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The social work department of a large New York City teaching hospital has conducted practice research studies over the past five years to better improve the early identification of high risk elderly patients. A recent prospective study is presented of the relationship between functional capacity and discharge status/length of stay, the results of which directly led to a change in the inpatient delivery system. A sample of 250 randomly selected patients, 65 years or older, selected upon admission, were tested using the Katz ADL, the IADL and the Short Portable Mental Status Questionnaire (PMSQ) to distinguish those patients likely to remain hospitalized beyond medical necessity. Results of a logistic regression indicate that low functional capacity patients (IADL: Wald = 5.6; P < .02) were likely to remain beyond medical necessity. The model predicted group membership correctly 90.6% of the time. These findings have led the medical center to develop an acute care geriatric unit in cooperation with an affiliated nursing home.
Rock et al. (Mon,) studied this question.