FACTORS EXPLAINING THE LENGTH OF STAY AND THE OUTCOME IN A SHORT-STAYGERIATRIC UNIT

Our goal was, firstly, to test the Diagnosis Related Group (DRG) model among a sample of hospitalized patients aged 80 and over, and secondl y the relevance of adding pertinent variables in order to explain the length of patients' stay. We also tried to objective some factors expl aining the patients' outcome. In our population the DRG model does not turn out to be very pertinent. Some additive social and medical varia bles significantly increase the power of the model, and constitute a r elevant signal in the analysis of the geriatric hospital production. F urthermore, the models of geriatric morbidity contribute to the patien ts' outcome as well as the sort of conditions they are living in.