Understanding experiences of patients and family caregivers in the Mayo Clinic Care Transitions program: a qualitative study.

BACKGROUND: Care transitions programs are increasingly used to improve care and reduce re-admission of patients after hospitalization. To learn from the experience of patients who have participated in the Mayo Clinic Care Transitions (MCCT) program and to understand the patient experience, we sought perspectives of patients, caregivers, and providers who worked with participants of the MCCT program. METHODS: Investigators interviewed 17 patients and nine of their caregivers about their experience with the MCCT program. Eight health care providers described provider experiences with the MCCT program. Data from semistructured interviews were audio recorded, transcribed, and evaluated through content analysis. Inductive coding methods were used to elicit themes about patient experience with the MCCT program. RESULTS: Patients, caregivers, and providers emphasized that the MCCT program prevented hospitalizations and contributed to the health and quality of life of participants. All three stakeholder groups emphasized the value of the home visit and provision of the visit on a patient's "home turf" as central to the program. Patients appreciated speaking to a provider without the stress and exertion of a trip to the clinic. Caregivers appreciated improved communication provided in the home visit and felt that home visits gave them peace of mind. Patients, caregivers, and providers also identified the need for improved phone triage and communication. CONCLUSION: Patients, caregivers, and providers acknowledged the care transitions problem and emphasized the benefits of seeing patients on their home turf rather than in an office visit. This qualitative study of patient, caregiver, and provider experiences further validates the importance of the MCCT program.

Improving Value of Care for Older Adults With Advanced Medical Illness and Functional Decline: Cost Analyses of a Home-Based Palliative Care Program.

CONTEXT: Identifying high-value health care delivery for patients with clinically complex and high-cost conditions is important for future reimbursement models. OBJECTIVES: The objective of this study was to assess the Medicare reimbursement savings of an established palliative care homebound program. METHODS: This is a retrospective cohort study involving 50 participants enrolled in a palliative care homebound program and 95 propensity-matched control patients at Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota, between September 1, 2012, and March 31, 2013. Total Medicare reimbursement was compared in the year before enrollment with the year after enrollment for participants and controls. RESULTS: No significant differences were observed in demographic characteristics or prognostic indices between the two groups. Total Medicare reimbursement per program participant the year before program enrollment was $16,429 compared with $14,427 per control patient, resulting in $2004 higher charges per program patient. In 12 months after program enrollment, mean annual payment was $5783 per patient among participants and $22,031 per patient among the matched controls. In the second year, the intervention group had a decrease of $10,646 per patient; the control group had an increase of $7604 per patient. The difference between the participant group and control group was statistically significant (P < 0.001) and favored the palliative care homebound program enrollees by $18,251 (95% CI, $11,268-$25,234). CONCLUSION: The Mayo Clinic Palliative Care Homebound Program reduced annual Medicare expenditures by $18,251 per program participant compared with matched control patients. This supports the role of home-based palliative medicine in delivering high-value care to high-risk older adults.

Preparedness planning before mechanical circulatory support: a "how-to" guide for palliative medicine clinicians.

The role of palliative medicine in the care of patients with advanced heart failure, including those who receive mechanical circulatory support, has grown dramatically in the last decade. Previous literature has suggested that palliative medicine providers are well poised to assist cardiologists, cardiothoracic surgeons, and the multidisciplinary cardiovascular team with promotion of informed consent and initial and iterative discussions regarding goals of care. Although preparedness planning has been described previously, the actual methods that can be used to complete a preparedness plan have not been well defined. Herein, we outline several key aspects of this approach and detail strategies for engaging patients who are receiving mechanical circulatory support in preparedness planning.