Helge Garåsen The Trondheim Model - NSDM

Hypothesis 3 is partially true, because:
- Intermediate care significantly decreased the number of days patients were readmitted
to general hospital and also increased the number of patients who were independent
of community care after 26 weeks of follow-up significantly.
- The total costs of public health care services were significantly lower for patients
provided intermediate care at a community hospital compared to traditional prolonged
general hospital care after six months of follow-up.
- Care at intermediate level is cost effective from a health service perspective after 12
months of follow-up.
- And intermediate level care gives better patient outcome, assessed as independency of
community care, as more patients have better functional status and significantly fewer
patients are dead after 12 months follow-up.
6.0 General discussion
Methodological considerations – strengths and constraints
Validity must be questioned for both studies. (123,145). Firstly, have systematic errors (bias)
been minimised (internal validity)? Secondly, do the results provide correct bases for
generalisations to other circumstances (external validity)?
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