Written discharge communication of diagnostic and decision-making information for persons living with dementia during hospital to skilled nursing facility transitions.

Hospital-to-skilled nursing facility (SNF) transitions constitute a vulnerable point in care for people with dementia and often precede important care decisions. These decisions necessitate accurate diagnostic/decision-making information, including dementia diagnosis, power of attorney for health care (POAHC), and code status; however, inter-setting communication during hospital-to-SNF transitions is suboptimal. This retrospective cohort study examined omissions of diagnostic/decision-making information in written discharge communication during hospital-to-SNF transitions. Omission rates were 22% for dementia diagnosis, 82% and 88% for POAHC and POAHC activation respectively, and 70% for code status. Findings highlight the need to clarify and intervene upon causes of hospital-to-SNF communication gaps.

Discharge Communication of Dementia-Related Neuropsychiatric Symptoms and Care Management Strategies During Hospital to Skilled Nursing Facility Transitions.

Provided the complexity of managing dementia-related neuropsychiatric symptoms (NPS), accurate communication about these symptoms at hospital discharge is critical to facilitating safe and effective transitions, particularly transitions from hospitals to skilled nursing facilities (SNF), which are often poorly managed. Skilled nursing facilities providers have cited undercommunication regarding NPS as a major challenge that contributes to poor outcomes including rehospitalization. This multisite retrospective cohort study identified omission rates for NPS and associated management strategies in discharge communication as compared to medical record documentation in the 72 hours preceding discharge among hospitalized patients with dementia. High rates of omission were found across NPS and management strategies: anxiety (94%), agitation/aggression (77%), hallucinations (85%), 1:1 supervision (90%), high fall risk (89%), use of restraints (91%). Omission rate for new or modified antipsychotic medication was 12.9%. Findings underscore the need for additional research on cross-setting communication regarding care needs of patients with dementia-who often cannot communicate these needs on their own-in facilitating high-quality transitions.

Analgesic Use Patterns Among Patients With Dementia During Transitions From Hospitals to Skilled Nursing Facilities.

Gaps in pain management, including discontinuity in analgesic medication prescribing, frequently complicate transitions from hospital to skilled nursing facilities (SNFs) for patients with dementia. The objective of the current study was to examine analgesic medication use and prescribing patterns in the last 48 hours of hospitalization and upon discharge to SNF among stroke and hip fracture patients with dementia. Of 318 patients who received an analgesic medication within the last 48 hours of hospitalization, 23% experienced potentially abrupt discontinuations upon discharge. These rates varied by medication, with acetaminophen with codeine (27%), hydromorphone (19%), and acetaminophen with hydrocodone (19%) having the highest rates of potentially abrupt discontinuations. Conversely, 38% of patients experienced potentially abrupt additions of an analgesic medication upon discharge. Findings suggest that changes to analgesic regimens prior to and upon discharge may be common practice, potentially hindering care continuity and pain control during transitions. [Res Gerontol Nurs. 2019; 12(2):61-69.].

Overcoming the Challenges of Unstructured Data in Multisite, Electronic Medical Record-based Abstraction.

BACKGROUND: Unstructured data encountered during retrospective electronic medical record (EMR) abstraction has routinely been identified as challenging to reliably abstract, as these data are often recorded as free text, without limitations to format or structure. There is increased interest in reliably abstracting this type of data given its prominent role in care coordination and communication, yet limited methodological guidance exists. OBJECTIVES: As standard abstraction approaches resulted in substandard data reliability for unstructured data elements collected as part of a multisite, retrospective EMR study of hospital discharge communication quality, our goal was to develop, apply and examine the utility of a phase-based approach to reliably abstract unstructured data. This approach is examined using the specific example of discharge communication for warfarin management. RESEARCH DESIGN: We adopted a "fit-for-use" framework to guide the development and evaluation of abstraction methods using a 4-step, phase-based approach including (1) team building; (2) identification of challenges; (3) adaptation of abstraction methods; and (4) systematic data quality monitoring. MEASURES: Unstructured data elements were the focus of this study, including elements communicating steps in warfarin management (eg, warfarin initiation) and medical follow-up (eg, timeframe for follow-up). RESULTS: After implementation of the phase-based approach, interrater reliability for all unstructured data elements demonstrated κ's of ≥0.89-an average increase of +0.25 for each unstructured data element. CONCLUSIONS: As compared with standard abstraction methodologies, this phase-based approach was more time intensive, but did markedly increase abstraction reliability for unstructured data elements within multisite EMR documentation.

Omission of Physical Therapy Recommendations for High-Risk Patients Transitioning From the Hospital to Subacute Care Facilities.

OBJECTIVES: To assess the quality and explore the potential impact of the communication of physical therapy (PT) recommendations in hospital discharge summaries/orders for high-risk subacute care populations, specifically targeting recommendations for (1) maintenance of patient safety, (2) assistance required for mobility, and (3) use of assistive devices. DESIGN: Medical record abstraction of retrospective cohort comparing discharge recommendations made by inpatient PT to orders included in written hospital discharge summaries/orders, the primary form of hospital-to-subacute care communication. Data were linked to Medicare outcomes from corresponding years for all Medicare beneficiaries in the cohort. SETTING: Academic hospital. PARTICIPANTS: All hospitalized patients (N=613 overall) 18 years and older with primary diagnoses of stroke or hip fracture, with an inpatient PT consultation and discharged to subacute care during the years 2006 to 2008; 366 of these were Medicare beneficiaries. INTERVENTIONS: Not applicable. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Combined rehospitalization, emergency department visit, and/or death within 30 days of discharge. RESULTS: Omission of recommendations for maintaining patient safety occurred in 54% (316/584) of patients; for assistance required for mobility, in approximately 100% (535/537); and for use of assistive devices, in 77% (409/532). As compared with those without patient safety restriction/precaution omissions, Medicare beneficiaries with such omissions demonstrated a trend toward more negative 30-day outcomes (26% vs 18%, P=.10). Similar, albeit nonsignificant, outcome trends were observed in the other omission categories. CONCLUSIONS: PT recommendations made during a hospital stay in high-risk patients are routinely omitted from hospital discharge communications to subacute care facilities. Interventions to reliably improve this communication are needed.