Emergency home care as an alternative to admissions for social reasons
Kirk, H.; Dalgaard, O.Z.
Ugeskrift for Laeger 142(35): 2299-2302
1980
ISSN/ISBN: 0041-5782 PMID: 7423653 Document Number: 155499
The need for emergency home care as an alternative to emergency hospitalization is illustrated on the basis of a questionnaire sent to practitioners who had referred patients for admission for social reasons. Replies were obtained in 174 of 205 emergency admissions of this type to emergency medical departments. Admissions (65) were arranged by the patient's own practitioners and 27 of these would have preferred emergency home care, if this possibility were available. Of 109 admissions arranged by practitioners on emergency duty, emergency home care would have been preferred in 61 cases. Of the referring practitioners who would have preferred emergency home care, 67% desired simultaneous acceleration of long-term medical consultation. In the municipality of Copenhagen, Denmark, an extensive group of elderly patients are apparently admitted as emergencies to general medical departments without requiring emergency diagnosis and treatment. Emergency home care should be available as an alternative to hospitalization in this group of elderly patients. An arrangement such as this may be included in the model for referral, and this should also include the possibility of accelerating long-term medical assessment.