Structured decision support to prevent hospitalisations of community-dwelling older adults in Denmark (PATINA): an open-label, stepped-wedge, cluster-randomised controlled trial.

Background: Ageing populations and health-care staff shortages encourage efforts in primary care to recognise and prevent health deterioration and acute hospitalisation in community-dwelling older adults. The PATINA algorithm and decision-support tool alerts home-based-care nurses to older adults at risk of hospitalisation. The study aim was to test whether use of the PATINA tool was associated with changes in health-care use.

Conceptual framework for acute community health care services - Illustrated by assessing the development of services in Denmark.

Acute community health care services can support continuity of care by acting as a bridge between the primary and secondary health care sectors in the early detection of acute disease and provision of treatment and care. Although acute community health care services are a political priority in many countries, the literature on their organization and effect is limited. We present a conceptual framework for describing acute community health care services that can be used to support the policies and guidelines for such services.

Prognosis for older people at presentation to emergency department based on frailty and aggregated vital signs.

Background: Risk stratification for older people based on aggregated vital signs lack the accuracy to predict mortality at presentation to the Emergency Department (ED). We aimed to develop and internally validate the Frailty adjusted Prognosis in ED tool (FaP-ED) for 30-day mortality combining frailty and aggregated vital signs.

Methods: Single-center prospective cohort of undifferentiated ED patients aged 65 or older, consecutively sampled upon ED presentation from a tertiary Emergency Center.

Biomarkers as point-of-care tests to guide prescription of antibiotics in people with acute respiratory infections in primary care.

Background: Acute respiratory infections (ARIs) are by far the most common reason for prescribing an antibiotic in primary care, even though the majority of ARIs are of viral or non-severe bacterial aetiology. It follows that in many cases antibiotic use will not be beneficial to a patient's recovery but may expose them to potential side effects. Furthermore, limiting unnecessary antibiotic use is a key factor in controlling antibiotic resistance.

Does geriatric follow-up visits reduce hospital readmission among older patients discharged to temporary care at a skilled nursing facility: a before-and-after cohort study.

Introduction: Hospital readmission is a burden to patients, relatives and society. Older patients with frailty are at highest risk of readmission and its negative outcomes.

Objective: We aimed at examining whether follow-up visits by an outgoing multidisciplinary geriatric team (OGT) reduces unplanned hospital readmission in patients discharged to a skilled nursing facility (SNF).

Translation of the updated clinical frailty scale 2.0 into Danish and implications for cross-sectoral reliability.

The Clinical Frailty Scale, which provides a common language about frailty, was recently updated to version 2.0 to cater for its increased use in areas of medicine usually involved in the care and treatment of older patients. We have previously translated the Clinical Frailty Scale 1.

Prevention of AcuTe admIssioN algorithm (PATINA): study protocol of a stepped wedge randomized controlled trial.

Background: The challenges imposed by ageing populations will confront health care systems in the years to come. Hospital owners are concerned about the increasing number of acute admissions of older citizens and preventive measures such as integrated care models have been introduced in primary care. Yet, acute admission can be appropriate and lifesaving, but may also in itself lead to adverse health outcome, such as patient anxiety, functional loss and hospital-acquired infections.

Cross-sectoral inter-rater reliability of the clinical frailty scale - a Danish translation and validation study.

Background: Focus on frailty status has become increasingly important when determining care plans within and across health care sectors. A standardized frailty measure applicable for both primary and secondary health care sectors is needed to provide a common reference point. The aim of this study was to translate the Clinical Frailty Scale (CFS) into Danish (CFS-DK) and test inter-rater reliability for key health care professionals in the primary and secondary sectors using the CFS-DK.

User Fees in General Practice: Willingness to Pay and Potential Substitution Patterns-Results from a Danish GP Patient Survey.

Background: Increases in public expenditures to general practitioner (GP) services and specialist care have spurred debate over whether to implement user fees for healthcare services such as GP consultations in Denmark.

Objective: The objective of this study was to examine Danish patients' attitudes towards user fees and their willingness to pay (WTP) for a consultation, and to investigate how user charges may impact patients' behaviour.

Methods: A questionnaire survey was conducted in a GP clinic.

How to measure energy and protein intake in a geriatric department - A comparison of three visual methods.

Background & Aims: Sufficient energy and protein intake are essential to treatment and recovery of hospitalized older adults. The food intake should be assessed in order to detect patients in need of nutritional intervention. The aim of this study was to compare the accuracy of three visual methods for assessing energy and protein intake as compared to weighing food items.

Stroke Risk Perception in Atrial Fibrillation Patients is not Associated with Clinical Stroke Risk.

Background: Clinical risk stratification models, such as the CHA2DS2-VASc, are used to assess stroke risk in atrial fibrillation (AF) patients. No study has yet investigated whether and to which extent these patients have a realistic perception of their personal stroke risk. The purpose of this study was to investigate and describe the association between AF patients' stroke risk perception and clinical stroke risk.