title: Emergency hospitalisation in six municipalities in the Sunnmøre district.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Providing better and more cost-efficient health services is a goal for health policy. It is seen as desirable to provide health services close to the patient's home. From 2016, all municipalities must provide emergency hospitalisation (EH). The objective of this study was to develop experience-based knowledge from medium-sized municipalities that operate such services without any inter-municipal collaboration.
  
  
  METHODS
  Focus-group interviews with 25 health workers who are responsible for this service in six small and medium-sized municipalities in Western Norway were conducted in the autumn of 2013 and the spring of 2014. Additional information on bed utilisation was also collected.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The informants reported that their municipalities had chosen emergency hospitalisation as a measure to reinforce the professional communities in the nursing homes. They described this as a patient-centred and flexible treatment option. In their opinion, the programme would help ensure competence enhancement in the municipalities. Bed utilisation increased from the introduction of EH until 31 August 2014.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The health workers reported that emergency hospitalisation in the municipality fulfilled key intentions of the Interaction Reform, in terms of providing treatment to patients locally and close to their homes.
authors.affiliation: Klinikk for medisin Ålesund sjukehus og Institutt for sirkulasjon og bildediagnostikk Det medisinske fakultet Norges teknisk-naturvitenskapelige universitet.
authors.forename: Torstein
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Hole
authors.affiliation: Forskingsseksjonen Helse Møre og Romsdal HF.
authors.forename: Johan
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Barstad
authors.affiliation: Helse- og sosialavdelinga Volda kommune.
authors.forename: Solfrid
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Teigen
authors.affiliation: Institutt for helsefag Høgskulen i Ålesund og Forskingsseksjonen Helse Møre og Romsdal HF.
authors.forename: Marit
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Kvangarsnes
mesh_terms: D001509:Bed Occupancy; D004632:Emergency Medical Services / Q000458:organization & administration* / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D017144:Focus Groups; D006282:Health Personnel; D006297:Health Services Accessibility; D006760:Hospitalization; D006801:Humans; D007400:Interprofessional Relations; D009664:Norway; D009735:Nursing Homes; D010358:Patient Participation; D018802:Patient-Centered Care