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Collaboration of geriatricians, surgeons can improve geriatric quality-of-care
The collaboration of geriatricians and surgeons can help improve geriatric quality-of-care for older trauma patients, according to study results.
Lillian Min
Using 33 previously-validated care-process quality indicators from the Assessing the Care of Vulnerable Elders study, researchers reviewed the medical records of 76 geriatric consults and 71 control group patients to measure quality of care (QOC) before and after implementation of the geriatric consult-based intervention.
The researchers aggregated quality indicators by geriatric vs. non-geriatric condition-based care and compared quality indicator scores by type of care. Quality indicator scores were also aggregated into overall, geriatric and non-geriatric QOC scores for each patient, and patient-level QOC was compared for the geriatric consult vs. the control group, adjusting for age, gender, ethnicity, comorbidity and injury severity.
Results showed 63% of the geriatric consult group received a geriatric consultation vs. 11% of the control group. Overall, the researchers evaluated 2,505 quality indicators and found fewer geriatric-type quality indicators were passed vs. non-geriatric quality indicators.
Although better overall-QOC was provided to the geriatric consult group vs. the control group, the difference was not statistically significant after multivariable adjustment, according to the researchers.
The researchers improved geriatric-QOC for the geriatric consult group vs. the control group with a difference that was considered statistically significant after multivariable adjustment. – by Casey Tingle
Disclosure: The researchers report no relevant financial disclosures.