Departments full at 100%, or almost, and understaffed. Consequent stays, for days, on stretchers in the emergency room. An avoidable phenomenon: about a third of hospitalizations are unnecessary.
These are the key data from the survey conducted in Sardinia between March and April by Fadoi, the Federation of Hospital Internal Medicine Doctors. Few beds, even fewer staff, but the situation could be a little more manageable.
On average, the report explains, one in three hospitalizations could have been avoided with a more adequate territorial assistance network. A percentage that rises to over 40% in 17% of the operating units. Another factor: in the wards, 32% of hospitalizations are due to poor prevention. The reform of territorial health care, according to the report, is still struggling but patients are less alone after discharge: the percentage of those who go home but with integrated home assistance activated has risen to 33%, while 33% go to RSA and another third to some intermediate care facility.
A mix of hope and skepticism about the new community homes and hospitals: for doctors, 29% of hospitalized patients could be discharged more quickly with these new well-functioning intermediate structures. Between overcrowding in departments and staff shortages, 50% of internists say they no longer find time to do research, while 33% do less than they would like.
"The data from Sardinian internists confirm what we all see in daily clinical practice, that is, the occupancy rate of all Internal Medicine departments is certainly close to 100% and in some cases higher due to the presence of additional beds", comments the president of Fadoi Sardegna, Carlo Usai, "the type and severity of hospitalizations can vary greatly, certainly the appropriateness of hospitalizations could be improved to a large extent with better territorial management. There are two Community hospitals currently operating in the region (Ghilarza and Ploaghe) and they are able to contribute to hospital activity; the implementation and strengthening of these structures is necessary".
