Comparison of two hospitalization modes in geriatrics either directly via a hotline or after an emergency unit admission.

Hospitalizations via the emergency services of the elderly represent on average 41% of the stays. The family physician is aware of the deleterious effects of using emergency rooms and know that intensive use contributes to the disorganization of these services. The provision of a telephone line, enabling doctors to have direct access to a geriatrician doctor, is a new service allowing, if necessary, direct hospitalization in geriatrics but its interest is still poorly evaluated.
METHODS: From June 1st, 2015, to June 1st, 2016, we compared the route of care for inpatients directly in short stays of geriatrics thanks to the hotline (group hotline) versus the route of those passed by emergencies (group EU, emergency unit).
RESULTS: 520 patients were included in the study. The duration of stay was shorter during hospitalization via the hotline, 11.6 [95% CI, 10.8-12.3] days in a direct hospitalization versus 14.1 [95% CI, 13.5-14.7] days of a passage through emergencies (p <0.05). Patients who were admitted to the emergency room were more likely to be hospitalized again. Among the 170 patients re-hospitalized, an average duration before re-hospitalization of 29.5 [CI 95%, 23.6-35.4] days was observed in patients hospitalised via the hotline, while those entered by emergencies were hospitalized in 24.1 [95% CI, 20.4-27.8] days (p <0.05).
CONCLUSION: This analysis suggests that the intra-hospital course of geriatric patients directly addressed in short stays of geriatrics by direct admission was shorter and more efficient than the course of an intermediate stage in the emergencies. It seems important to discuss the generalization of the hotline device for the functioning of the geriatric pathway.