A summary of the benefits of an assessment/admission ward with respect to certain groups of patients
| First author (year) | Patient group | Summary of benefits gained from presence of an assessment/admission ward |
|---|---|---|
| Khan, SA (1997)58 | Elderly | Short stay ward can reduce some patients stay in hospital and reduce demand for in-patient places. Increased level of care for elderly patients. |
| Beattie, TF (1993)44 | Children | Children get comfortable beds more quickly. Improved awareness of simple pathology. |
| Biddulph, J (1984)59 | Most children admitted to an observation unit were sent home without requiring hospital treatment. Observation easier and more efficient than if admitted fully to hospital. | |
| Ryan, J (1996)60 | Self Harm | Most patients discharged next day without need for further follow up. Potential cost savings made. |
| Jones, A (1995)39 | Head injuries | Observation ward offers safe and monitored area for recovery. Few patients require admission to other wards. |
| Brown, SR (1994)61 | Number of inappropriate discharges decreased. | |
| Gouin, S (1997)22 | Asthma | An observation unit lowered the hospitalisation rate for children with asthma, yet there was an increased rate of repeat visits to the ED. |
| Willert, C (1997)62 | Holding room therapy for childhood status asthmaticus is beneficial both medically and cost wise. | |
| Hutchins, CJ (1978)63 | Gynaecology patients | Of 408 patients admitted to one gynaecological unit, 56% were in hospital for less than 6 hours and a further quarter did not require hospital admission. Full staffing of a unit could release a number of beds for other selected work. |
| Gaspoz, JM (1994)64 | Chest pain | Short stay units prevent unnecessary long stays in hospital, and are safe and cost effective. |
| Goodacre, SW (2000)27 | There is insufficient evidence to say that an observation unit will improve outcomes if clinical practice is good. Not proven to be financially beneficial in the UK yet. | |
| Henneman, PL (1989)65 | Abdominal conditions and trauma | Abdominal trauma and negative diagnostic peritoneal lavage can be safely managed in an observation unit. |
| Conrad, L (1985)66 | Patients with initial negative test results can be evaluated in observation units. | |
| Israel, RS (1991)67 | 72% of patients treated for pyelonephritis were successfully managed on an observation ward and were discharged early. |