Walter S., Stendel A., Behrens-Baumann W.

Universitätsaugenklinik, Leipziger Str. 44, 39120 Magdeburg

Background: The increasing spectrum of surgical procedures which are carried out without hospitalization of the patients leads also to structural and logistical changes in the hospital management.
Methods: We analyzed data of all in-patient treated patients of the Department of Ophthalmology at the Otto-von-Guericke-University of Magdeburg from April to June 1999 and 2000 respectively.
Results: In the Department 505 and 582 consecutive patients were in the proposed time period 1999 and 2000 hospitalized. The mean age of the patients were 63,79 years for 1999 and 63,11 for 2000 resulting in the percentage of patients older then 65 years of almost 60% and 62% respectively. In comparison to other Departments of the Medical Faculty in Magdeburg, the Department of Ophthalmology had the highest population of patients older than 65 years for both years. More then half of them had 2-4 additional none ophthalmic diagnosis. The average time patients needed to be hospitalized during April to June decreased from 7,21 days in 1999 to 5,52 days in 2000.
Conclusions: Most patients referred to the Department of Ophthalmology are older than 65 years and have multiple none ophthalmic diagnosis. The increasing mean average of the population combined with multimorbidity stands in contrast to the political goal of decreasing inpatient numbers and decreasing the number of staff members for hospitals. The decrease of time, which the average patient had to be hospitalized leads to a more intensive work of physicians and nurse which will be even more dramatic after introducing of diagnosis related groups (DRG`s).

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