Age and ageing
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Randomized Controlled Trial
Home-based medication review in a high risk elderly population in primary care--the POLYMED randomised controlled trial.
To assess whether home-based medication review by a pharmacist for at-risk older patients in a primary care setting can reduce hospital admissions. ⋯ No positive impact on clinical outcomes or quality of life was demonstrated, however, this intervention did appear to reduce prescribing. This is in line with other evidence and suggests that this form of intervention may not have a clear health gain, but may lead to modest savings in terms of reduced prescribing. Future research should focus on whether such a prescribing effect would make this type of intervention cost effective.
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Editorial Comment
Why stroke patients don't like Mondays (or Saturdays or Sundays).
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Multicenter Study Comparative Study
Access to stroke care in England, Wales and Northern Ireland: the effect of age, gender and weekend admission.
To determine whether access to high-quality stroke care is affected by the age or gender of the patient or by weekend admission. ⋯ There is clear evidence of an age effect on the delivery of stroke care in England, Wales, and Northern Ireland, with older patients being less likely to receive care in line with current clinical guidelines. Quality of acute care is also less good for patients admitted at weekends. No systematic evidence for sexism was identified.