Navigating healthcare systems: A qualitative study on socially marginalised patients' experiences of hospital transition and support by social nurses.

BACKGROUND: Socially marginalised patients face many challenges related to their health condition and often have several contacts with healthcare and social service workers. The Danish social nursing initiative, whose nurses have experience and knowledge about marginalisation, aims to support socially marginalised patients during hospital admission and through hospital transitions. However, there is limited knowledge about the hospital transitions of patients being supported by a social nurse. OBJECTIVES: The objectives of this study were to explore (1) the perspectives of socially marginalised patients on the transition from hospital to home and (2) how these patients experience the importance of social nursing on patient trajectories after hospital discharge. METHODS: A qualitative study with a phenomenological and hermeneutic approach was performed at a large hospital in southern Denmark. Adult patients who had contact with a social nurse during hospital admission were purposely sampled. Data were collected between January 2023 and March 2023. Initial patient interviews were conducted during hospital admission with a second interview 7-22 days after discharge. Systematic text condensation was used for the analysis, and Nvivo 12 supported data storage and coding. ETHICAL APPROVAL: The study is registered with the Danish Data Protection Agency (22/47509). Informed consent was given by the participants. RESULTS: Sixteen patients participated in the study. The participants experienced major challenges in their transitions from the hospital, which were generally related to their interactions with many different social and healthcare services. While the social nurses supported the patients and helped facilitate care during hospital admission and after discharge, the participants identified transitional care gaps related to multidisciplinary cooperation and standardised care options. CONCLUSIONS: This study identifies challenges related to the hospital transition of socially marginalised patients, which indicates a gap in healthcare services. Future research should focus on improving interprofessional collaboration with socially marginalised patients across healthcare services.

Research protocol of the Laval-ROSA Transilab: a living lab on transitions for people living with dementia.

BACKGROUND: The Laval-ROSA Transilab is a living lab that aims to support the Laval Integrated Health and Social Services Centres (Quebec, Canada) in consolidating the Quebec Alzheimer Plan. It aims to improve care transitions between different settings (Family Medicine Groups, home care, and community services) and as such improve the care of people living with dementia and their care partners. Four transition-oriented innovations are targeted. Two are already underway and will be co-evaluated: A) training of primary care professionals on dementia and interprofessional collaboration; B) early referral process to community services. Two will be co-developed and co-evaluated: C) developing a structured communication strategy around the dementia diagnosis disclosure; D) designation of a care navigator from the time of dementia diagnosis. The objectives are to: 1) co-develop a dashboard for monitoring transitions; 2) co-develop and 3) co-evaluate the four targeted innovations on transitions. In addition, we will 4) co-evaluate the impact and implementation process of the entire Laval-ROSA Transilab transformation, 5) support its sustainability, and 6) transfer it to other health organizations. METHODS: Multi-methods living lab approach based on the principles of a learning health system. Living labs are open innovation systems that integrate research co-creation and knowledge exchange in real-life settings. Learning health systems centers care improvement on developing the organization's capacity to learn from their practices. We will conduct two learning cycles (data to knowledge, knowledge to practice, and practice to data) and involve various partners. We will use multiple data sources, including health administrative databases, electronic health records data, surveys, semi-structured interviews, focus groups, and observations. DISCUSSION: Through its structuring actions, the Laval-ROSA Transilab will benefit people living with dementia, their care partners, and healthcare professionals. Its strategies will support sustainability and will thus allow for improvements throughout the care continuum so that people can receive the right services, at the right time, in the right place, and from the right staff.

Exploring the Evidence: Using Technology to Improve Integrated Care Coordination.

A transition of care is defined as a change in level of health care services, as patient care needs change from one location to another during acute or chronic illness. The location of services can vary from the hospital, skilled nursing facility, an outpatient setting, a primary care provider's office, or home health. Care coordination gaps can occur due to a lack of information exchange through the electronic health record, a lack of evidence-based standards, and poor communication among providers. Often, clinicians work with a silo mentality, resulting in poor health outcomes and negatively impacting the patient care experience. Patients with chronic kidney disease (CKD) are vulnerable to suboptimal integrated care coordination during transitions of care, as individuals seek treatment from diverse practitioners within multiple settings to meet their medical needs. This article discusses methods to improve integrated care, emphasizing the use of technology-based interventions to facilitate care transitions for patients with CKD.

Social Services Involvement in Care Transitions and Admissions in Nursing Homes.

Care transitions (CT) are critical junctures in the healthcare delivery process. Effective transitions reduce the need for subsequent transfers between healthcare settings, including nursing homes. Understanding social services (SS) involvement in these processes in nursing homes is important from a quality and holistic care perspective. Using logistic regression, this study examines structural and relational factors identified with higher involvement of SS in care transitions and admissions. SS directors from 924 nursing homes were evaluated in relation to SS involvement in care transitions and admissions processes. Results suggest the level of SS involvement in care transitions and admissions are associated with structural factors such as size of facility, geographical location, ratio of FTE's to beds, ownership status, and standalone SS departments, as well as relational factors, including perceptions and utilization of SS staff by facility leadership, coworkers, and family. Additionally, SS staff with higher levels of expertise and with social work degrees are less involved in admissions tasks.

Learning Integrated Health System to Mobilize Context-Adapted Knowledge With a Wiki Platform to Improve the Transitions of Frail Seniors From Hospitals and Emergency Departments to the Community (LEARNING WISDOM): Protocol for a Mixed-Methods Implementation Study.

BACKGROUND: Elderly patients discharged from hospital experience fragmented care, repeated and lengthy emergency department (ED) visits, relapse into their earlier condition, and rapid cognitive and functional decline. The Acute Care for Elders (ACE) program at Mount Sinai Hospital in Toronto, Canada uses innovative strategies, such as transition coaches, to improve the care transition experiences of frail elderly patients. The ACE program reduced the lengths of hospital stay and readmission for elderly patients, increased patient satisfaction, and saved the health care system over Can $4.2 million (US $2.6 million) in 2014. In 2016, a context-adapted ACE program was implemented at one hospital in the Centre intégré de santé et de services sociaux de Chaudière-Appalaches (CISSS-CA) with a focus on improving transitions between hospitals and the community. The quality improvement project used an intervention strategy based on iterative user-centered design prototyping and a "Wiki-suite" (free web-based database containing evidence-based knowledge tools) to engage multiple stakeholders. OBJECTIVE: The objectives of this study are to (1) implement a context-adapted CISSS-CA ACE program in four hospitals in the CISSS-CA and measure its impact on patient-, caregiver-, clinical-, and hospital-level outcomes; (2) identify underlying mechanisms by which our context-adapted CISSS-CA ACE program improves care transitions for the elderly; and (3) identify underlying mechanisms by which the Wiki-suite contributes to context-adaptation and local uptake of knowledge tools. METHODS: Objective 1 will involve staggered implementation of the context-adapted CISSS-CA ACE program across the four CISSS-CA sites and interrupted time series to measure the impact on hospital-, patient-, and caregiver-level outcomes. Objectives 2 and 3 will involve a parallel mixed-methods process evaluation study to understand the mechanisms by which our context-adapted CISSS-CA ACE program improves care transitions for the elderly and by which our Wiki-suite contributes to adaptation, implementation, and scaling up of geriatric knowledge tools. RESULTS: Data collection started in January 2019. As of January 2020, we enrolled 1635 patients and 529 caregivers from the four participating hospitals. Data collection is projected to be completed in January 2022. Data analysis has not yet begun. Results are expected to be published in 2022. Expected results will be presented to different key internal stakeholders to better support the effort and resources deployed in the transition of seniors. Through key interventions focused on seniors, we are expecting to increase patient satisfaction and quality of care and reduce readmission and ED revisit. CONCLUSIONS: This study will provide evidence on effective knowledge translation strategies to adapt best practices to the local context in the transition of care for elderly people. The knowledge generated through this project will support future scale-up of the ACE program and our wiki methodology in other settings in Canada. TRIAL REGISTRATION: ClinicalTrials.gov NCT04093245; https://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT04093245. INTERNATIONAL REGISTERED REPORT IDENTIFIER (IRRID): DERR1-10.2196/17363.

Live discharge from hospice care: psychosocial challenges and opportunities.

Hospice social workers face many challenges in attempts to replicate or supplement the holistic support and unique services hospice provides for individuals discharged alive. This discontinuity in care can impact the types of supports needed by individuals and caregivers, which may or may not be accessible within their community. Patients and families who have access to community-based palliative care programs following a discharge generally tend to navigate the process with fewer challenges. This qualitative study (N = 24) explored both the challenges of the live discharge process and the opportunities within social work practice in the US. Results from this study emphasize the need for a framework to better approach a live discharge to ensure appropriate supports are accessible for all patients and caregivers. Specifically, results highlight both the concrete and psychosocial challenges in live discharges as a result of tension between current eligibility requirements and individual feelings and needs. Social workers also provided suggestions to improve the live discharge process, including attention to communication and preparation. This paper outlines specific challenges of live discharge from hospice, a framework for understanding presented challenges, and implications for policy and practice.

Engaging Hospices in Quality Measurement and Improvement: Early Experiences of a Large Integrated Health Care System.

The quality of hospice care remains highly variable in the U.S. Patients, providers, and health care systems lack a comprehensive method of measuring the quality of care provided by an individual hospice. Partners HealthCare sought to assess hospice quality based on objective and quantitative criteria obtained directly from hospices and through public reporting. Here, we describe the process of creating and administering this assessment and the initial creation of a collaborative network with high-quality hospices. A multidisciplinary advisory council developed criteria and a scoring system, focusing on organizational information (e.g., nursing turnover), clinical care quality indicators (e.g., visit hours before death), and training (e.g., medical director certification) and satisfaction (e.g., patient and family surveys). All Medicare-certified hospices in good standing in Massachusetts were eligible to participate in a request for information (RFI) process. We blinded data before scoring and invited hospices scoring above the 15th percentile to join the initial collaborative. Of 72 eligible hospices, most (53%) responded to the RFI, and 32% (n = 23) submitted completed surveys. Hospices could receive up to 23.75 points, and scores ranged from 2.25 to 19.5. The median score was 13.62 (interquartile range 10.5-16.75). For hospices scoring above the 15th percentile (n = 19), scores ranged from 10.0 to 19.5 (median 14). The hospice RFI process is one health care system's attempt to evaluate hospice quality. Further research will determine whether the scoring system proves to be a sensitive, specific, and reproducible measure of hospice quality, and whether the collaborative can foster quality improvement over time.

'Eyes In The Home': ACOs Use Home Visits To Improve Care Management, Identify Needs, And Reduce Hospital Use.

Home visits are used for a variety of services and patient populations. We used national survey data from physician practices and accountable care organizations (ACOs), paired with qualitative interviews, to learn about home visiting programs. ACO practices were more likely to report using care transitions home visits than non-ACO practices were. Eighty percent of ACOs reported using home visits for some of their patients, with larger ACOs more commonly using home visits. Interviewed ACOs reported using home visits as part of care management and care transitions programs as well as to evaluate patients' home environments and identify needs. ACOs most often used nonphysician staff to conduct home visits. Home visit implementation for some types of patients can be challenging because of barriers related to reimbursement, staffing, and resources.

Muscled by the System: Informal Caregivers' Experiences of Transitioning an Older Adult into Long-term Care.

ABSTRACTThis study explored informal caregivers' experiences of transitioning an older adult into long-term care (LTC). Qualitative description guided our analysis of semi-structured interviews with 13 informal caregivers of older adults from three LTC homes in southern Ontario. Our findings illustrate that caregivers experience chronic worry and burden before deciding on, or requiring to apply for, LTC. A sense of lack of control was a prominent theme, especially when caregivers were applying for LTC beds. Participants perceived pushing, pressure, and punishment from the health care system and felt relieved and fortunate after they accepted a bed offer. This tumultuous experience stimulated caregivers to anticipate future transitions. It is recommended that caregivers receive preparation and targeted support to manage transition experiences. Improved communication among health professionals is essential. Penalties for declining an offer for a bed in LTC should be re-examined in relation to its negative influence on caregivers' experiences.

Integrated Care Approaches Used for Transitions from Hospital to Community Care: A Scoping Review.

ABSTRACTIntegrated care is a promising approach for improving care transitions for older adults, but this concept is inconsistently defined and applied. This scoping review describes the size and nature of literature on integrated care initiatives for transitions from hospital to community care for older adults (aged 65 and older) and how this literature conceptualizes integrated care. A systematic search of literature from the past 10 years yielded 899 documents that were screened for inclusion by two reviewers. Of the 48 included documents, there were 26 journal articles and 22 grey literature documents. Analysis included descriptive statistics and a content analysis approach to summarize features of the integrated care initiatives. Results suggest that clinical and service delivery integration is being targeted rather than integration of funding, administration, and/or organization. To promote international comparison of integrated care initiatives aiming to improve care transitions, detailed descriptions of organizational context are also needed.

The Newcomer Health Clinic in Nova Scotia: A Beacon Clinic to Support the Health Needs of the Refugee Population.

Refugees tend to have greater vulnerability compared to the general population reporting greater need for physical, emotional, or dental problems compared to the general population. Despite the importance of creating strong primary care supports for these patients, it has been demonstrated that there is a significant gap in accessing primary care providers who are willing to accept the refugee population. These have resulted in bottlenecks in the transition or bridge clinics and have left patients orphaned without a primary care provider. This in turn results in higher use of emergency service and other unnecessary costs to the healthcare system. Currently there are few studies that have explored these challenges from primary care provider perspectives and very few to none from patient perspectives. A novel collaborative implementation initiative in primary healthcare (PHC) is seeking to improve primary medical care for the refugee population by creating a globally recommended transition or beacon clinic to support care needs of new arrivals and transitions to primary care providers. We discuss the innovative elements of the clinic model in this paper.

Implementation of postdischarge follow-up telephone calls at a comprehensive cancer center.

PURPOSE: The development and implementation of a pharmacy-driven, postdischarge follow-up telephone call program to assess medication adherence, provide education, and address medication-related concerns are discussed. SUMMARY: Many readmissions are avoidable through effective discharge planning and patient follow-up after hospitalization. However, there is limited information on how to effectuate this process. To address this barrier, a team consisting of a clinical pharmacy specialist, a clinical pharmacy manager, a postgraduate year 1 pharmacy resident, and an education specialist at The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center collaborated to create a postdischarge telephone call program within a transitions-of-care (TOC) pilot program. Various education and training materials were created to ensure trainees were competent. As of February 2016, 23 outpatient pharmacists and students have completed training, earning a median pretest and posttest score of 6 and 9, respectively, out of 10. There have been 206 calls completed; 150 patients (73%) were successfully reached, and 20 patients (9%) declined the telephone call. Medication adherence assessed during the telephone follow-up identified that 134 patients (89%) received their new medications within 72 hours, and 87 patients (58%) were recognized as having one or more discrepancies. CONCLUSION: Developing a TOC program similar to this pilot program requires several resources including time, collaboration, and support from the management team. Pharmacy is well positioned to complete an accurate medication review and conduct postdischarge telephone calls to address medication-related issues. By providing these services, patients will receive continuity of care and positively impact emergency room visitation rates and hospital readmission rates.

End-of-Life Place of Care, Health Care Settings, and Health Care Transitions Among Cancer Patients: Impact of an Integrated Cancer Palliative Care Plan.

CONTEXT: Frequent end-of-life health care setting transitions can lead to an increased risk of fragmented care and exposure to unnecessary treatments. OBJECTIVES: We assessed the relationship between the presence and the intensity of an Integrated Cancer Palliative Care (ICPC) plan and the occurrence of multiple transitions during the last month of life. METHODS: Decedents of cancer aged 18-85 years residents in two regions of Italy were investigated accessing their integrated administrative data (death certificates, hospital discharges, hospice, and home care records). The principal outcome was defined as having 3+ health care setting transitions during the last month of life. The ICPC plans instituted 90-31 days before death represented the main exposure of interest. RESULTS: Of the 17,604 patients, 6698 included in an ICPC, although spending in hospital a median number of only two days (interquartile range 1-2), experienced 1+ (59.8%), 2+ (21.1%), or 3+ (5.9%) health care transitions. Among the latter group, the most common trajectory of care is home-hospital-home-hospital (36.0%). The intensity of the ICPC plan showed a marked protective effect toward the event of 3+ health care setting transitions; the effect is already evident from an intensity of at least one home visit/week (odds ratio 0.73; 95% confidence interval 0.62-0.87). CONCLUSION: A well-integrated palliative care approach can be effective in further reducing the percentage of patients who spent many days in hospital and/or undergo frequent and inopportune changes of their care setting during their last month of life.

Impact of a Patient Navigator Program on Hospital-Based and Outpatient Utilization Over 180 Days in a Safety-Net Health System.

BACKGROUND: With emerging global payment structures, medical systems need to understand longer-term impacts of care transition strategies. OBJECTIVE: To determine the effect of a care transition program using patient navigators (PNs) on health service utilization among high-risk safety-net patients over a 180-day period. DESIGN: Randomized controlled trial conducted October 2011 through April 2013. PARTICIPANTS: Patients admitted to the general medicine service with ≥1 readmission risk factor: (1) age ≥ 60; (2) in-network inpatient admission within prior 6 months; (3) index length of stay ≥ 3 days; or (4) admission diagnosis of heart failure or (5) chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. The analytic sample included 739 intervention patients, 1182 controls. INTERVENTIONS: Through hospital visits and 30 days of post-discharge telephone outreach, PNs provided coaching and assistance with medications, appointments, transportation, communication with primary care, and self-care. MAIN MEASURES: Primary outcomes: (1) hospital-based utilization, a composite of ED visits and hospital admissions; (2) hospital admissions; (3) ED visits; and (4) outpatient visits. We evaluated outcomes following an index discharge, stratified by patient age (≥ 60 and < 60 years), using a 180-day time frame divided into six 30-day periods. KEY RESULTS: The PN program produced starkly different outcomes by patient age. Among older PN patients, hospital-based utilization was consistently lower than controls, producing an 18.7% cumulative decrease at 180 days (p = 0.038); outpatient visits increased in the critical first 30-day period (p = 0.006). Among younger PN patients, hospital-based utilization was 31.7% (p = 0.038) higher at 180 days, largely reflecting sharply higher utilization in the initial 30 days (p = 0.002), with non-significant changes thereafter; outpatient visits experienced no significant changes. CONCLUSIONS: A PN program serving high-risk safety-net patients differentially impacted patients based on age, and among younger patients, outcomes varied over time. Our findings highlight the importance for future research to evaluate care transition programs among different subpopulations and over longer time periods.

Care transitions for frail, older people from acute hospital wards within an integrated healthcare system in England: a qualitative case study.

INTRODUCTION: Frail older people experience frequent care transitions and an integrated healthcare system could reduce barriers to transitions between different settings. The study aimed to investigate care transitions of frail older people from acute hospital wards to community healthcare or community hospital wards, within a system that had vertically integrated acute hospital and community healthcare services. THEORY AND METHODS: The research design was a multimethod, qualitative case study of one healthcare system in England; four acute hospital wards and two community hospital wards were studied in depth. The data were collected through: interviews with key staff (n = 17); focus groups (n = 9) with ward staff (n = 36); interviews with frail older people (n = 4). The data were analysed using the framework approach. FINDINGS: THREE THEMES ARE PRESENTED: Care transitions within a vertically integrated healthcare system, Interprofessional communication and relationships; Patient and family involvement in care transitions. DISCUSSION AND CONCLUSIONS: A vertically integrated healthcare system supported care transitions from acute hospital wards through removal of organisational boundaries. However, boundaries between staff in different settings remained a barrier to transitions, as did capacity issues in community healthcare and social care. Staff in acute and community settings need opportunities to gain better understanding of each other's roles and build relationships and trust.

Impact of an automated email notification system for results of tests pending at discharge: a cluster-randomized controlled trial.

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVE: Physician awareness of the results of tests pending at discharge (TPADs) is poor. We developed an automated system that notifies responsible physicians of TPAD results via secure, network email. We sought to evaluate the impact of this system on self-reported awareness of TPAD results by responsible physicians, a necessary intermediary step to improve management of TPAD results. METHODS: We conducted a cluster-randomized controlled trial at a major hospital affiliated with an integrated healthcare delivery network in Boston, Massachusetts. Adult patients with TPADs who were discharged from inpatient general medicine and cardiology services were assigned to the intervention or usual care arm if their inpatient attending physician and primary care physician (PCP) were both randomized to the same study arm. Patients of physicians randomized to discordant study arms were excluded. We surveyed these physicians 72 h after all TPAD results were finalized. The primary outcome was awareness of TPAD results by attending physicians. Secondary outcomes included awareness of TPAD results by PCPs, awareness of actionable TPAD results, and provider satisfaction. RESULTS: We analyzed data on 441 patients. We sent 441 surveys to attending physicians and 353 surveys to PCPs and received 275 and 152 responses from 83 different attending physicians and 112 different PCPs, respectively (attending physician survey response rate of 63%). Intervention attending physicians and PCPs were significantly more aware of TPAD results (76% vs 38%, adjusted/clustered OR 6.30 (95% CI 3.02 to 13.16), p<0.001; 57% vs 33%, adjusted/clustered OR 3.08 (95% CI 1.43 to 6.66), p=0.004, respectively). Intervention attending physicians tended to be more aware of actionable TPAD results (59% vs 29%, adjusted/clustered OR 4.25 (0.65, 27.85), p=0.13). One hundred and eighteen (85%) and 43 (63%) intervention attending physician and PCP survey respondents, respectively, were satisfied with this intervention. CONCLUSIONS: Automated email notification represents a promising strategy for managing TPAD results, potentially mitigating an unresolved patient safety concern. CLINICAL TRIAL REGISTRATION: ClinicalTrials.gov (NCT01153451).

Does integrated governance lead to integrated patient care? Findings from the innovation forum.

Good integration of services that aim to reduce avoidable acute hospital bed use by older people requires frontline staff to be aware of service options and access them in a timely manner. In three localities where closer inter-organisational integration was taking place, this research sought patients' perceptions of the care received across and within organisational boundaries. Between February and July 2008, qualitative methods were used to map the care journeys of 18 patients (six from each site). Patient interviews (46) covered care received before, at the time of and following a health crisis. Additional interviews (66) were undertaken with carers and frontline staff. Grounded theory-based approaches showed examples of well-integrated care against a background of underuse of services for preventing health crises and a reliance on 'traditional' referral patterns and services at the time of a health crisis. There was scope to raise both practitioner and patient awareness of alternative care options and to expand the availability and visibility of care 'closer to home' services such as rapid response teams. Concerns voiced by patients centred on the adequacy of arrangements for organising ongoing care, while family members reported being excluded from discussions about care arrangements and the roles they were expected to play. The coordination of care was also affected by communication difficulties between practitioners (particularly across organisational boundaries) and a lack of compatible technologies to facilitate information sharing. Finally, closer organisational integration seemed to have limited impact on care at the patient/practitioner interface. To improve care experienced by patients, organisational integration needs to be coupled with vertical integration within organisations to ensure that strategic goals influence the actions of frontline staff. As they experience the complete care journey, feedback from patients can play an important role in the service redesign agenda.