Hospital in the Nursing Home program reduces emergency department presentations and hospital admissions from residential aged care facilities in Queensland, Australia: a quasi-experimental study

摘要

There has been considerable publicity regarding population ageing and hospital emergency department (ED) overcrowding. Our study aims to investigate impact of one intervention piloted in Queensland Australia, the Hospital in the Nursing Home (HiNH) program, on reducing ED and hospital attendances from residential aged care facilities (RACFs). A quasi-experimental study was conducted at an intervention hospital undertaking the program and a control hospital with normal practice. Routine Queensland health information system data were extracted for analysis. Significant reductions in the number of ED presentations per 1000 RACF beds (rate ratio (95?% CI): 0.78 (0.67–0.92); p?=?0.002), number of hospital admissions per 1000 RACF beds (0.62 (0.50–0.76); p?