Burley L E, Currie C T, Smith R G, Williamson J
Br Med J. 1979 Jul 14;2(6182):90-2. doi: 10.1136/bmj.2.6182.90.
In 1977 a scheme of attachment to acute medical wards of consultants in geriatric medicine and associated junior medical staff was instituted in a large Edinburgh teaching hospital. The effect on admissions of patients aged 65 and over was examined for comparable periods before and during this arrangement. Mean and median stays were reduced for both sexes but more noticeably for women. The mean stay for all women aged over 65 was reduced from 25 to 16 days and for women aged over 85 from 50 to 19 days. The proportion staying under two weeks was significantly increased in both sexes, and the proportion discharged home also increased, correspondingly fewer patients being transferred to convalescent wards. These changes were not accompanied by increased transfers to the geriatric department, and probably the skills and extra resources available to the geriatric service were the factors mainly responsible for the changes in performance.
1977年，爱丁堡一家大型教学医院实施了一项计划，安排老年医学顾问医生及相关初级医务人员进驻急性内科病房。研究对比了该安排实施前后相同时间段内65岁及以上患者的入院情况。结果发现，男女患者的平均住院时间和中位住院时间均有所缩短，女性患者更为明显。65岁以上所有女性的平均住院时间从25天降至16天，85岁以上女性从50天降至19天。男女患者住院时间不足两周的比例均显著增加，出院回家的比例也相应增加，转至康复病房的患者减少。这些变化并未伴随转至老年科的患者增加，老年服务部门具备的技能和额外资源可能是导致这种情况变化的主要因素。
