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  • Title: [Alternatives to acute admissions to a city hospital. Is it possible to reduce the number of acute admissions?].
    Author: Andersen FH, Pedersen IL, Nielsen MO, Ehlers DP, Fredensborg N, Holmegaard SN, Sanders SC.
    Journal: Ugeskr Laeger; 1994 Jul 18; 156(29):4233-6. PubMed ID: 8066921.
    Abstract:
    The purpose of the study was to evaluate the number of inappropriate admissions to a smaller city hospital and find possible alternatives. Physicians and surgeons from three units (abdominal surgery, internal medicine and orthopaedic surgery) together with general practitioners, doctors on homecall duty and health personnel from the region contributed to the study. In all 421 consecutive patients were included during a three-week period. The patients' median age was 60.5 years. It was found that at least 13.6% of all patients seemed to have been admitted for an inappropriate reason. According to the admitting doctor 3.4% of the patients were not ill at all. The investigation implies that one out of seven acute admissions could be replaced by alternatives such as immediate care in residential homes, more flexible contact to the outpatient's clinic, better access to geriatric evaluation and improved laboratory service. We conclude that acute admission to hospital can be replaced by other alternatives, thereby achieving greater efficiency and better economics.
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