Skip to main content
Kent Academic Repository

Performance indicators for hospital services for older people.

Challiner, Yvonne, Carpenter, G. Iain, Potter, Jonathan, Maxwell, Colleen (2003) Performance indicators for hospital services for older people. Age and Ageing, 32 (3). pp. 343-346. ISSN 0002-0729. (doi:10.1093/ageing/32.3.343) (The full text of this publication is not currently available from this repository. You may be able to access a copy if URLs are provided) (KAR id:5138)

The full text of this publication is not currently available from this repository. You may be able to access a copy if URLs are provided.
Official URL:
http://dx.doi.org/10.1093/ageing/32.3.343

Abstract

Background: standardised assessment is recommended in geriatric practice to improve patient care and generate quality data for audit and research. High level indicators used to measure performance of rehabilitation units suggested that more patients were discharged to long-term residential care from one of two hospitals in a Health Authority in South East England.

Objectives: to test whether the information provided by standardised assessment could inform performance indicators used to compare outcomes between hospitals.

Design: prospective observational study.

Subjects: consecutive patients admitted for rehabilitation to two general geriatric rehabilitation wards in each of two nearby district general hospitals.

Methods: patients were assessed using standard tools (Barthel and Abbreviated Mental Test score) and various scales of the interRAI MDS assessment system (mental and physical functioning, pressure ulcers, continence, falls, mood), within a week of admission and up to one week before discharge. Place of residence prior to admission and discharge destination were determined.

Results: on bivariate analysis there was a significant difference in discharge to residential and nursing homes between hospitals. Results from multivariate logistic regression analysis showed an increased risk for institutionalisation at discharge for women [odds ratio 2.42 (95% CI 1.41-4.14)] and patients with impaired cognitive function [odds ratio 1.53 (95% CI 1.28-1.82) for each point increase in MDS cognitive performance scale] and physical function [odds ratio 1.15 (95% CI 1.08-1.22) for each point increase in MDS short ADL scale]. Barthel and Abbreviated Mental Test showed similar odds ratios. Hospital did not remain a significant predictor of discharge destination following adjustment for patients' physical and cognitive function.

Conclusions: comparisons of outcomes between hospitals could be misleading unless informed by standardised data on physical and mental functioning of rehabilitation patients.

Item Type: Article
DOI/Identification number: 10.1093/ageing/32.3.343
Uncontrolled keywords: standardised assessment; rehabilitation; performance indicators; case-mix
Subjects: H Social Sciences > H Social Sciences (General)
H Social Sciences > HM Sociology
Divisions: Divisions > Division for the Study of Law, Society and Social Justice > School of Social Policy, Sociology and Social Research > Centre for Health Services Studies
Depositing User: Helen Wooldridge
Date Deposited: 04 Sep 2008 07:34 UTC
Last Modified: 16 Nov 2021 09:43 UTC
Resource URI: https://kar.kent.ac.uk/id/eprint/5138 (The current URI for this page, for reference purposes)

University of Kent Author Information

Carpenter, G. Iain.

Creator's ORCID:
CReDIT Contributor Roles:
  • Depositors only (login required):

Total unique views for this document in KAR since July 2020. For more details click on the image.