Resumen

Background: With the global population aging, the incidence of hip fractures (HFs) in elderly individuals presents a significant public health challenge due to associated morbidity, mortality, and health-care costs. Objective: This study aimed to evaluate the impact of implementing an Orthogeriatric Unit (OU) at Hospital de la Policia No. 1 Quito (HPNQ1) on patient care and outcomes. It compared hospital care indicators, and sociodemographic, clinical, and geriatric variables before and after the OU’s establishment. Methods: An observational, retrospective analysis was conducted on 77 patients aged 65 and older admitted with HFs from 2012 to 2017. Patients were divided into two groups: those treated before and those treated after the OGU’s establishment in March 2015. Data on demographic variables, health conditions, functionality (using the Barthel Index), hospitalization length, mortality, and associated costs were collected and analyzed. Information was obtained from the clinical history, and confidentiality measures were used to handle information according to bioethics principles. Results: The study found no significant difference in the average age and gender distribution between the groups. While most patients exhibited mild dependency in daily activities, the OGU managed a higher proportion of patients with total dependency. Although the OU had lower mortality rates, this did not reach statistical significance. The length of hospitalization was significantly reduced in the OU group, indicating a more efficient treatment and recovery process despite a higher median cost. Before creating the OU, the hospital indicators showed an average stay of 11 days. After the implementation of the unit, this was reduced to an average of only 7 days. Cost decreased by 30% ($13588.22 vs. $9814.04, before and after implementing an OU, respectively). Conclusion: The establishment of the OU at HPNQ1 contributed to more efficient management of elderly patients with HFs, as evidenced by reduced hospitalization lengths. These findings support the potential benefits of OGUs in improving healthcare processes and outcomes for this vulnerable population despite the higher associated costs. Further research is warranted to explore the long-term impacts of OGUs on patient functionality and mortality rates.

Palabras clave: Geriatrics orthogeriatric hip fracture hospital indicators ecuadorian elderly

2024-06-18   |   101 visitas   |   Evalua este artículo 0 valoraciones

Vol. 10 Núm.1. Enero-Junio 2024 Pags. 019-026 J Lat Am Geriatric Med 2024; 10(1)