title: Effectiveness of short-term interdisciplinary intervention on postacute patients in Taiwan.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To evaluate the effectiveness of community hospital-based postacute care (PAC) for frail older patients and to provide a baseline profile of functional gain during PAC for use in further long-term outcome studies.
  
  
  METHODS
  Prospective cohort study.
  
  
  METHODS
  A community hospital in Taiwan.
  
  
  METHODS
  Elderly patients admitted to a community hospital with acute or postacute conditions.
  
  
  METHODS
  Barthel Index, Instrumental Activities of Daily Living, Mini-Mental State Examination, and Geriatric Depression Scale.
  
  
  METHODS
  A comprehensive geriatric assessment-based functional re-ablement program.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Data were collected for 251 patients recruited between July 2006 and June 2008 from Taipei Veterans General Hospital and the acute wards of Yuanshan Veterans Hospital. Overall, clinical improvement was significant in various dimensions, including cognition (Mini-Mental State Examination from 11.9 ± 8.1 to 15.1 ± 8.3, P < .001), physical function (Barthel Index from 42.2 ± 34.1 to 64.9 ± 33.7, P < .001; Lawton-Brody Instrumental Activities of Daily Living from 1.8 ± 2.4 to 3.0 ± 2.8, P < .001), depression (Geriatric Depression Scale from 0.9 ± 1.9 to 0.6 ± 1.3, P < .001), ambulation (timed up-and-go test from 16.4 ± 19.6 to 10.1 ± 19.0, P < .001), and nutrition (Mini Nutritional Assessment from 15.0 ± 4.2 to 17.4 ± 3.7, P < .001).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  A short-term inpatient physical re-ablement program conducted by an interdisciplinary geriatric team in a community hospital can successfully improve the physical and mental function, mood, ambulation, and nutritional conditions of postacute patients. Further study is needed to evaluate long-term clinical outcomes of patients with different rates of functional recovery during treatment in a PAC unit.
authors.affiliation: Department of Family Medicine, Yuanshan Veterans Hospital, Taiwan.
authors.forename: Wei-Ju
authors.initials: WJ
authors.lastname: Lee
authors.forename: Li-Ning
authors.initials: LN
authors.lastname: Peng
authors.forename: Yuan-Yang
authors.initials: YY
authors.lastname: Cheng
authors.forename: Ching-Yi
authors.initials: CY
authors.lastname: Liu
authors.forename: Liang-Kung
authors.initials: LK
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.forename: Hann-Chin
authors.initials: HC
authors.lastname: Yu
mesh_terms: D000208:Acute Disease / Q000534:rehabilitation*; D000368:Aged; D015331:Cohort Studies; D005260:Female; D016330:Frail Elderly; D015577:Geriatric Assessment / Q000379:methods; D005851:Geriatric Nursing; D006764:Hospitals, Community; D006801:Humans; D033183:Interdisciplinary Communication; D008297:Male; D008609:Mental Status Schedule; D010348:Patient Care Team; D011446:Prospective Studies; D012046:Rehabilitation / Q000458:organization & administration*; D013624:Taiwan; D016896:Treatment Outcome