title: Does depression predict adverse outcomes for older medical inpatients? A prospective cohort study of individuals screened for a trial.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  to examine the relationship between depressive symptoms and hospital outcomes in an unselected consecutive sample of older medical inpatients.
  
  
  METHODS
  a prospective cohort study of individuals screened for a trial.
  
  
  METHODS
  medical wards of UK district general hospital in rural East Anglia.
  
  
  METHODS
  six hundred and seventeen medical inpatients aged 65+ were randomly selected from consecutive admissions. Baseline measures: 15-item Geriatric Depression Scale (GDS-15), the Abbreviated Mental Test Score (AMTS) and the Cumulative Illness Rating Scale-Geriatric (CIRS-G).
  
  
  METHODS
  length of hospital stay; discharge to a community hospital (for rehabilitation), institutional care or usual place of residence; dying in hospital.
  
  
  RESULTS
  depressive symptoms are independently associated with an increased likelihood of inpatient death and transfer to a community hospital for rehabilitation, but are not associated with longer length of stay.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  research evaluating effectiveness of identification and treatment of depression in older medical inpatients should consider including inpatient death and use of rehabilitation services as potential outcomes.
authors.affiliation: West Suffolk Hospital and Department of Public Health and Primary Care, University of Cambridge, UK. sarah.cullum@awp.nhs.uk
authors.forename: Sarah
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Cullum
authors.forename: Chris
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Metcalfe
authors.forename: Chris
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Todd
authors.forename: Carol
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Brayne
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D015331:Cohort Studies; D003863:Depression / Q000175:diagnosis*; D005260:Female; D015577:Geriatric Assessment; D017052:Hospital Mortality; D006801:Humans; D007297:Inpatients / Q000523:psychology*; D007902:Length of Stay / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D008297:Male; D008403:Mass Screening / Q000379:methods*; D017063:Outcome Assessment, Health Care; D011237:Predictive Value of Tests; D011446:Prospective Studies; D012047:Rehabilitation Centers / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D012866:Skilled Nursing Facilities / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D006113:United Kingdom