Association Between Early Consultation by the Primary Care Physician After Hospitalization in Geriatric Medicine Department, and the Risk of Re-hospitalization at 1 and 3 Months

Plain-language summary

The time it takes for patients to be readmitted to hospital is a major public health issue, both in terms of medical time and costs. In fact, 15% of patients of all ages are likely to be re-hospitalized within a month of hospitalization. Today, hospitalizations present a significant nosocomial risk, all the more so in fragile populations. If these hospitalizations are long or repeated, it is crucial to develop solutions to reduce their number. Elderly people often have a number of complementary pathologies and frailties, which are frequently destabilized during hospitalization or on discharge. In this context of medico-social and financial stakes, a 2012 survey showed that 86% of French physicians would be prepared to make themselves available within 24-48 hours of hospital discharge if the situation justified it. Changes in medical demographics are forcing primary care physicians to adapt their practices, and the evidence of a reduced risk of re-hospitalization would make it possible to prioritize the provision of this consultation on discharge from hospital. Post-hospitalization follow-up consultations with the primary care physician are recommended, but investigators have very little data on their benefits. Investigators hypothesise that an early consultation (1 month post-hospitalization at most) by an elderly patient's primary care physician after hospitalization in geriatric medicine promotes: patient follow-up; reduced risk of re-hospitalization within 3 months. The aim of this study is to determine the association of an early consultation by the primary care physician in the month following discharge from geriatric medicine hospitalization with rehospitalization rates within 3 months.

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