Combined medical-psychiatric inpatient units: evaluation of the Centre for the Elderly.

Considering the large number of elderly patients in acute hospitals who receive medical as well as psychiatric treatment because of relevant comorbidity, adequate interdisciplinary treatment models have to be developed and applied. The Centre for Elderly, a cooperation project between the departments of geriatric and psychogeriatric medicine in a community hospital in Germany, was founded in 2000. In addition to traditionally structured units, the centre consists of interdisciplinary units. Patient-, staff- and hospital-related characteristics influenced by the reformation of both departments were evaluated by comparing hospital-based registry data records containing age, gender, main and minor diagnoses, length of stay and patient transferrals within the centre. Experts working at the centre were asked to take a stand on the development of the treatment quality, allocation of patients, diagnostic procedures, consultation services and information transmission. The number of admissions to the Centre for the Elderly increased within one year. The distribution of the main diagnose groups remained unchanged, with an overlap between the geriatric and psychogeriatric department consisting of the main diagnoses dementia and depression. The length of stay and the number of transferrals decreased significantly in both departments. The majority of the interviewed employees stated that the treatment quality and the allocation of patients were improved. We conclude that interdisciplinary treatment between the departments of psychiatry and geriatric medicine may contribute to the medical needs of subgroups of elderly inpatients suffering from medical-psychiatric comorbidity.