Publish date: 20 August 2024
Two West London NHS Trust consultants have contributed to a recent, important study aimed at improving care and outcomes for older adults in hospital, as part of a research group led from Oxford.
Dr. Michael Yousif, Consultant Psychiatrist and Clinical Lead for Liaison Psychiatry Services, and Dr Mark Toynbee, a Consultant at Adult Mental Health Services are among the contributing authors of the paper which discusses findings from the recent HOME study.
In their research, they found that older adults who are admitted to acute hospitals in an emergency often face long stays that can lead to worse health outcomes, higher healthcare costs, and fewer available hospital beds.
These extended stays are often due to the complex mix of health issues these patients face, such as cognitive impairments (like memory problems), mental health conditions (such as depression and anxiety), and difficulties with daily activities that require extra care.
The HOME Study, explored a new approach called Proactive Integrated Consultation-Liaison Psychiatry (PICLP). This approach aims to provide older patients with more comprehensive psychiatric support while they are in the hospital. The goal was to see if this enhanced care could shorten the time these patients spend in the hospital and improve their overall experience.
The study found that using PICLP-enhanced care can reduce costs of care and is cost-effective in the short-term. The study was the first large scale multicentre randomised controlled trial to reduce duration and costs of hospital admissions and lays an important foundation for further research into this important area.