Outpatient care--the role of the emergency department.
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This article presents the findings of a study that arose out of the desire by the Allied Health Professionals (AHP) at the Mater Hospital, Brisbane, to better understand the needs of their clients in order to be able to offer a more effective and appropriate service. A questionnaire designed specifically to explore the needs of patients and their families for AHP services was administered to consecutive patients (n = 62) attending the Mater out-patient oncology clinic during one month. The findings provide a wealth of practical information for AHPs to use in planning for the effective utilisation of their services, as well as fresh insights into a number of theoretical issues that need further research.
Differences among treatment facilities in effectiveness of intensive psychiatric community care (IPCC) for reducing hospital dependence are examined. Experimental data from nine VA hospitals showed IPCC to be most effective where former orientation to inpatient care was changing to improved accessibility of outpatient services. These hospitals appeared to have the greatest need for community care programs and to be most committed to shifting their system of service delivery.
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BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: Much controversy exists over the value of geriatric day hospitals in the rehabilitation of elderly patients, and cerebrovascular accident is a particularly common diagnosis among patients referred to these day hospitals. We carried out a prospective, randomized study to compare the outcomes of elderly stroke patients managed by a geriatric team using a day hospital facility versus conventional medical management. METHODS: One hundred twenty elderly patients with acute stroke were randomized to inpatient care on a stroke ward under the care of either a neurologist or a geriatric team. Those under the care of neurologists were hospitalized until the attending physician felt that the patients had reached full rehabilitation potential. Patients under the care of the geriatric team were discharged home as soon as the team felt they were able to cope and given follow-up rehabilitation at the day hospital. Family or community support was arranged when necessary for both treatment groups. On recruitment, patient demographics, medical history, clinical features related to stroke, and functional ability as measured by the Barthel Index were noted. Subjects were reviewed at 3 and 6 months to assess functional level, hospital and outpatient services received, general well-being, mood, and level of satisfaction. Costs of treatment of the two groups were also compared. RESULTS: Functional improvement (Barthel Index score) was greater in the group managed by the geriatricians with a day hospital facility compared with the conventional group at 3 months (P = .03). There were also fewer outpatient visits among the day hospital patients at 6 months (P = .03). No significant difference was found in costs between the two treatment groups. CONCLUSIONS: Compared with conventional medical management, care in the geriatric day hospital hastened functional recovery and reduced outpatient visits in elderly stroke patients without additional cost.
OBJECTIVE: To determine total direct costs-of-illness and to study the influence of different factors affecting these costs. In addition, we examined each type of service (e.g., hospitalization, outpatient care, prescription drugs, physician encounters, and laboratory tests) for diabetic Medicaid patients to provide evidence about the relationship between diabetic patients' healthcare utilization and their related predictors. PATIENTS AND METHODS: A total of 7931 patients with diabetes who were 65 years or younger in the Alabama Medicaid program from 1992 to 1995 were studied. Using a relational database created from Medicaid claims, multiple regression and canonical correlation methods were used to analyze the patients' direct costs-of-illness, including the costs associated with each healthcare service used by each patient. RESULTS: The costs of hospitalization, outpatient care, prescription drugs, and physician encounters were the four largest components of the direct costs-of-illness for diabetic Medicaid patients, comprising 29.9%, 21.3%, 28.2%, and 14.3%, respectively. After controlling for other factors in an empiric model, the direct costs-of-illness for a patient with insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus was $5160 higher than for a patient with noninsulin-dependent diabetes mellitus during the 3-year study. The cost for a patient with renal dysfunction was $59,920 higher than for other diabetic patients. Each increase in the number of different prescribing physicians per patient was associated with a cost increase of $450. Each additional comorbidity increased the cost by $735 per patient. The cost for a male patient was $2140 higher than that for a female patient, and the cost for a white patient was $1330 higher than that for a non-white patient. For a patient who relied on diet to control diabetes, there were $2750 less in costs compared with other patients during the study period. More than 20% of the variability in patients' healthcare utilization costs was explained by the set of predictive factors. CONCLUSIONS: The direct costs-of-illness and healthcare utilization for Medicaid diabetic patients were significantly accounted for by the number of comorbidities, the number of different physicians visited, insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus, and complications (especially renal dysfunction). Patients who relied on dietary therapy and exercise to control their diabetes had lower healthcare costs and utilization than other patients. A significant amount of healthcare costs and utilization might be controlled or reduced if diabetes disease management can successfully be aimed at preventing diabetic complications, controlling comorbidities, and minimizing the number of different physicians visited.
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Small general hospitals can adapt to changing demands in a number of ways. These include expanding day-case work and increasing outpatient services. Small hospitals could concentrate on elective surgery, or provide a full surgical service for a limited time each week, such as three days. Small ex-general hospitals could be used to provide rehabilitation services and beds for patients who do not need to be looked after in an acute hospital.
OBJECTIVE: To describe the health situation in municipalities in the state of Santa Catarina, Brazil, in 1996, and to investigate how that correlated with federal health spending in 1997. METHODS: Multiple regression analysis was used to investigate the association between federal health care funding and proportional mortality, supply of health services (hospitals and outpatient clinics), and the municipality's population (number of inhabitants). Also investigated was the association between mortality from broad groups of causes and socioeconomic structure, supply of health services, and the municipality's population. RESULTS: The multiple regression analysis showed an association between proportional mortality due to: 1) infectious diseases and: infant mortality, number of non-doctor medical professionals per 10,000 inhabitants, and number of physicians per 10,000 inhabitants (negative association); 2) chronic degenerative diseases and: percentage of individuals 60 years and older, infant mortality (negative association), and number of non-doctor medical professionals per 10,000 inhabitants (negative association); and 3) external causes of death and: the municipality's population, number of hospitals per 10,000 inhabitants (negative association), and percentage of children younger than 1 year. Health spending per inhabitant in 1997 was mainly associated with the municipality's population, number of outpatient clinics per 10,000 inhabitants, Swaroop and Uemura mortality rate, and deaths due to chronic degenerative diseases in 1996. CONCLUSIONS: Municipalities with a better morbidity and mortality profile and a better health services structure received more federal health care resources. To improve this situation, special strategies should be considered in order to ensure additional resources for municipalities that have poorer health indicators.
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Tax issues related to sales of medications to outpatients by pharmacies in nonprofit hospitals are described. Hospitals are increasing their emphasis on development of ambulatory-care programs. Two aspects of the tax implications of such services are (1) whether revenue from sales of medications to ambulatory patients constitutes "unrelated business income" for the nonprofit hospital and thus is taxable and (2) whether engaging in dispensing of medications to ambulatory patients might jeopardize the tax-exempt status of the hospital. Various rulings from the Internal Revenue Service and court cases are reviewed. Sales of medications to members of the general public who are unrelated to the hospital are taxable. Sales of medications for the convenience of hospital patients, and irregular and intermittent sales to the public by a pharmacy that normally serves only "patients," are tax exempt. Sales of medications to the public probably do not jeopardize the tax-exempt status of a hospital so long as the primary purpose of the hospital is consistent with permissible tax-exempt purposes.
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