[The current situation of older hospitalized patients in a cadre ward in Jilin, China].
OBJECTIVE
The proportion of elderly people and the nation's medical expenditures are rapidly increasing in China. The existence of cadre wards, where retired members of the cadre of the Communist Party of China are hospitalized and receive careful treatment, helps in providing care for the elderly. Elderly retired cadre patients are thought to be more frequently hospitalized and to stay in the hospital longer than elderly non-cadre patients on general hospital wards, and therefore might be expected make an important contribution to the increase in the nation's medical expenditures. However the current situation is not well characterized. The aim of this study was to provide a basis for possible solutions related to the cadre patient burden by determining the circumstances and background of these patients with long hospital stays and investigating their needs.


METHODS
We analyzed the medical records of hospital discharges from a cadre ward from 2000 to 2004, and from general wards in 2004 at a large university-affiliated hospital in Jilin, China. Additionally, a questionnaire survey including an interview concerning needs was carried out in August 2005 for 100 elderly patients on the cadre ward (91% of the total patients on this ward) of the same hospital at that time.


RESULTS
The mean length of hospital stays of patients on the cadre ward decreased by half during the study period, but remained longer than that of patients on general hospital wards. Regression analysis showed that of all the variables measured, the type of ward (cadre vs. general) was the most influential on the mean length of hospital stay. Moreover, patients who were hospitalized more often, males and older individuals showed longer hospital stays. The questionnaire survey showed that there are many patients who could be discharged from the hospital based on their health condition but are not discharged because outside care or welfare services are insufficient, or because there is little information available on social resources.


CONCLUSIONS
Although medical policy, by which elderly retired cadre patients receive careful treatment, may contribute to the longer length of the hospital stay of the patients on the cadre ward, it was thought to be important to construct appropriate discharge plans and a support system after discharge to the community. The results provide important information for solution of medical problems related to elderly retired cadre patients in China.
Sun
Jiao
J
Ishikawa Prefectural Nursing University, The First Hospital of Jilin University in China.
Kanagawa
Katsuko
K
Ooki
Syuichi
S
D000368:Aged; D002681:China; D004470:Economics, Medical; D005260:Female; D006785:Hospitals, University; D006801:Humans; D007297:Inpatients / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D007902:Length of Stay / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D008297:Male; D011057:Politics