National Healthcare Quality and Disparities Report
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AHRQ Research Studies Date
Topics
- Adverse Drug Events (ADE) (2)
- Adverse Events (3)
- Antibiotics (3)
- Antimicrobial Stewardship (3)
- Asthma (3)
- Behavioral Health (1)
- Cancer: Lung Cancer (1)
- Cardiovascular Conditions (2)
- Care Coordination (10)
- Caregiving (5)
- Care Management (1)
- Case Study (1)
- Children's Health Insurance Program (CHIP) (1)
- Children/Adolescents (10)
- Chronic Conditions (3)
- Clinician-Patient Communication (2)
- Communication (5)
- Consumer Assessment of Healthcare Providers and Systems (CAHPS) (1)
- Depression (1)
- Digestive Disease and Health (1)
- Education: Patient and Caregiver (1)
- Elderly (8)
- Electronic Health Records (EHRs) (1)
- Emergency Department (2)
- Emergency Medical Services (EMS) (1)
- Evidence-Based Practice (1)
- Healthcare Costs (1)
- Healthcare Delivery (3)
- Healthcare Utilization (1)
- Health Information Technology (HIT) (7)
- Health Services Research (HSR) (2)
- Heart Disease and Health (1)
- Home Healthcare (8)
- (-) Hospital Discharge (59)
- Hospitalization (4)
- Hospital Readmissions (9)
- Hospitals (11)
- Imaging (1)
- Inpatient Care (1)
- Long-Term Care (4)
- Medical Errors (2)
- Medical Liability (1)
- Medicare (1)
- Medication (7)
- Medication: Safety (2)
- Mortality (1)
- Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) (1)
- Newborns/Infants (2)
- Nursing (1)
- Nursing Homes (8)
- Outcomes (1)
- Patient-Centered Healthcare (4)
- Patient-Centered Outcomes Research (4)
- Patient Adherence/Compliance (1)
- Patient and Family Engagement (3)
- Patient Experience (2)
- Patient Safety (11)
- Patient Self-Management (2)
- Provider (2)
- Provider: Nurse (1)
- Quality Improvement (6)
- Quality Measures (2)
- Quality of Care (7)
- Quality of Life (1)
- Racial and Ethnic Minorities (1)
- Rehabilitation (3)
- Respiratory Conditions (1)
- Risk (2)
- Shared Decision Making (1)
- Stroke (2)
- Surgery (2)
- Teams (1)
- Telehealth (2)
- (-) Transitions of Care (59)
- Vulnerable Populations (1)
- Workflow (1)
AHRQ Research Studies
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Research Studies is a compilation of published research articles funded by AHRQ or authored by AHRQ researchers.
Results
1 to 25 of 59 Research Studies DisplayedAnderson AJ, Noyes K, Hewner S
Expanding the evidence for cross-sector collaboration in implementation science: creating a collaborative, cross-sector, interagency, multidisciplinary team to serve patients experiencing homelessness and medical complexity at hospital discharge.
This report discussed the challenges for implementing cross-sector collaboration (CSC). A recuperative care collaborative in Buffalo, NY, provided care transition support at an acute care hospital discharge via a medical respite program for people who had experienced homelessness. Using the Expert Recommendations for Implementing Change (ERIC) framework and feedback from the cross-sector collaborative team, implementation strategies were derived from three validated ERIC implementation strategy clusters: development of stakeholder relationships, use of evaluative and iterative strategies, and changes to infrastructure. The authors concluded that future research would address external organizational influences and emphasize CSC as central to interventions.
AHRQ-funded; HS028000.
Citation: Anderson AJ, Noyes K, Hewner S .
Expanding the evidence for cross-sector collaboration in implementation science: creating a collaborative, cross-sector, interagency, multidisciplinary team to serve patients experiencing homelessness and medical complexity at hospital discharge.
Front Health Serv 2023 Sep 8; 3:1124054. doi: 10.3389/frhs.2023.1124054..
Keywords: Hospital Discharge, Chronic Conditions, Vulnerable Populations, Care Coordination, Transitions of Care
Bristol AA, Elmore CE, Weiss ME
Mixed-methods study examining family carers' perceptions of the relationship between intrahospital transitions and patient readiness for discharge.
Intrahospital transitions (IHTs) may disrupt care coordination. Family caregivers often serve as liaisons between the patient and healthcare professionals, yet caregivers are often excluded from care planning during IHTs. The aim of this sequential, explanatory mixed-methods study was to examine family caregiver’s perceptions about IHTs, patient and caregiver ratings of patient discharge readiness, and caregiver self-perception of level of preparedness for engaging in care at home. The researchers conducted a retrospective analysis of hospital inpatients from a parent study for whom patient and family caregiver Readiness for Hospital Discharge Scale (RHDS) score frequency of IHTs and patient and caregiver characteristics were available. The study found that a total of 268 patients discharged from July 2020 to April 2021 had completed the RHDS and 23 completed the semi-structured interviews. The majority of patients experienced 0-2 IHTs and reported high levels of discharge readiness. No association was found between IHTs and patients' RHDS scores in the quantitative analysis. However, caregiver’s perceptions of patient discharge readiness were negatively correlated with increased IHTs. In addition, non-spouse caregivers reported lower RHDS scores than spousal caregivers. During interviews, caregivers shared barriers experienced during IHTs and described the importance of being included in discharge care planning.
AHRQ-funded; HS026248; HS026505.
Citation: Bristol AA, Elmore CE, Weiss ME .
Mixed-methods study examining family carers' perceptions of the relationship between intrahospital transitions and patient readiness for discharge.
BMJ Qual Saf 2023 Aug; 32(8):447-56. doi: 10.1136/bmjqs-2022-015120..
Keywords: Caregiving, Hospital Discharge, Transitions of Care
Desai AD, Tolpadi A, Parast L
Improving the quality of written discharge instructions: a multisite collaborative project.
This study assessed the association between participation in an Institute for Healthcare Improvement Virtual Breakthrough Series collaborative and the quality of pediatric written discharge instructions across 8 US hospitals. The authors conducted a multicenter, interrupted time-series analysis of a medical records-based quality measure focused on written discharge instruction content (0-100 scale, higher scores reflect better quality). They obtained data from a random sample of pediatric patients (n = 5739) discharged from participating hospitals between September 2015 and August 2016, and between December 2017 and January 2020. The study periods consisted of 3 phases: 1) a 14-month pre-collaborative phase; 2) a 12-month quality improvement collaborative phase when hospitals implemented multiple rapid cycle tests of change and shared improvement strategies; and 3) a 12-month postcollaborative phase. Among hospitals with high baseline performance, measure scores improved beyond expected for the precollaborative trend, but hospitals with low baseline performance, measure scores increased at a lower than expected rate.
AHRQ-funded; HS025291.
Citation: Desai AD, Tolpadi A, Parast L .
Improving the quality of written discharge instructions: a multisite collaborative project.
Pediatrics 2023 May; 151(5):e2022059452. doi: 10.1542/peds.2022-059452..
Keywords: Hospital Discharge, Transitions of Care, Hospitals
Xiao Y, Smith A, Abebe E
Understanding hazards for adverse drug events among older adults after hospital discharge: insights from frontline care professionals.
The purpose of this study was to utilize a systems approach to examine hazards to medication safety for older adults during care transitions. The researchers interviewed 38 hospital-based professionals (5 hospitalists, 24 nurses, 4 clinical pharmacists, 3 pharmacy technicians, and 2 social workers) from 4 hospitals about ADE risks after hospital discharge among older adults. For each concern the participants provided, the hazard for medication-related harms was coded and grouped by its sources utilizing a human factors and systems engineering model. The study found that the hazards fell into 6 groups: 1) medication tasks related at home, 2) patient and caregiver related, 3) hospital work system related, 4) home resource related, 5) hospital professional-patient collaborative work related, and 6) external environment related. The type of medications indicated most frequently when describing concerns included anticoagulants, insulins, and diuretics. The types of hazards coded the most were: complex dosing, patient and caregiver knowledge gaps in medication management, errors in discharge medications, unaffordable cost, inadequate understanding about changes in medications, and gaps in access to care or in sharing medication information.
AHRQ-funded; HS024436.
Citation: Xiao Y, Smith A, Abebe E .
Understanding hazards for adverse drug events among older adults after hospital discharge: insights from frontline care professionals.
J Patient Saf 2022 Dec 1;18(8):e1174-e80. doi: 10.1097/pts.0000000000001046..
Keywords: Elderly, Adverse Drug Events (ADE), Medication, Medication: Safety, Hospital Discharge, Hospitals, Transitions of Care
Harrison JD, Sudore RL, Auerbach AD
Automated telephone follow-up programs after hospital discharge: do older adults engage with these programs?
The purpose of this study was to examine whether and how older adults experience automated post-hospital discharge telephone follow-up programs and characterize the prevalence of patient-reported post-discharge issues. Eighteen thousand and seventy-six patients, all part of a post-hospital discharge program between May 1, 2018 and April 30, 2019, were included and categorized into age groups. The study found that more patients 65-84 years old were reached compared to patients 64 years old or less (84.3% compared to 78.9%). Patients aged 85 or older were more likely to have questions about their follow-up plans and require assistance scheduling appointments compared to those 64 years old or less (19.0% vs. 11.9%). The researchers concluded that post-hospital automated telephone calls are effective at reaching older adults.
AHRQ-funded; HS026383.
Citation: Harrison JD, Sudore RL, Auerbach AD .
Automated telephone follow-up programs after hospital discharge: do older adults engage with these programs?
J Am Geriatr Soc 2022 Oct;70(10):2980-87. doi: 10.1111/jgs.17939..
Keywords: Elderly, Patient and Family Engagement, Hospital Discharge, Transitions of Care, Telehealth, Health Information Technology (HIT)
Bourgoin A, Balaban R, Hochman M
AHRQ Author: Perfetto D, Hogan EM
Improving quality and safety for patients after hospital discharge: primary care as the lead integrator in postdischarge care transitions.
The purpose of this study was to explain primary care-based transition workflow processes for hospitalized patients. The researchers conducted interviews with primary care thought leaders, staff at 9 primary care sites, community agency staff, and recently discharged patients. The researchers found that primary care postdischarge workflows vary across the different settings, rarely include communications with the patient or the inpatient team during the hospitalization and vary widely across settings. The researchers recommended the use of principles for primary care practices to encourage active participation in the full spectrum of postdischarge care, from admission through the first postdischarge visit to primary care.
AHRQ-authored; AHRQ-funded; 233201500019I/HHSP23337002T.
Citation: Bourgoin A, Balaban R, Hochman M .
Improving quality and safety for patients after hospital discharge: primary care as the lead integrator in postdischarge care transitions.
J Ambul Care Manage 2022 Oct-Dec;45(4):310-20. doi: 10.1097/jac.0000000000000433..
Keywords: Quality of Care, Patient Safety, Hospital Discharge, Transitions of Care, Hospitals, Workflow
Vaughn VM, Ratz D, Greene MT
Antibiotic stewardship strategies and their association with antibiotic overuse after hospital discharge: an analysis of the Reducing Overuse of Antibiotics at Discharge (ROAD) home framework.
Researchers sought to understand strategies to optimize antibiotic prescribing at discharge. Surveying Michigan hospitals on their antibiotic stewardship strategies for community-acquired pneumonia (CAP) and urinary tract infection (UTI), they found that the more stewardship strategies a hospital reported, the lower its antibiotic overuse at discharge.
AHRQ-funded; HS026530.
Citation: Vaughn VM, Ratz D, Greene MT .
Antibiotic stewardship strategies and their association with antibiotic overuse after hospital discharge: an analysis of the Reducing Overuse of Antibiotics at Discharge (ROAD) home framework.
Clin Infect Dis 2022 Sep 29;75(6):1063-72. doi: 10.1093/cid/ciac104..
Keywords: Antimicrobial Stewardship, Antibiotics, Medication, Hospital Discharge, Transitions of Care
Topham EW, Bristol A, Luther B
Caregiver inclusion in IDEAL discharge teaching: implications for transitions from hospital to home.
The purpose of this study was to explore perceptions of caregivers regarding their discharge preparation, focusing particular attention on whether and how they believed discharge preparation impacted post-discharge patient outcomes. Through interviews with four English-speaking caregivers, findings showed that, once home, the caregivers reported gaps in their knowledge of how to care for the patient, suggesting key gaps related to knowledge of warning signs and problems. Two of the four caregiver participants attributed a hospital readmission to post-discharge knowledge gaps. This study of caregiver experiences suggests that AHRQ’s IDEAL discharge planning strategy remains a useful and important framework for case managers to follow when providing discharge services.
AHRQ-funded; HS026248.
Citation: Topham EW, Bristol A, Luther B .
Caregiver inclusion in IDEAL discharge teaching: implications for transitions from hospital to home.
Prof Case Manag 2022 Jul-Aug;27(4):181-93. doi: 10.1097/ncm.0000000000000563..
Keywords: Hospital Discharge, Transitions of Care, Caregiving
Giesler DL, Krein S, Brancaccio A
Reducing overuse of antibiotics at discharge home: a single-center mixed methods pilot study.
This article described a single-center, controlled pilot study of a pharmacist-facilitated antibiotic timeout prior to hospital discharge. The timeout addressed key elements of duration and was designed and implemented using iterative cycles with rapid feedback. The authors evaluated implementation outcomes related to feasibility, including usability, adherence, and acceptability. The pharmacists conducted 288 antibiotic timeouts with a mean duration of 2.5 minutes. Pharmacists recommended an antibiotic change in 25% of timeouts with 70% of recommended changes accepted by hospitalists. Barriers included unanticipated and weekend discharges. There were no differences in antibiotic use after discharge during the intervention compared to control services.
AHRQ-funded; HS026530.
Citation: Giesler DL, Krein S, Brancaccio A .
Reducing overuse of antibiotics at discharge home: a single-center mixed methods pilot study.
Am J Infect Control 2022 Jul;50(7):777-86. doi: 10.1016/j.ajic.2021.11.016..
Keywords: Antibiotics, Antimicrobial Stewardship, Medication, Hospital Discharge, Transitions of Care
Mitchell SE, Reichert M, Howard JM
Reducing readmission of hospitalized patients with depressive symptoms: a randomized trial.
The purpose of this randomized controlled trial study was to assess whether post-discharge depression treatment will benefit hospitalized patients by reducing readmissions. Participants included hospitalized patients with a patient health questionnaire-9 score of 10 or higher. The researchers delivered the Re-Engineered Discharge (RED) and randomized participants to groups receiving RED-only or RED for Depression (RED-D), a 12-week post-discharge telehealth intervention. The study found that at 30 days, the intention-to-treat analysis showed no differences between RED-D vs RED-only in hospital readmission or reutilization. The intention-to-treat analysis also showed no differences at 90 days in readmission or reutilization. In the as-treated analysis, each additional RED-D session was associated with a decrease in 30- and 90-day readmissions. At 30 days, among 104 participants receiving 3 or more sessions, there were fewer readmissions compared with the control group. At 90 days, among 109 participants receiving 6 or more sessions, there were fewer readmissions. The study concluded that unplanned hospital use can be decreased with post-discharge treatment of depression and support for care transition.
AHRQ-funded; HS019700.
Citation: Mitchell SE, Reichert M, Howard JM .
Reducing readmission of hospitalized patients with depressive symptoms: a randomized trial.
Ann Fam Med 2022 May-Jun;20(3):246-54. doi: 10.1370/afm.2801..
Keywords: Depression, Behavioral Health, Hospital Readmissions, Hospital Discharge, Transitions of Care
Sharara SL, Arbaje AI, Cosgrove SE
The voice of the patient: patient roles in antibiotic management at the hospital-to-home transition.
The objective of this study was to characterize tasks required for patient-performed antibiotic medication management (MM) at the hospital-to-home transition, as well as barriers to and strategies for patient-led antibiotic MM. The overall goal was to understand patients' role in managing antibiotics at the hospital-to-home transition. The investigators concluded that there are many opportunities to improve patient-led antibiotic MM at the hospital-to-home transition.
AHRQ-funded; HS026995.
Citation: Sharara SL, Arbaje AI, Cosgrove SE .
The voice of the patient: patient roles in antibiotic management at the hospital-to-home transition.
J Patient Saf 2022 Apr 1;18(3):e633-e39. doi: 10.1097/pts.0000000000000899..
Keywords: Antibiotics, Antimicrobial Stewardship, Medication, Hospital Discharge, Transitions of Care, Patient Self-Management
Fraiman YS, Stewart JE, Litt JS
Race, language, and neighborhood predict high-risk preterm infant follow up program participation.
This study investigated whether infants born to Black mothers, non-English speaking mothers, and mothers who live in “Very Low” Child Opportunity Index (COI) neighborhoods would have decreased odds of using the Infant Follow Up Program (IFUP) for their preterm infants after discharge from a NICU. A total of 477 infants eligible for IFUP between 2015 and June 2017 from a single large academic Level III NICU were included. Primary outcome considered was at least one visit to IFUP. Two hundred infants (41.9%) participated in IFUP, with the odds of participation lower for Black compared to white race, “Very Low” COI compared to “Very High”, and primary non-English speaking.
AHRQ-funded; HS000063.
Citation: Fraiman YS, Stewart JE, Litt JS .
Race, language, and neighborhood predict high-risk preterm infant follow up program participation.
J Perinatol 2022 Feb;42(2):217-22. doi: 10.1038/s41372-021-01188-2..
Keywords: Newborns/Infants, Hospital Discharge, Transitions of Care, Racial and Ethnic Minorities
Brajcich BC, Shallcross ML, Johnson JK
Barriers to post-discharge monitoring and patient-clinician communication: a qualitative study.
This study used semi-structured interviews and focus groups to identify barriers to post-discharge monitoring and patient-clinician communication. Participants were gastrointestinal surgery patients and clinicians, with a total of 15 patients and 17 clinicians. Four themes and four barriers were identified from patient and clinician interviews and focus groups. Patient-identified barriers included education and expectation setting, technology access and literacy, availability of resources and support, and misalignment of communication preferences. Clinician-identified barriers included health education, access to clinical team, healthcare practitioner time constraints, and care team experience and consistency.
AHRQ-funded; HS026385.
Citation: Brajcich BC, Shallcross ML, Johnson JK .
Barriers to post-discharge monitoring and patient-clinician communication: a qualitative study.
J Surg Res 2021 Dec;268:1-8. doi: 10.1016/j.jss.2021.06.032..
Keywords: Hospital Discharge, Clinician-Patient Communication, Care Management, Transitions of Care
Parikh K, Richmond M, Lee M
Outcomes from a pilot patient-centered hospital-to-home transition program for children hospitalized with asthma.
The purpose of this study was to evaluate a multi-component hospital-to-home (H2H) transition program for children hospitalized with an asthma exacerbation. A pilot prospective randomized clinical trial of guideline-based asthma care with and without a patient-centered multi-component H2H program was conducted among children enrolled in K-8(th) grade on Medicaid hospitalized for an asthma exacerbation. The investigators concluded that the pilot data suggested that comprehensive care coordination initiated during the inpatient stay was feasible and acceptable.
AHRQ-funded; HS024554.
Citation: Parikh K, Richmond M, Lee M .
Outcomes from a pilot patient-centered hospital-to-home transition program for children hospitalized with asthma.
J Asthma 2021 Oct;58(10):1384-94. doi: 10.1080/02770903.2020.1795877..
Keywords: Children/Adolescents, Patient-Centered Healthcare, Transitions of Care, Asthma, Hospital Discharge, Care Coordination, Chronic Conditions
Manges KA, Ayele R, Leonard C
Differences in transitional care processes among high-performing and low-performing hospital-SNF pairs: a rapid ethnographic approach.
This study’s objective was to explore differences between low- and high-performing hospitals and skilled nursing facilities (SNFs) pairs and postacute care outcomes. The authors used flow maps and thematic analysis to describe the process of hospitals discharging patients to SNFs and to identify differences in subprocesses used by high-performing and low-performing hospitals. Hospitals were classified based on their 30-day readmission rates from SNFs. The final sample included 148 hours of observations with 30 clinicians across four hospitals and five corresponding SNFs. High-performing sites differed in each stage from low-performing sites by focusing on 1) earlier, ongoing, systematic identification of high-risk patients; 2) discussing the decision to go to an SNF as an iterative team-based process and 3) anticipating barriers with knowledge of transitional and SNF care processes.
AHRQ-funded; HS026116.
Citation: Manges KA, Ayele R, Leonard C .
Differences in transitional care processes among high-performing and low-performing hospital-SNF pairs: a rapid ethnographic approach.
BMJ Qual Saf 2021 Aug;30(8):648-57. doi: 10.1136/bmjqs-2020-011204..
Keywords: Transitions of Care, Hospitals, Nursing Homes, Hospital Readmissions, Hospital Discharge
Misra-Hebert AD, Rothberg MB, Fox J
Healthcare utilization and patient and provider experience with a home visit program for patients discharged from the hospital at high risk for readmission.
This retrospective cohort study assessed the association of home visits by advanced practice registered nurses (APRNs) and paramedics with healthcare utilization and mortality of patients released home after hospital discharge The authors looked at adult medical patients discharged to home from November 2017-September 2019. They assessed outcomes for home visit vs. matched comparison patients at 30, 90, and 180 days, including hospital admission, emergency department (ED) use, and death using two phases. Phase 1 was defined as APRN or paramedic visits assigned by geographic location and Phase 2 defined as APRN and paramedic visit teams assigned to patients. They also compared patients who declined home visits with those accepting them. Phase 1 outcomes showed no differences in readmissions, ED visits, or death at 30,90, and 180 days. Phase 2 showed patients who had home visits had fewer 30-day readmissions and no differences in other outcomes. Patients who accepted home visits had lower odds of readmission compared to patients who declined. Forty-four interviews were also conducted, and themes of Medication Understanding, Knowledge Gap after Discharge, Patient Medical Complexity, Social Context, and Patient Engagement/Need for Reassurance emerged.
AHRQ-funded; HS024128.
Citation: Misra-Hebert AD, Rothberg MB, Fox J .
Healthcare utilization and patient and provider experience with a home visit program for patients discharged from the hospital at high risk for readmission.
Healthc 2021 Mar;9(1):100518. doi: 10.1016/j.hjdsi.2020.100518..
Keywords: Home Healthcare, Transitions of Care, Hospital Discharge, Hospital Readmissions
Gonzalez MR, Junge-Maughan L, Lipsitz LA
ECHO-CT: an interdisciplinary videoconference model for identifying potential postdischarge transition-of-care events.
In this paper, data collected through the Extension for Community Health Outcomes- Care Transitions (ECHO-CT) model were used to identify and classify transition-of-care events (TCEs). Findings showed that the TCEs identified highlight areas in which providers can work to reduce issues arising during the course of discharge to post-acute care facilities. Recommendations included standardized processes to identify, record, and report TCEs in order to provide high-quality, safe care for patients as they move across care settings.
AHRQ-funded; HS025702.
Citation: Gonzalez MR, Junge-Maughan L, Lipsitz LA .
ECHO-CT: an interdisciplinary videoconference model for identifying potential postdischarge transition-of-care events.
J Hosp Med 2021 Feb;16(2):93-96. doi: 10.12788/jhm.3523..
Keywords: Transitions of Care, Hospital Discharge, Quality Improvement, Quality of Care
Amar-Dolan LG, Horn MH, O'Connell B B
"This is how hard it is". family experience of hospital-to-home transition with a tracheostomy.
This study explores the experience of family caregivers of children and young adults with a tracheostomy during the transition from hospital to home care. Researchers sought to identify the specific unmet needs of families to direct future interventions. Using semi-structured interviews, they found a need for family-centered discharge processes including coordination of care and teaching focused on emergency preparedness.
AHRQ-funded; HS000063.
Citation: Amar-Dolan LG, Horn MH, O'Connell B B .
"This is how hard it is". family experience of hospital-to-home transition with a tracheostomy.
Ann Am Thorac Soc 2020 Jul;17(7):860-68. doi: 10.1513/AnnalsATS.201910-780OC..
Keywords: Transitions of Care, Home Healthcare, Caregiving, Patient Experience, Care Coordination, Hospital Discharge, Hospitals, Children/Adolescents, Patient-Centered Healthcare
Musial A, Butts B, Loechtenfeldt A
Challenges following hospital discharge for children with medical complexity.
The transition from hospital to home is a period of risk, particularly for children with medical complexity. The aim of this prospective study was to identify and address discharge challenges through execution of postdischarge phone calls. The investigators found that discharge challenges were commonly identified by caregivers of children with medical complexity. The majority of postdischarge challenges were addressed, with some addressed by families themselves.
AHRQ-funded; HS025138.
Citation: Musial A, Butts B, Loechtenfeldt A .
Challenges following hospital discharge for children with medical complexity.
Hosp Pediatr 2020 Jun;10(6):531-36. doi: 10.1542/hpeds.2019-0306..
Keywords: Children/Adolescents, Hospital Discharge, Transitions of Care
Campbell Britton M, Petersen-Pickett J, Hodshon B
Mapping the care transition from hospital to skilled nursing facility.
Researchers used process mapping to illustrate the sequence of events involved with hospital discharge and admission to a skilled nursing facility (SNF). These transitions are often associated with breakdowns in communication that may place patients at risk for adverse events. A quality improvement (QI) team worked with frontline staff at an academic medical center and two local SNFs in the northeastern United States. The final process map included care management, medicine, nursing, admissions and physical therapy service staff. The process map showed numerous activities that need to be coordinated between care teams, and highlighted specific opportunities for improving communication between different teams.
AHRQ-funded; HS023554.
Citation: Campbell Britton M, Petersen-Pickett J, Hodshon B .
Mapping the care transition from hospital to skilled nursing facility.
J Eval Clin Pract 2020 Jun;26(3):786-90. doi: 10.1111/jep.13238..
Keywords: Transitions of Care, Care Coordination, Quality Improvement, Communication, Hospital Discharge, Hospitals, Nursing Homes, Quality of Care
Fuller TE, Pong DD, Piniella N
Interactive digital health tools to engage patients and caregivers in discharge preparation: implementation study.
This clinical trial studied implementation of a suite of EHR-integrated digital health tools to engage patients, caregivers, and clinicians in discharge preparation during hospitalization. Patients who were enrolled agreed to watch a discharge video, complete a checklist assessing discharge readiness, and request postdischarge text messaging with a physician 24 to 48 hours before their expected discharge date. Out of 752 patient admissions, from December 2017 to July 2018, 510 participated, 416 watched the video and completed the checklist, and 94 completed only the checklist. Most patients endorsed the tools, but felt that the video and checklist would be more useful closer to the actual discharge date. Clinicians participating in focus groups perceived the value for patients but felt that there were a number of limitations including low awareness and variable workflow regarding the intervention. A number of strategies were offered by the authors to address implementation barriers and promote adoption of these tools.
AHRQ-funded; HS024751.
Citation: Fuller TE, Pong DD, Piniella N .
Interactive digital health tools to engage patients and caregivers in discharge preparation: implementation study.
J Med Internet Res 2020 Apr 28;22(4):e15573. doi: 10.2196/15573..
Keywords: Health Information Technology (HIT), Patient and Family Engagement, Caregiving, Hospital Discharge, Transitions of Care, Hospitals
Arbaje AI, Werner NE, Kasda EM
Learning from lawsuits: using malpractice claims data to develop care transitions planning tools.
This study used malpractice claims data to evaluate safety risks during care transitions from hospital to home and to help develop care transitions planning tools and pilot test them. The authors analyzed closed malpractice claims for 230 adult patients discharged from 4 hospital sites. Two structured focus groups were also conducted for stakeholders to review concerns. This led to the development of two care transitions planning tools – one for patients/caregivers and one for healthcare providers. Feasibility on 53 patient discharges were tested for both tools. A total of 33 risk factors corresponding to hospital work system elements, care transitions processes, and care outcomes were found using qualitative analysis. Providers found the tool easy to use and patients felt the length and response of the tool was acceptable.
AHRQ-funded; HS022916; HS019519.
Citation: Arbaje AI, Werner NE, Kasda EM .
Learning from lawsuits: using malpractice claims data to develop care transitions planning tools.
J Patient Saf 2020 Mar;16(1):52-57. doi: 10.1097/pts.0000000000000238.
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Keywords: Medical Liability, Transitions of Care, Risk, Hospital Discharge, Hospitals, Patient Safety
Desai AD, Zhou C, Simon TD
Validation of a parent-reported hospital-to-home transition experience measure.
This study examined the validity of the Pediatric Transition Experience Measure (P-TEM), which is an 8-item, parent-reported measure that globally assesses hospital-to-home transition quality from discharge through follow-up compared to other validation measures. The other measures it was compared to included the 1) Child Hospital Consumer Assessment of Healthcare Providers and Systems Discharge Composite, 2) Center of Excellence on Quality of Care Measures for Children with Complex Needs parent-reported measures, 3) change in health-related quality of life from admission to postdischarge, and 4) 30-day emergency department revisits or readmissions. The P-TEM measure compared favorably with the Child Hospital Consumer Assessment of Healthcare Providers and Systems Discharge Composite measure and the other measures as well.
AHRQ-funded; HS024299.
Citation: Desai AD, Zhou C, Simon TD .
Validation of a parent-reported hospital-to-home transition experience measure.
Pediatrics 2020 Feb;145(2):pii: e20192150. doi: 10.1542/peds.2019-2150..
Keywords: Consumer Assessment of Healthcare Providers and Systems (CAHPS), Children/Adolescents, Patient Experience, Transitions of Care, Hospital Discharge, Quality Improvement, Quality of Care, Quality Measures
Parikh K, Perry K, Pantor C
Multidisciplinary engagement increases medications in-hand for patients hospitalized with asthma.
Asthma exacerbations in children are a leading cause of missed school days and health care use. Patients discharged from the hospital often do not fill discharge prescriptions and are at risk for future exacerbations. In this study, a multidisciplinary team aimed to increase the percentage of patients discharged from the hospital after an asthma exacerbation with their medications in-hand from 15% to 80%.
AHRQ-funded; HS024554.
Citation: Parikh K, Perry K, Pantor C .
Multidisciplinary engagement increases medications in-hand for patients hospitalized with asthma.
Pediatrics 2019 Dec;144(6). doi: 10.1542/peds.2019-0674..
Keywords: Children/Adolescents, Asthma, Medication, Patient Adherence/Compliance, Teams, Hospital Discharge, Transitions of Care
Kapoor A, Field T, Handler S
Characteristics of long-term care residents that predict adverse events after hospitalization.
This study examined the characteristics of long-term care (LTC) residents that predict adverse events (AEs) after discharge from recent hospitalization. This cohort study looked at AEs that occurred at 32 nursing homes from six New England states. AE incidents involving a total of 555 LTC residents with 762 transitions from the hospital back to LTC were reviewed. The association between all AEs and preventable AEs developing in the 45 days following discharge back to LTC was measured. There were 283 discharges with one or more AEs and 212 with preventable AEs. Characteristics independently associated with higher risk of AEs included hospital length of stay (LOS) 9 or more days, 18 or more regularly scheduled medications, and 19 and above on the dependency in activities of daily living (ADL) scale.
AHRQ-funded; HS024422.
Citation: Kapoor A, Field T, Handler S .
Characteristics of long-term care residents that predict adverse events after hospitalization.
J Am Geriatr Soc 2020 Nov;68(11):2551-57. doi: 10.1111/jgs.16770..
Keywords: Elderly, Long-Term Care, Nursing Homes, Hospitalization, Adverse Events, Transitions of Care, Hospital Discharge, Risk