Geriatric follow-up by home visits after discharge from hospital: a randomized controlled trial

Abstract

The aim of this prospective, randomized and controlled trial was to carry out and evaluate a model for follow-up by home visits after discharge from hospital of persons aged 75 years or more. The trial was a feasibility study in which hospital staff, district nurses, and general practitioners already working within the hospital and the primary health sector participated, with changes in the usual organization. On the day after their discharge from hospital, 163 patients were visited in their homes by the district nurse. Two weeks later, they were evaluated at home by their general practitioner. For 181 control patients, discharge took place according to the usual procedures. Endpoints were evaluated one year after discharge. Significantly more patients from the control group had been admitted to nursing homes as compared with the trial group (25/10, p < 0.05); the control patients stayed 2700 days at institutions, the trial group 1950 days. It is proposed that this simple and practicable follow-up routine be introduced in connection with discharge of elderly persons from hospital.