The Allied Health BONE (Best Orthopaedic New Enterprise) team: an interdisciplinary approach to orthopaedic early discharge and admission prevention

Aust Health Rev. 1998;21(3):211-22. doi: 10.1071/ah980211.

Abstract

This paper presents the conceptual framework, activities and outcomes of the Allied Health BONE (Best Orthopaedic New Enterprise) Team, an early discharge incentive at the Gold Coast Hospital. The clinical team of a physiotherapist, occupational therapist and social worker provided services within an interdisciplinary model of care with the aim of reducing the length of stay of acute adult orthopaedic patients. The team provided intervention in the community, the accident and emergency department, pre-admission clinic and orthopaedic wards to patients with hip and knee replacements, back pain and upper femoral fractures. This paper reports data from the first six months of the project, demonstrating success in improving the continuity of care provided to orthopaedic patients and reducing the length of stay in target groups by 24%.

MeSH terms

  • Adult
  • Aftercare
  • Aged
  • Arthroplasty, Replacement, Hip / rehabilitation*
  • Arthroplasty, Replacement, Knee / rehabilitation*
  • Continuity of Patient Care / organization & administration
  • Continuity of Patient Care / standards
  • Hospital Bed Capacity, 500 and over
  • House Calls
  • Humans
  • Length of Stay
  • Middle Aged
  • Outcome Assessment, Health Care
  • Patient Care Team*
  • Patient Discharge*
  • Patient Readmission
  • Program Evaluation
  • Queensland
  • Referral and Consultation