Dataset Information

The effect of assigning dedicated general practitioners to nursing homes.

ABSTRACT:

Objective

To determine whether assigning a dedicated general practitioner (GP) to a nursing home reduces hospitalizations and readmissions.

Data sources/study setting

Secondary data on hospitalizations and deaths by month for the universe of nursing home residents in Denmark from January 2011 through February 2014.

Study design

In 2012, Denmark initiated a program in seven nursing homes that volunteered to participate. We used a difference-in-differences model to estimate the effect of assigning a dedicated GP to a nursing home on the likelihood that a nursing home resident will be hospitalized, will experience a preventable hospitalization, and will be readmitted. The unit of observation is a resident-month.

Data collection/extraction methods

Data were extracted from the Danish public administrative register dataset.

Principal findings

We found that assigning a GP to a nursing home was associated with a 0.55 [95 percent CI, 0.08 to 1.02] percentage point reduction in the monthly probability of a preventable hospitalization, which was a 26 percent reduction from the preintervention level of 2.13 percentage points. The associated reduction in the monthly probability of a readmission was 0.68 [95 percent CI, -0.01 to 1.37] percentage points, which was a 25 percent reduction from the baseline level of 2.68 percentage points. Survey results indicated that the likely mechanism for the effect was more efficient and consistent communication between GPs and nursing home personnel.

Conclusions

Assigning a dedicated physician in a nursing home can reduce medical spending and improve patients' health.

SUBMITTER: Weatherall CD

PROVIDER: S-EPMC6505413 | biostudies-literature | 2019 Jun

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature

ACCESS DATA

Publications

The effect of assigning dedicated general practitioners to nursing homes.

Weatherall Cecilie Dohlmann CD Hansen Anne Toft AT Nicholson Sean S

Health services research 20190117 3

<h4>Objective</h4>To determine whether assigning a dedicated general practitioner (GP) to a nursing home reduces hospitalizations and readmissions.<h4>Data sources/study setting</h4>Secondary data on hospitalizations and deaths by month for the universe of nursing home residents in Denmark from January 2011 through February 2014.<h4>Study design</h4>In 2012, Denmark initiated a program in seven nursing homes that volunteered to participate. We used a difference-in-differences model to estimate t ...[more]

PMID: 30653660

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Dataset Information

The effect of assigning dedicated general practitioners to nursing homes.

Objective

Data sources/study setting

Study design

Data collection/extraction methods

Principal findings

Conclusions

Publications

The effect of assigning dedicated general practitioners to nursing homes.

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