Evaluation of a mobile X-ray service for elderly residents of residential aged care facilities

Abstract

Objective The Royal Melbourne Hospital established a mobile X-ray service (MXS) in 2013. The goal of the MXS is to address the radiology needs of frail, elderly or demented residents of residential aged care facilities (RACFs) who would otherwise require transportation to attend for X-ray. The present study describes the activity of the MXS, and the impact of the MXS on emergency department (ED) attendances by residents of RACFs.

Methods The study is a descriptive study and uses a before-and-after cohort approach. Activity for the first year of operation was collected and described. At the end of the first year of operation, the top 30 RACF users of the MXS were identified. The hospital Department of Radiology database was examined to find all plain X-rays performed on any patient presenting from the same 30 RACFs for the 1 year before commencement of the MXS (1 July 2012–30 June 2013) and for the 1 year period after the commencement of the MXS (1 July 2013–30 June 2014). Attendances were compared.

Results The MXS delivered 1532 service attendances to 109 different RACFs. The mean age of patients receiving MXS services was 86 years (range 16–107 years). In all, 1124 services (73.4%) were delivered to patients in high-care RACFs. Most patients (n = 634; 41.4%) were bed or wheelchair bound, followed by those who required assistance to ambulate (n = 457; 29.8%). The most common X-ray examinations performed were chest, hip and pelvis, spine and abdomen. There were 919 service attendances to the top 30 RACFs using the MXS (60.0% of all attendances). There was an 11.5% reduction in ED presentations requiring plain X-ray in the year following the commencement of the MXS (95% confidence interval 0.62–3.98; P = 0.019).

Conclusion The present study suggests a reduction in hospital ED attendances for high users of the MXS. This has benefits for hospitals, patients and nursing homes. It also allows the extension of other programs designed to treat patients in their RACFs. Special rebates for home-based radiology service provision should be considered.

What is already known about this subject? Digital processing has changed the way radiology delivers services. The Australian community is in the middle of a shift towards an aging population, with a greater numbers of residents in RACFs. It has been suggested in previous studies that mobile X-ray reduces the rate of delirium in patients who require X-ray.

What does this paper add? There is an unmet demand for MXS to residents of RACFs. MXS may reduce presentations by elderly residents of RACFs to hospital EDs for X-rays. MXS may assist general practitioners, and other innovative programs, such as Hospital in the Home and Inreach, to better manage care for patients in RACFs.

What are the implications for practitioners? Providers of radiology services should examine the opportunities and benefits of establishing MXS. Funders of services should examine ways of rebating MXS to encourage further development. Hospitals (Hospital in the Home and Inreach services), RACFs and general practitioners should use mobile X-ray and integrate these services into their management of aged care delivered in RACFs.