title: Geriatric consultation services-are wards more effective than teams?
abstract: Geriatric consultation teams are one of the models for bringing comprehensive geriatric assessment to vulnerable and frail older people in the acute care hospital setting. While ward-based comprehensive geriatric assessment has been established as effective with reference to improving functional status and other outcomes, the team-based variant remains unproven for outcomes other than mortality in the medium term, as shown in a recent study published in BMC Medicine by Deschodt and colleagues. Further research might establish the effectiveness of the team-based model but, for current clinical practice, the emphasis should be on streaming older people with complex problems needing multidisciplinary assessment and treatment to ward-based models of comprehensive geriatric assessment.
authors: Rehabilitation Studies Unit, Sydney Medical School Northern, University of Sydney, Ryde, NSW, Australia. ian.cameron@sydney.edu.au
authors: Ian D
authors: ID
authors: Cameron
authors: Susan
authors: S
authors: Kurrle
mesh_terms: D000208:Acute Disease / Q000628:therapy*; D004632:Emergency Medical Services / Q000379:methods*; D005260:Female; D015577:Geriatric Assessment / Q000379:methods*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D012017:Referral and Consultation