Hospitalized elderly persons experience increased risk of complications and functional decline. The current study assessed the results of the Safe Hospital Program for the Elderly Person. The intervention was conducted in a charitable hospital in the city of São Paulo, Brazil, using a 10-step structured implementation strategy, including screening for frailty, multidimensional evaluation, unique treatment plan, implementation of protocols, and discharge management strategies. The study analyzed 865 hospitalizations of frail elders over the course of two years. Process and results indicators were compared between the first year (implementation) and second year (consolidation). Comparison of the indicators between the two periods showed that the program improved fundamental processes in care for this population, including motor rehabilitation initiated in the first 72 hours (74.1 vs. 84.3%; p < 0.001), screening for risk of bronchial aspiration (38.5 vs. 82.8%; p < 0.001), and oral nutritional supplementation (55.6 vs. 76.4%; p < 0.001). The functional decline rate, which was 17.2% in the implementation year, decreased to 11.7% in the consolidation year, with a significant difference after adjusting in the multivariate model (p = 0.009). In conclusion, we developed a feasible program for the reality of Brazilian hospitals and that can be reproduced in other centers through a systematized implementation methodology. The results pertaining to patient care indicators and clinical outcomes appear promising. This initiative’s dissemination should be considered in public health policy planning for the hospital network.
Keywords:
Hospitalization; Frailty; Activities of Daily Living; Quality Improvement; Aged
Thumbnail
Thumbnail
