ABSTRACT
INTRODUCTION: Patients admitted to Intermediate Respiratory Care Units are common sharpeners. We describe their overall improvement by the introduction of an Integrated Care Process. METHODS: We conducted an observational descriptive study based on an Intermediate Respiratory Care Unit during 2015-2017. We considered 2 groups: those in-patients during 2016-2017, who took profit from the Integrated Care Process (group A), and those other ones admitted before 2015 when the Integrated Care Process didn't exist yet (group B). We collected sociodemographic variables, clinical ones, those related to care process and economic index. We described them according their type and distribution. RESULTS: The readmission rate within B was 23.65% vs 10.20% within A. These last ones had a mean length of hospital stay of 7.19 days (0.12-14.08), a rate reduction of face-to-face specialized consultations of 45.8% and 28.8% at Emergency Department admissions when compared to B. Prior to the introduction of the Integrated Care Process, 64.9% would have been admitted to the Intensive Care Unit (according to Global Diagnostics Group). We saved 735.1 days of stay at the Intensive Care Unit and therefore over 135,118.204 and 214,649 euros. CONCLUSION: The Integrated Care Process for severe respiratory patients allows a direct and safe relationship with them at home through the Primary Care Teams, so we can save readmissions at hospital, face-to-face consultations at the Emergency Departments and Specialized Consultations and we save money.
