title: Short-term outcomes of seniors aged 80 years and older with acute illness: hospitalist care by geriatricians and other internists compared.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Although acute geriatric units have improved the outcomes of hospitalized seniors, it is uncertain as to whether hospitalist care by geriatricians outside of these units confers similar benefit.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  To determine whether hospitalist care by geriatricians reduces short-term mortality and readmission, and length of stay (LOS) for seniors aged 80 years and older with acute medical illnesses compared with care by other internists.
  
  
  METHODS
  Retrospective cohort study using administrative and chart review data on demographic, admission-related, and clinical information of hospital episodes.
  
  
  METHODS
  General internal medicine department of an acute-care hospital in Singapore from 2005 to 2008.
  
  
  METHODS
  Seniors aged 80 years and older with specific focus on 2 subgroups with premorbid functional impairment and acute geriatric syndromes.
  
  
  METHODS
  Hospitalist care by geriatricians compared with care by other internists.
  
  
  METHODS
  Hospital mortality, 30-day mortality or readmission, and LOS.
  
  
  RESULTS
  For 1944 hospital episodes (intervention: 968, control: 976), there was a nonsignificant trend toward lower hospital mortality (15.5% vs 16.9%) but not 30-day mortality or readmission, or LOS for care by geriatricians compared with care by other internists. A marginally stronger trend toward lower hospital mortality for care by geriatricians among those with acute geriatric syndromes (20.2% vs 23.1%) was observed. Similar treatment effects were found after adjustment for demographic, admission-related, and clinical factors.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  For seniors aged 80 years and over with acute medical illness, hospitalist care by geriatricians did not significantly reduce short-term mortality, readmission, or LOS, compared with care by other internists.
authors.affiliation: Department of Geriatric Medicine, Tan Tock Seng Hospital, Singapore; Health Services & Outcomes Research, National Healthcare Group, Singapore.
authors.forename: Yew Yoong
authors.initials: YY
authors.lastname: Ding
authors.forename: Yan
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Sun
authors.forename: Jam Chin
authors.initials: JC
authors.lastname: Tay
authors.forename: Wai Fung
authors.initials: WF
authors.lastname: Chong
mesh_terms: D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D005260:Female; D005853:Geriatrics / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D017052:Hospital Mortality; D020445:Hospitalists / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D006801:Humans; D007388:Internal Medicine / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D007902:Length of Stay; D008297:Male; D017063:Outcome Assessment, Health Care / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D010359:Patient Readmission; D011787:Quality of Health Care; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D012846:Singapore; D012959:Socioeconomic Factors