BMJ 2002;324:1347-1348 ( 8 June )

Editorials

Intermediate care

Appealing and logical, but still in need of evaluation

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

Intermediate care describes care given after traditional primary care and self care, but before or instead of the care that is available deep inside large acute hospitals.¹ It seems to address one of the limitations of many health systems: the lack of a wide range of specific and integrated facilities that can address complex needs. Going too far along a clinical pathway into a large acute hospital or remaining there for too long because no alternative facilities exist is wasteful, dangerous, and inconvenient. Examples of services that are intermediate between traditional primary care and secondary care include preadmission assessment units, early and supported discharge schemes, community hospitals, domiciliary stroke units, hospitals at home, and rehabilitation units.²

Although an important feature of intermediate care is its location, the term intermediate also refers to care that is organised and delivered by teams of different professionals and organisations. The progressive erosion of barriers . . . [Full text of this article]

CiteULike    Complore    Connotea    Del.icio.us    Digg    Reddit    Technorati    What's this?

Relevant Articles

Transitional care facility for elderly people in hospital awaiting a long term care bed: randomised controlled trial

Maria Crotty, Craig H Whitehead, Rachel Wundke, Lynne C Giles, David Ben-Tovim, and Paddy A Phillips
BMJ 2005 331: 1110. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

Intermediate care is ageist

Gerard Bulger
BMJ 2002 325: 495. [Extract] [Full Text]

This article has been cited by other articles:

• Young, J., Stevenson, J. (2006). Intermediate care in England: where next?. Age Ageing 35: 339-341 [Full text]  
• Crotty, M., Whitehead, C. H, Wundke, R., Giles, L. C, Ben-Tovim, D., Phillips, P. A (2005). Transitional care facility for elderly people in hospital awaiting a long term care bed: randomised controlled trial. BMJ 331: 1110- [Abstract] [Full text]  
• Rogers, A, Kennedy, A, Nelson, E, Robinson, A (2004). Patients' experiences of an open access follow up arrangement in managing inflammatory bowel disease. Qual Saf Health Care 13: 374-378 [Abstract] [Full text]  
• Bulger, G. (2002). Intermediate care is ageist. BMJ 325: 495-495 [Full text]  

Rapid Responses:

Read all Rapid Responses

Intermediate Care is Ageist

Gerard Bulger
bmj.com, 9 Jun 2002 [Full text]

Intermediate Care - nobetter than the system already there

Stephen B FitzGerald
bmj.com, 18 Jun 2002 [Full text]

Intermediate Care

Kalman M Kafetz, et al.
bmj.com, 21 Jun 2002 [Full text]

Evaluation of intermediate care underway

Gillian M Parker, et al.
bmj.com, 25 Jun 2002 [Full text]

Online poll

Find out more >>