Bloqueo de camas o alta retardada por motivos no clínicos : perfil, causas y soluciones

Abstract

En los hospitales de nuestro medio, cada vez atendemos a una población más envejecida y con pluripatología crónica. El paciente “bed-blocker”, es aquel que ha completado el tratamiento en un nivel asistencial, como el hospital y está a la espera de ser admitido en otro recurso como un centro residencial. Los resultados hallados sobre la magnitud y coste del problema difieren según el medio, pero se acuerda que es un problema infravalorado que supone ineficiencia en los sistemas sanitarios. En cuanto al perfil del paciente, se trata de ancianos, en los que la hospitalización supone una importante pérdida de autonomía que deriva en un problema social por no poder volver a su domicilio tras superar la enfermedad aguda. Se plantean como medidas de prevención: la creación de unidades de cuidados de larga duración o transición, nuevas herramientas de admisión de pacientes, sistemas de comunicación entre niveles, nuevas figuras como la enfermera de enlace y detección precoz de los casos.

In hospitals of our environment, we serve an ageing population with chronic pluripathology. The patient "bed-blocker" is the one who has completed a level of care, such as hospital treatment and is waiting to be admitted to another resource as a residential center. The results found about the magnitude and cost of the problem differ according to the environment, but all agree this is an underestimated problem that supposed inefficiency in health systems. When it comes to patient's profile, it is elderly, where hospitalization is a significant loss of autonomy which leads to a social problem because he can't return to his home after acute illness. Arise as preventive measures: the creation of long-term or transitional care units, new tools for the patient's admission, communication systems between care levels, new figures as a link nurse and an early detection of cases.

ABSTRACT: In hospitals of our environment, we serve an ageing population with chronic pluripathology. The patient "bed-blocker" is the one who has completed a level of care, such as hospital treatment and is waiting to be admitted to another resource as a residential center. The results found about the magnitude and cost of the problem differ according to the environment, but all agree this is an underestimated problem that supposed inefficiency in health systems. When it comes to patient's profile, it is elderly, where hospitalization is a significant loss of autonomy which leads to a social problem because he can't return to his home after acute illness. Arise as preventive measures: the creation of long-term or transitional care units, new tools for the patient's admission, communication systems between care levels, new figures as a link nurse and an early detection of cases.