Introduction: Hospital at home (HAH) is growing apace in the United Kingdom, offering hospital-delivered treatments at home. In parallel, increasingly structured alternative training pathways are being created to enable doctors to train outside of formal specialty training programmes. With a need to train doctors to work in community settings, a HAH rotation within a locally developed internal medicine training (IMT) programme at one large NHS Foundation Trust was evaluated. Method: A questionnaire was designed to review the alignment of HAH rotation experience with the IMT curriculum and its
Background: Delirium is a common and reversible neurobehavioral condition with significant morbidity and mortality ramifications for older patients. Consequentially, clear guidelines exist pertaining to its swift identification and management. However, studies suggest that adherence to these guidelines are poor. This audit aimed to evaluate compliance to the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence’s (NICE) delirium guidelines in an Acute Senior Health Unit (ASHU) and to present a single centre experience of a low-cost ward-based intervention for improving delirium guideline adherence
Introduction: Navigating dementia care is challenging, but patient navigation (PN) offers valuable support for this population. The "Navigating Dementia NB / Naviguer la démence NB" program piloted a PN program in New Brunswick, Canada, targeting people living with dementia (PLWD) and their carers. The program aimed to assist participants in navigating health and social care systems, matching their needs with available services. Methods: Navigating Dementia NB was co-developed by researchers, patient partners, and clinicians. This pilot program embedded six PNs in primary care clinics/centers
Introduction: Receiving a dementia diagnosis can be overwhelming for persons living with dementia (PLWD) and their carers. Accessing information and home supports can be challenging. Having access to a Patient Navigation (PN) program is one way that may assist PLWD and their carers. Methods: This study used a mixed methods design and involved the implementation of a Patient Navigation (PN) program in 6 primary care settings in New Brunswick, Canada, between July 2022-July 2023. PLWD/carers living in their own homes were eligible to enroll. Results: There were 150 PLWD with a mean age of 76.77
Introduction: Orthostatic Hypotension is a significant cause of falls leading to injury and morbidity in elderly population. In an online survey by Royal College of Physicians (RCP) 271 out of 316 clinicians routinely performed these measurements and there were significant variations in how lying and standing BP is performed. This could have adverse effects on detection rates and accuracy of the procedure resulting in misdiagnosis. As a result, RCP has released guidance on L/S BP2 measurements in view of standardising practice and improving accuracy. The purpose of this QIP is to improve how L
1. Introduction Both increased frailty and multi-morbidity are independently associated with high mortality and increased risk for nursing home placement. There is limited data on the best ways of assessing frailty and complex comorbidities to guide patient selection for rehabilitation. It is important we do not deprive an individual of the chance of inpatient rehabilitation, but this needs to be balanced with potential poor outcomes at one year due to frailty and comorbidities. 2. Method Data was collated retrospectively on all discharged patients over a 90-day period from May to July 2023. A
In 2022 we had a unique opportunity to develop a Geriatric service in Totnes Community Hospital after a long-standing GP led service provision ended. Given the fact that the majority of patients in the Community Hospitals were over the age of 65 and many had multiple co-morbidities or presented with a frailty syndrome, it was felt that the Geriatric department was the most suitable specialty to take over the service provision. Method Over a period of 12 months, we have gradually introduced key aspects from the Comprehensive Geriatric Assessment (CGA) to the care of our patients. Every new
Background Osteoporosis is a global health concern that is likely to increase with a rapidly ageing world population. It affects one in three women and one in five men over the age of 50. Although there is a large body of qualitative research exploring the experience of living with osteoporosis, far fewer studies have focused on men. We aim to explore the meaning making processes of men with osteoporosis. Methods We interviewed 13 White British men aged 63 to 94 with an osteoporotic vertebral fracture We used the six stages of reflexive thematic analysis: familiarisation with the data; coding
Introduction: Frailty significantly affects outcomes like length of stay and readmissions in elderly patients. At Queen Alexandra Hospital, inpatients under 85 are under the care of General Internal Medicine (GIM) wards and they lack regular access to frailty services. This baseline audit evaluated frailty assessment, management practices and patient outcomes, implementing staff education, ward posters, and a frailty Multidisciplinary Team (MDT) between cycles. Methods: Data were retrospectively collected from three GIM wards over two cycles—January and August 2024. Eligibility criteria
Background The Comprehensive Geriatric Assessment (CGA) is a multidimensional interdisciplinary tool, designed to promote holistic care of elderly patients and provide a framework for intervention. There is evidence that the CGA reduces mortality and slows progression of frailty. Performing such interventions in the acute setting can be complex and time-consuming. Introduction The Older Person’s Assessment Unit (OPAU) at Weston General Hospital allows early identification of frailty and prompt intervention. We aimed to promote elements of the CGA by providing a tool for utilisation throughout
Introduction: The geriatric population has a high incidence of dementia, delirium and frailty meaning often these patients cannot give comprehensive histories themselves. We are left with missing pieces of the puzzle; we might not know their ‘normal’ and frequently ask: ‘Are they always like this?’. A collateral history becomes a valuable tool, contributing to a Comprehensive Geriatric Assessment and assisting the whole MDT to make informed decisions for patient-centred care. The primary aim of this project was to improve the quality of collateral histories taken for patients admitted to the
Background: This project is based in the geriatric department of Wye Valley NHS trust which serves Herefordshire and mid-Powys. Introduction : In frail, older patients, cardiopulmonary(CPR) resuscitation has low rates of success. Lack of appropriately completed ReSPECT forms leads to futile attempts of CPR, repeated readmissions and patient harm. This project aims to improve patient centred advance care planning (ACP), and the quality of their documentation in the ‘clinician recommendations’ section in ReSPECT forms through development of new educational tools. Methods: The Supportive and
Introduction: Delirium is a common and reversible neurobehavioral condition with significant morbidity and mortality ramifications. Consequentially, clear guidelines exist pertaining to its swift identification and management. However, studies suggest adherence to these guidelines is poor. This audit evaluates compliance to the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence’s (NICE) delirium guidelines in an Acute Senior Health Unit (ASHU) and presents a single centre experience of low-cost ward-based interventions for improving guideline adherence. Methods: A retrospective observational
Background: NICE Quality Standard (QS) 164 – QS1 states; Adults with Parkinson's have a point of contact with specialist services. This will facilitate continuity of care and access to information, advice, care and support when they need it. QS4 states; Adults with Parkinson's disease in hospital or a care home should take levodopa within 30 minutes of their individually prescribed administration time. Introduction: To increase opportunities in meeting NICE QS’s consistently, Parkinson’s Specialist Nurses introduced Parkinson’s Champions. Individual studies consistently find that champions are
Introduction In older adults, anticholinergic burden (ACB) is associated with serious adverse effects including delirium, falls, functional decline, cognitive decline and death. We carried out a quality improvement project in a geriatric ward, aiming to reduce the percentage of older adults with high ACB scores on discharge by 15% from a baseline of 48% over a period of 3 months. Method A pre-interventional analysis of all patients discharged from a single acute geriatric ward in Changi General Hospital was performed. A pre-intervention survey was conducted to assess awareness among physicians
Introduction: It is expected that by the fourth decade of the 21st century, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) will become the third leading cause of death worldwide. These data require awareness among treating physicians of these patients. Material and Methods: A pilot study was conducted from January 2020 - December 2022 in a South American health institution in which cardiovascular risk was estimated using GLOBORISK and ATP-III criteria. Data derived from the metabolic profile included in the ATP-III criteria were collected. Quantitative variables are presented as mean ± standard
Introduction: Older adults are at increased risks of drug-related problems, contributed by increasing incidence of multimorbidity with age, and the consequent polypharmacy. We aim to investigate the drug classes associated with 30-day readmissions in hospitalised older adults. Method: We prospectively studied patients aged 65 years and above admitted to a general medical department in Sengkang General Hospital, Singapore, between October 2018 and January 2020. Medication lists were obtained from electronic medical records at admission. Unplanned readmission within 30 days of discharge was
Background This quality improvement (QI) work was done at the South Edinburgh Parkinson’s clinic. Introduction Idiopathic Parkinson’s disease (IPD) is a secondary risk factor for osteoporosis (Torsney KM et al. Journal Neurology Neurosurgery Psychiatry 2014; 85: 1159–1166). The 2022 UK Parkinson’s audit highlighted bone health as an area of QI for IPD ( www.Parkinsons.org.uk). Methods A Plan-Do-Study-Act (PDSA) structure was adopted and project charter created. Baseline data was collected from 20 patients attending the IPD clinic between June- September 2023, reviewing details of assessments
Introduction: Delirium, an acute neuropsychiatric syndrome, affects one in four hospitalised older adults. Effective management requires timely detection using validated tools and a structured approach to causes and sequelae. There is limited evidence on contextual factors surrounding assessment tool implementation and delirium management. The primary aim of this study was to describe the use of validated delirium assessment tools across Scotland, with a secondary aim of describing protocols for delirium management and barriers to implementation. Methods: This was a secondary analysis of
Background Older people account for >40% of acute hospital admissions. Delivering alternatives to hospital admission and community-integrated care closer to home are increasing priorities. We aimed to develop an Emergency Department (ED) Frailty MDT to provide rapid assessment, early Comprehensive Geriatric Assessment (CGA), and reduce inpatient admission rates for frail older people. Methods From November 2023 to April 2024, a newly formed Royal Infirmary of Edinburgh ED Frailty team delivered CGA for older adults aged ≥75 (≥65 if care home resident) with Clinical Frailty Scores ≥5 in the ED