Poster Presentation Australian and New Zealand Society for Geriatric Medicine Annual Scientific Meeting 2025

EarLy InTervention for the Elderly: The ELITE Model for Optimising Length of Stay and Healthcare Cost (#233)

Chong Jin Ng 1 , Claudia Koh 1 , Li Cheng Heng 1 , Harold Lo 1 , Rachel Cheong 1
  1. Khoo Teck Puat Hospital, National Healthcare Group, Singapore, Singapore, SINGAPORE

Aim

The increasing complexity of geriatric care has led to prolonged hospital stay among elderly patients in Singapore, contributing to high bed occupancy and hospital-related complications. This study aimed to evaluate the effectiveness of the ELITE programme in reducing length of stay (LOS) and healthcare cost while maintaining quality care at Khoo Teck Puat Hospital.

Methods

Patients admitted to the Geriatric Short Stay Unit (GSSU) were assigned to the ELITE group based on predefined criteria. The programme implemented a proactive geriatric care strategy integrating the ELITE workflow and the Collaborative Care Continuum Model to enable early interventions. Key components included early mobilisation, medication optimisation, discharge planning, enhanced team communication, and caregiver engagement. Standard hospital resources were used to ensure feasibility. Outcomes of LOS, healthcare cost, readmission rates, and mortality were tracked. Statistical analysis was performed using SPSS version 29 and a p-value of <0.05 was considered statistically significant.

Results

Of 394 eligible patients, 310 patients received the ELITE intervention and 84 patients served as controls. The ELITE group had a significantly shorter average LOS (3.78 ± 1.88 days) vs. control (10.68 ± 7.98 days, p<0.001). The average healthcare cost was also lower ($3826.50 ± 1739.49 vs. $9038.73 ± 6739.95, p<0.001). Quality and safety metrics remained comparable.

Conclusion

The ELITE programme effectively reduced LOS and healthcare cost without compromising care quality, demonstrating the value of a proactive, collaborative geriatric care approach. This highlights the potential for structured, resource-efficient interventions to optimise outcomes for elderly patients while improving hospital capacity.

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