Hospitalizations, emergency medical care utilization, and contacts with the regional on-call medical services among nursing home residents in Germany: a cross-sectional study in 44 nursing homes
Abstract Background Nursing home residents frequently utilize medical care, but there lacks a complete picture of their acute medical care utilization. We quantified hospitalizations, emergency medical care utilization, and contacts with the regional on-call medical services among nursing home resid...
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2025-02-01
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| Online Access: | https://doi.org/10.1186/s12913-025-12342-3 |
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| author | Paula Lienesch Heinz Rothgang Ansgar Gerhardus Karin Wolf-Ostermann Falk Hoffmann Jonas Czwikla |
| author_facet | Paula Lienesch Heinz Rothgang Ansgar Gerhardus Karin Wolf-Ostermann Falk Hoffmann Jonas Czwikla |
| author_sort | Paula Lienesch |
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| description | Abstract Background Nursing home residents frequently utilize medical care, but there lacks a complete picture of their acute medical care utilization. We quantified hospitalizations, emergency medical care utilization, and contacts with the regional on-call medical services among nursing home residents, and investigated individual characteristics that may be associated with the utilization of these medical care types. Methods Cross-sectional data from the “Needs-based provision of medical care to nursing home residents” (MVP-STAT) study were analyzed, which were collected in 44 German nursing homes from 442 residents in 2018/2019. Proportions of residents with at least one hospitalization, emergency medical care utilization (via the nationwide phone number 112), and contact with an on-call medical service (nationwide via 116117) over the previous 12 months were determined. Associations between individual characteristics and the utilization of the three medical care types were examined using multivariable logistic regressions. Results Of the analyzed residents, 45.8% were hospitalized, 23.2% utilized emergency medical care, and 12.1% had contact with an on-call medical service at least once in the previous 12 months. Hospitalizations were positively associated with male vs. female sex (adjusted odds ratio 1.99 [95% confidence interval 1.22–3.26]), age group 85 + vs. 60–74 years (2.15 [1.12–4.13]), long-term care grades 4/5 vs. 1/2 (2.78 [1.48–5.21]), 6 + vs. 0–1 Elixhauser diseases (2.58 [1.01–6.62]), and the risk or presence of vs. no malnutrition (3.10 [1.52–6.35] and 2.01 [1.26–3.21]); and not associated with years of residence in the respective nursing home. Emergency medical care utilization was positively associated with age group 85 + vs. 60–74 years (2.58 [1.14–5.84]) and long-term care grades 3 and 4/5 vs. 1/2 (2.65 [1.07–6.55], 6.31 [2.60–15.35]); negatively associated with 5 + vs. 1- < 3 years of residence (0.46 [0.24–0.86]); and not associated with sex, the number of Elixhauser diseases, and nutritional status. No associations were found with on-call medical services. Conclusions Hospitalizations and emergency medical care utilization were more frequent among nursing home residents than contacts with on-call medical services. Future studies should investigate whether the frequent hospitalizations and emergency medical care utilization among nursing home residents are justified, or whether they can be reduced by strengthening medical care provision by on-call doctors and other professionals. Trial registration DRKS00012383 [2017/12/06]. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-dd249e7e274d4a5ea9ac6f4f3c03bf1e |
| institution | Kabale University |
| issn | 1472-6963 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2025-02-01 |
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| spelling | doaj-art-dd249e7e274d4a5ea9ac6f4f3c03bf1e2025-02-02T12:14:26ZengBMCBMC Health Services Research1472-69632025-02-0125111210.1186/s12913-025-12342-3Hospitalizations, emergency medical care utilization, and contacts with the regional on-call medical services among nursing home residents in Germany: a cross-sectional study in 44 nursing homesPaula Lienesch0Heinz Rothgang1Ansgar Gerhardus2Karin Wolf-Ostermann3Falk Hoffmann4Jonas Czwikla5Department of Health, Long-Term Care and Pensions, SOCIUM Research Center On Inequality and Social Policy, University of BremenDepartment of Health, Long-Term Care and Pensions, SOCIUM Research Center On Inequality and Social Policy, University of BremenHigh-Profile Area of Health Sciences, University of BremenHigh-Profile Area of Health Sciences, University of BremenDepartment of Health Services Research, School of Medicine and Health Sciences, Carl von Ossietzky Universität OldenburgDepartment of Health, Long-Term Care and Pensions, SOCIUM Research Center On Inequality and Social Policy, University of BremenAbstract Background Nursing home residents frequently utilize medical care, but there lacks a complete picture of their acute medical care utilization. We quantified hospitalizations, emergency medical care utilization, and contacts with the regional on-call medical services among nursing home residents, and investigated individual characteristics that may be associated with the utilization of these medical care types. Methods Cross-sectional data from the “Needs-based provision of medical care to nursing home residents” (MVP-STAT) study were analyzed, which were collected in 44 German nursing homes from 442 residents in 2018/2019. Proportions of residents with at least one hospitalization, emergency medical care utilization (via the nationwide phone number 112), and contact with an on-call medical service (nationwide via 116117) over the previous 12 months were determined. Associations between individual characteristics and the utilization of the three medical care types were examined using multivariable logistic regressions. Results Of the analyzed residents, 45.8% were hospitalized, 23.2% utilized emergency medical care, and 12.1% had contact with an on-call medical service at least once in the previous 12 months. Hospitalizations were positively associated with male vs. female sex (adjusted odds ratio 1.99 [95% confidence interval 1.22–3.26]), age group 85 + vs. 60–74 years (2.15 [1.12–4.13]), long-term care grades 4/5 vs. 1/2 (2.78 [1.48–5.21]), 6 + vs. 0–1 Elixhauser diseases (2.58 [1.01–6.62]), and the risk or presence of vs. no malnutrition (3.10 [1.52–6.35] and 2.01 [1.26–3.21]); and not associated with years of residence in the respective nursing home. Emergency medical care utilization was positively associated with age group 85 + vs. 60–74 years (2.58 [1.14–5.84]) and long-term care grades 3 and 4/5 vs. 1/2 (2.65 [1.07–6.55], 6.31 [2.60–15.35]); negatively associated with 5 + vs. 1- < 3 years of residence (0.46 [0.24–0.86]); and not associated with sex, the number of Elixhauser diseases, and nutritional status. No associations were found with on-call medical services. Conclusions Hospitalizations and emergency medical care utilization were more frequent among nursing home residents than contacts with on-call medical services. Future studies should investigate whether the frequent hospitalizations and emergency medical care utilization among nursing home residents are justified, or whether they can be reduced by strengthening medical care provision by on-call doctors and other professionals. Trial registration DRKS00012383 [2017/12/06].https://doi.org/10.1186/s12913-025-12342-3Acute medical careHospitalizationEmergency medical careOn-call medical serviceLong-term careNursing home |
| spellingShingle | Paula Lienesch Heinz Rothgang Ansgar Gerhardus Karin Wolf-Ostermann Falk Hoffmann Jonas Czwikla Hospitalizations, emergency medical care utilization, and contacts with the regional on-call medical services among nursing home residents in Germany: a cross-sectional study in 44 nursing homes BMC Health Services Research Acute medical care Hospitalization Emergency medical care On-call medical service Long-term care Nursing home |
| title | Hospitalizations, emergency medical care utilization, and contacts with the regional on-call medical services among nursing home residents in Germany: a cross-sectional study in 44 nursing homes |
| title_full | Hospitalizations, emergency medical care utilization, and contacts with the regional on-call medical services among nursing home residents in Germany: a cross-sectional study in 44 nursing homes |
| title_fullStr | Hospitalizations, emergency medical care utilization, and contacts with the regional on-call medical services among nursing home residents in Germany: a cross-sectional study in 44 nursing homes |
| title_full_unstemmed | Hospitalizations, emergency medical care utilization, and contacts with the regional on-call medical services among nursing home residents in Germany: a cross-sectional study in 44 nursing homes |
| title_short | Hospitalizations, emergency medical care utilization, and contacts with the regional on-call medical services among nursing home residents in Germany: a cross-sectional study in 44 nursing homes |
| title_sort | hospitalizations emergency medical care utilization and contacts with the regional on call medical services among nursing home residents in germany a cross sectional study in 44 nursing homes |
| topic | Acute medical care Hospitalization Emergency medical care On-call medical service Long-term care Nursing home |
| url | https://doi.org/10.1186/s12913-025-12342-3 |
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