Significantly more patients with dementia had an ED visit as well (50% vs. 44%). Among both groups, about 38% of hospitalizations and up to 14% of ED visits could have been unnecessary.
Among nursing home residents during the last year of life, there were no significant differences in utilization between dementia and non-dementia patients. But up to half of this utilization might have been dealt with in the facility, rather than through a hospital admission, he said.
"It is really striking to me how, in the last year of life, the rate jumps so high," Dr. Feng said. "This finding of so many potentially avoidable hospitalizations suggests that there is a lot of room for improvement in quality of care, which could very well lead to improvements in quality of life for our elderly."
The study was funded in part by the Office of the Assistant Secretary for Planning and Evaluation in the Department of Health and Human Services. Dr. Feng had no financial disclosures.
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