Post-acute care in a nurse-led unit is as good as standard care

The nurse-led hospital unit for post-acute patients is a central service in intermediate care. However, it still lacks a good evidence base. Steiner et al (p 453) conducted a randomised controlled trial of a nurse-led unit in Southampton and found that patient outcomes were neither better nor worse with the new model of care. Inpatient length of stay was over 14 days longer in the nurse-led unit, but when transfers to community hospitals were incorporated, the differences were no longer significant. The authors conclude that, in effect, the nurse-led unit unblocked beds in community hospitals.

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Relevant Article

Therapeutic nursing or unblocking beds? A randomised controlled trial of a post-acute intermediate care unit • Commentary: Problems with randomised consent • Authors' reply

Andrea Steiner, Bronagh Walsh, Ruth M Pickering, Rose Wiles, Jilly Ward, Julia I Brooking, and David J Torgerson
BMJ 2001 322: 453-460. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]