Implementation of geriatric care models in Europe (imAGE.eu): a cross-sectional survey in eight countries

• Published in: European Geriatric Medicine
• Main Authors: Deschodt, Mieke, Boland, Benoit, Lund, Cecilia M., Saks, Kai, Velonaki, Venetia-Sofia, Samuelsson, Olafur, Kennelly, Sean, Vassallo, Mark Anthony, Veninšek, Gregor, Flamaing, Johan
• Other Authors: 1 Univ Leuven, KU Leuven, Dept Chron Dis Metab & Ageing, Gerontol & Geriatr, Herestr 49, B-3000 Leuven, Belgium Show more 2 Univ Basel, Dept Publ Hlth, Nursing Sci, Bernoullistr 28, CH-4056 Basel, Switzerland Show more 3 UCLouvain, Clin Univ St Luc, Geriatr Med, Louvain La Neuve, Belgium 4 UCLouvain, Res Inst Hlth & Soc, Louvain La Neuve, Belgium Show more 5 Copenhagen Univ Hosp, Danish Geriatr Soc, Herlev Ringvej 75, DK-2730 Herlev, Denmark Show more 6 Copenhagen Univ Hosp, Herlev & Gentofte, Herlev Ringvej 75, DK-2730 Herlev, Denmark 7 Estonian Assoc Gerontol & Geriatr EGGA, Puusepa 8,L6027, EE-51014 Tartu, Estonia Show more 8 Univ Tartu, Puusepa 8,L6027, EE-51014 Tartu, Estonia 9 HAGG, Kaniggos 23, Athens 10677, Greece 10 Iceland Geriatr Soc, Hringbraut 101, Reykjavik, Iceland Show more 11 Landspitali Univ Hosp, Hringbraut 101, Reykjavik, Iceland 12 Tallaght Univ Hosp, Irish Soc Phys Geriatr Med, Dublin, Ireland 13 Tallaght Univ Hosp, Dept Age Related Healthcare, Dublin, Ireland 14 Rehabil Hosp Karin Grech, Geriatr Med Soc Malta & Telghet Gmangia, Pieta, Malta Show more 15 Univ Med Ctr Ljubljana, Slovene Geriatr Med Soc, Vodnikova 62, Ljubljana 1000, Slovenia Show more 16 Univ Med Ctr Ljubljana, Div Internal Med, Geriatr Med Unit, Vodnikova 62, Ljubljana 1000, Slovenia Show more 17 Univ Hosp Leuven, Belgian Soc Gerontol & Geriatr, Herestr 49, B-3000 Louvain, Belgium Show more 18 Univ Hosp Leuven, Dept Geriatr Med, Herestr 49, B-3000 Louvain, Belgium
• Format: Article in Journal/Newspaper
• Language: English
• Published: Springer 2019
• Subjects: Öldrunarmat; Öldrunarþjónusta; Geriatric Assessment; Health Services for the Aged; Europe; Iceland
• Online Access: http://hdl.handle.net/2336/620776; https://doi.org/10.1007/s41999-018-0107-6

To access publisher's full text version of this article click on the hyperlink below Purpose Despite the beneficial impact of comprehensive geriatric assessment (CGA) for older patients in the hospital, it is not clear to what extent these models have been implemented in European hospitals. This study aims to map the implementation status of CGA-based models of care in general hospitals in Europe. Methods A cross-sectional survey study was conducted in autumn 2017 to map the implementation status of CGA-based care models in general hospitals (n = 178) in Belgium, Denmark, Estonia, Greece, Iceland, Ireland, Malta, and Slovenia. Results Acute geriatric units are implemented in all of the Belgian and the majority of Danish hospitals, but are scarce in Malta, Estonia, Slovenia and Greece. Geriatric rehabilitation units are most common in Ireland (63.6%) and Iceland (75%). In-hospital multidisciplinary geriatric consultation teams are widely implemented in Belgium (100%), Ireland (72.7%) and Denmark (59.1%), but are rare in Malta, Iceland, Estonia and Greece. Transitional care programs to ensure continuity of care after discharge are present in 60.1% of all hospitals. The intention to implement any of these care models in the next 5 years ranges from 10.3 to 25.4% and is the highest for co-management (36.5%), systematic screening of ED patients (36.2%) and transitional care programs (29.6%). Conclusions A great variety in the implementation of CGA-based care models was observed among the surveyed EU countries with the uptake being the highest in Belgium, Denmark and Ireland. A supportive legislative framework and a residency training in geriatrics favor the implementation of the geriatric care models. Gerontology and Geriatrics research unit of the University of Leuven in Belgium