Formal and Informal Costs of Care for People With Dementia Who Experience a Transition to Hospital at the End of Life: A Secondary Data Analysis

ObjectivesTo explore formal and informal care costs in the last 3 months of life for people with dementia, and to evaluate the association between transitions to hospital and usual place of care with costs.DesignCross-sectional study using pooled data from 3 mortality follow-back surveys.Setting and ParticipantsPeople who died with dementia.MethodsThe Client Service Receipt Inventory survey was used to derive formal (health, social) and informal care costs in the last 3 months of life. Generalized linear models were used to explore the association between transitions to hospital and usual place of care with formal and informal care costs.ResultsA total of 146 people who died with dementia were included. The mean age was 88.1 years (SD 6.0), and 98 (67.1%) were female. The usual place of care was care home for 85 (58.2%). Sixty-five individuals (44.5%) died in a care home, and 85 (58.2%) experienced a transition to hospital in the last 3 months. The mean total costs of care in the last 3 months of life were £31,224.7 (SD 23,536.6). People with a transition to hospital had higher total costs (£33,239.2, 95% CI 28,301.8-39,037.8) than people without transition (£21,522.0, 95% CI 17,784.0-26,045.8), mainly explained by hospital costs. People whose usual place of care was care homes had lower total costs (£23,801.3, 95% CI 20,172.0-28,083.6) compared to home (£34,331.4, 95% CI 27,824.7-42,359.5), mainly explained by lower informal care costs.Conclusions and ImplicationsTotal care costs are high among people dying with dementia, and informal care costs represent an important component of end-of-life care costs. Transitions to hospital have a large impact on total costs; preventing these transitions might reduce costs from the health care perspective, but not from patients' and families' perspectives. Access to care homes could help reduce transitions to hospital as well as reduce formal and informal care costs.     

医院感染分析与对策

目的分析医院的感染在不同科室、感染部位、年龄组及住院日的分布,采取针对性措施。方法对我院1999年1月～2000年1月发生医院感染的87例患进行回顾性分析。结果医院感染在内科系统、呼吸道部位、60岁以上年龄组患及住院日10天内感染率高。结论针对医院感染的对策主要是加强医院感染管理;做好病室的清洁消毒工作;切断感染链;严格执行医院消毒技术规范;合理应用化学消毒剂;合理应用抗生毒;定期准确地进行医院环境微生物监测,认真向工作人员及病人、陪人宣传预防医院感染的知识;对年老体弱、重症患采取单人单病室治疗,专人护理,做好基础护理与心理护理,减少陪护和探视人员。     

我院医院伦理委员会的做法及体会

阐述了新形势下建立医院伦理委员会的重要性和必要性,介绍了上海第二医科大学仁济医院伦理委员会成立以来在新药、新技术应用审议,医疗行为道德责任审议分析、医学伦理学研究及伦理道德科普宣教等方面开展的工作和成效.     

地段医院转为社区卫生服务中心后的工作思路

论述了地段医院转为社区卫生服务中心后的工作思路:适应形势,转变观念,将工作重点放在加快硬件建设,强化人才培养,进行科室重组。同时还要合理设置社区卫生服务点积极开设家庭病床,实行上门服务,推广户籍医生制度,逐步建立家庭健康基础档案。     

以特色学科为纽带组建集团医院

介绍了复旦大学附属华山医院与多年来合作伙伴、多家企业医院协商,在双方自愿的前提下,组建以神经外科为主,神经内外科、放射科紧密合作,以神经外科作为主要治疗手段的集团医院的具体做法。指出,组建集团医院不仅是数量的发展,更主要的是质量的提高。必须注重内涵建设,注重可持续发展的后劲。与此同时,必须转变观念,正确处理好相关学科之间的关系。     

基层医院使用国产造影剂做静脉肾盂造影时毒副反应控制对策

目的:为了减少基层医院使用国产造影剂做IVP检查时毒副反应的发生。方法:对57例行IVP检查的患者进行认真细致的毒副反应发生情况的观察。结果:只要操作者思想上重视、技术上熟练,毒副反应将得以有效控制。结论:基层医院完全没有必要因担心毒副作用的发生而放弃IVP检查技术。     

Measuring quality and outcomes in intensive care

While quality measures are integral to the maintenance of a high standard of patient care, high-quality care remains a complicated concept to define in the context of acute care. In this article we explore how quality can be measured in the intensive care unit. Standard outcome metrics such as mortality are tangible comparators, but do not offer a comprehensive assessment of quality for the complex heterogeneity of the intensive care population. We explore the Donabedian model as a means to describe the importance of outcomes, processes, structure and environment to inform the measurement of quality. These concepts can be more abstract and difficult to measure but can provide significant insight into the culture of a unit and the resulting performance, and thus provide a more comprehensive measure of quality.     

Hospital Frailty Risk Score Outperforms Current Risk Stratification Models in Primary Total Hip and Knee Arthroplasty

BackgroundModels for risk stratification and prediction of outcome, such as the Charlson Comorbidity Index (CCI), the Elixhauser Comorbidity Method (ECM), the 5-factor modified Frailty Index (mFI-5), and the Hospital Frailty Risk Score (HFRS) have been validated in orthopedic surgery. The aim of this study is to compare the predictive power of these models in total hip and knee replacement.MethodsIn a retrospective analysis of 8250 patients who had undergone total joint replacement between 2011 and 2019, CCI, ECM, mFI-5, and HFRS were calculated for each patient. Receiver operating characteristic curve plots were generated and the area under the curve (AUC) was compared between each score with regard to adverse events such as transfusion, surgical, medical, and other complications. Multivariate logistic regression models were used to assess the relationship among risk stratification models, demographic factors, and postoperative adverse events.ResultsIn prediction of surgical complications, HFRS performed best (AUC: 0.719, P < .001), followed by ECM (AUC: 0.578, P < .001), mFI-5 (AUC: 0.564, P = .003), and CCI (AUC: 0.555, P = .012). With regard to medical complications, other complications, and transfusion, HFRS also was superior to ECM, mFI-5, and CCI. Multivariate logistic regression analyses revealed HFRS as an independent risk stratification model associated with all captured adverse events (P ≤ .001).ConclusionThe HFRS is superior to current risk stratification models in the context of total joint replacement. As the HRFS derives from routinely collected administrative data, healthcare providers can identify at-risk patients without additional effort or expense.     

Epidemiologic characteristics and pre-hospital care of traumatic injuries during the COVID-19 pandemic in an emerging and developing country: A single tertiary centre experience

BackgroundPre-hospital care has been shown to reduce the mortality in trauma patients. The present study is an attempt to identify the status of pre-hospital orthopaedic trauma care in developing countries during COVID-19 pandemic.MethodsThis was a prospective observational study carried out in a tertiary care setup from March 25th^, 2020 to January 31st^, 2021. All the data pertaining to the traumatic injuries including demographic details and epidemiologic characteristics were recorded in an electronic database.ResultsA total of 1044 patients were included in the study for evaluation. The mean age was 35.24 ± 19.84 years. There were 873 males and 171 females. A total of 748 presented from nearby states, with 401 being the referrals and 347 cases coming directly to hospital. A total of 141 open fractures presented directly and 269 were referred from nearby states. Out of 269 cases of open fractures, only 67 and 139 were given intravenous antibiotics and had wound dressing done respectively at the periphery site. A total of 125, 112, 92 and 84 patients were received without traction/splintage, intravenous fluids, dose of analgesics and recording of vitals respectively. Delay from injury to presentation in emergency/administration of antibiotic (Hours) was 7.06. Road side accidents were main cause comprising of 52.58% cases. Gustilo Anderson classification grade-2 comprised of majority of the open fractures (51.63%). Lower limb fractures comprised of majority of the injuries (70.59%). Majority were adults and conservative management was the most common mode of treatment. A total of 197 and 265 patients had associated head injuries and blunt trauma chest/blunt trauma abdomen respectively.ConclusionEmphasizing on pre-hospital care measures, with special focus on co-ordination between primary, secondary and tertiary health care facilities is the need of the hour and can prevent additional morbidities, avoiding overburden of the already compromised healthcare centres.