INTRODUCTION Understanding patient perceptions and preferences of hospital care is important to improve patients' hospitalization experiences and satisfaction. The objective of this study was to investigate patient preferences and perceptions of hospital care, specifically differences between intensive care unit (ICU) and hospital floor admissions. METHODS This was a cross-sectional survey of...

OBJECTIVES Many hospital admissions are due to inappropriate medical treatment, and discharge of fragile elderly patients involves a high risk of readmission. The present study aimed to assess whether a follow-up programme undertaken by GPs and district nurses could improve the quality of the medical treatment and reduce the risk of readmission of elderly newly discharged patients. DESIGN AND...

treatment of refractory depression should be programmed consistent with a comprehensive assessment of diagnosis involving subgroups of depression, psychiatric disorders and concomitant medical disturbances. in this regard, admission and treatment should be compatible with the content of the case history precisely taken. in this conjunction some reasonable treatment could be suggested to the pat...

Over half the patients who were admitted to hospital after self-poisoning had seen their general practitioner in the previous month, and in half of those discharged from hospital no definite after-care arrangements were made. Opportunities for prevention of occurrences are being missed. Thorough follow-up of 135 such patients identified many non-medical problems, and over 80 per cent were helpe...