Patterns of admissions in an acute medical unit: priorities for service development and education.
An Acute Medical Unit has recently been established at York Hospital. The present study sought to characterise the case mix of acutely unwell medical patients to allow identification of priorities for ongoing service development and to assess educational opportunities for trainees in the region. Data were collected for 16001 admission episodes between January 2010 and April 2011 inclusive. These allowed characterisation of the case mix, and identified key priorities where clinical pathway do not yet exist, namely heart failure, urinary tract infection, and acute diarrhoea. Good educational opportunities exist for most aspects of the Acute Medicine curriculum; several weaknesses were identified, and trainees might address these by undertaking a specific period of specialty training in endocrinology and neurology.
Hull York Medical School, UK.
Natalie J
NJ
James
Rumana
R
Hussain
Alasdair
A
Moonie
Donald
D
Richardson
W Stephen
WS
Waring
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D003422:Critical Care; D016638:Critical Illness / Q000628:therapy; D019091:Critical Pathways / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D003953:Diagnosis-Related Groups / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D004502:Education, Medical, Continuing; D005260:Female; D006292:Health Priorities; D006780:Hospitals, Rural / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D006801:Humans; D007362:Intensive Care Units / Q000458:organization & administration / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010343:Patient Admission / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D055815:Young Adult