Effectiveness of acute medical units in hospitals: A systematic review

International Journal for Quality in Health Care

Volumn 21, Issue 6, 2009, Pages

  Scott, Ian ^a   Vaughan, Louella ^b   Bell, Derek ^c  

^a PRINCESS ALEXANDRA HOSPITAL   (Australia)

^b CHELSEA AND WESTMINSTER HOSPITAL NHS FOUNDATION TRUST   (United Kingdom)

^c IMPERIAL COLLEGE LONDON   (United Kingdom)

Author keywords

Acute medical unit; Systematic review

Indexed keywords

CLINICAL EFFECTIVENESS; CLINICAL TRIAL; EMERGENCY CARE; EMERGENCY WARD; HEALTH CARE ACCESS; HEALTH CARE COST; HEALTH CARE FACILITY; HOSPITAL CARE; HOSPITAL DISCHARGE; HOSPITAL PERSONNEL; HOSPITAL READMISSION; HOSPITALIZATION; HUMAN; LENGTH OF STAY; MORTALITY; OBSERVATIONAL STUDY; PATIENT CARE PLANNING; PATIENT SATISFACTION; PATIENT TRANSPORT; PEER REVIEW; PRIORITY JOURNAL; RESOURCE ALLOCATION; REVIEW; SCIENTIFIC LITERATURE; SYSTEMATIC REVIEW; HOSPITAL SUBDIVISIONS AND COMPONENTS; ORGANIZATION AND MANAGEMENT; PATIENT CARE; STATISTICS;

EFFICIENCY, ORGANIZATIONAL; HOSPITAL MORTALITY; HOSPITAL UNITS; HUMANS; LENGTH OF STAY; PATIENT CARE TEAM; PATIENT READMISSION; PATIENT SATISFACTION;

EID: 75549084830     PISSN: 13534505     EISSN: 14643677     Source Type: Journal    
DOI: 10.1093/intqhc/mzp045     Document Type: Review

References (35)

1. Capewell S. The continuing rise in emergency admissions. BMJ 1996;312:991-2.
2. Kendrick S, Conway M. Increasing Emergency Hospital Admissions among Older People in Scotland: A Whole System Account. Edinburgh: Information and Statistics Division, 2003.
3. Liew D, Liew D, Kennedy MP. Emergency department length of stay independently predicts excess inpatient length of stay. Med J Aust 2003;179:524-6.
4. Sprivulis PC, Da Silva JA, Jacobs IG et al. The association between hospital overcrowding and mortality among patients admitted via Western Australian emergency departments. Med J Aust 2006;184:208-12.
5. Cameron PA, Campbell DA. Access block: problems and progress. Med J Aust 2003;178:99-100.
6. Bell D, Skene H, Jones M et al. A guide to the acute medical unit. Br J Hosp Med (London) 2008;69:M107-M109.
7. Royal College of Physicians of London. Acute Medicine: Making It Work for Patients. A Blueprint for Organisation and Training. London: RCPL, 2004.
8. Royal College of Physicians. Acute medical care. The right person, in the right setting-first time. Report of the Acute Medicine Task Force. London: RCPL, 2007.
9. The Society of Acute Medicine (UK). Recommendations for Medical Assessment (admission) Units. Edinburgh: SAM (UK), 2003.
10. Royal College of Physicians of Edinburgh. UK Consensus Statement on Acute Medicine. BJHS 2009;70:56-7.
11. The Federation of the Royal Colleges of Physicians of the United Kingdom. Census of Consultant Physicians in the UK: Data and Commentary. London: Royal College of Physicians, 2008.
12. Henley J, Williamson J, Bennett CM et al., for the Internal Medicine Society of Australia New Zealand. Position Statement. Standards for Medical Assessment and Planning Units in Australia and New Zealand. Sydney: IMSANZ, 2006.
13. Hanlon P, Beck S, Robertson G et al. Coping with the inexorable rise in medical admissions: evaluating a radical reorganisation of acute medical care in a Scottish district general hospital. Health Bull (Edinb) 1997;55:176-84.
14. Wanklyn P, Hosker H, Pearson S et al. Slowing the rate of acute medical admissions. J R Coll Physicians Lond 1997;31: 173-6.
15. McLaren EH, Summerhill LE, Miller WJ et al. Re-organising emergency medical admitting: the Stobhill experience, 1992-1997. Health Bull (Edinb) 1999;57:108-17.
16. Armitage M, Raza T. A consultant physician in acute medicine: the Bournemouth model for managing increasing numbers of medical emergency admissions. Clin Med 2002;2: 331-3.
17. Moloney ED, Smith D, Bennett K et al. Impact of an acute medical admission unit on length of hospital stay and emergency department 'wait times'. Q J Med 2005;98:283-9.
18. Moore S, Gemmell I, Almond S et al. Impact of specialist care on clinical outcomes for medical emergencies. Clin Med 2006;6:286-93.
19. Moloney ED, Bennett K, Silke B. Effect of an acute medical admission unit on key quality indicators assessed by funnel plots. Postgrad Med J 2007;83:659-63.
20. St Noble VJ, Davies G, Bell D. Improving continuity of care in an acute medical unit: initial outcomes. Q J Med 2008;101:529-33.
21. Rooney T, Moloney ED, Bennett K et al. Impact of an acute medical admission unit on hospital mortality: a 5-year prospective study. Q J Med 2008;101:457-65.
22. Relihan E, Glynn S, Daly D et al. Measuring and benchmarking safety culture: application of the safety attitudes questionnaire to an acute medical admissions unit. Ir J Med Sci 2009; Epub ahead of print.
23. Verma R. The MAU Strategy Sydney, 2009 update. Presented at: Medical Assessment Unit Workshop, Sydney, 2009. Sydney: NSW Health, 2009.
24. Landau P. HOPE-OPERA: models of care and linkages with ED. Presented at: Medical Assessment Unit Workshop, Sydney, 2009. Sydney: NSW Health, 2009.
25. O'Brien L. Evaluating the Flinder's model: change management requirements. Presentation at: Acute Medical Assessment Units: Improving Care and Flow for Medical Patients Seminar, Melbourne, 2009. Melbourne: Centre for Research Excellence in Patient Safety, 2009.
26. Russell D. Sharing the experience of establishing the MAPU. Presentation at: Acute Medical Assessment Units: Improving Care and Flow for Medical Patients Seminar, Melbourne, 2009. Melbourne: Centre for Research Excellence in Patient Safety, 2009.
27. Clinical Epidemiology and Health Services Evaluation Unit. Models of Care to Optimise Acute Length of Stay: Short Stay Unit, Medical Assessment and Planning Unit, Emergency Medical Unit. Melbourne: CEHSEU, 2004.
28. Mayor S. Acute medical units reduce deaths and stays in hospital. BMJ 2008;337:a1865. (Report of: 2nd International Conference of the Society for Acute Medicine, London, 2008).
29. McNeill G, Brahmbhatt DH, Prevost AT et al. What is the effect of a consultant presence in an acute medical unit?. Presentation at: First International Conference of the Society for Acute Medicine, Glasgow, 2007.
30. Hampton JR, Gray A. The future of general medicine: lessons from an admissions ward. J R Coll Physicians Lond 1998;32:39-43.
31. Basic D, Khoo A. Admission variables predicting short lengths of stay of acutely unwell older patients: relevance to emergency and medical short-stay units. Aust Health Rev 2009;33:502-12.
32. Cooke MW, Higgins J, Kidd P. Use of emergency observation and assessment wards: a systematic literature review. Emerg Med J 2003;20:138-42.
33. Goodacre S, Cross E, Lewis C et al., for the ESCAPE Research Team. Effectiveness and safety of chest pain assessment to prevent emergency admissions: ESCAPE cluster randomised trial. BMJ 2007;335:659-64.
34. Rydman RJ, Roberts RR, Albrecht GL. Patient satisfaction with an emergency department asthma observation unit. Acad Emerg Med 1999;6:173-83.
35. Khan SA, Millington H, Miskelly FG. Benefits of an accident and emergency short stay ward in the staged hospital care of elderly patients. J Accident Emerg Med 1997;14:151-2.