Two Dutch Examples of Acute Geriatric Community Hospitals for Older Adults: A Comparative Process Evaluation
References
- Khan HT. Population ageing in a globalized world: Risks and dilemmas? J Eval Clin Pract. 2019;25(5):754–760. DOI: 10.1111/jep.13071
- Wammes JD, Bakx P, Wouterse B, Buurman BM, Murphy TE, Vroomen JL. Acute hospital use in older adults following the 2015 Dutch reform of long-term care: an interrupted time series analysis. Lancet Healthy Longev. 2023;4(6):e257–e264. DOI: 10.1016/s2666-7568(23)00064-8
- Vektis. Factsheet kwetsbare ouderen.
https://www.vektis.nl/intelligence/publicaties/factsheet-kwetsbare-ouderen (accessed 18 July 2025). - Clegg A, Young J, Iliffe S, Rikkert MO, Rockwood K. Frailty in elderly people. Lancet. 2013;381(9868):752–762. DOI: 10.1016/s0140-6736(12)62167-9
- van Seben R, Covinsky KE, Reichardt LA, Aarden JJ, van der Schaaf M, van der Esch M, Engelbert RH, Twisk JW, Bosch JA, Buurman BM. Insight into the posthospital syndrome: a 3-month longitudinal follow up on geriatric syndromes and their association with functional decline, readmission, and mortality. J Gerontol A Biol Sci Med Sci. 2020;75(7):1403–1410. DOI: 10.1093/gerona/glaa039
- Kansagara D, Englander H, Salanitro A, Kagen D, Theobald C, Freeman M, Kripalani S. Risk prediction models for hospital readmission: a systematic review. JAMA. 2011;306(15):1688–1698. DOI: 10.1001/jama.2011.1515
- Boyd CM, Landefeld CS, Counsell SR, Palmer RM, Fortinsky RH, Kresevic D, Burant C, Covinsky KE. Recovery of activities of daily living in older adults after hospitalization for acute medical illness. J Am Geriatr Soc. 2008;56(12):2171–2179. DOI: 10.1111/j.1532-5415.2008.02023.x
- Teno JM, Gozalo PL, Bynum JP, Leland NE, Miller SC, Morden NE, Scupp T, Goodman DC, Mor V. Change in end-of-life care for Medicare beneficiaries: site of death, place of care, and health care transitions in 2000, 2005, and 2009. JAMA. 2013;309(5):470–477. DOI: 10.1001/jama.2012.207624
- Ribbink ME, Gual N, MacNeil-Vroomen JL, Ricart JA, Buurman BM, Inzitari M, Franssen R, Frenkel WJ, Henstra MJ, van Maanen MA, Oudejans I. Two European examples of acute geriatric units located outside of a general hospital for older adults with exacerbated chronic conditions. J Am Med Dir Assoc. 2021;22(6):1228–1234. DOI: 10.1016/j.jamda.2020.12.034
- O’Shaughnessy Í, Robinson K, O’Connor M, Conneely M, Ryan D, Steed F, Carey L, Leahy A, Shanahan E, Quinn C, Galvin R. Effectiveness of acute geriatric unit care on functional decline, clinical and process outcomes among hospitalised older adults with acute medical complaints: a systematic review and meta-analysis. Age Ageing. 2022;51(4):afac081. DOI: 10.1093/ageing/afac081
- Ribbink ME, Vroomen JL, Franssen R, Kolk D, Ben ÂJ, Willems HC, Buurman BM, AGCH study group. Investigating the effectiveness of care delivery at an acute geriatric Community Hospital for Older Adults in the Netherlands: a prospective controlled observational study. J Am Med Dir Assoc. 2024;25(4):704–710. DOI: 10.1016/j.jamda.2023.11.018
- Ribbink ME, Roozendaal CC, MacNeil-Vroomen JL, Franssen R, Buurman BM. Patient experience and satisfaction with admission to an acute geriatric community hospital in the Netherlands: a mixed method study. J. Integr. Care. 2021;29(4):390–402. DOI: 10.1108/JICA-04-2021-0018
- Ribbink ME, Stornebrink E, Franssen R, de Jonghe A, MacNeil Vroomen JL, Buurman BM. The incidence of delirium in an acute geriatric community hospital: an observational cohort feasibility study. medRxiv. 2021. DOI: 10.1101/2021.05.31.21257974
- Ministry of Health, Welfare and Sport. Healthcare in the Netherlands.
https://english.zorginstituutnederland.nl/documents/2016/01/31/healthcare-in-the-netherlands (accessed 18 July 2025). - Skivington K, Matthews L, Simpson SA, Craig P, Baird J, Blazeby JM, Boyd KA, Craig N, French DP, McIntosh E, Petticrew M. A new framework for developing and evaluating complex interventions: update of Medical Research Council guidance. BMJ. 2021;374:n2061. DOI: 10.1136/bmj.n2061
- Glasgow RE, Vogt TM, Boles SM. Evaluating the public health impact of health promotion interventions: the RE-AIM framework. Am J Public Health. 1999;89(9):1322–1327. DOI: 10.2105/ajph.89.9.1322
- Von Elm E, Altman DG, Egger M, Pocock SJ, Gøtzsche PC, Vandenbroucke JP. The Strengthening the Reporting of Observational Studies in Epidemiology (STROBE) statement: guidelines for reporting observational studies. The lancet. 2007;370(9596):1453–1457. DOI: 10.1001/jama.2021.18236
- Tong A, Sainsbury P, Craig J. Consolidated criteria for reporting qualitative research (COREQ): a 32-item checklist for interviews and focus groups. Int. J. Qual. Health Care. 2007;19(6):349–357. DOI: 10.1093/intqhc/mzm042
- Charlson ME, Pompei P, Ales KL, MacKenzie CR. A new method of classifying prognostic comorbidity in longitudinal studies: development and validation. J Chronic Dis. 1987;40(5):373–383. DOI: 10.1016/0021-9681(87)90171-8
- Kroeze ED, de Groot AJ, Smorenburg SM, Mac Neil Vroomen JL, van Vught AJ, Buurman BM. A case vignette study to refine the target group of an intermediate care model: the Acute Geriatric Community Hospital. Eur Geriatr Med. 2024;15(4):977–989. DOI: 10.1007/s41999-024-00947-6
- Stiggelbout A, Griffioen I, Brands J, Melles M, Rietjens J, Kunneman M, Van Der Kolk M, Van Eijck C, Snelders D. Metro mapping: development of an innovative methodology to co-design care paths to support shared decision making in oncology. BMJ Evid Based Med. 2023;28(5):291–294. DOI: 10.1136/bmjebm-2022-112168
- Braun V, Clarke V. Reflecting on reflexive thematic analysis. QRSEH. 2019;11(4):589–597. DOI: 10.1080/2159676X.2019.1628806
- Brody AA, Arbaje AI, DeCherrie LV, Federman AD, Leff B, Siu AL. Starting up a hospital at home program: facilitators and barriers to implementation. J Am Geriatr Soc. 2019;67(3):588–595. DOI: 10.1111/jgs.15782
- Fox MT, Sidani S, Persaud M, Tregunno D, Maimets I, Brooks D, O’Brien K. Acute care for elders components of acute geriatric unit care: systematic descriptive review. J Am Geriatr Soc. 2013.61(6):939–946. DOI: 10.1111/jgs.12282
- Rogers SE, Flood KL, Kuang QY, Harrison JD, Malone ML, Cremer J, Palmer RM. The current landscape of Acute Care for Elders units in the United States. J Am Geriatr Soc. 2022;70(10):3012–3020. DOI: 10.1111/jgs.17892
- Ribbink ME, de Vries-Mols WC, MacNeil Vroomen JL, Franssen R, Resodikromo MN, Buurman BM, the AGCH study group. Facilitators and barriers to implementing an acute geriatric community hospital in the Netherlands: a qualitative study. Age Ageing. 2023;52(1):afac206. DOI: 10.1093/ageing/afac206
- Timmermans EJ, Hoogendijk EO, Broese van Groenou MI, Comijs HC, van Schoor NM, Thomése FC, Visser M, Deeg DJ, Huisman M. Trends across 20 years in multiple indicators of functioning among older adults in the Netherlands. Eur J Public Health. 2019;29(6):1096–1102. DOI: 10.1093/eurpub/ckz065
- Vos R, Boesten J, van den Akker M. Fifteen-year trajectories of multimorbidity and polypharmacy in Dutch primary care—A longitudinal analysis of age and sex patterns. PLoS One. 2022;17(2):
e0264343 . DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0264343 - Lincoln YS, Guba EG. But is it rigorous? Trustworthiness and authenticity in naturalistic evaluation. NDE. 1986;1986(30):73–84. DOI: 10.1002/ev.1427
- Hayes C, Manning M, Fitzgerald C, Condon B, Griffin A, O’Connor M, Glynn L, Robinson K, Galvin R. Effectiveness of Community-Based Multidisciplinary Integrated Care for Older Adults with General Practitioner Involvement: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis. Health Soc Care Community. 2024;1:6437930. DOI: 10.1155/2024/6437930
- Hill J, Cuthel AM, Lin P, Grudzen CR. Primary Palliative Care for Emergency Medicine (PRIM-ER): Applying form and function to a theory-based complex intervention. Contemp Clin Trials Commun. 2020;18:100570. DOI: 10.1016/j.conctc.2020.100570
- Kroeze ED, Hoitinga G, Smorenburg SM, Vroomen JL, van Vught AJ, Buurman BM. Guiding Principles for Transformation Towards Integrated Acute Care for Older Adults Close to Home: Lessons from Nine Dutch Regional Partnerships. A Realist Evaluation. Int J Integr Care. 2025;25(3):7. DOI: 10.5334/ijic.8967
DOI: https://doi.org/10.5334/ijic.10214 | Journal eISSN: 1568-4156
Language: English
Page range: 18 - 18
Submitted on: Oct 9, 2025
Accepted on: Aug 25, 2026
Published on: Sep 8, 2026
Published by: Ubiquity Press
In partnership with: Paradigm Publishing Services
Keywords:
© 2026 Eline Kroeze, Laurien Kanis, Gercora Hoitinga, Susanne Smorenburg, Janet MacNeil Vroomen, Anneke van Vught, Bianca Buurman, published by Ubiquity Press
This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.