Multi-Morbidity in Hospitalised Older Patients: Who Are the Complex Elderly?

ABSTRACT:

Background

No formal definition for the "complex elderly" exists; moreover, these older patients with high levels of multi-morbidity are not readily identified as such at point of hospitalisation, thus missing a valuable opportunity to manage the older patient appropriately within the hospital setting.

Objectives

To empirically identify the complex elderly patient based on degree of multi-morbidity.

Design

Retrospective observational study using administrative data.

Setting

English hospitals during the financial year 2012-13.

Subjects

All admitted patients aged 65 years and over.

Methods

By using exploratory analysis (correspondence analysis) we identify multi-morbidity groups based on 20 target conditions whose hospital prevalence was ≥ 1%.

Re

SUBMITTER: Ruiz M 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC4696783 | biostudies-literature | 2015

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature