Effect of single follow-up home visit on readmission in a group of frail elderly patients - a Danish randomized clinical trial.

Background: Unplanned hospital admissions are costly and prevention of these has been a focus for research for decades. With this study we aimed to determine whether discharge planning including a single follow-up home visit reduces readmission rate. The intervention is not representing a new method but contributes to the evidence concerning intensity of the intervention in this patient group.

[Potentially preventable deaths in a medium sized community hospital].

Introduction: The purpose of this study was to estimate the occurrence and causes of potentially preventable deaths at a medium sized community hospital.

Materials And Methods: A review of a consecutive series of records of 48 deceased patients (age 58-98 years, median 81 years, 40% males) was conducted by four observers, followed by a consensus conference in which the deaths were classified as potentially preventable according to a checklist, focusing on the occurrence of adverse events or failure to comply with evidence-based procedures.

Results: 10 of the 48 deaths were considered potentially preventable; in two cases the potential was considered significant, but the age and underlying diseases of the patients suggest that the potential number of saved life years is modest.

[Appropriate use of hospital days in medical wards].

Introduction: This study evaluated the incidence of inappropriate use of bed days in Danish medical wards using the European Appropriateness Evaluation Protocol (AEP). Several European countries have used the AEP to assess the appropriateness of hospitalisation days.

Materials And Methods: The study was carried out in four Danish medical wards from October 2004 to January 2005.

[Measurement of lung function in patients admitted to hospital with acute exacerbation of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease or asthma].

Introduction: Acute exacerbation of COPD or asthma leads to many acute hospital admissions every year. Even though the pathogenesis of these diseases differs, in both cases the cardinal manifestation is increased airway obstruction, which can be measured using peak expiratory flow measurement (PEF) or measurement of forced expiratory volume in one second (FEV1).

Materials And Methods: In this paper we report on findings from the third examination of the project "The Good Medical Department", in which we investigated the prevalence of PEF and FEV1 measurements in patients admitted acutely because of exacerbation of asthma or COPD.

[Patient-experienced quality assessed in two national surveys].

Introduction: Surveys of patients' experiences can be used for other purposes than to disclose patients' overall satisfaction. They can, for example, also be used to select focus areas in the health care sector. In this article two large national surveys of patient-experienced quality are compared.

[Structured documentation of patients' medical records. A new record structure for emergency admissions is coming].

Introduction: In recent years a range of efforts to shorten the length of stay (LOS) for patients admitted to hospitals has been tested. Some studies indicate that this might be accomplished by rigorous planning of patient pathways and structured documentation of medical records. In this study the effect of a structured case record model was tested.

Repeated measurements of generic indicators: a Danish national program to benchmark and improve quality of care.

Objective: To measure performance on the basis of generic (non-diagnoses related) standards of care developed in a national Danish quality improvement programme in departments of internal medicine, and to determine the power of repetitive national audits to increase levels of performance.

Design: Multifaceted intervention: national audits in 2001 and 2002 based on the standards of the program, combined with direct contact with heads of departments and a national conference to discuss audit results.

Setting: Seventy-nine and 82 wards in 2001 and 2002, respectively, covering 71% of Danish hospitals receiving medical emergencies.