Integrated Care model: Transition from acute to chronic care.

OBJECTIVE: Description and discussion dimensions of Integrated Care Model. METHODS: A descriptive study is done that describe a technological innovation, intervention strategies for professional performance. RESULTS: Integrated Care Model (ICM) has two main categories include individual and Group-and disease-specific Model. First, is used for risky patients or with comorbidities. In second category; Chronic Care Model (CCM) is common form of Integrated Care Model to improve resultants in the patients with chronic condition, to move from acute care to integrate, regular, long-lasting, preventative and community-based nursing. FINAL CONSIDERATIONS: It is important to consider patient as an active member of the treatment team. It seems to be essential to monitor performance of care system. On the other hand, offer multidisciplinary care leads to present desirable care, tailored to the specific needs of patients regarding safety, patient-centered care and their culture.

Dementia Enlightened?! A Systematic Literature Review of the Influence of Indoor Environmental Light on the Health of Older Persons with Dementia in Long-Term Care Facilities.

Light therapy for older persons with dementia is often administered with light boxes, even though indoor ambient light may more comfortably support the diverse lighting needs of this population. Our objective is to investigate the influence of indoor daylight and lighting on the health of older adults with dementia living in long-term care facilities. A systematic literature search was performed within PubMed, CINAHL, PsycINFO, Web of Science and Scopus databases. The included articles (n=37) were published from 1991 to 2020. These articles researched the influence of existing and changed indoor light conditions on health and resulted in seven categories of health outcomes. Although no conclusive evidence was found to support the ability of indoor light to decrease challenging behaviors or improve circadian rhythms, findings of two studies indicate that exposure to (very) cool light of moderate intensity diminished agitation. Promising effects of indoor light were to reduce depressive symptoms and facilitate spatial orientation. Furthermore, there were indications that indoor light improved one's quality of life. Despite interventions with dynamic lighting having yielded little evidence of its efficacy, its potential has been insufficiently researched among this study population. This review provides a clear and comprehensive description of the impact of diverse indoor light conditions on the health of older adults with dementia living in long-term care facilities. Variation was seen in terms of research methods, (the description of) light conditions, and participants' characteristics (types and severity of dementia), thus confounding the reliability of the findings. The authors recommend further research to corroborate the beneficial effects of indoor light on depression and to clarify its role in supporting everyday activities of this population. An implication for practice in long-term care facilities is raising the awareness of the increased lighting needs of aged residents.

Context matters: a qualitative study of the practicalities and dilemmas of delivering integrated chronic care within primary and secondary care settings in a rural Malawian district.

BACKGROUND: With the increasing double burden of communicable and non-communicable diseases (NCDs) in sub-Saharan Africa, health systems require new approaches to organise and deliver services for patients requiring long-term care. There is increasing recognition of the need to integrate health services, with evidence supporting integration of HIV and NCD services through the reorganisation of health system inputs, across system levels. This study investigates current practices of delivering and implementing integrated care for chronically-ill patients in rural Malawi, focusing on the primary level. METHODS: A qualitative study on chronic care in Phalombe district conducted between April 2016 and May 2017, with a sub-analysis performed on the data following a document analysis to understand the policy context and how integration is conceptualised in Malawi; structured observations in five of the 15 district health facilities, selected purposively to represent different levels of care (primary and secondary), and ownership (private and public). Fifteen interviews with healthcare providers and managers, purposively selected from the above facilities. Meetings with five non-governmental organisations to study their projects and support towards chronic care in Phalombe. Data were analysed using a thematic approach and managed in NVivo. RESULTS: Our study found that, while policies supported integration of various disease-specific programmes at point of care, integration efforts on the ground were severely hampered by human and health resource challenges e.g. inadequate consultation rooms, erratic supplies especially for NCDs, and an overstretched health workforce. There were notable achievements, though most prominent at the secondary level e.g. the establishment of a combined NCD clinic, initiating NCD screening within HIV services, and initiatives for integrated information systems. CONCLUSION: In rural Malawi, major impediments to integrated care provision for chronically-ill patients include the frail state of primary healthcare services and sub-optimal NCD care at the lowest healthcare level. In pursuit of integrative strategies, opportunities lie in utilising and expanding community-based outreach strategies offering multi-disease screening and care with strong referral linkages; careful task delegation and role realignment among care teams supported with proper training and incentive mechanisms; and collaborative partnership between public and private sector actors to expand the resource-base and promoting cross-programme initiatives.

Development of a senior-specific, citizen-oriented healthcare service system in South Korea based on the Canadian 48/6 model of care.

BACKGROUND: In the age of aging, Korea's current medical delivery system threatens to increase the number of medical and caring refugees. This study attempts to develop an integrated senior citizen-oriented healthcare service system in which daily care, professional care, and rehabilitation are organically organized between medical institutions and local communities, thereby meeting the daily life needs of the elderly and inducing well-being, wellness, and well-dying. METHODS: To develop the integrated healthcare system, data collection and analyses were conducted through a systematic review, literature review, benchmarking, focus group interviews, and expert consultation. RESULTS: The senior-specific, citizen-oriented healthcare service system developed in this study is designed to screen patients aged 65 or older within 24 h of being admitted, using the Geriatric Screening for Care-10. If there is reason for concern as a result of the screening, further evaluation is performed through assessment. Doctors and nurses create a care plan and a discharge plan based on the results from the screening and assessment. The nurse further uses the screening to monitor the patient's condition before discharge. Based on the screening results at the time of discharge, a transitional care plan is prepared and provided to elderly patients and/or their families. This process enables a systematic link between medical institutions and community resources, aiming for the continuous management of health issues. It also establishes a multidisciplinary treatment plan that considers patients and their families so that diseases common to the elderly are diagnosed and treated promptly. CONCLUSIONS: The most important issue for the elderly is to be able to live healthily and independently for the rest of their lives through well-being, wellness, and well-dying. The senior-specific, citizen-oriented healthcare service proposed in this study is an integrated medical treatment system for elderly users the implementation of which requires the daily care, professional care, and rehabilitation of elderly members of society to be organically organized according to the role of the patients, their families, and the caregiver.

Keeping Long-Term Care Patients Out of Hospital During Acute Medical Illness: Proposal for Common Elements of an Integrated Healthcare Delivery System for Long-Term Care.

Integration of acute and palliative care services for long-term care (LTC) residents reduces the morbidity and mortality associated with avoidable hospitalizations while contributing to healthcare system sustainability. This paper explores patient, provider and system factors contributing to potentially avoidable emergency room visits from LTC homes, based on our clinical and quality improvement work in the Greater Toronto Area and Calgary, as well as reviews the existing literature. Commonalities are used to identify key elements for developing an integrated healthcare delivery system to manage acute medical changes in LTC residents and minimize the need for in-patient hospitalization.

Evaluation of micro-level managementof older person carein primary healthcenters in a health region in the Federal District of Brazil. / Avaliação da microgestão em Unidades Básicas de Saúde em ações para idosos em uma região de saúde do Distrito Federal, Brasil.

Primary health centers (PHCs) should consider the demographic and epidemiological profile of the health region to respond to population aging and structure service delivery around networks based on macro and micro-level management to ensure the provision of comprehensive services. A normative evaluation of micro-level management in four PHCs in a health region in the Federal District of Brazil was conducted to inform the development of recommendations for enhancing the delivery of comprehensive and integrated long-term care for older persons. A management evaluation matrix was used where management stages were classified as advanced, intermediate and incipient. The findings show that none of the PHCs were at the advanced stage, three were at the intermediate stage, and one at the incipient stage. The lowest scores were obtained for the subdimensions care model (which was shown to be predominantly traditional) and humanization (fragmentation of care). Lack of infrastructure and staff absenteeism were shown to be constraining factors, while effective communication with local administrators was as facilitating factor. Improvements need to be made in micro-level management to enhance the delivery of comprehensive and timely care to older persons in this health region.

As Unidades Básicas de Saúde (UBS) devem considerar o perfil demográfico e epidemiológico de sua região de saúde para se adequar ao envelhecimento populacional e se estruturar em redes, cujas bases estão na macro e microgestão, com vistas à integralidade da atenção. Foi conduzida avaliação normativa da microgestão de quatro UBS de uma Região de Saúde do Distrito Federal (DF) para posterior proposta de melhorias para ações voltadas a idosos. Utilizou-se matriz de avaliação da gestão, cuja classificação resultou em: avançada, intermediária e incipiente. Os resultados mostraram que nenhuma UBS está em estágio Avançado, três em Intermediário e uma Incipiente. Menores pontuações foram quanto ao Modelo de Atenção (maiormente tradicional) e à Humanização (com fragmentação do cuidado). Estrutura física deficitária e absenteísmo de profissionais foram dificultadores. Comunicação efetiva com gestão local foram identificadas como facilitadores. As UBS necessitam de avanços na microgestão para a qualificação do cuidado ofertado, principalmente quanto à implementação de modelo de atenção cuja integralidade seja atingida, de modo a ser garantido acesso oportuno e resolutivo para a população idosa nesta região de saúde.

From fragmentation toward integration: a preliminary study of a new long-term care policy in a fast-aging country.

BACKGROUND: Taiwan, one of the fastest-aging countries in the world, started implementing version 1.0 of its long-term care (LTC) plan in 2008. In 2017, LTC Plan 2.0 began a new era with its goal to integrate Taiwan's fragmented LTC service system. LTC Plan 2.0 also aims to establish an integrated community-based LTC system incorporating both health care and disability prevention. This three-tier model consists of the following: two LTC services with a day-care center as their base and case management (Tier A), a day-care center and a single LTC service (Tier B), and LTC stations that provide primary prevention services and respite services for frail community-dwelling older adults to prevent further disabilities (Tier C). A defined cluster of agencies in a local area works together as a Tier ABC team. LTC Plan 2.0 is a new policy for Taiwan, and hence it is important to understand the agencies' initial difficulties with implementation and identify future challenges to help further policy development. METHODS: This preliminary study explored the challenges to implementing LTC 2.0 through in-depth interviews based on Evashwick's integration mechanisms with representatives from three service teams. We interviewed three chief executive officers and three case managers. RESULTS: We found that the LTC Plan 2.0 mechanisms for service integration have been insufficiently implemented. Recommendations include (1) Build up the trust between agencies and government, avoid duplication of LTC services within Tier ABC team, and encourage agencies within a team to create a shared administrative system with the same mission and vision. (2) Clarify the roles and responsibilities of government care managers and agency case managers. (3) Provide an integrated information system and create an official platform for sharing client records across different agencies and caregivers. (4) Establish a tool and platform to track the budget and payment across different levels of service as soon as possible. CONCLUSION: There is an increased demand for LTC services in Taiwan because of its rapidly aging population. Our findings shed some light on the challenges to developing integrated LTC services and thus may help both policymakers and service providers find ways to overcome these challenges.

Avaliação da microgestão em Unidades Básicas de Saúde em ações para idosos em uma região de saúde do Distrito Federal, Brasil / Evaluation of micro-level managementof older person carein primary healthcenters in a health region in the Federal District of Brazil

Resumo As Unidades Básicas de Saúde (UBS) devem considerar o perfil demográfico e epidemiológico de sua região de saúde para se adequar ao envelhecimento populacional e se estruturar em redes, cujas bases estão na macro e microgestão, com vistas à integralidade da atenção. Foi conduzida avaliação normativa da microgestão de quatro UBS de uma Região de Saúde do Distrito Federal (DF) para posterior proposta de melhorias para ações voltadas a idosos. Utilizou-se matriz de avaliação da gestão, cuja classificação resultou em: avançada, intermediária e incipiente. Os resultados mostraram que nenhuma UBS está em estágio Avançado, três em Intermediário e uma Incipiente. Menores pontuações foram quanto ao Modelo de Atenção (maiormente tradicional) e à Humanização (com fragmentação do cuidado). Estrutura física deficitária e absenteísmo de profissionais foram dificultadores. Comunicação efetiva com gestão local foram identificadas como facilitadores. As UBS necessitam de avanços na microgestão para a qualificação do cuidado ofertado, principalmente quanto à implementação de modelo de atenção cuja integralidade seja atingida, de modo a ser garantido acesso oportuno e resolutivo para a população idosa nesta região de saúde.

Abstract Primary health centers (PHCs) should consider the demographic and epidemiological profile of the health region to respond to population aging and structure service delivery around networks based on macro and micro-level management to ensure the provision of comprehensive services. A normative evaluation of micro-level management in four PHCs in a health region in the Federal District of Brazil was conducted to inform the development of recommendations for enhancing the delivery of comprehensive and integrated long-term care for older persons. A management evaluation matrix was used where management stages were classified as advanced, intermediate and incipient. The findings show that none of the PHCs were at the advanced stage, three were at the intermediate stage, and one at the incipient stage. The lowest scores were obtained for the subdimensions care model (which was shown to be predominantly traditional) and humanization (fragmentation of care). Lack of infrastructure and staff absenteeism were shown to be constraining factors, while effective communication with local administrators was as facilitating factor. Improvements need to be made in micro-level management to enhance the delivery of comprehensive and timely care to older persons in this health region.

Transfer of primary care patients receiving chronic care: the next step in the continuum of care.

The burden of chronic conditions is increasing rapidly in low- and middle-income countries. Chronic conditions require long-term and continuous care, including for patients transferring between facilities. Patient transfer is particularly important in the context of health service decentralization, which has led to increasing numbers of primary care facilities at which patients can access care, and high levels of migration, which suggest that patients might require care at multiple facilities. This article provides a critical review of existing evidence regarding transfer of stable patients receiving primary care for chronic conditions. Patient transfer has received limited consideration in people living with HIV, with growing concern that patients who transfer are at risk of poor outcomes; this appears similar for people with TB, although studies are few. There are minimal data on transfer of patients with non-communicable diseases, including diabetes. Patient transfer for chronic conditions has thus received surprisingly little attention from researchers; considering the potential risks, more research is urgently required regarding reasons for and outcomes of transfers, transfer processes and interventions to optimize transfers, for different chronic conditions. Ultimately, it is the responsibility of health systems to facilitate successful transfers, and this issue requires increased attention from researchers and policy-makers.

Falls and long-term care: a report from the care by design observational cohort study.

BACKGROUND: Falls and the resulting complications are common among frail older adults. We aimed to explore risk factors and potential prevention strategies for falls in elderly residents of Long-Term Care Facilities (LTCF). METHODS: This was a cross sectional study design using data from the Care by Design (CBD) study, within Nova Scotia's Capital District Health Authority. This observational time series cohort study collected data before, during and after the implementation of CBD, a new model of coordinated primary care in LTCF. Here, we analyzed data collected after the implementation of CBD (September 1, 2011- February 28, 2012). RESULTS: Falls were frequent; 56.2% of our sample of 395 residents fell at least once. In univariate analyses, male gender (p = 0.009), dementia (p = 0.005), and use of Selective Serotonin Reuptake Inhibitors or Selective Serotonin-Norepinepherine Reuptake Inhibitors (SSRI/SNRI) (p = 0.084) showed statistically significant associations with having fallen. Benzodiazepine use appeared to be protective for falls (p = 0.058). In a fully adjusted multivariable linear regression model, dementia (ß coefficient 0.96, 95% CI: 0.83,1.84; p = 0.032), visual impairment (ß 0.84, 95% CI: 0.13,1.56; p = 0.021), and use of any PIMs (ß 0.34, 95% CI: 0.037,0.65; p = 0.028) were associated with increased risk of having fallen. Benzodiazepine use remained associated with reduced numbers of falls (p = 0.009), and SSRI/SNRI use was associated with increased numbers of falls (p = 0.007). Male gender was associated with increased falls in the model which excluded frailty (p = 0.022), though gender lost statistical significance once frailty was added to the model (p = 0.06). CONCLUSIONS: In our sample of LTCF residents, falls were common. Cognitive impairment, male gender, visual impairment, PIM use and use of SSRI/SNRI medications were associated with increased risk of falls, while benzodiazepine use appeared to be associated with a decreased risk of having fallen. Falls remain an important problem among LTC residents. Screening for falls during patient encounters is recommended, along with further research to identify risk factors and target interventions.

Comparison Between Quality of Care Provided by Trained Feeding Assistants and Certified Nursing Assistants During Between-Meal Supplementation in Long-Term Care Settings.

The purpose of this study was to compare the quality of feeding assistance provided by trained non-nursing staff with care provided by certified nursing assistants (CNAs). Research staff provided an 8-hr training course that met federal and state requirements to non-nursing staff in five community long-term care facilities. Trained staff were assigned to between-meal supplement and/or snack delivery for 24 weeks. Using standardized observations, research staff measured feeding assistance care processes between meals across all study weeks. Trained staff, nurse aides, and upper level staff were interviewed at 24 weeks to assess staff perceptions of program impact. Trained staff performed significantly better than CNAs for 12 of 13 care process measures. Residents also consumed significantly more calories per snack offer from trained staff ( M = 130 ± 126 [ SD] kcal) compared with CNAs ( M = 77 ± 94 [ SD] kcal). The majority of staff reported a positive impact of the training program.

Assessing Changes to Medicaid Managed Care Regulations: Facilitating Integration of Physical and Behavioral Health Care.

Issue: As states consider how to effectively control Medicaid costs, many are looking to integrate behavioral and medical care, including long-term services and supports, particularly for individuals with complex needs. Goal: To summarize how recent federal regulations are encouraging an integrated approach to behavioral and physical health care. Findings and Conclusions: Two recent federal rules issued in 2016 are facilitating the transition to integrated care models: the Medicaid managed care rule and the Medicaid managed care mental health parity rule. These changes may not spell the end of fragmented systems, but they certainly do not support a status quo approach to care. While the regulations do not specifically address integrated care, they should facilitate and, in some instances, encourage, state movement to integrated care for Medicaid participants.

Provider Experiences with Chronic Care Management (CCM) Services and Fees: A Qualitative Research Study.

BACKGROUND: Support for ongoing care management and coordination between office visits for patients with multiple chronic conditions has been inadequate. In January 2015, Medicare introduced the Chronic Care Management (CCM) payment policy, which reimburses providers for CCM activities for Medicare beneficiaries occurring outside of office visits. OBJECTIVE: To explore the experiences, facilitators, and challenges of practices providing CCM services, and their implications going forward. DESIGN: Semi-structured telephone interviews from January to April 2016 with 71 respondents. PARTICIPANTS: Sixty billing and non-billing providers and practice staff knowledgeable about their practices' CCM services, and 11 professional society representatives. KEY RESULTS: Practice respondents noted that most patients expressed positive views of CCM services. Practice respondents also perceived several patient benefits, including improved adherence to treatment, access to care team members, satisfaction, care continuity, and care coordination. Facilitators of CCM provision included having an in-practice care manager, patient-centered medical home recognition, experience developing care plans, patient trust in their provider, and supplemental insurance to cover CCM copayments. Most billing practices reported few problems obtaining patients' consent for CCM, though providers felt that CMS could better facilitate consent by marketing CCM's goals to beneficiaries. Barriers reported by professional society representatives and by billing and non-billing providers included inadequacy of CCM payments to cover upfront investments for staffing, workflow modification, and time needed to manage complex patients. Other barriers included inadequate infrastructure for health information exchange with other providers and limited electronic health record capabilities for documenting and updating care plans. Practices owned by hospital systems and large medical groups faced greater bureaucracy in implementing CCM than did smaller, independent practices. CONCLUSIONS: Improving providers' experiences with and uptake of CCM will require addressing several challenges, including the upfront investment for CCM set-up and the time required to provide CCM to more complex patients.

Nursing Work in Long-Term Care: An Integrative Review.

Evidence suggests that delivery of good nursing care in long-term care (LTC) facilities is reflected in nurses' descriptions of the factors and structures that affect their work. Understanding the contemporary nature of nursing work in aged care will influence policies for improving current work structures in this practice setting. The current review aims to present a contemporary perspective of RNs' work in LTC facilities. A comprehensive search and purposeful selection of the literature was conducted using CINAHL, PubMed, Medline, Scopus, and Google Scholar databases. Nine studies were eligible for review. Common themes revealed that nursing work in aged care settings is characterized by RNs providing indirect care tasks-primarily care coordination, engaging in non-nursing activities, and having an expanded and overlapping role. As care providers, aged care RNs do not always provide direct care as part of their nursing work. The scope of RN work beyond its clinical nature or performance of non-nursing tasks adds complexity in clarifying RN work roles in aged care. [Journal of Gerontological Nursing, 43(11), 41-49.].

Valuing and Integrating Informal Care as a Core Component of Long-Term Care for Older People: A Comparison of Recent Developments in Italy and Spain.

The international long-term care (LTC) debate has recently been focusing on how to strengthen home care provision. In this regard, a major role has been played by informal care and how to best integrate it in a holistic care approach. Italy and Spain, usually labeled as "familialist" or "family-based" care models, have been promoting national reforms or actions to support the integration of "informal" actors into the overall LTC system. Through a comparative review of recent trends observed in the two care regimes, this article aims at contributing to improve our cross-national understanding of how LTC is changing across Europe, identifying the basic approaches adopted in Italy and Spain and highlighting both their strengths and drawbacks.

An Interprofessional Approach to Reducing the Risk of Falls Through Enhanced Collaborative Practice.

Falls are the leading cause of accidental deaths in older adults and are a growing public health concern. The American Geriatrics Society (AGS) and British Geriatrics Society (BGS) published guidelines for falls screening and risk reduction, yet few primary care providers report following any guidelines for falls prevention. This article describes a project that engaged an interprofessional teaching team to support interprofessional clinical teams to reduce fall risk in older adults by implementing the AGS/BGS guidelines. Twenty-five interprofessional clinical teams with representatives from medicine, nursing, pharmacy, and social work were recruited from ambulatory, long-term care, hospital, and home health settings for a structured intervention: a 4-hour training workshop plus coaching for implementation for 1 year. The workshop focused on evidence-based strategies to decrease the risk of falls, including screening for falls; assessing gait, balance, orthostatic blood pressure, and other medical conditions; exercise including tai chi; vitamin D supplementation; medication review and reduction; and environmental assessment. Quantitative and qualitative data were collected using chart reviews, coaching plans and field notes, and postintervention structured interviews of participants. Site visits and coaching field notes confirmed uptake of the strategies. Chart reviews showed significant improvement in adoption of all falls prevention strategies except vitamin D supplementation. Long-term care facilities were more likely to address environmental concerns and add tai chi classes, and ambulatory settings were more likely to initiate falls screening. The intervention demonstrated that interprofessional practice change to target falls prevention can be incorporated into primary care and long-term care settings.

The Integrated Patient's Self-Care Process Model.

Long-term care is more efficient and effective when it involves the active participation of the empowered patient and informal caregivers. To achieve this, it is necessary to guide the patient and informal caregivers through the systematic process of self-care. Well-documented observations and assessments are fundamental to plan further interventions of the interdisciplinary team. A systematic literature review revealed that the self-care process and the support of information technology are focused on just one chronic disease. Defined self-care process has a positive impact on the functionality and satisfaction of patients with comorbidity and on their caregivers. The model of the patient's self-care process should be an integral part of the long-term care.