Artikel
One-year survival rates and factors affecting hospital choice in veterans who suffered hip fractures
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Veröffentlicht: | 23. Oktober 2017 |
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Gliederung
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Objectives: Hip fractures cause the greatest number of deaths and lead to the most severe health problems and poorer quality of life. The Korea Veterans Health Service (KVHS) has implemented the commissioned hospital system so that veterans in emergency situations, such as in cases of hip fractures, could receive prompt medical attention at hospitals near their residences.
Methods: The authors compared the one-year survival rates of veterans with hip fractures between those treated at a commissioned hospital (CH) and those treated at a veterans' hospital (VH) and examined the factors that affect their choice of hospital. The study population consisted of 183 veteran patients (84 cases in VH, 99 cases in CH) who received hip fracture repair in either a VH (1) or CH (39) between January 2010 and February 2015.
Results and Conclusion: One-year mortality following hip fracture was significantly higher in patients who received care at VH (p=0.023), which was speculated to have been influenced by the severity of comorbidities. Of 183 cases, patients in 116 cases (63.4%) did not choose the hospital closest to their homes, and patients in 105 cases (90.5%) traveled more than 6 km to receive care in larger hospitals with more beds and medical departments. Patients with more severe comorbidity more frequently sought care at a VH than CH, resulting in more high-risk patients receiving care at VH and subsequently higher one-year mortality. A criterion for hospital size should be set for designating commissioned hospitals, even if it may result in a smaller number of commissioned hospitals