Aims: To introduce a “rehabilitation aged care (RAC) liaison role” to enhance patient selection for rehabilitation and streamline patient flow through the Emergency Department (ED) and General Medicine.
Background: The traditional model of care faced delays in geriatrician reviews (1-4 days), primarily due to referral timing and availability. A Senior Physiotherapist with post-graduate qualifications in aged care was employed to address delays in Comprehensive Geriatric Assessments (CGA) and Early Supported Discharge (ESD) planning.
Methods: Data from July to September 2024 was analyzed, capturing treating specialties, referral sources, and the involvement of geriatricians. The RAC liaison's role in case finding and initiating referrals was recorded.
Results: A total of 137 patients were included, all under geriatric medicine governance. Of these, 124 were initially reviewed by the RAC liaison, with 36 patients being resolved via telephone to the geriatrician, the other 88 were dual seen, only 13 followed the traditional referral pathway. The liaison identified and initiated 101 referrals for early intervention. Additionally, 11 patients were admitted directly from ED to rehabilitation, 10 were placed on early rehabilitation waitlists, and 12 identified for ESD, avoiding unnecessary medical admissions.
Conclusions: The introduction of the RAC liaison role improved the timeliness of geriatric assessments, facilitated earlier rehabilitation acceptance, and supported ESD with follow-up, enhancing patient outcomes and hospital flow.