Integrated Health and Social Home Care Services in Catalonia: Professionals' Perception of its Implementation, Barriers, and Facilitators.

Introduction: This study aimed to assess the implementation of integrated social and health home care services (HCS) offered by the Government of Catalonia, and to identify the main barriers and facilitators of integrated HCS.

Methods: Analysis of the degree of implementation of integrated social and health HCS perceived by social care services (SCS) and primary health care centers (PHCs) between December 2020 and June 2021 in two phases. First, the perception of integration by social workers within SCS and PHCs was assessed using a screening questionnaire.

Characteristics and Service Utilization by Complex Chronic and Advanced Chronic Patients in Catalonia: A Retrospective Seven-Year Cohort-Based Study of an Implemented Chronic Care Program.

The Chronic Care Program introduced in Catalonia in 2011 focuses on improving the identification and management of complex chronic (CCPs) and advanced chronic patients (ACPs) by implementing an individualized care model. Its first stage is their identification based on chronicity, difficult clinical management (i.e.

Frailty degree and illness trajectories in older people towards the end-of-life: a prospective observational study.

Objectives: To assess the degree of frailty in older people with different advanced diseases and its relationship with end-of-life illness trajectories and survival.

Methods: Prospective, observational study, including all patients admitted to the Acute Geriatric Unit of the University Hospital of Vic (Spain) during 12 consecutive months (2014-2015), followed for up to 2 years. Participants were identified as end-of-life people (EOLp) using the NECPAL (, palliative care needs) tool and were classified according to their dominant illness trajectory.

What lies beneath: a retrospective, population-based cohort study investigating clinical and resource-use characteristics of institutionalized older people in Catalonia.

Background: Planning population care in a specific health care setting requires deep knowledge of the clinical characteristics of the target care recipients, which tend to be country specific. Our area virtually lacks any descriptive, far-reaching publications about institutionalized older people (IOP). We aimed to investigate the demographic and clinical characteristics of institutionalized older people (IOP) ≥65 years old and compare them with those of the rest of the population of the same age.

Clinical effectiveness of an intermediate care inpatient model based on integrated care pathways.

Aim: The aim of this study was to compare the clinical impact of two intermediate care pathways.

Methods: A prospective, uncontrolled before-after study was carried out to compare two non-synchronic intermediate care frameworks in Spain. Participants in the control group were transferred to the intermediate care center by hospital request, whereas those in the intervention group (Badalona Integrated Care Model [BICM]) were transferred based on a territory approach considering the assessment of an intermediate care team.

Determinants of health literacy in the general population: results of the Catalan health survey.

Background: Health Literacy (HL) is the knowledge and competence to access, understand, appraise, and apply health information for health judgment. We analyze for the first time HL level of Catalonia's population. Our objective was to assess HL of population in our area and to identify social determinants of HL in order to improve the strategies of the Healthcare Plan, aimed at establishing a person-centered system and reducing social inequalities in health.

Influence of hospital adverse events and previous diagnoses on hospital care cost of patients with hip fracture.

Unlabelled: Previous diagnoses of patients with hip fracture influence the hospitalization cost of these patients, either directly or by increasing the risk of in-hospital adverse events associated with increased costs.

Purpose: To investigate how previous diagnoses influence the occurrence of in-hospital adverse events and how both factors impact on hospital costs.

Methods: This is a retrospective analysis of the hospital Minimum Basic Data Set.

Effectiveness of a Hospital-at-Home Integrated Care Program as Alternative Resource for Medical Crises Care in Older Adults With Complex Chronic Conditions.

Objectives: To compare clinical outcomes in older patients with acute medical crises attended by a geriatrician-led home hospitalization unit (HHU) vs an inpatient intermediate-care geriatric unit (ICGU) in a post-acute care setting.

Design: Quasi-experimental longitudinal study, with 30-day follow-up.

Participants: Older patients with chronic conditions attended at the emergency department or day hospital for an acute medical crisis.

Does the presence of pressure ulcers entail "high risk of negative outcomes" in geriatric rehabilitation? Results from a retrospective cohort study.

Aim: A retrospective cohort study was performed in order to evaluate the prevalence of pressure ulcers (PrUs) in older patients admitted to a geriatric rehabilitation unit of a postacute care hospital and to investigate the impact of the presence of PrUs on clinical outcomes of the rehabilitation process.

Methods: We studied 668 post-acute patients consecutively attended, from January 2010 to December 2011. The effect of having PrUs at admission was evaluated based on its impact on outcomes: final destination, functional status, mortality and length of stay in the rehabilitation unit.

Hospital-at-home Integrated Care Programme for the management of disabling health crises in older patients: comparison with bed-based Intermediate Care.

Objective: to analyse the clinical impact of a home-based Intermediate Care model in the Catalan health system, comparing it with usual bed-based care.

Design: quasi-experimental longitudinal study.

Setting: hospital Municipal de Badalona and El Carme Intermediate Care Hospital, Badalona, Catalonia, Spain.

Hospital-at-home Integrated Care Program for Older Patients With Orthopedic Processes: An Efficient Alternative to Usual Hospital-Based Care.

Objective: To compare outcomes and costs for patients with orthogeriatric conditions in a home-based integrated care program versus conventional hospital-based care.

Design: Quasi-experimental longitudinal study.

Setting: An acute care hospital, an intermediate care hospital, and the community of an urban area in the North of Barcelona, in Southern Europe.

[New integrated care model for older people admitted to Intermediate Care Units in Catalonia: A quasi-experimental study protocol].

Objective: To evaluate the clinical effectiveness of an intermediate care model based on a system of care focused on integrated care pathways compared to the traditional model of geriatric care (usual care) in Catalonia.

Patients And Methods: The design is a quasi-experimental pre-post non-randomised study with non-synchronous control group. The intervention consists of the development and implementation of integrated care pathways and the creation of specialised interdisciplinary teams in each of the processes.

Hospital-at-home integrated care programme for older patients with orthopaedic conditions: Early community reintegration maximising physical function.

Objective: Older citizens with orthopaedic conditions need specialised care for the facilitation of early community reintegration and restitution of physical function. We introduced a new community care programme as an alternative to usual hospital rehabilitation for orthopaedic patients.

Study Design: This was an observational study of a cohort of older orthopaedic patients attending a hospital-at-home integrated care programme (HHU), compared with a contemporary cohort of users of a geriatric rehabilitation unit (GRU) in the urban area of Badalona, Catalonia, Spain.