Evaluation of the Hospital Pathway for Frail Elderly Patients Hospitalised for Pathologies Leading to Medical Decompensation

People aged over 75 account for 25% of emergency department visits in the Provence Alpes Côte d'Azur region. Depending on the facility, around 50% of these patients are discharged home without being hospitalised. Yet the scientific literature highlights the frequent deterioration in the physical and mental state of the elderly during a visit to the emergency department: discomfort on the stretcher, waiting, loneliness and disorientation are the causes, and therefore increase co-morbidity. Very few studies have been carried out to date to compare the impact on frailty risk factors of direct admission to hospital versus admission via emergency service for a frail elderly population. Studies are usually based on a population aged over 75 as the sole criterion, which no longer corresponds to the definition of a frail elderly person. What's more, there are major challenges in coordinating hospital and outpatient care to optimise resources.

The aim is to assess whether the creation of new care pathways, requiring considerable human and financial resources, will improve the care of frail elderly people. In order to assess the benefits of the systems set up at the hospital this study will compare the outcome of frail elderly people (≥ 75 years old with a geriatric score ≥ 8) hospitalised for medical decompensation pathologies according to their mode of admission, the management of their dependency and their accessibility to the attending physician, whether in individual accommodation or in an Residential Establishment for Dependent Elderly People.

This is a regional multicentre, observational, prospective and retrospective study looking at the future of frail elderly people hospitalised at the hospital during 2024/2025 (from 01/09/2024 to 01/03/2025).

The study will be conducted retrospectively, including patients hospitalised since 1st September 2024, and prospectively, including patients over time until the end of the inclusion period (01/03/2025). Patients will be followed for 90 days after hospitalisation, i.e. data will be collected until 01/06/2025.

Justification of the public interest

This research could make it possible to identify new protective factors against deterioration in the frail elderly, other than direct admission to a hospital ward, which would require fewer human and material resources, such as an Mobile Geriatric Team or a stay in a Short-Term Hospitalization Unit.

If direct admissions lead to fewer patients being admitted back to hospital, this could encourage existing medical and surgical specialties outside geriatrics and support geriatric assessment.

Lastly, this research would make it possible to draw up an inventory of the frailty of the elderly in the Toulon conurbation, in order to optimise the screening of frail elderly people in conjunction with the territorial care coordination west var region.

Data collection begins as soon as the frail elderly person is hospitalised and continues for up to 90 days after the start of hospitalisation (retrospectively and prospectively).