National Database of Geriatrics

Abstract

Aim of databaseThe aim of the National Database of Geriatrics is to monitor the quality of interdisciplinary diagnostics and treatment of patients admitted to a geriatric hospital unit.Study populationThe database population consists of patients who were admitted to a geriatric hospital unit. Geriatric patients cannot be defined by specific diagnoses. A geriatric patient is typically a frail multimorbid elderly patient with decreasing functional ability and social challenges. The database includes 14–15,000 admissions per year, and the database completeness has been stable at 90% during the past 5 years.Main variablesAn important part of the geriatric approach is the interdisciplinary collaboration. Indicators, therefore, reflect the combined efforts directed toward the geriatric patient. The indicators include Barthel index, body mass index, de Morton Mobility Index, Chair Stand, percentage of discharges with a rehabilitation plan, and the part of cases where an interdisciplinary conference has taken place. Data are recorded by doctors, nurses, and therapists in a database and linked to the Danish National Patient Register.Descriptive dataDescriptive patient-related data include information about home, mobility aid, need of fall and/or cognitive diagnosing, and categorization of cause (general geriatric, orthogeriatric, or neurogeriatric).ConclusionThe National Database of Geriatrics covers ∼90% of geriatric admissions in Danish hospitals and provides valuable information about a large and increasing patient population in the health care system.

Barthel Index at hospital admission is associated with mortality in geriatric patients: a Danish nationwide population-based cohort study

“…This study is a nationwide register-based longitudinal cohort study that combines data from four different Danish national registers: the Danish NDG,23 the Danish National Patient Register (NPR),28 the Danish Civil Registration System (CRS),29 and the Danish National Database of Reimbursed Prescriptions (NDRP) 30…”

“…The NDG is a Danish national clinical quality database designed to include all patients aged >50 years admitted to a geriatric department in Denmark 23. Twenty-four geriatric departments exist in Denmark, and patients are admitted directly from the general practitioner, through the emergency department, or by transfer from other hospital departments.…”

“…Twenty-four geriatric departments exist in Denmark, and patients are admitted directly from the general practitioner, through the emergency department, or by transfer from other hospital departments. The nationwide database was established in 2005 and has shown stable completeness of 90% 23. The NDG contains information on a number of variables collected at the time of hospital admission, ie, height, weight, and assessment of ADL.…”

“…The study population was identified through the NDG23 and included all patients aged ≥65 years with their first registration in the NDG during the period from January 1, 2005, to December 31, 2014 (Figure 1).…”

“…It is often noted as a gold standard outcome in terms of addressing ADL 22. In Denmark, BI is routinely assessed in geriatric patients at the time of hospital admission and data are collected in the Danish National Database of Geriatrics (NDG) 23. Prior studies assessing older community-dwelling patients24,25 as well as smaller single-center studies on hospitalized geriatric patients26,27 have reported associations with disability and mortality, but more generalizable data are lacking.…”