title: Successful Geriatric Rehabilitation: Effects on Patients' Outcome of a National Program to Improve Quality of Care, the SINGER Study.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To determine whether the implementation of a national program to improve quality of care in geriatric rehabilitation (GR) in the Netherlands improves successful GR in terms of independence in activities of daily living (ADL), discharge destination, and length of stay.
  
  
  METHODS
  Prospective longitudinal study, comparing 2 consecutive cohorts: at the start of implementation (n = 386) and at 1 year after implementation (n = 357) of this program.
  
  
  METHODS
  Included were 16 skilled nursing facilities, 743 patients (median age 80 years, interquartile range 72-85; 64.5% females) indicated for GR and their health care professionals (elderly care physicians, physiotherapists, and nursing staff).
  
  
  METHODS
  National program to stimulate self-organizing capacity to develop integrated care to improve GR service delivery in 4 domains: alignment with patients' (care) needs, care coordination, team cooperation, and quality of care.
  
  
  METHODS
  Data on patients' characteristics, functional outcomes at admission and discharge, length of stay, and discharge destination were collected via an online questionnaire sent to health care professionals. The primary outcome measure was successful rehabilitation defined as independence in ADL (Barthel Index ≥15), discharge home, and a short length of stay (lowest 25% per diagnostic group). Generalized estimating equation analysis was used to adjust for age, gender, and clustering effects in the total population and for the 2 largest diagnostic subgroups, traumatic injuries and stroke.
  
  
  RESULTS
  In the total population, at 1 year postimplementation there was 12% more ADL independence [odds ratio (OR) 1.59, 95% confidence interval (CI) 1.00-2.54]. Although successful rehabilitation (independence in ADL, discharge home, short length of stay) was similar in the 2 cohorts, patients with traumatic injuries were more successful 1 year postimplementation (OR 1.61, 95% CI 1.01-2.54). In stroke patients, successful rehabilitation was similar between the cohorts, but with more independence in ADL in the follow-up cohort (OR 1.99, 95% CI 1.09-3.63).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  This study shows that 1-year after the implementation of the Dutch national program to improve quality of care there was more independence in ADL at discharge, but the combined outcome of successful GR (independence in ADL, discharge home, short length of stay) was only significantly improved in patients with traumatic injuries.
authors.affiliation: Department of Public Health and Primary Care, Leiden University Medical Center, Leiden, the Netherlands; Department of Research and Development, Evean, Purmerend, the Netherlands.
authors.forename: Marije S
authors.initials: MS
authors.lastname: Holstege
authors.affiliation: Department of Public Health and Primary Care, Leiden University Medical Center, Leiden, the Netherlands. Electronic address: m.a.a.caljouw@lumc.nl.
authors.forename: Monique A A
authors.initials: MAA
authors.lastname: Caljouw
authors.affiliation: Department of Public Health and Primary Care, Leiden University Medical Center, Leiden, the Netherlands.
authors.forename: Ineke G
authors.initials: IG
authors.lastname: Zekveld
authors.affiliation: Department of Public Health and Primary Care, Leiden University Medical Center, Leiden, the Netherlands.
authors.forename: Romke
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: van Balen
authors.affiliation: Department of General Practice and Elderly Care Medicine, VU University Medical Center, Amsterdam, the Netherlands.
authors.forename: Aafke J
authors.initials: AJ
authors.lastname: de Groot
authors.affiliation: Department of Health Services Research and CAPHRI School for Public Health and Primary Care, Maastricht University, Maastricht, the Netherlands.
authors.forename: Jolanda C M
authors.initials: JCM
authors.lastname: van Haastregt
authors.affiliation: Department of Health Services Research and CAPHRI School for Public Health and Primary Care, Maastricht University, Maastricht, the Netherlands; Department of Family Medicine, Maastricht University, Maastricht, the Netherlands.
authors.forename: Jos M G A
authors.initials: JMGA
authors.lastname: Schols
authors.affiliation: Department of General Practice and Elderly Care Medicine, VU University Medical Center, Amsterdam, the Netherlands.
authors.forename: Cees M P M
authors.initials: CMPM
authors.lastname: Hertogh
authors.affiliation: Department of Public Health and Primary Care, Leiden University Medical Center, Leiden, the Netherlands.
authors.forename: Jacobijn
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Gussekloo
authors.affiliation: Department of Public Health and Primary Care, Leiden University Medical Center, Leiden, the Netherlands.
authors.forename: Wilco P
authors.initials: WP
authors.lastname: Achterberg
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D006801:Humans; D008137:Longitudinal Studies; D009426:Netherlands; D011446:Prospective Studies; D058996:Quality Improvement; D011787:Quality of Health Care; D012046:Rehabilitation / Q000592:standards*; D012866:Skilled Nursing Facilities; D000071939:Stroke Rehabilitation / Q000592:standards*; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D014947:Wounds and Injuries / Q000534:rehabilitation* / Q000628:therapy
keywords: Geriatric rehabilitation; discharge destination; independence in ADL; length of stay; quality of care; successful rehabilitation