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AHRQ Research Studies
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Research Studies is a compilation of published research articles funded by AHRQ or authored by AHRQ researchers.
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1 to 3 of 3 Research Studies DisplayedMueller SK, Shannon E, Dalal A
Patient and physician experience with interhospital transfer: a qualitative study.
This qualitative study explored patients’ and involved physicians’ experience with interhospital transfer (IHT) to understand specific factors that may impact the quality and safety of this care transition. Individual interviews were conducted with adult patients transferred to cardiology, general medicine, and oncology services at a tertiary care academic medical center, as well as their transferring physician, accepting attending physician, and accepting/admitting resident physician. Participants included 10 adults (6 cardiology, 2 medicine, and 2 oncology), 9 accepting attending physicians, 12 accepting and/or admitting resident physicians, and 5 transferring physicians. Emergent themes demonstrated that participants held a shared understanding for the reason for the transfer and relayed a general dissatisfaction regarding the timing and lack of advanced notification of transfer. The authors found distinct differences in IHT experience by stakeholder group - with physicians relaying discontent on intrahospital chains of communication and interhospital information exchange, and patient participants focused more readily on the physical aspects of IHT.
AHRQ-funded; HS023331.
Citation: Mueller SK, Shannon E, Dalal A .
Patient and physician experience with interhospital transfer: a qualitative study.
J Patient Saf 2021 Dec 1;17(8):e752-e57. doi: 10.1097/pts.0000000000000501..
Keywords: Transitions of Care, Hospitals, Hospitalization, Provider: Physician, Patient Experience
Limes J, Callister C, Young E
A cross-sectional survey of internal medicine residents' knowledge, attitudes, and current practices regarding patient transitions to post-acute care.
This study’s aim was to assess internal medicine residents’ knowledge, attitudes, and current practice regarding patient transitions to post-acute care (PAC). The authors conducted a multi-site cross-sectional 36-question survey at 3 university-based Internal Medicine training programs in the United States. Of 482 residents, almost half (49%) responded. Only 31% of residents know how often patients received skilled therapists at skilled nursing facilities (SNFs) and 23% knew how frequently nursing services are provided. The majority of residents (79%) identified the discharge summary as the main way to communicate care instructions to the SNF, but only 55% reported always completing it prior to discharge. Upper-level residents were more likely to know how much therapy patients received at an SNF, but other resident knowledge about PAC did not vary by residency year. Residents who experienced a clinical rotation at a SNF had higher levels of knowledge compared to those who did not.
AHRQ-funded; HS024569.
Citation: Limes J, Callister C, Young E .
A cross-sectional survey of internal medicine residents' knowledge, attitudes, and current practices regarding patient transitions to post-acute care.
J Am Med Dir Assoc 2021 Nov;22(11):2344-49. doi: 10.1016/j.jamda.2021.02.011..
Keywords: Transitions of Care, Education: Continuing Medical Education, Provider: Physician
Mueller SK, Schnipper JL
Physician perspectives on interhospital transfers.
This study examined physician perspectives of the common problems that occur during acute care hospital interhospital transfers. The process tends to be nonstandardized which creates a number of issues. These issues include: patients sometimes, frequently, or always arriving without required specialized care (56% of the time), arriving with unrealistic expectations of care (77.2% of responses), arrived more than 24 hours after accepted transfer in 80.1% of responses, and arrived without necessary transfer records 86.9% of the time. The last issue and also time of day of arrival many physicians felt posed a risk to the transferred patients.
AHRQ-funded; HS023331.
Citation: Mueller SK, Schnipper JL .
Physician perspectives on interhospital transfers.
J Patient Saf 2019 Jun;15(2):86-89. doi: 10.1097/pts.0000000000000312..
Keywords: Healthcare Delivery, Hospitals, Patient Safety, Provider, Provider: Physician, Transitions of Care