Wien Med Wochenschr. 2026 Mar 6. doi: 10.1007/s10354-026-01134-x. Online ahead of print.
ABSTRACT
BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVE: Inpatient acute geriatric wards provide care for older patients with multiple morbidities who require treatment due to acute events, with a focus on maintaining or restoring independence. Geriatric patients need treatment that takes into account medical, functional, psychological, and social aspects. In 2005, the Association for Quality in Geriatrics and Gerontology (QiGG) developed a uniform documentation standard for process control and quality assurance in acute geriatric inpatient care, which is used by many acute geriatric wards in Austria. Aim of this study was to conduct a reliable, systematic analysis of data collected in 2024 from acute geriatric wards in Austria, taking into account gender-specific differences, in order to provide transparency on the geriatric care situation and thereby generate a basis for scientific analysis, evidence-based planning, and managing of future care structures.
METHODS: Patient characteristics, therapeutic services, length of stay, and geriatric assessment parameters (self-care ability, mobility, social history, polypharmacy) were analyzed from data of 7545 patients from 15 acute geriatric wards in Austria in 2024. Data were collected using the digital Benchmarking and Reporting System CDS-BARS, and analyzed using descriptive statistics.
RESULTS: More than 50% of the patients were admitted to acute geriatric wards within 2 weeks of the acute event. Overall, almost twice as many women as men were admitted. On average, patients had around 7.6 functional impairments upon admission. Most patients remained in the acute geriatric ward for 15 to 21 days and achieved a demonstrable and quantifiable improvement in their self-care abilities and mobility during their stay. A total of 90.5% of patients who lived at home before their stay returned home afterwards.
CONCLUSION: This study underscores the importance of acute geriatric wards in an aging society and the need for continuous development of acute geriatric structures.
PMID:41790386 | DOI:10.1007/s10354-026-01134-x
