BMJ  2004;329:686 (18 September), doi:10.1136/bmj.329.7467.686

Letter

What is intermediate care?

Nothing new

The first 150 words of the full text of this article appear below.

EDITOR—The editorial by Melis et al focuses on the difficulties the confusing terminology of intermediate care causes for researchers, opening with the statement that intermediate care is an emerging concept.1 The definitions quoted include terms such as transition from illness to recovery, chronic impairment, restoration of health, and complex needs, primarily with reference to elderly patients.

Intermediate care is nothing new. An amalgam of these definitions describes comprehensive multidisciplinary assessment and management of complex medical and functional problems. This is "good old fashioned" geriatric medicine, and intermediate care when properly funded and organised is indistinguishable from it.

To navel gaze about the definition of intermediate care and the nuances of comparing research in this area is essentially to ignore the real issue. The real issue is ensuring adequately resourced multidisciplinary care led by appropriately trained doctors, and as such the editorial misses an opportunity to make a bold . . . [Full text of this article]

Lewis G Morrison, consultant physician in geriatric medicine

Roodlands Hospital, Haddington EH41 3PF


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Relevant Article

What is intermediate care?
René J F Melis, Marcel G M Olde Rikkert, Stuart G Parker, and Monique I J van Eijken
BMJ 2004 329: 360-361. [Extract] [Full Text] [PDF]

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