Physikalische Medizin, Rehabilitationsmedizin, Kurortmedizin 2012; 22 - A2
DOI: 10.1055/s-0032-1327043

Department for acute geriatric and remobilisation under the direction of a specialist of physical medicine and rehabilitation; a randomized clinical trial

C Angleitner 1, P Heise 1, P Golmayer 1, S Traussnigg 1, I Reiter 1
  • 1Institut für PM+R am KH Ried, Ried

Introduction and aims of the study: In Austria the first and unfortunately still the only Department for Acute Geriatric and Remobilisation under the guidance of a specialist in physical medicine and rehabilitation was launched in May 2006. Currently the department is made up of 20 beds. The care for hospitalized patients takes place around the clock by a team consisting of six specialists who show them responsible for the on-call duties. The average workload at the department in 2011 was more than 96%, the average age of patients was 79,74 years and the average durance of stay 17.9 days.

Purpose: Is it possible to reach for all patients no matter from witch department they come from the same therapeutic progress in outcome?

Methods: The retrospective study includes all the patients from 2011 witch we took over from the neurologic, traumotologic, orthopedic and internal/cardiological departments. The development was measured with the FIM (functional independence measure). The FIM was taken inside 72 hours after take over and was controlled 48 hours before discharge.

Results: the study includes 355 patients. 96 neurological patients with an average age of 79,24 years, an average stay of 21,67 days and an average fim development from 73 to 93 points, 93 traumatologic patients with an average age of 82,43 years, an average stay of 18,9 days and an average fim development from 82 to 102 points, 98 orthopaedic patients with an average age of 77,15 years, an average stay of 16,4 days and an average fim development from 103 to 115 points and 68 internistic/cardiological patients with an average age of 81,88 years, an average stay of 18,1 days and an average fim development from 78 to 96 points. The development of all the patients was 1,20 (+/– 0,22) per therapeutic day.

Conclusions: It is possible to do the same progress for all patients on the department for acute geriatric and remobilization under the direction of a specialist for physical medicine and rehabilitation independently from which department they were overtaken from.