D. Roberge et al., QUALITY OF CARE PROVIDED IN GERIATRIC ASSESSMENT UNITS - THE PERSPECTIVE OF THE PATIENTS, Canadian journal on aging, 17(2), 1998, pp. 123-142
The aim of the study is to identify criteria that frail elderly patien
ts refer to when they appreciate the quality of care of Geriatric asse
ssment units. Twenty-one patients recently released from six Geriatric
assessment units in Montreal participated in face-to-face interviews
(n = 17) or in a Focus Group (n = 4). Patients reported 56 different c
riteria grouped into four main dimensions of quality: the environment
of care, the attitude and the technical competence of professionals an
d the results of care. The environment of care consists of physical re
sources and person related qualities. Comments on the attitude and the
technical competence of professionals related mostly to the nurses an
d physicians. Some quality criteria reported by elderly patients are s
imilar to those reported by patients in various acute care units while
others are specific to the frailty of their condition. This study pro
vides health care professionals with rich and useful information on ho
w elderly patients perceive the quality of various components of care
in Geriatric assessment units.