[Hospitalization and dementia: what was new in 2012?: literature review]

[Prevalence of cognitive impairments in acute nursing care-Analysis and comparison of routine data]

Hintergrund

Aufgrund des demografischen Wandels ist von einer zunehmenden Prävalenz stationärer Patienten mit kognitiven Beeinträchtigungen auszugehen. Für eine bestmögliche Versorgung gilt es, diese Patientengruppe mit einem routinemäßigen Verfahren frühzeitig zu erkennen.

Methode

Die aktuelle Studie untersuchte die Prävalenzrate von kognitiven Beeinträchtigungen bei stationären Patienten >65 Jahre, die mit dem Mini-Mental-Status-Test (MMST) während der pflegerischen Aufnahme untersucht wurden. Anhand der Screeningquote wurde die Bereitschaft von Pflegekräften, den MMST als Routineinstrument zu verwenden, überprüft. Die Quote wurde zudem mit der Anzahl der kodierten F‑Diagnosen der ICD-10-GM verglichen. Diese retrospektive Studie wurde vom Oktober 2018 bis März 2019 an einer Universitätsklinik durchgeführt.

Ergebnisse

Von 7311 stationären Patienten >65 Jahre wurden 11,7 % gescreent. Die Prävalenz kognitiver Beeinträchtigungen betrug 20,7 % und war höher als die Prävalenzrate von Demenz und Delir aufgrund medizinischer Diagnosen (p < 0,001). Mit 11,7 % ist die Bereitschaft des Pflegepersonals, den MMST zur Einschätzung kognitiver Beeinträchtigungen während der Patientenaufnahmen einzusetzen, gering.

Diskussion

Die höhere Prävalenz bestätigt die Notwendigkeit, Patienten mit kognitiven Störungen zu erkennen. Die geringe Bereitschaft, den MMST anzuwenden, legt jedoch nahe, dass zum einen ein kürzeres Instrument verwendet und zum anderen Pflegenden mehr Informationen zu kognitiv beeinträchtigten Patienten vermittelt werden sollten.

Supporting elderly people with cognitive impairment during and after hospital stays with intersectoral care management: study protocol for a randomized controlled trial

BACKGROUND

The sectorization of health-care systems leads to inefficient treatment, especially for elderly people with cognitive impairment. The transition from hospital care to primary care is insufficiently coordinated, and communication between health-care providers is often lacking. Consequences include a further deterioration of health, higher rates of hospital readmissions, and institutionalization. Models of collaborative care have shown their efficacy in primary care by improving patient-related outcomes. The main goal of this trial is to compare the effectiveness of a collaborative care model with usual care for people with cognitive impairment who have been admitted to a hospital for treatment due to a somatic illness. The aim of the intervention is to improve the continuity of treatment and care across the transition between the in-hospital and adjoining primary care sectors.

METHODS/DESIGN

The trial is a longitudinal multisite randomized controlled trial with two arms (care as usual and intersectoral care management). Inclusion criteria at the time of hospital admission due to a somatic illness are age 70+ years, cognitive impairment (Mini Mental State Examination, MMSE ≤26), living at home, and written informed consent. Each participant will have a baseline assessment at the hospital and two follow-up assessments at home (3 and 12 months after discharge). The estimated sample size is n = 398 people with cognitive inmpairement plus their respective informal caregivers (where available). In the intersectoral care management group, specialized care managers will develop, implement, and monitor individualized treatment and care based on comprehensive assessments of the unmet needs of the patients and their informal caregivers. These assessments will occur at the hospital and in participants' homes. Primary outcomes are (1) activities of daily living, (2) readmission to the hospital, and (3) institutionalization. Secondary outcomes include (a) frailty, (b) delirium, (c) quality of life, (d) cognitive status, (e) behavioral and psychological symptoms of dementia, (f) utilization of services, and (g) informal caregiver burden.

DISCUSSION

In the event of proving efficacy, this trial will deliver a proof of concept for implementation into routine care. The cost-effectiveness analyses as well as an independent process evaluation will increase the likelihood of meeting this goal. The trial will enable an in-depth analysis of mediating and moderating effects for different health outcomes at the interface between hospital care and primary care. By highlighting treatment and care, the study will provide insights into unmet needs at the time of hospital admission, and the opportunities and barriers to meeting those needs during the hospital stay and after discharge.

TRIAL REGISTRATION

ClinicalTrials.gov, NCT03359408 ; December 2, 2017.

Predicting excess cost for older inpatients with clinical complexity: A retrospective cohort study examining cognition, comorbidities and complications

BACKGROUND

Hospital-acquired complications increase length of stay and contribute to poorer patient outcomes. Older adults are known to be at risk for four key hospital-acquired complications (pressure injuries, pneumonia, urinary tract infections and delirium). These complications have been identified as sensitive to nursing characteristics such as staffing levels and level of education. The cost of these complications compared to the cost of admission severity, dementia, other comorbidities or age has not been established.

METHOD

To investigate costs associated with nurse-sensitive hospital-acquired complications in an older patient population 157,178 overnight public hospital episodes for all patients over age 50 from one Australian state, 2006/07 were examined. A retrospective cohort study design with linear regression analysis provided modelling of length-of-stay costs. Explanatory variables included patient age, sex, comorbidities, admission severity, dementia status, surgical status and four complications. Extra costs were based on above-average length-of-stay for each patient's Diagnosis Related Group from hospital discharge data.

RESULTS

For adults over 50 who have length of stay longer than average for their diagnostic condition, comorbid dementia predicts an extra cost of A$874, (US$1,247); any one of four key complications predicts A$812 (US$1,159); each increase in admission severity score predicts A$295 ($US421); each additional comorbidity predicts A$259 (US$370), and for each year of age above 50 predicts A$20 (US$29) (all estimates significant at p<0.0001).

DISCUSSION

Hospital-acquired complications and dementia cost more than other kinds of inpatient complexity, but admission severity is a better predictor of excess cost. Because complications are potentially preventable and dementia care in hospitals can be improved, risk-reduction strategies for common complications, particularly for patients with dementia could be cost effective.

CONCLUSIONS

Complications and dementia were found to cost more than other kinds of inpatient complexity.

(In-)formal caregivers' and general practitioners' views on hospitalizations of people with dementia - an exploratory qualitative interview study

Background

Dementia is an irreversible chronic disease with wide-ranging effects on patients’, caregivers’ and families’ lives. Hospitalizations are significant events for people with dementia. They tend to have poorer outcomes compared to those without dementia. Most of the previous studies focused on diagnoses leading to hospitalizations using claims data. Further factors (e.g. context factors) for hospitalizations are not reproduced in this data. Therefore, we investigated the factors leading to hospitalization with an explorative, qualitative study design.

Methods

We interviewed informal caregivers (N = 12), general practitioners (GPs, N = 12) and formal caregivers (N = 5) of 12 persons with dementia using a semi-structured interview guideline. The persons with dementia were sampled using criteria regarding their living situation (home care vs. nursing home care) and gender. The transcripts were analyzed using the method of structuring content analysis.

Results

Almost none of the hospitalizations, discussed with the (in-)formal caregivers and GPs, seemed to have been preventable or seemed unjustifiable from the interviewees’ points of view. We identified several dementia-specific factors promoting hospitalizations (e.g. the neglect of constricted mobility, the declining ability to communicate about symptoms/accidents and the shift of responsibility from person with dementia to informal or formal caregivers) and context-specific factors promoting hospitalizations (e.g. qualification of nursing home personal, the non-availability of the GP and hospitalizations for examinations/treatments also available in ambulatory settings). Hospitalizations were always the result of the interrelation of two factors: illnesses/accidents and context factors. The impact of both seems to be stronger in presence of dementia.

Conclusions

Points for action in terms of reducing hospitalization rates were: better qualified nurses, a 24-h-GP-emergency service and better compensation for ambulatory monitoring/treatments and house calls. Many hospitalizations of people with dementia cannot be prevented. Therefore, hospital staffs need to be better prepared to handle patients with dementia in order to reduce the negative effects of hospitalizations.

Electronic supplementary material

The online version of this article (doi:10.1186/s12913-017-2484-9) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.

Access to community care for people with dementia and their informal carers : Case vignettes for a European comparison of structures and common pathways to formal care

BACKGROUND

People with dementia and their informal carers often do not receive appropriate professional support or it is not received at the right time.

OBJECTIVES

Description and comparison of common pathways to formal community dementia care in eight European countries as a part of the transnational Actifcare project.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

The German team was responsible for creating an individual case scenario as a starting point. The research teams in Ireland, Italy, the Netherlands, Norway, Portugal, Sweden, and the United Kingdom were then asked to describe a common pathway to formal dementia care by writing their own vignette using the provided individual case scenario.

RESULTS

A transnational qualitative content analysis was used to identify the following categories as being the most important: involved professionals, dementia-specific and team-based approaches, proactive roles, and financial aspects. General practitioners (GPs) are described as being the most important profession supporting the access to formal care in all the involved countries. In some countries other professionals take over responsibility for the access procedure. Dementia-specific approaches are rarely part of standard care; team-based approaches have differing significances in each of the countries. Informal carers are mainly proactive in seeking formal care. The Nordic countries demonstrate how financial support enhances access to the professional system.

CONCLUSION

Enhanced cooperation between GPs and other professions might optimize access to formal dementia care. Team-based approaches focusing on dementia care should be developed further. Informal carers should be supported and relieved in their role. Financial barriers remain which should be further investigated and reduced.

[Impact of dementia on length of stay and costs in acute care hospitals]

BACKGROUND

The treatment of patients with dementia in acute care hospitals is becoming increasingly more important. The aim of this study was to investigate and demonstrate aspects of the healthcare situation and resource consumption of dementia patients during their hospital stay in a ward for internal medicine.

MATERIAL AND METHODS

Secondary data from a ward of internal medicine were analyzed on a retrospective and case-related basis. For 100 patients a diagnosis of dementia by a general practitioner before hospitalization was identified. The control group was selected by age and sex from the other patients in the ward (n = 100). The costs were calculated on the basis of the German diagnosis-related groups (G-DRG) flat rate case classification. The relationship between dementia, deviation from the average length of stay and costs was investigated under the control of comorbidities using multivariate regression analysis.

RESULTS

Patients with dementia had poorer health at admission with respect to functionality and orientation and a higher risk of falls and pressure ulcers. During hospitalization patients with dementia fell more frequently than patients without dementia (12 % versus 3 %, p = 0.029). Regarding the average length of stay, according to the G‑DRG catalogue patients with dementia stayed 1.4 days longer in hospital than patients without dementia and caused excess costs of 19 %.

CONCLUSION

Patients with dementia are a highly vulnerable patient group with a higher consumption of resources than patients without dementia. The results demonstrate the care-related and economic consequences, which the increasing number of patients with dementia could have in the future.

[Acceptance of dementia diagnostics by getriatric hospital patients : Comparison of various investigation methods with emphasis on FDG-PET imaging]

BACKGROUND

The number of people with dementia is continuously rising, in hospitals as well. For the diagnostics novel methods are available but the attitude of the patients to these methods is yet unknown.

OBJECTIVE

The aim of the study was to evaluatethe opinion of geriatric hospital patients with suspected dementia on the various possible methods of diagnosing dementia, especially fluorodeoxyglucose positron emission tomography (FDG-PET). Additionally, it was assessed if there are differences in toleration between imaging of the brain and conventional diagnostics by neuropsychological testing and if information on the diagnostic methods and the patient's physical or cognitive status influence their opinion.

METHOD

Within the framework of the iDSS001 clinical trial 90 geriatric hospital patients with suspected dementia were interviewed with respect to examinations performed for diagnosing dementia, e.g. anamnesis including physical and neurological examinations, neuropsychological testing, cerebrospinal fluid analysis, magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and FDG-PET imaging.

RESULTS

Imaging of the brain was tolerated less than anamnesis including physical and neurological examinations, neuropsychological testing and cerebrospinal fluid analysis and patients also felt they were less informed about these procedures. The generally well-accepted FDG-PET imaging procedure was received slightly better than MRI. Cognitively impaired and less depressed patients were less willing to allow repeat MRI examinations.

CONCLUSION

The results suggest that imaging of the brain is perceived by cognitively impaired hospital patients as being more burdensome than conventional diagnostics, such as neuropsychological testing. Improved care during the investigations as well as physical and organizational adjustments could increase the acceptance.

Geriatric patients with cognitive impairment

BACKGROUND

Hospitals are now faced with increasing numbers of cognitively impaired patients aged 80 and older who are at increased risk of treatment complications. This study concerns the outcomes when such patients are treated in a specialized ward for cognitive geriatric medicine.

METHODS

Observation of a cohort of 2084 patients from 2009 to 2014, supplemented by a sample of 380 patients from the hospital cohort of the Longitudinal Urban Cohort Ageing Study (LUCAS) for the years 2010 and 2011.

RESULTS

Geriatric inpatients with cognitive impairment tend to be multimorbid. Half of the patients studied (1031 of 2084 patients) were admitted to the hospital on an emergency basis. Complications arising on the ward that necessitated transfer elsewhere arose in 2.6% (51 of 2084 patients). Moreover, analysis of the sample of 380 patients from the LUCAS cohort revealed that the treatments they underwent during hospitalization were associated with an improvement of their functional state: their mean overall score on the Barthel index rose from 39.8 ± 24.3 (median, 35) on admission to 52.7 ± 27.0 (median, 55) on discharge. The percentage of patients being treated with 5 or more drugs fell from 98.2% (373/380) on admission to 79.3% (314/362) on discharge. The percentage receiving potentially inappropriate medications (PIM), as defined by the PRISCUS list, fell from 45% to 13.3%, while the percentage of drug orders and prescriptions involving PIM fell from 7.8 % (327/4181) to 2.0% (53/2600). 70% of the patients were discharged to the same living situation where they had been before admission.

CONCLUSION

In this study, structured geriatric treatment in a cohort of older acutely ill patients with cognitive impairment was associated with improvement of functions that are relevant to everyday life, as well as with a reduction of polypharmacy. Controlled studies are needed to confirm the observed benefit.