concern among organizers, funders and care-givers of the geriatric hospitalization system (GHS). To assist in improving efficiency of the GHS and to address the lack of comprehensive, empirical and up-to-date information on these patients, we conducted a survey to characterize CNCP, to assess their medical problems and to determine their prevalence among the patients in GHS. The survey was conducted in 1994 using a day census. Data were collected on the 2,319 patients in geriatric beds in all the general hospitals and geriatric hospitals in Israel on the day of the survey. 28% of the patients in the GHS were CNCP and a quarter of them (7% of all patients) suffered from more than 1 medical condition. Tube feeding was the most prevalent condition (13% of all patients), followed by terminal illness (9%), deep pressure sores (7%) and intravenous transfusion for more than 3 days (6%). The 80% of the CNCP were hospitalized in geriatric hospitals, primarily in geriatric rehabilitation wards. Their average length of stay was over a year. Internal medicine wards of general hospitals were the most frequent source of patient referral. The survey's findings raise issues related to the organization of care of CNCP. They may serve as a basis for the reorganization of the geriatric hospitalization system in order to improve efficiency and quality of care for the benefit of patients, their families and services providers.
authors.affiliation: JDC-Brookdale Institute of Gerontology and Human Development, Jerusalem.
authors.forename: N
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Bentur
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Brodsky
authors.forename: B
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Habot
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D001803:Blood Transfusion / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D004750:Enteral Nutrition / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D015577:Geriatric Assessment; D005851:Geriatric Nursing / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D006760:Hospitalization / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D006801:Humans; D007902:Length of Stay; D003668:Pressure Ulcer / Q000453:epidemiology; D012017:Referral and Consultation / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D013727:Terminal Care