Sustainability and Scalability of the Hospital Elder Life Program at a Community Hospital

摘要: The Hospital Elder Life Program (HELP), an effective intervention to prevent delirium in older hospitalized adults, has been successfully replicated a community teaching hospital as quality improvement project. This article reports on sustaining the program over 7 years and expanding its scale from one six inpatient units at same hospital. currently serves more than 7,000 patients annually is accepted standard of care throughout Innovations that enhanced scalability widespread implementation included ensuring dedicated staffing for program, local adaptations streamline protocols, continuous recruitment volunteers, more-efficient data collection. Outcomes include lower rate incident delirium; shorter length stay (LOS); greater satisfaction patients, families, nursing staff; significantly costs financial return estimated $7.3 million per year during 2008, comprises cost savings prevention revenue generated freeing up beds (shorter LOS HELP with without delirium). Delirium poses major challenge care, patient safety, Medicare no-pay conditions, persons. Faced rising numbers elderly hospitals can use improve cost-effectiveness care.