Sample records for acute-care community hospitals
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A community hospital acute pain service.
Musclow, Shirley L
2005-11-01
This article provides readers with a guide to developing and implementing an acute pain service in a community hospital. Kanter's theory of innovative diffusion is used to frame the author's experiences as a lead nurse in two community hospital acute pain services. Health-care providers recognize the importance of quality pain assessment and management. One initiative for improving pain management has been the implementation of an acute pain service (APS). In Canada, most university-affiliated teaching hospitals have now developed an APS to improve pain management. Community hospitals, however, have only recently begun to adopt the concept. Improving pain management through an APS provides an excellent opportunity for nursing leadership at all levels. Nursing administration may take the lead in proposing the idea and benefits of acquiring an APS. An advanced practice nurse can provide leadership through the coordination and provision of enhanced pain management as a lead nurse in an APS. Staff nurses can provide leadership in improving pain management on a daily basis and ensuring that quality pain care reaches the bedside, Nursing practice is at the core of making a difference in pain management.
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Small, Neil; Green, John; Spink, Joanna; Forster, Anne; Young, John
2009-01-01
This article contrasts community hospital and general hospital philosophies of care and examines how they relate to patients' and caregivers' experiences. Semi-structured interviews with 42 staff were used to produce care setting vignettes in six community hospitals and four general hospitals in the midlands and north of England. The vignettes were used with 26 patients and 10 caregivers in semi-structured interviews. Community hospital and general hospital staff identified shared understandings of requirements for post-acute rehabilitation care for older people. Distinctive features were: general hospital--medical efficiency, helping patients get better, high standard of care, need for stimulation; community hospital--home-like setting, quiet, calm ambience, good views, orientated to elderly people, encouragement of social interaction, involvement of relatives in care. In the main there was symmetry between staff aspirations and patients' experience. However some concepts used and assumptions made by staff were not recognised by patients. These were characteristically reframed in patients' answers as if they were discussing subjective dimensions of care. There was patient and caregiver preference for the home-like environment of community hospitals. In care of older people, where the focus is rehabilitation, patient preferences are particularly pertinent and should be considered alongside clinical outcomes and cost-effectiveness.
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Pugh, Judith Dianne; McCoy, Kathleen; Williams, Anne M; Bentley, Brenda; Monterosso, Leanne
2018-04-16
Neurological conditions represent leading causes of non-fatal burden of disease that will consume a large proportion of projected healthcare expenditure. Inconsistent access to integrated healthcare and other services for people with long-term neurological conditions stresses acute care services. The purpose of this rapid evidence assessment, conducted February-June 2016, was to review the evidence supporting community neurological nursing approaches for patients with neurological conditions post-discharge from acute care hospitals. CINAHL Plus with Full Text and MEDLINE were searched for English-language studies published January 2000 to June 2016. Data were extracted using a purpose-designed protocol. Studies describing community neurological nursing care services post-discharge for adults with stroke, dementia, Alzheimer's disease, Parkinson's disease, multiple sclerosis or motor neurone disease were included and their quality was assessed. Two qualitative and three quantitative studies were reviewed. Two themes were identified in the narrative summary of findings: (i) continuity of care and self-management and (ii) variable impact on clinical or impairment outcomes. There was low quality evidence of patient satisfaction, improved patient social activity, depression scores, stroke knowledge and lifestyle modification associated with post-discharge care by neurological nurses as an intervention. There were few studies and weak evidence supporting the use of neurology-generalist nurses to promote continuity of care for people with long-term or progressive, long-term neurological conditions post-discharge from acute care hospital. Further research is needed to provide role clarity to facilitate comparative studies and evaluations of the effectiveness of community neurological nursing models of care. © 2018 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.
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Pietrantonio, Filomena; Orlandini, Francesco; Moriconi, Luca; La Regina, Micaela
2015-12-01
Chronic diseases are the major cause of death (59%) and disability worldwide, representing 46% of global disease burden. According to the Future Hospital Commission of the Royal College of Physicians, Medical Division (MD) will be responsible for all hospital medical services, from emergency to specialist wards. The Hospital Acute Care Hub will bring together the clinical areas of the MD that focus on the management of acute medical patients. The Chronic Care Model (CCM) places the patient at the center of the care system enhancing the community's social and health support, pathways and structures to keep chronic, frail, poly-pathological people at home or out of the hospital. The management of such patients in the hospital still needs to be solved. Hereby, we propose an innovative model for the management of the hospital's acute complex patients, which is the hospital counterpart of the CCM. The target population are acutely ill complex and poly-pathological patients (AICPPs), admitted to hospital and requiring high technology resources. The mission is to improve the management of medical admissions through pre-defined intra-hospital tracks and a global, multidisciplinary, patient-centered approach. The ACCM leader is an internal medicine specialist (IMS) who summarizes health problems, establishes priorities, and restores health balance in AICPPs. The epidemiological transition leading to a progressive increase in "chronically unstable" and complex patients needing frequent hospital treatment, inevitably enhances the role of hospital IMS in the coordination and delivery of care. ACCM represents a practical response to this epochal change of roles. Copyright © 2015 European Federation of Internal Medicine. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.
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Baillie, Lesley; Gallini, Andrew; Corser, Rachael; Elworthy, Gina; Scotcher, Ann; Barrand, Annabelle
2014-01-01
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. PMID:24868193
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The costs and service implications of substituting intermediate care for acute hospital care.
Mayhew, Leslie; Lawrence, David
2006-05-01
Intermediate care is part of a package of initiatives introduced by the UK Government mainly to relieve pressure on acute hospital beds and reduce delayed discharge (bed blocking). Intermediate care involves caring for patients in a range of settings, such as in the home or community or in nursing and residential homes. This paper considers the scope of intermediate care and its role in relation to acute hospital services. In particular, it develops a framework that can be used to inform decisions about the most cost-effective care pathways for given clinical situations, and also for wider planning purposes. It does this by providing a model for evaluating the costs of intermediate care services provided by different agencies and techniques for calibrating the model locally. It finds that consistent application of the techniques over a period of time, coupled with sound planning and accounting, should result in savings to the health economy.
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Older people's care experience in community and general hospitals: a comparative study.
Green, John; Forster, Anne; Young, John; Small, Neil; Spink, Joanna
2008-07-01
Community hospitals are an important component of the post-acute care pathway for older people. The objective of this study was to describe and contrast patients' and carers' experiences of community and general hospitals. Interviews with patients and carers revealed similarities in the perceptions of care between the two settings. These included appreciation of staff sensitivity, a sense of security, encouragement of independence and lack of activity. The community hospital was appreciated for its location, atmosphere, accommodation, greater sense of freedom, quality of food and staff attitudes. UK health policy promotes the development of community hospitals. This should be progressed in a way that retains key strengths of the specific service they offer.
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Acute care hospitals' accountability to provincial funders.
Kromm, Seija K; Ross Baker, G; Wodchis, Walter P; Deber, Raisa B
2014-09-01
Ontario's acute care hospitals are subject to a number of tools, including legislation and performance measurement for fiscal accountability and accountability for quality. Examination of accountability documents used in Ontario at the government, regional and acute care hospital levels reveals three trends: (a) the number of performance measures being used in the acute care hospital sector has increased significantly; (b) the focus of the health system has expanded from accountability for funding and service volumes to include accountability for quality and patient safety; and (c) the accountability requirements are misaligned at the different levels. These trends may affect the success of the accountability approach currently being used. Copyright © 2014 Longwoods Publishing.
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Organization of Care for Acute Myocardial Infarction in Rural and Urban Hospitals in Kansas
ERIC Educational Resources Information Center
Ellerbeck, Edward F.; Bhimaraj, Arvind; Perpich, Denise
2004-01-01
One in 4 Americans lives in a rural community and relies on rural hospitals and medical systems for emergent care of acute myocardial infarctions (AMI). The infrastructure and organization of AMI care in rural and urban Kansas hospitals was examined. Using a nominal group process, key elements within hospitals that might influence quality of AMI…
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Hospital-based, acute care after ambulatory surgery center discharge.
Fox, Justin P; Vashi, Anita A; Ross, Joseph S; Gross, Cary P
2014-05-01
As a measure of quality, ambulatory surgery centers have begun reporting rates of hospital transfer at discharge. This process, however, may underestimate the acute care needs of patients after care. We conducted this study to determine rates and evaluate variation in hospital transfer and hospital-based, acute care within 7 days among patients discharged from ambulatory surgery centers. Using data from the Healthcare Cost and Utilization Project, we identified adult patients who underwent a medical or operative procedure between July 2008 and September 2009 at ambulatory surgery centers in California, Florida, and Nebraska. The primary outcomes were hospital transfer at the time of discharge and hospital-based, acute care (emergency department visits or hospital admissions) within 7-days expressed as the rate per 1,000 discharges. At the ambulatory surgery center level, rates were adjusted for age, sex, and procedure-mix. We studied 3,821,670 patients treated at 1,295 ambulatory surgery centers. At discharge, the hospital transfer rate was 1.1 per 1,000 discharges (95% confidence interval 1.1-1.1). Among patients discharged home, the hospital-based, acute care rate was 31.8 per 1,000 discharges (95% confidence interval 31.6-32.0). Across ambulatory surgery centers, there was little variation in adjusted hospital transfer rates (median = 1.0/1,000 discharges [25th-75th percentile = 1.0-2.0]), whereas substantial variation existed in adjusted, hospital-based, acute care rates (28.0/1,000 [21.0-39.0]). Among adult patients undergoing ambulatory care at surgery centers, hospital transfer at time of discharge from the ambulatory care center is a rare event. In contrast, the rate of need for hospital-based, acute care in the first week afterwards is nearly 30-fold greater, varies across centers, and may be a more meaningful measure for discriminating quality. Published by Mosby, Inc.
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Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014
2011-08-18
... Prospective Payment Systems for Acute Care Hospitals and the Long-Term Care Hospital Prospective Payment... Inpatient Prospective Payment Systems for Acute Care Hospitals and the Long-Term Care Hospital Prospective...-related costs of acute care hospitals to implement changes arising from our continuing experience with...
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Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014
2013-08-19
... Prospective Payment Systems for Acute Care Hospitals and the Long Term Care; Hospital Prospective Payment... Inpatient Prospective Payment Systems for Acute Care Hospitals and the Long-Term Care Hospital Prospective... prospective payment systems (IPPS) for operating and capital-related costs of acute care hospitals to...
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Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014
2010-08-16
... Prospective Payment Systems for Acute Care Hospitals and the Long Term Care Hospital Prospective Payment... Prospective Payment Systems for Acute Care Hospitals and the Long-Term Care Hospital Prospective Payment... inpatient prospective payment systems (IPPS) for operating and capital-related costs of acute care hospitals...
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Sifri, Costi D; Burke, Gene H; Enfield, Kyle B
2016-12-01
The purpose of this study was to determine the effectiveness of copper-impregnated composite hard surfaces and linens in an acute care hospital to reduce health care-associated infections (HAIs). We performed a quasiexperimental study with a control group, assessing development of HAIs due to multidrug resistant organisms (MDROs) and Clostridium difficile in the acute care units of a community hospital following the replacement of a 1970s-era clinical wing with a new wing outfitted with copper-impregnated composite hard surfaces and linens. The study was conducted over a 25.5-month time period that included a 3.5-month washout period. HAI rates obtained from the copper-containing new hospital wing (14,479 patient-days; 72 beds) and the unmodified hospital wing (19,177 patient-days) were compared with those from the baseline period (46,391 patient-days). The new wing had 78% (P = .023) fewer HAIs due to MDROs or C difficile, 83% (P = .048) fewer cases of C difficile infection, and 68% (P = .252) fewer infections due to MDROs relative to the baseline period. No changes in rates of HAI were observed in the unmodified hospital wing. Copper-impregnated composite hard surfaces and linens may be useful technologies to prevent HAIs in acute care hospital settings. Additional studies are needed to determine whether reduced HAIs can be attributed to the use of copper-containing antimicrobial hard and soft surfaces. Copyright © 2016 Association for Professionals in Infection Control and Epidemiology, Inc. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.
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Is hospital 'community benefit' charity care?
Bakken, Erik; Kindig, David A
2012-10-01
The Affordable Care Act is drawing increased attention to the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) Community Benefit policy. To qualify for tax exemption, the IRS requires nonprofit hospitals to allocate a portion of their operating expenses to certain "charitable" activities, such as providing free or reduced care to the indigent. To determine the total amount of community benefit reported by Wisconsin hospitals using official IRS tax return forms (Form 990), and examine the level of allocation across allowable activities. Primary data collection from IRS 990 forms submitted by Wisconsin hospitals for 2009. Community benefit reported in absolute dollars and as percent of overall hospital expenditures, both overall and by activity category. For 2009, Wisconsin hospitals reported $1.064 billion in community benefits, or 7.52% of total hospital expenditures. Of this amount, 9.1% was for charity care, 50% for Medicaid subsidies, 11.4% for other subsidized services, and 4.4% for Community Health Improvement Services. Charity care is not the primary reported activity by Wisconsin hospitals under the IRS Community Benefit requirement. Opportunities may exist for devoting increasing amounts to broader community health improvement activities.
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Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014
2013-05-10
... Prospective Payment Systems for Acute Care Hospitals and the Long Term Care Hospital Prospective Payment... [CMS-1599-P] RIN 0938-AR53 Medicare Program; Hospital Inpatient Prospective Payment Systems for Acute... capital-related costs of acute care hospitals to implement changes arising from our continuing experience...
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Post–Acute Care Use and Hospital Readmission after Sepsis
Jones, Tiffanie K.; Fuchs, Barry D.; Small, Dylan S.; Halpern, Scott D.; Hanish, Asaf; Umscheid, Craig A.; Baillie, Charles A.; Kerlin, Meeta Prasad; Gaieski, David F.
2015-01-01
Rationale: The epidemiology of post–acute care use and hospital readmission after sepsis remains largely unknown. Objectives: To examine the rate of post–acute care use and hospital readmission after sepsis and to examine risk factors and outcomes for hospital readmissions after sepsis. Methods: In an observational cohort study conducted in an academic health care system (2010–2012), we compared post–acute care use at discharge and hospital readmission after 3,620 sepsis hospitalizations with 108,958 nonsepsis hospitalizations. We used three validated, claims-based approaches to identify sepsis and severe sepsis. Measurements and Main Results: Post–acute care use at discharge was more likely after sepsis, driven by skilled care facility placement (35.4% after sepsis vs. 15.8%; P < 0.001), with the highest rate observed after severe sepsis. Readmission rates at 7, 30, and 90 days were higher postsepsis (P < 0.001). Compared with nonsepsis hospitalizations (15.6% readmitted within 30 d), the increased readmission risk was present regardless of sepsis severity (27.3% after sepsis and 26.0–26.2% after severe sepsis). After controlling for presepsis characteristics, the readmission risk was found to be 1.51 times greater (95% CI, 1.38–1.66) than nonsepsis hospitalizations. Readmissions after sepsis were more likely to result in death or transition to hospice care (6.1% vs. 13.3% after sepsis; P < 0.001). Independent risk factors associated with 30-day readmissions after sepsis hospitalizations included age, malignancy diagnosis, hospitalizations in the year prior to the index hospitalization, nonelective index admission type, one or more procedures during the index hospitalization, and low hemoglobin and high red cell distribution width at discharge. Conclusions: Post–acute care use and hospital readmissions were common after sepsis. The increased readmission risk after sepsis was observed regardless of sepsis severity and was associated with
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Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014
2012-10-03
... Payment Systems for Acute Care Hospitals and the Long-Term Care Hospital Prospective Payment System and Fiscal Year 2013 Rates; Hospitals' Resident Caps for Graduate Medical Education Payment Purposes; Quality... entitled ``Medicare Program; Hospital Inpatient Prospective Payment Systems for Acute Care Hospitals and...
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Roberts, Pamela S; DiVita, Margaret A; Riggs, Richard V; Niewczyk, Paulette; Bergquist, Brittany; Granger, Carl V
2014-01-01
To identify medical and functional health risk factors for being discharged directly to an acute-care hospital from an inpatient rehabilitation facility among patients who have had a stroke. Retrospective cohort study. Academic medical center. A total of 783 patients with a primary diagnosis of stroke seen from 2008 to 2012; 60 were discharged directly to an acute-care hospital and 723 were discharged to other settings, including community and other institutional settings. Logistic regression analysis. Direct discharge to an acute care hospital compared with other discharge settings from the inpatient rehabilitation unit. No significant differences in demographic characteristics were found between the 2 groups. The adjusted logistic regression model revealed 2 significant risk factors for being discharged to an acute care hospital: admission motor Functional Independence Measure total score (odds ratio 0.97, 95% confidence interval 0.95-0.99) and enteral feeding at admission (odds ratio 2.87, 95% confidence interval 1.34-6.13). The presence of a Centers for Medicare and Medicaid-tiered comorbidity trended toward significance. Based on this research, we identified specific medical and functional health risk factors in the stroke population that affect the rate of discharge to an acute-care hospital. With active medical and functional management, early identification of these critical components may lead to the prevention of stroke patients from being discharged to an acute-care hospital from the inpatient rehabilitation setting. Copyright © 2014 American Academy of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.
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Dilwali, Prashant K
2013-01-01
The responsibility of hospitals is changing. Those activities that were once confined within the walls of the medical facility have largely shifted outside them, yet the requirements for hospitals have only grown in scope. With the passage of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (ACA) and the development of accountable care organizations, financial incentives are focused on care coordination, and a hospital's responsibility now includes postdischarge outcomes. As a result, hospitals need to adjust their business model to accommodate their increased need to impact post-acute care settings. A home care service line can fulfill this role for hospitals, serving as an effective conduit to the postdischarge realm-serving as both a potential profit center and a risk mitigation offering. An alliance between home care agencies and hospitals can help improve clinical outcomes, provide the necessary care for communities, and establish a potentially profitable product line.
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Characteristics of acute care hospitals with diversity plans and translation services.
Moseley, Charles B; Shen, Jay J; Ginn, Gregory O
2011-01-01
Hospitals provide diversity activities for a number of reasons. The authors examined community demand, resource availability, managed care, institutional pressure, and external orientation related variables that were associated with acute care hospital diversity plans and translation services. The authors used multiple logistic regression to analyze the data for 478 hospitals in the 2006 National Inpatient Sample (NIS) dataset that had available data on the racial and ethnic status of their discharges. We also used 2004 and 2006 American Hospital Association (AHA) data to measure the two dependent diversity variables and the other independent variables. We found that resource, managed care, and external orientation variables were associated with having a diversity plan and that resource, managed care, institutional, and external orientation variables were associated with providing translation services. The authors concluded that more evidence for diversity's impact, additional resources, and more institutional pressure may be needed to motivate more hospitals to provide diversity planning and translation services.
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Rosenwax, Lorna; Arendts, Glenn; Semmens, James B.
2017-01-01
Objective Community-based palliative care is known to be associated with reduced acute care health service use. Our objective was to investigate how reduced acute care hospital use in the last year of life varied temporally and by patient factors. Methods A retrospective cohort study of the last year of life of 12,763 Western Australians who died from cancer or one of seven non-cancer conditions. Outcome measures were rates of hospital admissions and mean length of hospital stays. Multivariate analyses involved time-to-event and population averaged log-link gamma models. Results There were 28,939 acute care overnight hospital admissions recorded in the last year of life, an average of 2.3 (SD 2.2) per decedent and a mean length of stay of 9.2 (SD 10.3) days. Overall, the rate of hospital admissions was reduced 34% (95%CI 1–66) and the mean length of stay reduced 6% (95%CI 2–10) during periods of time decedents received community-based palliative care compared to periods of time not receiving this care. Decedents aged <70 years receiving community-based palliative care showed a reduced rate of hospital admission around five months before death, whereas for older decedents the reduction in hospital admissions was apparent a year before death. All decedents who were receiving community-based palliative care tended towards shorter hospital stays in the last month of life. Decedents with neoplasms had a mean length of stay three weeks prior to death while not receiving community-based palliative care of 9.6 (95%CI 9.3–9.9) days compared to 8.2 (95% CI 7.9–8.7) days when receiving community-based palliative care. Conclusion Rates of hospital admission during periods of receiving community-based palliative care were reduced with benefits evident five months before death and even earlier for older decedents. The mean length of hospital stay was also reduced while receiving community-based palliative care, mostly in the last month of life. PMID:28934324
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Spilsbury, Katrina; Rosenwax, Lorna; Arendts, Glenn; Semmens, James B
2017-01-01
Community-based palliative care is known to be associated with reduced acute care health service use. Our objective was to investigate how reduced acute care hospital use in the last year of life varied temporally and by patient factors. A retrospective cohort study of the last year of life of 12,763 Western Australians who died from cancer or one of seven non-cancer conditions. Outcome measures were rates of hospital admissions and mean length of hospital stays. Multivariate analyses involved time-to-event and population averaged log-link gamma models. There were 28,939 acute care overnight hospital admissions recorded in the last year of life, an average of 2.3 (SD 2.2) per decedent and a mean length of stay of 9.2 (SD 10.3) days. Overall, the rate of hospital admissions was reduced 34% (95%CI 1-66) and the mean length of stay reduced 6% (95%CI 2-10) during periods of time decedents received community-based palliative care compared to periods of time not receiving this care. Decedents aged <70 years receiving community-based palliative care showed a reduced rate of hospital admission around five months before death, whereas for older decedents the reduction in hospital admissions was apparent a year before death. All decedents who were receiving community-based palliative care tended towards shorter hospital stays in the last month of life. Decedents with neoplasms had a mean length of stay three weeks prior to death while not receiving community-based palliative care of 9.6 (95%CI 9.3-9.9) days compared to 8.2 (95% CI 7.9-8.7) days when receiving community-based palliative care. Rates of hospital admission during periods of receiving community-based palliative care were reduced with benefits evident five months before death and even earlier for older decedents. The mean length of hospital stay was also reduced while receiving community-based palliative care, mostly in the last month of life.
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Facilitating earlier transfer of care from acute stroke services into the community.
Robinson, Jennifer
This article outlines an initiative to reduce length of stay for stroke patients within an acute hospital and to facilitate earlier transfer of care. Existing care provision was remodelled and expanded to deliver stroke care to patients within a community bed-based intermediate care facility or intermediate care at home. This new model of care has improved the delivery of rehabilitation through alternative and innovative ways of addressing service delivery that meet the needs of the patients.
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Richards, Suzanne H; Coast, Joanna; Gunnell, David J; Peters, Tim J; Pounsford, John; Darlow, Mary-Anne
1998-01-01
Objective: To compare effectiveness and acceptability of early discharge to a hospital at home scheme with that of routine discharge from acute hospital. Design: Pragmatic randomised controlled trial. Setting: Acute hospital wards and community in north of Bristol, with a catchment population of about 224 000 people. Subjects: 241 hospitalised but medically stable elderly patients who fulfilled criteria for early discharge to hospital at home scheme and who consented to participate. Interventions: Patients’ received hospital at home care or routine hospital care. Main outcome measures: Patients’ quality of life, satisfaction, and physical functioning assessed at 4 weeks and 3 months after randomisation to treatment; length of stay in hospital and in hospital at home scheme after randomisation; mortality at 3 months. Results: There were no significant differences in patient mortality, quality of life, and physical functioning between the two arms of the trial at 4 weeks or 3 months. Only one of 11 measures of patient satisfaction was significantly different: hospital at home patients perceived higher levels of involvement in decisions. Length of stay for those receiving routine hospital care was 62% (95% confidence interval 51% to 75%) of length of stay in hospital at home scheme. Conclusions: The early discharge hospital at home scheme was similar to routine hospital discharge in terms of effectiveness and acceptability. Increased length of stay associated with the scheme must be interpreted with caution because of different organisational characteristics of the services. Key messages Pressure on hospital beds, the increasing age of the population, and high costs associated with acute hospital care have fuelled the search for alternatives to inpatient hospital care There were no significant differences between early discharge to hospital at home scheme and routine hospital care in terms of patient quality of life, physical functioning, and most measures of
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Variability in antibiotic use across Ontario acute care hospitals.
Tan, Charlie; Vermeulen, Marian; Wang, Xuesong; Zvonar, Rosemary; Garber, Gary; Daneman, Nick
2017-02-01
Antibiotic stewardship is a required organizational practice for Canadian acute care hospitals, yet data are scarce regarding the quantity and composition of antibiotic use across facilities. We sought to examine the variability, and risk-adjusted variability, in antibiotic use across acute care hospitals in Ontario, Canada's most populous province. Antibiotic purchasing data from IMS Health, previously demonstrated to correlate strongly with internal antibiotic dispensing data, were acquired for 129 Ontario hospitals from January to December 2014 and linked to patient day (PD) denominator data from administrative datasets. Hospital variation in DDDs/1000 PDs was determined for overall antibiotic use, class-specific use and six practices of clinical or ecological significance. Multivariable risk adjustment for hospital and patient characteristics was used to compare observed versus expected utilization. There was 7.4-fold variability in the quantity of antibiotic use across the 129 acute care hospitals, from 253 to 1873 DDDs/1000 PDs. Variation was evident within hospital subtypes, exceeded that explained by hospital and patient characteristics, and included wide variability in proportion of broad-spectrum antibiotics (IQR 36%-48%), proportion of fluoroquinolones among respiratory antibiotics (IQR 40%-62%), proportion of ciprofloxacin among urinary anti-infectives (IQR 44%-60%), proportion of antibiotics with highest risk for Clostridium difficile (IQR 29%-40%), proportion of 'reserved-use' antibiotics (IQR 0.8%-3.5%) and proportion of anti-pseudomonal antibiotics among antibiotics with Gram-negative coverage (IQR 26%-40%). There is extensive variability in antibiotic use, and risk-adjusted use, across acute care hospitals. This could motivate, focus and benchmark antibiotic stewardship efforts. © The Author 2016. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the British Society for Antimicrobial Chemotherapy. All rights reserved. For Permissions, please email
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Patient dissatisfaction with acute stroke care.
Asplund, Kjell; Jonsson, Fredrik; Eriksson, Marie; Stegmayr, Birgitta; Appelros, Peter; Norrving, Bo; Terént, Andreas; Asberg, Kerstin Hulter
2009-12-01
Riks-Stroke, the Swedish Stroke Register, was used to explore patient characteristics and stroke services as determinants of patient dissatisfaction with acute in-hospital care. All 79 hospitals in Sweden admitting acute stroke patients participate in Riks-Stroke. During 2001 to 2007, 104,876 patients (87% of survivors) responded to a follow-up questionnaire 3 months after acute stroke; this included questions on satisfaction with various aspects of stroke care. The majority (>90%) were satisfied with acute in-hospital stroke care. Dissatisfaction was closely associated with outcome at 3 months. Patient who were dependent regarding activities of daily living, felt depressed, or had poor self-perceived general health were more likely to be dissatisfied. Dissatisfaction with global acute stroke care was linked to dissatisfaction with other aspects of care, including rehabilitation and support by community services. Patients treated in stroke units were less often dissatisfied than patients in general wards, as were patients who had been treated in a small hospital (vs medium or large hospitals) and patient who had participated in discharge planning. In multivariate analyses, the strongest predictor of dissatisfaction with acute care was poor outcome (dependency regarding activities of daily living, depressed mood, poor self-perceived health). Dissatisfaction with in-hospital acute stroke care is part of a more extensive complex comprising poor functional outcome, depressive mood, poor self-perceived general health, and dissatisfaction not only with acute care but also with health care and social services at large. Several aspects of stroke care organization are associated with a lower risk of dissatisfaction.
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End-of-Life Care in an Acute Care Hospital: Linking Policy and Practice
ERIC Educational Resources Information Center
Sorensen, Ros; Iedema, Rick
2011-01-01
The care of people who die in hospitals is often suboptimal. Involving patients in decisions about their care is seen as one way to improve care outcomes. Federal and state government policymakers in Australia are promoting shared decision making in acute care hospitals as a means to improve the quality of end-of-life care. If policy is to be…
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Acute stroke care at rural hospitals in Idaho: challenges in expediting stroke care.
Gebhardt, James G; Norris, Thomas E
2006-01-01
Thrombolytics are currently the most effective treatment for stroke. However, the National Institute for Neurological Disorders and Stroke criteria for initiation of thrombolytic therapy, most notably the 3-hour time limit from symptom onset, have proven challenging for many rural hospitals to achieve. To provide a snapshot of stroke care at rural hospitals in Idaho and to investigate the experiences of these hospitals in expediting stroke care. Using a standard questionnaire, a telephone survey of hospital staff at 21 rural hospitals in Idaho was performed. The survey focused on acute stroke care practices and strategies to expedite stroke care. The median number of stroke patients treated per year was 23.3. Patient delays were reported by 77.8% of hospitals, transport delays by 66.7%, in-hospital delays by 61.1%, equipment delays by 22.2%, and ancillary services delays by 61.1%. Approximately 67% of hospitals had implemented a clinical pathway for stroke and 80.0% had provided staff with stroke-specific training. No hospitals surveyed had a designated stroke team, and only 33.3% reported engaging in quality improvement efforts to expedite stroke care. Thrombolytics (tPA) were available and indicated for stroke at 55.6% of the hospitals surveyed. Rural hospitals in Idaho face many difficult challenges as they endeavor to meet the 3-hour deadline for thrombolytic therapy, including limited resources and experience in acute stroke care, and many different types of prehospital and in-hospital delays.
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Acute hospital dementia care: results from a national audit.
Timmons, Suzanne; O'Shea, Emma; O'Neill, Desmond; Gallagher, Paul; de Siún, Anna; McArdle, Denise; Gibbons, Patricia; Kennelly, Sean
2016-05-31
Admission to an acute hospital can be distressing and disorientating for a person with dementia, and is associated with decline in cognitive and functional ability. The objective of this audit was to assess the quality of dementia care in acute hospitals in the Republic of Ireland. Across all 35 acute public hospitals, data was collected on care from admission through discharge using a retrospective chart review (n = 660), hospital organisation interview with senior management (n = 35), and ward level organisation interview with ward managers (n = 76). Inclusion criteria included a diagnosis of dementia, and a length of stay greater than 5 days. Most patients received physical assessments, including mobility (89 %), continence (84 %) and pressure sore risk (87 %); however assessment of pain (75 %), and particularly functioning (36 %) was poor. Assessment for cognition (43 %) and delirium (30 %) was inadequate. Most wards have access at least 5 days per week to Liaison Psychiatry (93 %), Geriatric Medicine (84 %), Occupational Therapy (79 %), Speech & Language (81 %), Physiotherapy (99 %), and Palliative Care (89 %) Access to Psychology (9 %), Social Work (53 %), and Continence services (34 %) is limited. Dementia awareness training is provided on induction in only 2 hospitals, and almost half of hospitals did not offer dementia training to doctors (45 %) or nurses (48 %) in the previous 12 months. Staff cover could not be provided on 62 % of wards for attending dementia training. Most wards (84 %) had no dementia champion to guide best practice in care. Discharge planning was not initiated within 24 h of admission in 72 % of cases, less than 40 % had a single plan for discharge recorded, and 33 % of carers received no needs assessment prior to discharge. Length of stay was significantly greater for new discharges to residential care (p < .001). Dementia care relating to assessment, access to certain specialist services
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[Detection of palliative care needs in an acute care hospital unit. Pilot study].
Rodríguez-Calero, Miguel Ángel; Julià-Mora, Joana María; Prieto-Alomar, Araceli
2016-01-01
Previous to wider prevalence studies, we designed the present pilot study to assess concordance and time invested in patient evaluations using a palliative care needs assessment tool. We also sought to estimate the prevalence of palliative care needs in an acute care hospital unit. A cross-sectional study was carried out, 4 researchers (2 doctors and 2 nurses) independently assessed all inpatients in an acute care hospital unit in Manacor Hospital, Mallorca (Spain), using the validated tool NECPAL CCOMS-ICO©, measuring time invested in every case. Another researcher revised clinical recordings to analise the sample profile. Every researcher assessed 29 patients, 15 men and 14 women, mean age 74,03 ± 10.25 years. 4-observer concordance was moderate (Kappa 0,5043), tuning out to be higher between nurses. Mean time per patient evaluation was 1.9 to 7.72 minutes, depending on researcher. Prevalence of palliative care needs was 23,28%. Moderate concordance lean us towards multidisciplinary shared assessments as a method for future research. Avarage of time invested in evaluations was less than 8 minutes, no previous publications were identified regarding this variable. More than 20% of inpatients of the acute care unit were in need of palliative care. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier España, S.L.U. All rights reserved.
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Low, Lian Leng; Vasanwala, Farhad Fakhrudin; Ng, Lee Beng; Chen, Cynthia; Lee, Kheng Hock; Tan, Shu Yun
2015-03-14
Improving healthcare utilization is essential as health systems around the world grapple with the escalating demands for acute hospital resources. Evidence suggests that transitional care programs are effective to improve utilization of healthcare. However, the evidence for transitional care programs that enhance the home medical care model and provide multi-disciplinary patient-centered care is not well established. We evaluated if a transitional home care program operated by the Singapore General Hospital was effective in reducing acute hospital utilization. We performed a quasi-experimental study using a pre-post design to evaluate the effectiveness of a transitional home care program in reducing hospital admissions and emergency department attendances of medically complex patients enrolled into the program in a tertiary hospital in Singapore. Patients received a comprehensive needs assessment performed by the physician and a nurse case manager in the home setting, followed by an individualized care plan that included medical and nursing care, patient education and coordination of care with hospital specialists and community services. Primary study outcomes were emergency department attendances and hospital admissions to all hospitals. These were extracted from hospital administrative data and national health records. Wilcoxon Signed Ranks Test was used for assess differences in pre and post continuous data. Overall, 262 patients were enrolled into the program and 259 were analyzed. Patients had a 51.6% and 52.8% reduction in hospital admissions in the three-month and six-month post enrollment, respectively. Similarly, a 47.1% and 48.2% reduction was observed for emergency department attendances in the three and six months post enrollment, respectively. The average difference in per patient hospital bed days in the pre- and post-enrollment periods were 12.05 days and 20.03 days at the 3-month and 6-month periods, respectively. Patients enrolled in the
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Components of nurse innovation: a model from acute care hospitals.
Neidlinger, S H; Drews, N; Hukari, D; Bartleson, B J; Abbott, F K; Harper, R; Lyon, J
1992-12-01
Components that promote nurse innovation in acute care hospitals are explicated in the Acute Care Nursing Innovation Model. Grounded in nursing care delivery systems and excellent management-organizations perspectives, nurse executives and 30 nurse "intrapreneurs" from 10 innovative hospitals spanning the United States shared their experiences and insights through semistructured, tape-recorded telephone interviews. Guided by interpretive interactionist strategies, the essential components, characteristics, and interrelationships are conceptualized and described so that others may be successful in their innovative endeavors. Successful innovation is dependent on the fit between and among the components; the better the fit, the more likely the innovation will succeed.
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An analysis of clinical outcomes and costs of a long term acute care hospital.
Votto, John J; Scalise, Paul J; Barton, Randall W; Vogel, Cristine A
2011-01-01
Compare clinical outcomes and costs in a study group of long-term acute care hospital (LTCH) patients with a control group of LTCH-eligible patients in an acute care hospital. LTCHs were created to provide post-acute care services not available at other post-acute settings. This is based on the premise that these patients would otherwise have stayed at acute care hospitals as high-cost outliers. The LTCH hospital is intended to deliver care to patients more efficiently, however, there are little documented clinical and financial data regarding the comparative clinical outcomes and costs for patients. Retrospective medical and billing record review of patients from the following groups: (1) LTCH study comprising patients admitted directly from an acute care hospital to the study LTCH and discharged from the LTCH from September 2004 through August 2006; (2) a control group of LTCH-eligible, medically complex patients treated and discharged from an acute care hospital in FY 2002. The control group was selected from approximately 500 patients who had at least one of the ten most common principle diagnosis DRGs of the study LTCH with >30-day length of stay at the referring hospital and met NALTH admitting guidelines. Discharge disposition is an important outcome measure of the quality of care of medically complex patients. The in-hospital mortality rate trended lower and home discharge was 3 times higher for the LTCH study group than for the control group. As a possible result, SNF discharge of LTCH patients was approximately half that of the control group. Both mean patient cost per day and mean total cost per patient were significantly higher in the control group than in the LTCH study group. The patients in the LTCH study group had both better clinical outcomes and lower cost of care than the control group.
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Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014
2012-10-17
... [CMS-1588-F2] RIN 0938-AR12 Medicare Program; Hospital Inpatient Prospective Payment Systems for Acute Care Hospitals and the Long-Term Care Hospital Prospective Payment System and Fiscal Year 2013 Rates; Hospitals' Resident Caps for Graduate Medical Education Payment Purposes; Quality Reporting Requirements for...
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[The Brazilian Hospital Information System and the acute myocardial infarction hospital care].
Escosteguy, Claudia Caminha; Portela, Margareth Crisóstomo; Medronho, Roberto de Andrade; de Vasconcellos, Maurício Teixeira Leite
2002-08-01
To analyze the applicability of the Brazilian Unified Health System's national hospital database to evaluate the quality of acute myocardial infarction hospital care. It was evaluated 1,936 hospital admission forms having acute myocardial infarction (AMI) as primary diagnosis in the municipal district of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, in 1997. Data was collected from the national hospital database. A stratified random sampling of 391 medical records was also evaluated. AMI diagnosis agreement followed the literature criteria. Variable accuracy analysis was performed using kappa index agreement. The quality of AMI diagnosis registered in hospital admission forms was satisfactory according to the gold standard of the literature. In general, the accuracy of the variables demographics (sex, age group), process (medical procedures and interventions), and outcome (hospital death) was satisfactory. The accuracy of demographics and outcome variables was higher than the one of process variables. Under registration of secondary diagnosis was high in the forms and it was the main limiting factor. Given the study findings and the widespread availability of the national hospital database, it is pertinent its use as an instrument in the evaluation of the quality of AMI medical care.
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Closa, Conxita; Mas, Miquel À; Santaeugènia, Sebastià J; Inzitari, Marco; Ribera, Aida; Gallofré, Miquel
2017-09-01
To compare outcomes and costs for patients with orthogeriatric conditions in a home-based integrated care program versus conventional hospital-based care. Quasi-experimental longitudinal study. An acute care hospital, an intermediate care hospital, and the community of an urban area in the North of Barcelona, in Southern Europe. In a 2-year period, we recruited 367 older patients attended at an orthopedic/traumatology unit in an acute hospital for fractures and/or arthroplasty. Patients were referred to a hospital-at-home integrated care unit or to standard hospital-based postacute orthogeriatric unit, based on their social support and availability of the resource. We compared home-based care versus hospital-based care for Relative Functional Gain (gain/loss of function measured by the Barthel Index), mean direct costs, and potential savings in terms of reduction of stay in the acute care hospital. No differences were found in Relative Functional Gain, median (Q25-Q75) = 0.92 (0.64-1.09) in the home-based group versus 0.93 (0.59-1) in the hospital-based group, P =.333. Total health service direct cost [mean (standard deviation)] was significantly lower for patients receiving home-based care: €7120 (3381) versus €12,149 (6322), P < .001. Length of acute hospital stay was significantly shorter in patients discharged to home-based care [10.1 (7)] than in patients discharged to the postacute orthogeriatric hospital-based unit [15.3 (12) days, P < .001]. The hospital-at-home integrated care program was suitable for managing older patients with orthopedic conditions who have good social support for home care. It provided clinical care comparable to the hospital-based model, and it seems to enable earlier acute hospital discharge and lower direct costs. Copyright © 2017 AMDA – The Society for Post-Acute and Long-Term Care Medicine. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.
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Oral hygiene and mouth care for older people in acute hospitals: part 1.
Steel, Ben J
2017-10-31
The oral health of older people in acute hospitals has rarely been studied. Hospital admission provides a prime opportunity for identification and rectification of problems, and oral health promotion. This two-part article explores oral hygiene and mouth care provision for older adults in acute hospitals. The first article presents the findings of a literature review exploring oral and dental disease in older adults, the importance of good oral health and mouth care, and the current situation. Searches of electronic databases and the websites of relevant professional health service bodies in the UK were undertaken to identify articles and guidelines. The literature shows a high prevalence of oro-dental disease in this population, with many known detrimental effects, combined with suboptimal oral hygiene and mouth care provision in acute hospitals. Several guidelines exist, although the emphasis on oral health is weaker than other aspects of hospital care. Older adults admitted to acute hospitals have a high burden of oro-dental disease and oral and mouth care needs, but care provision tends to be suboptimal. The literature is growing, but this area is still relatively neglected. Great potential exists to develop oral and mouth care in this context. The second part of this article explores clinical recommendations. ©2012 RCN Publishing Company Ltd. All rights reserved. Not to be copied, transmitted or recorded in any way, in whole or part, without prior permission of the publishers.
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Walley, Alexander Y; Paasche-Orlow, Michael; Lee, Eugene C; Forsythe, Shaula; Chetty, Veerappa K; Mitchell, Suzanne; Jack, Brian W
2012-03-01
Hospital discharge may be an opportunity to intervene among patients with substance use disorders to reduce subsequent hospital utilization. This study determined whether having a substance use disorder diagnosis was associated with subsequent acute care hospital utilization. We conducted an observational cohort study among 738 patients on a general medical service at an urban, academic, safety-net hospital. The main outcomes were rate and risk of acute care hospital utilization (emergency department visit or hospitalization) within 30 days of discharge. The main independent variable was presence of a substance use disorder primary or secondary discharge diagnosis code at the index hospitalization. At discharge, 17% of subjects had a substance use disorder diagnosis. These patients had higher rates of recurrent acute care hospital utilization than patients without substance use disorder diagnoses (0.63 vs 0.32 events per subject at 30 days, P < 0.01) and increased risk of any recurrent acute care hospital utilization (33% vs 22% at 30 days, P < 0.05). In adjusted Poisson regression models, the incident rate ratio at 30 days was 1.49 (95% confidence interval, 1.12-1.98) for patients with substance use disorder diagnoses compared with those without. In subgroup analyses, higher utilization was attributable to those with drug diagnoses or a combination of drug and alcohol diagnoses, but not to those with exclusively alcohol diagnoses. Medical patients with substance use disorder diagnoses, specifically those with drug use-related diagnoses, have higher rates of recurrent acute care hospital utilization than those without substance use disorder diagnoses.
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Fukuda, Risa; Shimizu, Yasuko
2015-01-01
Objective Dementia is a major public health problem. More and more patients with dementia are being admitted to acute care hospitals for treatment of comorbidities. Issues associated with care of patients with dementia in acute care hospitals have not been adequately clarified. This study aimed to explore the challenges nurses face in providing care to patients with dementia in acute care hospitals in Japan. Methods This was a qualitative study using focus group interviews (FGIs). The setting was six acute hospitals with surgical and medical wards in the western region of Japan. Participants were nurses in surgical and internal medicine wards, excluding intensive care units. Nurses with less than 3 years working experience, those without experience in dementia patient care in their currently assigned ward, and head nurses were excluded from participation. FGIs were used to collect data from February to December 2008. Interviews were scheduled for 1–1.5 h. The qualitative synthesis method was used for data analysis. Results In total, 50 nurses with an average experience of 9.8 years participated. Eight focus groups were formed. Issues in administering care to patients with dementia at acute care hospitals were divided into seven groups. Three of these groups, that is, problematic patient behaviors, recurrent problem, and problems affecting many people equally, interact to result in a burdensome cycle. This cycle is exacerbated by lack of nursing experience and lack of organization in hospitals. In coping with this cycle, the nurses develop protection plans for themselves and for the hospital. Conclusions The two main issues experienced by nurses while administering care to patients with dementia in acute care hospitals were as follows: (a) the various problems and difficulties faced by nurses were interactive and caused a burdensome cycle, and (b) nurses do their best to adapt to these conditions despite feeling conflicted. PMID:25716983
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The future of community nursing: Hospital in the Home.
Lee, Gerry; Pickstone, Nicola; Facultad, Jose; Titchener, Karen
2017-04-02
With an increasing ageing population who often have multiple long-term conditions, there is a growing need to provide an alternative type of care to the traditional hospital-based model. 'Hospital in the Home' is a model that provides integrated care for patients in their home. The @home service was established in 2013 by Guy's and St Thomas' NHS Foundation Trust. The service provides health care in patients' home, supporting early discharge from hospital as well as preventing avoidable admissions and readmissions saving valuable hospital bed days and reducing length of stay. This article describes the service available with the use of a case study of a 78-year-old lady who was referred by the London Ambulance Service with exacerbation of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). This case study highlights the ability to assess, treat and manage an acutely unwell patient with newly diagnosed heart failure in the community without the need for hospitalisation. This type of integrated care model with a multidisciplinary team is a feasible alternative to the traditional models of care in both the acute and community settings.
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Lind, S; Wallin, L; Brytting, T; Fürst, C J; Sandberg, J
2017-11-01
In high-income countries a large proportion of all deaths occur in hospitals. A common way to translate knowledge into clinical practice is developing guidelines for different levels of health care organisations. During 2012, national clinical guidelines for palliative care were published in Sweden. Later, guidance for palliative care was issued by the National Board of Health and Welfare. The aim of this study was two-fold: to investigate perceptions regarding these guidelines and identify obstacles and opportunities for implementation of them in acute care hospitals. Interviews were conducted with local politicians, chief medical officers and health professionals at acute care hospitals. The Consolidated Framework for Implementation Research was used in a directed content analysis approach. The results showed little knowledge of the two documents at all levels of the health care organisation. Palliative care was primarily described as end of life care and only few of the participants talked about the opportunity to integrate palliative care early in a disease trajectory. The environment and culture at hospitals, characterised by quick decisions and actions, were perceived as obstacles to implementation. Health professionals' expressed need for palliative care training is an opportunity for implementation of clinical guidelines. There is a need for further implementation of palliative care in hospitals. One option for further research is to evaluate implementation strategies tailored to acute care. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.
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Out-of-hours medical cover in community hospitals: implications for palliative care.
Kerr, Chris; Hawker, Sheila; Payne, Sheila; Lloyd-Williams, Mari; Seamark, David
2006-02-01
The new General Medical Services contract in England means many GPs have transferred out-of hours work to their primary care organization, with implications for continuity of palliative care in community hospitals. To examine existing arrangements for out-of-hours medical cover in community hospitals, focusing on palliative care. Telephone survey of community hospital managers/senior nurses across England and Wales. Interviews (n = 62) revealed nursing staff were satisfied with existing out-of-hours care. Concern was expressed about the future of out-of-hours medical care from GPs as new services will cover larger areas, meaning unknown doctors may attend, taking longer to arrive. Arrangements for out-of-hours medical cover in community hospitals are in transition, threatening the continuity of care for dying patients.
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Sulaiman, Kadhim J; Panduranga, Prashanth; Al-Zakwani, Ibrahim; Alsheikh-Ali, Alawi; Al-Habib, Khalid; Al-Suwaidi, Jassim; Al-Mahmeed, Wael; Al-Faleh, Husam; El-Asfar, Abdelfatah; Al-Motarreb, Ahmed; Ridha, Mustafa; Bulbanat, Bassam; Al-Jarallah, Mohammed; Bazargani, Nooshin; Asaad, Nidal; Amin, Haitham
2014-01-01
There is paucity of data on heart failure (HF) in the Gulf Middle East. The present paper describes the rationale, design, methodology and hospital characteristics of the first Gulf acute heart failure registry (Gulf CARE). Gulf CARE is a prospective, multicenter, multinational registry of patients >18 year of age admitted with diagnosis of acute HF (AHF). The data collected included demographics, clinical characteristics, etiology, precipitating factors, management and outcomes of patients admitted with AHF. In addition, data about hospital readmission rates, procedures and mortality at 3 months and 1-year follow-up were recorded. Hospital characteristics and care provider details were collected. Data were entered in a dedicated website using an electronic case record form. A total of 5005 consecutive patients were enrolled from February 14, 2012 to November 13, 2012. Forty-seven hospitals in 7 Gulf States (Oman, Saudi Arabia, Yemen, Kuwait, United Gulf Emirates, Qatar and Bahrain) participated in the project. The majority of hospitals were community hospitals (46%; 22/47) followed by non-University teaching (32%; 15/47 and University hospitals (17%). Most of the hospitals had intensive or coronary care unit facilities (93%; 44/47) with 59% (28/47) having catheterization laboratory facilities. However, only 29% (14/47) had a dedicated HF clinic facility. Most patients (71%) were cared for by a cardiologist. Gulf CARE is the first prospective registry of AHF in the Middle East, intending to provide a unique insight into the demographics, etiology, management and outcomes of AHF in the Middle East. HF management in the Middle East is predominantly provided by cardiologists. The data obtained from this registry will help the local clinicians to identify the deficiencies in HF management as well as provide a platform to implement evidence based preventive and treatment strategies to reduce the burden of HF in this region.
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Sulaiman, Kadhim J.; Panduranga, Prashanth; Al-Zakwani, Ibrahim; Alsheikh-Ali, Alawi; Al-Habib, Khalid; Al-Suwaidi, Jassim; Al-Mahmeed, Wael; Al-Faleh, Husam; El-Asfar, Abdelfatah; Al-Motarreb, Ahmed; Ridha, Mustafa; Bulbanat, Bassam; Al-Jarallah, Mohammed; Bazargani, Nooshin; Asaad, Nidal; Amin, Haitham
2014-01-01
Background: There is paucity of data on heart failure (HF) in the Gulf Middle East. The present paper describes the rationale, design, methodology and hospital characteristics of the first Gulf acute heart failure registry (Gulf CARE). Materials and Methods: Gulf CARE is a prospective, multicenter, multinational registry of patients >18 year of age admitted with diagnosis of acute HF (AHF). The data collected included demographics, clinical characteristics, etiology, precipitating factors, management and outcomes of patients admitted with AHF. In addition, data about hospital readmission rates, procedures and mortality at 3 months and 1-year follow-up were recorded. Hospital characteristics and care provider details were collected. Data were entered in a dedicated website using an electronic case record form. Results: A total of 5005 consecutive patients were enrolled from February 14, 2012 to November 13, 2012. Forty-seven hospitals in 7 Gulf States (Oman, Saudi Arabia, Yemen, Kuwait, United Gulf Emirates, Qatar and Bahrain) participated in the project. The majority of hospitals were community hospitals (46%; 22/47) followed by non-University teaching (32%; 15/47 and University hospitals (17%). Most of the hospitals had intensive or coronary care unit facilities (93%; 44/47) with 59% (28/47) having catheterization laboratory facilities. However, only 29% (14/47) had a dedicated HF clinic facility. Most patients (71%) were cared for by a cardiologist. Conclusions: Gulf CARE is the first prospective registry of AHF in the Middle East, intending to provide a unique insight into the demographics, etiology, management and outcomes of AHF in the Middle East. HF management in the Middle East is predominantly provided by cardiologists. The data obtained from this registry will help the local clinicians to identify the deficiencies in HF management as well as provide a platform to implement evidence based preventive and treatment strategies to reduce the burden of HF in
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Lahr, Maarten M. H.; van der Zee, Durk-Jouke; Vroomen, Patrick C. A. J.; Luijckx, Gert-Jan; Buskens, Erik
2013-01-01
Background Various studies demonstrate better patient outcome and higher thrombolysis rates achieved by centralized stroke care compared to decentralized care, i.e. community hospitals. It remains largely unclear how to improve thrombolysis rate in decentralized care. The aim of this simulation study was to assess the impact of previously identified success factors in a central model on thrombolysis rates and patient outcome when implemented for a decentral model. Methods Based on a prospectively collected dataset of 1084 ischemic stroke patients, simulation was used to replicate current practice and estimate the effect of re-organizing decentralized stroke care to resemble a centralized model. Factors simulated included symptom onset call to help, emergency medical services transportation, and in-hospital diagnostic workup delays. Primary outcome was proportion of patients treated with thrombolysis; secondary endpoints were good functional outcome at 90 days, Onset-Treatment-Time (OTT), and OTT intervals, respectively. Results Combining all factors might increase thrombolysis rate by 7.9%, of which 6.6% ascribed to pre-hospital and 1.3% to in-hospital factors. Good functional outcome increased by 11.4%, 8.7% ascribed to pre-hospital and 2.7% to in-hospital factors. The OTT decreased 17 minutes, 7 minutes ascribed to pre-hospital and 10 minutes to in-hospital factors. An increase was observed in the proportion thrombolyzed within 1.5 hours; increasing by 14.1%, of which 5.6% ascribed to pre-hospital and 8.5% to in-hospital factors. Conclusions Simulation technique may target opportunities for improving thrombolysis rates in acute stroke. Pre-hospital factors proved to be the most promising for improving thrombolysis rates in an implementation study. PMID:24260151
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Optimizing Transitions of Care - Hospital to Community.
Sheridan, Emily; Thompson, Christine; Pinheiro, Tania; Robinson, Nicole; Davies, Karen; Whitmore, Nancy
2017-01-01
Discharging patients from the hospital is a complex process, and preventing avoidable readmissions has the potential to improve both the quality of life for patients and the financial sustainability of the healthcare system (Alper et al. 2016). Improving the discharge process is one method to mitigate readmission to the hospital. Historically, St. Thomas Elgin General Hospital (STEGH) consistently experienced higher-than-expected readmission rates, and only 41% of discharge summaries were sent from the hospital to the community primary care within 48 hours. In addition, the overall percentage of patients attending a follow-up appointment with a primary care physician within seven days of discharge from hospital was lower than the provincial average. Through engagement with primary care providers (PCPs) and clinical associates (CAs) and with the use of standard work and monitoring organizational metrics, STEGH has achieved significant improvements.
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Benchmarking antibiotic use in Finnish acute care hospitals using patient case-mix adjustment.
Kanerva, Mari; Ollgren, Jukka; Lyytikäinen, Outi
2011-11-01
It is difficult to draw conclusions about the prudence of antibiotic use in different hospitals by directly comparing usage figures. We present a patient case-mix adjustment model of antibiotic use to rank hospitals while taking patient characteristics into account. Data on antibiotic use were collected during the national healthcare-associated infection (HAI) prevalence survey in 2005 in Finland in all 5 tertiary care, all 15 secondary care and 10 (25% of 40) other acute care hospitals. The use of antibiotics was measured using use-days/100 patient-days during a 7day period and the prevalence of patients receiving at least two antimicrobials during the study day. Case-mix-adjusted antibiotic use was calculated by using multivariate models and an indirect standardization method. Parameters in the model included age, sex, severity of underlying diseases, intensive care, haematology, preceding surgery, respirator, central venous and urinary catheters, community-associated infection, HAI and contact isolation due to methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus. The ranking order changed one position in 12 (40%) hospitals and more than two positions in 13 (43%) hospitals when the case-mix-adjusted figures were compared with those observed. In 24 hospitals (80%), the antibiotic use density observed was lower than expected by the case-mix-adjusted use density. The patient case-mix adjustment of antibiotic use ranked the hospitals differently from the ranking according to observed use, and may be a useful tool for benchmarking hospital antibiotic use. However, the best set of easily and widely available parameters that would describe both patient material and hospital activities remains to be determined.
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Financial and organizational determinants of hospital diversification into subacute care.
Wheeler, J R; Burkhardt, J; Alexander, J A; Magnus, S A
1999-01-01
OBJECTIVE: To examine the financial, market, and organizational determinants of hospital diversification into subacute inpatient care by acute care hospitals in order to guide hospital managers in undertaking such diversification efforts. STUDY SETTING: All nongovernment, general, acute care, community hospitals that were operating during the years 1985 through 1991 (3,986 hospitals in total). DATA SOURCES: Cross-sectional, time-series data were drawn from the American Hospital Association's (AHA) Annual Survey of Hospitals, the Health Care Financing Administration's (HCFA) Medicare Cost Reports, a latitude and longitude listing for all community hospital addresses, and the Area Resource File (ARF) published in 1992, which provides county level environmental variables. STUDY DESIGN: The study is longitudinal, enabling the specification of temporal patterns in conversion, causal inferences, and the treatment of right-censoring problems. The unit of analysis is the individual hospital. KEY FINDINGS: Significant differences were found in the average level of subacute care offered by investor-owned versus tax-exempt hospitals. After controlling for selection bias, financial performance, risk, size, occupancy, and other variables, IO hospitals offered 31.3 percent less subacute care than did NFP hospitals. Financial performance and risk are predictors of IO hospitals' diversification into subacute care, but not of NFP hospitals' activities in this market. Resource availability appears to expedite expansion into subacute care for both types of hospitals. CONCLUSIONS: Investment criteria and strategy differ between investor-owned and tax-exempt hospitals. PMID:10201852
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Venkatasalu, Munikumar Ramasamy; Clarke, Amanda; Atkinson, Joanne
2015-06-01
To explore and critically examine stakeholders' views and perceptions concerning the nurse-led Palliative Care Discharge Service in an acute hospital setting and to inform sustainability, service development and future service configuration. The drive in policy and practice is to enable individuals to achieve their preferred place of care during their last days of life. However, most people in UK die in acute hospital settings against their wishes. To facilitate individuals' preferred place of care, a large acute hospital in northeast England implemented a pilot project to establish a nurse-led Macmillan Palliative Care Discharge Facilitator Service. A pluralistic evaluation design using qualitative methods was used to seek stakeholders' views and perceptions of this service. In total, 12 participants (five bereaved carers and seven health professionals) participated in the evaluation. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with bereaved carers who used this service for their relatives. A focus group and an individual interview were undertaken with health professionals who had used the service since its inception. Individual interviews were also conducted with the Discharge Facilitator and service manager. Analysis of all data was guided by Framework Analysis. Four key themes emerged relating to the role of the Discharge Facilitator Service: achieving preferred place of care; the Discharge Facilitator as the 'conduit' between hospital and community settings; delays in hospital discharge and stakeholders' perceptions of the way forward for the service. The Discharge Facilitator Service acted as a reliable resource and support for facilitating the fast-tracking of end-of-life patients to their preferred place of care. Future planning for hospital-based palliative care discharge facilitating services need to consider incorporating strategies that include: increased profile of the service, expansion of service provision and the Discharge Facilitator's earlier
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Pandolfi, Michelle M; Wang, Yun; Spenard, Ann; Johnson, Florence; Bonner, Alice; Ho, Shih-Yieh; Elwell, Timothy; Bakullari, Anila; Galusha, Deron; Leifheit-Limson, Erica; Lichtman, Judith H; Krumholz, Harlan M
2017-12-01
To evaluate community-specific nursing home performance with community-specific hospital 30-day readmissions for Medicare patients discharged with acute myocardial infarction, heart failure or pneumonia. Cross-sectional study using 2009-2012 hospital risk-standardised 30-day readmission data for Medicare fee-for-service patients hospitalised for all three conditions and nursing home performance data from the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services Five-Star Quality Rating System. Medicare-certified nursing homes and acute care hospitals. 12,542 nursing homes and 3,039 hospitals treating 30 or more Medicare fee-for-service patients for all three conditions across 2,032 hospital service areas in the United States. Community-specific hospital 30-day risk-standardised readmission rates. Community-specific nursing home performance measures: health inspection, staffing, Registered Nurses and quality performance; and an aggregated performance score. Mixed-effects models evaluated associations between nursing home performance and hospital 30-day risk-standardised readmission rates for all three conditions. The relationship between community-specific hospital risk-standardised readmission rates and community-specific overall nursing home performance was statistically significant for all three conditions. Increasing nursing home performance by one star resulted in decreases of 0.29% point (95% CI: 0.12-0.47), 0.78% point (95% CI: 0.60-0.95) and 0.46% point (95% CI: 0.33-0.59) of risk-standardised readmission rates for AMI, HF and pneumonia, respectively. Among the specific measures, higher performance in nursing home overall staffing and Registered Nurse staffing measures was statistically significantly associated with lower hospital readmission rates for all three conditions. Notable geographic variation in the community-specific nursing home performance was observed. Community-specific nursing home performance is associated with community-specific hospital 30-day
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Hospital-Level Care at Home for Acutely Ill Adults: a Pilot Randomized Controlled Trial.
Levine, David M; Ouchi, Kei; Blanchfield, Bonnie; Diamond, Keren; Licurse, Adam; Pu, Charles T; Schnipper, Jeffrey L
2018-05-01
Hospitals are standard of care for acute illness, but hospitals can be unsafe, uncomfortable, and expensive. Providing substitutive hospital-level care in a patient's home potentially reduces cost while maintaining or improving quality, safety, and patient experience, although evidence from randomized controlled trials in the US is lacking. Determine if home hospital care reduces cost while maintaining quality, safety, and patient experience. Randomized controlled trial. Adults admitted via the emergency department with any infection or exacerbation of heart failure, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, or asthma. Home hospital care, including nurse and physician home visits, intravenous medications, continuous monitoring, video communication, and point-of-care testing. Primary outcome was direct cost of the acute care episode. Secondary outcomes included utilization, 30-day cost, physical activity, and patient experience. Nine patients were randomized to home, 11 to usual care. Median direct cost of the acute care episode for home patients was 52% (IQR, 28%; p = 0.05) lower than for control patients. During the care episode, home patients had fewer laboratory orders (median per admission: 6 vs. 19; p < 0.01) and less often received consultations (0% vs. 27%; p = 0.04). Home patients were more physically active (median minutes, 209 vs. 78; p < 0.01), with a trend toward more sleep. No adverse events occurred in home patients, one occurred in control patients. Median direct cost for the acute care plus 30-day post-discharge period for home patients was 67% (IQR, 77%; p < 0.01) lower, with trends toward less use of home-care services (22% vs. 55%; p = 0.08) and fewer readmissions (11% vs. 36%; p = 0.32). Patient experience was similar in both groups. The use of substitutive home-hospitalization compared to in-hospital usual care reduced cost and utilization and improved physical activity. No significant differences in quality, safety
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Landman, Adam B; Spatz, Erica S; Cherlin, Emily J; Krumholz, Harlan M; Bradley, Elizabeth H; Curry, Leslie A
2013-02-01
Evidence suggests that active collaboration between hospitals and emergency medical services (EMS) is significantly associated with lower acute myocardial infarction mortality rates; however, the nature of such collaborations is not well understood. We seek to characterize views of key hospital staff about collaboration with EMS in the care of patients hospitalized with acute myocardial infarction. We performed an exploratory analysis of qualitative data previously collected from site visits and detailed interviews with 11 US hospitals that ranked in the top or bottom 5% of performance on 30-day risk-standardized acute myocardial infarction mortality rates, using Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services data from 2005 to 2007. We selected all codes from the previous analysis in which EMS was most likely to have been discussed. A multidisciplinary team analyzed the data with the constant comparative method to generate recurrent themes. Both higher- and lower-performing hospitals reported that EMS is critical to the provision of timely care for patients with acute myocardial infarction. However, close collaborative relationships with EMS were more apparent in the higher-performing hospitals, which demonstrated specific investment in and attention to EMS through respect for EMS as valued professionals and colleagues, strong communication and coordination with EMS and active engagement of EMS in hospital acute myocardial infarction quality improvement efforts. Hospital staff from higher-performing hospitals described broad, multifaceted strategies to support collaboration with EMS in providing acute myocardial infarction care. The association of these strategies with hospital performance should be tested quantitatively in a larger representative study. Copyright © 2012. Published by Mosby, Inc.
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Vertical integration and diversification of acute care hospitals: conceptual definitions.
Clement, J P
1988-01-01
The terms vertical integration and diversification, although used quite frequently, are ill-defined for use in the health care field. In this article, the concepts are defined--specifically for nonuniversity acute care hospitals. The resulting definitions are more useful than previous ones for predicting the effects of vertical integration and diversification.
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Incidence, care quality and outcomes of patients with acute kidney injury in admitted hospital care.
Medcalf, J F; Davies, C; Hollinshead, J; Matthews, B; O'Donoghue, D
2016-12-01
Acute kidney injury (AKI) is common in acute hospital admission and associated with worse patient outcomes. To measure incidence, care quality and outcome of AKI in admitted hospital care. Forty-six of 168 acute NHS healthcare trusts in UK caring for 2 million acute hospital admissions per annum collected information on adults identified with AKI stage 3 (3-fold rise in serum creatinine or creatinine >354 µmol/l) through routine biochemical testing over a 5-month period in 2012. Information was collected on patient and care characteristics. Primary outcomes were survival and recovery of kidney function at 1 month. A total of 15 647 patients were identified with biochemical AKI stage 3. Case note reviews were available for 7726 patients. In 80%, biochemical AKI stage 3 was confirmed clinically. Among this group, median age was 75 years, median length of stay was 12 days and the overall mortality within 1 month was 38%. Significant factors in a multivariable model predicting survival included age and some causes of AKI. Dipstick urinalysis, medication review, discussion with a nephrologist and acceptance for transfer to a renal unit were also associated with higher survival, but not early review by a senior doctor, acceptance for transfer to critical care or requirement for renal replacement therapy. Eighteen percent of people did not have their kidney function checked 1 month after the episode had resolved. This large study of in-hospital AKI supports the efficacy of biochemical detection of AKI in common usage. AKI mortality remains substantial, length of stay comparable with single-centre studies, and much of the variation is poorly explained (model Cox and Snell R 2 = 0.131) from current predictors. © The Author 2016. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the Association of Physicians. All rights reserved. For Permissions, please email: journals.permissions@oup.com.
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[Implementation of a palliative care concept in a geriatric acute care hospital].
Hagg-Grün, U; Lukas, A; Sommer, B-N; Klaiber, H-R; Nikolaus, T
2010-12-01
To integrate palliative care patients into an acute geriatric ward requires extensive and continuous education and preparation of all participating professionals. It can be a lengthy process to integrate palliative care concepts despite cooperation of the hospital administration. The group of patients to be integrated differs from the patients of regular geriatric wards because of a higher percentage of relatively young oncologic patients and they differ from a regular palliative ward because about 50% are non-oncologic patients, while the average age is much higher than in normal palliative care. It is possible to integrate specialized palliative care into a regular geriatric ward. Patients admitted without palliative intention will benefit the most from ward-integrated palliative care if the treatment aim turns this way. Ward-integrated palliative care can be an integral part of treating geriatric patients in addition to acute geriatric medicine, rehabilitation, and prevention. It can also provide caretakers and patients with the benefits from continuity of treatment and care.
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Providing quality nutrition care in acute care hospitals: perspectives of nutrition care personnel.
Keller, H H; Vesnaver, E; Davidson, B; Allard, J; Laporte, M; Bernier, P; Payette, H; Jeejeebhoy, K; Duerksen, D; Gramlich, L
2014-04-01
Malnutrition is common in acute care hospitals worldwide and nutritional status can deteriorate during hospitalisation. The aim of the present qualitative study was to identify enablers and challenges and, specifically, the activities, processes and resources, from the perspective of nutrition care personnel, required to provide quality nutrition care. Eight hospitals participating in the Nutrition Care in Canadian Hospitals study provided focus group data (n = 8 focus groups; 91 participants; dietitians, dietetic interns, diet technicians and menu clerks), which were analysed thematically. Five themes emerged from the data: (i) developing a nutrition culture, where nutrition practice is considered important to recovery of patients and teams work together to achieve nutrition goals; (ii) using effective tools, such as screening, evidence-based protocols, quality, timely and accurate patient information, and appropriate and quality food; (iii) creating effective systems to support delivery of care, such as communications, food production and delivery; (iv) being responsive to care needs, via flexible food systems, appropriate menus and meal supplements, up to date clinical care and including patient and family in the care processes; and (v) uniting the right person with the right task, by delineating roles, training staff, providing sufficient time to undertake these important tasks and holding staff accountable for their care. The findings of the present study are consistent with other work and provide guidance towards improving the nutrition culture in hospitals. Further empirical work on how to support successful implementation of nutrition care processes is needed. © 2013 The British Dietetic Association Ltd.
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Comprehensive assessment of critical care needs in a community hospital*.
Sarti, Aimee J; Sutherland, Stephanie; Landriault, Angèle; Fothergill-Bourbonnais, Frances; Bouali, Redouane; Willett, Timothy; Hamstra, Stanley J; Cardinal, Pierre
2014-04-01
To design and implement a needs assessment process that identifies gaps in caring for critically ill patients in a community hospital. This mixed-method study was conducted between June 2011 and February 2012. A conceptual framework, centered on the critically ill patient, guided the design and selection of the data collection instruments. Different perspectives sampled included regional leaders, healthcare professionals at the community hospital and its referral hospital, as well as family members of patients who had received care at the community ICU. Data sources included interviews (n = 22), walk-throughs (n = 5), focus groups (n = 31), database searches, context questionnaires (n = 8), family surveys (n = 16), and simulations (n = 13). None. Nine needs were identified. At the community hospital, needs identified included lack of access to human resources, gaps in expertise, poor patient flow and ICU bed use, communication, lack of educational opportunities, and gaps in end-of-life care and interprofessional teamwork. Needs were also identified in the interhospital interaction between the community and referral hospitals, which included an inadequate hospital network and gaps in transfer and repatriation of patients. The methodology uncovered the causes and widespread impact of each need and how they interacted with one another. Proposed solutions by the participants are presented including both organizational and educational/clinical solutions. This study captured needs in a complex, interprofessional, interhospital context, which can be targeted with tailored interventions to improve patient outcomes in a community hospital. Furthermore, this study provides a preliminary framework and rigorous methodology to performing a needs assessment in this setting.
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Opening the Door: The Experience of Chronic Critical Illness in a Long-Term Acute Care Hospital.
Lamas, Daniela J; Owens, Robert L; Nace, R Nicholas; Massaro, Anthony F; Pertsch, Nathan J; Gass, Jonathon; Bernacki, Rachelle E; Block, Susan D
2017-04-01
Chronically critically ill patients have recurrent infections, organ dysfunction, and at least half die within 1 year. They are frequently cared for in long-term acute care hospitals, yet little is known about their experience in this setting. Our objective was to explore the understanding and expectations and goals of these patients and surrogates. We conducted semi-structured interviews with chronically critically ill long-term acute care hospital patients or surrogates. Conversations were recorded, transcribed, and analyzed. One long-term acute care hospital. Chronically critically ill patients, defined by tracheotomy for prolonged mechanical ventilation, or surrogates. Semi-structured conversation about quality of life, expectations, and planning for setbacks. A total of 50 subjects (30 patients and 20 surrogates) were enrolled. Thematic analyses demonstrated: 1) poor quality of life for patients; 2) surrogate stress and anxiety; 3) optimistic health expectations; 4) poor planning for medical setbacks; and 5) disruptive care transitions. Nearly 80% of patient and their surrogate decision makers identified going home as a goal; 38% were at home at 1 year. Our study describes the experience of chronically critically ill patients and surrogates in an long-term acute care hospital and the feasibility of patient-focused research in this setting. Our findings indicate overly optimistic expectations about return home and unmet palliative care needs, suggesting the need for integration of palliative care within the long-term acute care hospital. Further research is also needed to more fully understand the challenges of this growing population of ICU survivors.
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Patel, Amisha; Prabhakaran, Dorairaj; Berendsen, Mark; Mohanan, P P; Huffman, Mark D
2017-04-01
Ischemic heart disease is the leading cause of death in India. In high-income countries, pre-hospital systems of care have been developed to manage acute manifestations of ischemic heart disease, such as acute coronary syndrome (ACS). However, it is unknown whether guidelines, policies, regulations, or laws exist to guide pre-hospital ACS care in India. We undertook a nation-wide document analysis to address this gap in knowledge. From November 2014 to May 2016, we searched for publicly available emergency care guidelines and legislation addressing pre-hospital ACS care in all 29 Indian states and 7 Union Territories via Internet search and direct correspondence. We found two documents addressing pre-hospital ACS care. Though India has legislation mandating acute care for emergencies such as trauma, regulations or laws to guide pre-hospital ACS care are largely absent. Policy makers urgently need to develop comprehensive, multi-stakeholder policies for pre-hospital emergency cardiovascular care in India. Copyright © 2016. Published by Elsevier B.V.
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Le Monnier, A; Duburcq, A; Zahar, J-R; Corvec, S; Guillard, T; Cattoir, V; Woerther, P-L; Fihman, V; Lalande, V; Jacquier, H; Mizrahi, A; Farfour, E; Morand, P; Marcadé, G; Coulomb, S; Torreton, E; Fagnani, F; Barbut, F
2015-10-01
The impact of Clostridium difficile infection (CDI) on healthcare costs is significant due to the extra costs of associated inpatient care. However, the specific contribution of recurrences has rarely been studied. The aim of this study was to estimate the hospital costs of CDI and the fraction attributable to recurrences in French acute-care hospitals. A retrospective study was performed for 2011 on a sample of 12 large acute-care hospitals. CDI costs were estimated from both hospital and public insurance perspectives. For each stay, CDI additional costs were estimated by comparison to controls without CDI extracted from the national DRG (diagnosis-related group) database and matched on DRG, age and sex. When CDI was the primary diagnosis, the full cost of stay was used. A total of 1067 bacteriological cases of CDI were identified corresponding to 979 stays involving 906 different patients. Recurrence(s) were identified in 118 (12%) of these stays with 51.7% of them having occurred within the same stay as the index episode. Their mean length of stay was 63.8 days compared to 25.1 days for stays with an index case only. The mean extra cost per stay with CDI was estimated at €9,575 (median: €7,514). The extra cost of CDI in public acute-care hospitals was extrapolated to €163.1 million at the national level, of which 12.5% was attributable to recurrences. The economic burden of CDI is substantial and directly impacts healthcare systems in France. Copyright © 2015 The Healthcare Infection Society. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.
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Pitfalls of implementing acute care surgery.
Kaplan, Lewis J; Frankel, Heidi; Davis, Kimberly A; Barie, Philip S
2007-05-01
Incorporating emergency general surgery into the current practice of the trauma and critical care surgeon carries sweeping implications for future practice and training. Herein, we examine the known benefits of the practice of emergency general surgery, contrast it with the emerging paradigm of acute care surgery, and examine pitfalls already encountered in integration of emergency general surgery into a traditional trauma/critical care surgery service. A MEDLINE literature search was supplemented with local experience and national presentations at major meetings to provide data for this review. Considerations including faculty complement, service structure, resident staffing, physician extenders, the decreased role of community hospitals in providing trauma and emergency general surgery care, and the effects on an elective operative schedule are inadequately explored at present. There are no firm recommendations as to how to incorporate emergency general surgery into a trauma/critical care practice that will satisfy both academic and community practice paradigms. The near future seems likely to embrace the expanded training and clinical care program termed acute care surgery. A host of essential elements have yet to be examined to undertake a critical analysis of the applicability, advisability, and appropriate structure of both emergency general surgery and acute care surgery in the United States. Proceeding along this pathway may be fraught with training, education, and implementation pitfalls that are ideally addressed before deploying acute care surgery as a national standard.
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Effects of outsourced nursing on quality outcomes in long-term acute-care hospitals.
Alvarez, M Raymond; Kerr, Bernard J; Burtner, Joan; Ledlow, Gerald; Fulton, Larry V
2011-03-01
Use of outsourced nurses is often a stop-gap measure for unplanned vacancies in smaller healthcare facilities such as long-term acute-care hospitals (LTACHs). However, the relationship of utilization levels (low, medium, or high percentages) of nonemployees covering staff schedules often is perceived to have negative relationships with quality outcomes. To assess this issue, the authors discuss the outcomes of their national study of LTACH hospitals that indicated no relationship existed between variations in percentage of staffing by contracted nurses and selected outcomes in this post-acute-care setting.
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Walz, Stacy E; Smith, Maureen; Cox, Elizabeth; Sattin, Justin; Kind, Amy J H
2011-04-01
Previous studies have noted a high (41%) prevalence and poor discharge summary communication of pending laboratory (lab) tests at the time of hospital discharge for general medical patients. However, the prevalence and communication of pending labs within a high-risk population, specifically those patients discharged to sub-acute care (i.e., skilled nursing, rehabilitation, long-term care), remains unknown. To determine the prevalence and nature of lab tests pending at hospital discharge and their inclusion within hospital discharge summaries, for common sub-acute care populations. Retrospective cohort study. Stroke, hip fracture, and cancer patients discharged from a single large academic medical center to sub-acute care, 2003-2005 (N = 564) Pending lab tests were abstracted from the laboratory information system (LIS) and from each patient's discharge summary, then grouped into 14 categories and compared. Microbiology tests were sub-divided by culture type and number of days pending prior to discharge. Of sub-acute care patients, 32% (181/564) were discharged with pending lab tests per the LIS; however, only 11% (20/181) of discharge summaries documented these. Patients most often left the hospital with pending microbiology tests (83% [150/181]), particularly blood and urine cultures, and reference lab tests (17% [30/181]). However, 82% (61/74) of patients' pending urine cultures did not have 24-hour preliminary results, and 19% (13/70) of patients' pending blood cultures did not have 48-hour preliminary results available at the time of hospital discharge. Approximately one-third of the sub-acute care patients in this study had labs pending at discharge, but few were documented within hospital discharge summaries. Even after considering the availability of preliminary microbiology results, these omissions remain common. Future studies should focus on improving the communication of pending lab tests at discharge and evaluating the impact that this improved
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Huber, Evelyn; Kleinknecht-Dolf, Michael; Müller, Marianne; Kugler, Christiane; Spirig, Rebecca
2017-06-01
To define the concept of patient-related complexity of nursing care in acute care hospitals and to operationalize it in a questionnaire. The concept of patient-related complexity of nursing care in acute care hospitals has not been conclusively defined in the literature. The operationalization in a corresponding questionnaire is necessary, given the increased significance of the topic, due to shortened lengths of stay and increased patient morbidity. Hybrid model of concept development and embedded mixed-methods design. The theoretical phase of the hybrid model involved a literature review and the development of a working definition. In the fieldwork phase of 2015 and 2016, an embedded mixed-methods design was applied with complexity assessments of all patients at five Swiss hospitals using our newly operationalized questionnaire 'Complexity of Nursing Care' over 1 month. These data will be analysed with structural equation modelling. Twelve qualitative case studies will be embedded. They will be analysed using a structured process of constructing case studies and content analysis. In the final analytic phase, the quantitative and qualitative data will be merged and added to the results of the theoretical phase for a common interpretation. Cantonal Ethics Committee Zurich judged the research programme as unproblematic in December 2014 and May 2015. Following the phases of the hybrid model and using an embedded mixed-methods design can reach an in-depth understanding of patient-related complexity of nursing care in acute care hospitals, a final version of the questionnaire and an acknowledged definition of the concept. © 2016 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.
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2017-01-01
PURPOSE: The purpose of this study was to examine the effectiveness and value of prophylactic 5-layer foam sacral dressings to prevent hospital-acquired pressure injury rates in acute care settings. DESIGN: Retrospective observational cohort. SAMPLE AND SETTING: We reviewed records of adult patients 18 years or older who were hospitalized at least 5 days across 38 acute care hospitals of the University Health System Consortium (UHC) and had a pressure injury as identified by Patient Safety Indicator #3 (PSI-03). All facilities are located in the United States. METHODS: We collected longitudinal data pertaining to prophylactic 5-layer foam sacral dressings purchased by hospital-quarter for 38 academic medical centers between 2010 and 2015. Longitudinal data on acute care, hospital-level patient outcomes (eg, admissions and PSI-03 and pressure injury rate) were queried through the UHC clinical database/resource manager from the Johns Hopkins Medicine portal. Data on volumes of dressings purchased per UHC hospital were merged with UHC data. Mixed-effects negative binomial regression was used to test the longitudinal association of prophylactic foam sacral dressings on pressure injury rates, adjusted for hospital case-mix and Medicare payments rules. RESULTS: Significant pressure injury rate reductions in US acute care hospitals between 2010 and 2015 were associated with the adoption of prophylactic 5-layer foam sacral dressings within a prevention protocol (−1.0 cases/quarter; P = .002) and changes to Medicare payment rules in 2014 (−1.13 cases/quarter; P = .035). CONCLUSIONS: Prophylactic 5-layer foam sacral dressings are an effective component of a pressure injury prevention protocol. Hospitals adopting these technologies should expect good value for use of these products. PMID:28816929
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Geriatric resources in acute care hospitals and trauma centers: a scarce commodity.
Maxwell, Cathy A; Mion, Lorraine C; Minnick, Ann
2013-12-01
The number of older adults admitted to acute care hospitals with traumatic injury is rising. The purpose of this study was to examine the location of five prominent geriatric resource programs in U.S. acute care hospitals and trauma centers (N = 4,865). As of 2010, 5.8% of all U.S. hospitals had at least one of these programs. Only 8.8% of trauma centers were served by at least one program; the majorities were in level I trauma centers. Slow adoption of geriatric resource programs in hospitals may be due to lack of champions who will advocate for these programs, lack of evidence of their impact on outcomes, or lack of a business plan to support adoption. Future studies should focus on the benefits of geriatric resource programs from patients' perspectives, as well as from business case and outcomes perspectives. Copyright 2013, SLACK Incorporated.
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Oral hygiene and mouth care for older people in acute hospitals: part 2.
Steel, Ben J
2017-11-30
Acute hospital admission provides an excellent opportunity to address poor oral health in older people, a group rarely seen by dental professionals and for who oral health activity in hospital is inconsistent and generally suboptimal. This two-part article explores oral hygiene and mouth care provision for older adults in acute hospitals. The first article presented the findings of a literature review exploring oral and dental disease in older adults, the importance of good oral health and mouth care, and the current situation. The second article explores clinical recommendations. A change in philosophy is needed to embed oral care as an essential component of holistic practice. More research is needed to determine the best ways to assess and treat oro-dental problems in older people, and promote and restore their oral health in hospitals. Great potential exists to innovate and develop new ways of providing care to this group. ©2017 RCN Publishing Company Ltd. All rights reserved. Not to be copied, transmitted or recorded in any way, in whole or part, without prior permission of the publishers.
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Young, G; Beekun, R I; Ginn, G O
1992-01-01
Contingency theory suggests that for a hospital governing board to be effective in taking on a more active role in strategic management, the board needs to be structured to complement the overall strategy of the organization. A survey study was conducted to examine the strategies of acute care hospitals as related to the structural characteristics of their governing boards. After controlling for organizational size and system membership, results indicated a significant relationship between the governing board structure of 109 acute care hospitals and their overall business strategy. Strategy also accounted for more of the variance in board structure than either organization size or system membership. Finally, the greater the match between board structure and hospital strategy, the stronger the hospitals' financial performance. PMID:1399656
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Use of outsourced nurses in long-term acute care hospitals: outcomes and leadership preferences.
Alvarez, M Raymond; Kerr, Bernard J; Burtner, Joan; Ledlow, Gerald; Fulton, Larry V
2011-02-01
When staffing effectiveness is not maintained over time, the likelihood of negative outcomes increases. This challenge is particularly problematic in long-term acute care hospitals (LTACHs) where use of outsourced temporary nurses is common when providing safe, sufficient care to medically complex patients who require longer hospital stays than normally would occur. To assess this issue, the authors discuss the outcomes of their survey of LTACH chief nursing officers that demonstrated LTACH quality indicators and overall patient satisfaction were within nationally accepted benchmarks even with higher levels of outsourced nurses used in this post-acute care setting.
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Quality of Care for Acute Myocardial Infarction in Rural and Urban US Hospitals
ERIC Educational Resources Information Center
Baldwin, Laura-Mae; MacLehose, Richard F.; Hart, L. Gary; Beaver, Shelli K.; Every,Nathan; Chan,Leighton
2004-01-01
Context: Acute myocardial infarction (AMI) is a common and important cause of admission to US rural hospitals, as transport of patients with AMI to urban settings can result in unacceptable delays in care. Purpose: To examine the quality of care for patients with AMI in rural hospitals with differing degrees of remoteness from urban centers.…
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Factors contributing to nursing team work in an acute care tertiary hospital.
Polis, Suzanne; Higgs, Megan; Manning, Vicki; Netto, Gayle; Fernandez, Ritin
Effective nursing teamwork is an essential component of quality health care and patient safety. Understanding which factors foster team work ensures teamwork qualities are cultivated and sustained. This study aims to investigate which factors are associated with team work in an Australian acute care tertiary hospital across all inpatient and outpatient settings. All nurses and midwives rostered to inpatient and outpatient wards in an acute care 600 bed hospital in Sydney Australia were invited to participate in a cross sectional survey between September to October 2013. Data were collected, collated, checked and analysed using Statistical Package for the Social Sciences (SPSS) Version 21. Factors reporting a significant correlation with where p < 0.05 were analysed in a multiple regression model. A total of 501 surveys were returned. Nursing teamwork scores ranged between 3.32 and 4.08. Teamwork subscale Shared Mental Model consistently rated the highest. Mean scores for overall communication between nurses and team leadership were 3.6 (S.D. 0.57) and 3.8 (SD 0.6) respectively. Leadership and communication between nurses were significant predictors of team work p < 0.001. Our findings describe factors predictive of teamwork in an acute care tertiary based hospital setting across inpatient and outpatient specialty units. Our findings are of particular relevance in identifying areas of nurse education and workforce planning to improve nursing team work.
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Huang, Allen R; Larente, Nadine; Morais, Jose A
2011-12-01
Care of the older adult in the acute care hospital is becoming more challenging. Patients 65 years and older account for 35% of hospital discharges and 45% of hospital days. Up to one-third of the hospitalized frail elderly loses independent functioning in one or more activities of daily living as a result of the 'hostile environment' that is present in the acute hospitals. A critical deficit of health care workers with expertise and experience in the care of the elderly also jeopardizes successful care delivery in the acute hospital setting. We propose a paradigm shift in the culture and practice of event-driven acute hospital-based care of the elderly which we call the Age-friendly Hospital concept. Guiding principles include: a favourable physical environment; zero tolerance for ageism throughout the organization; an integrated process to develop comprehensive services using the geriatric approach; assistance with appropriateness decision-making and fostering links between the hospital and the community. Our current proposed strategy is to focus on delirium management as a hospital-wide condition that both requires and highlights the Geriatric Medicine specialist as an expert of content, for program development and of evaluation. The Age-friendly Hospital concept we propose may lead the way to enable hospitals in the fast-moving health care system to deliver high-quality care without jeopardizing risk-benefit, function, and quality of life balances for the frail elderly. Recruitment and retention of skilled health care professionals would benefit from this positive 'branding' of an institution. Convincing hospital management and managing change are significant challenges, especially with competing priorities in a fiscal environment with limited funding. The implementation of a hospital-wide delirium management program is an example of an intervention that embodies many of the principles in the Age-friendly Hospital concept. It is important to change the way
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[Patient-related complexity in nursing care - Collective case studies in the acute care hospital].
Gurtner, Caroline; Spirig, Rebecca; Staudacher, Diana; Huber, Evelyn
2018-06-04
Patient-related complexity in nursing care - Collective case studies in the acute care hospital Abstract. Patient-related complexity of nursing is defined by the three characteristics "instability", "uncertainty", and "variability". Complexity increased in the past years, due to reduced hospital length of stay and a growing number of patients with chronic and multiple diseases. We investigated the phenomenon of patient-related complexity from the point of view of nurses and clinical nurse specialists in an acute care hospital. In the context of a collective case study design, nurses and clinical nurse specialists assessed the complexity of nursing situations with a questionnaire. Subsequently, we interviewed nurses and clinical nurse specialists about their evaluation of patient-related complexity. In a within-case-analysis we summarized data inductively to create case narratives. By means of a cross-case-analysis we compared the cases with regard to deductively derived characteristics. The four cases exemplarily showed that the degree of complexity depends on the controllability and predictability of clinical problems. Additionally, complexity increases or decreases, according to patients' individual resources. Complex patient situations demand professional expertise, experience, communicative competencies and the ability for reflection. Beginner nurses would benefit from support and advice by experienced nurses to develop these skills.
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2013-01-01
Background Improving palliative care management in acute hospital settings has been identified as a priority internationally. The aim of this study was to establish the proportion of inpatients within one acute hospital in New Zealand who meet prognostic criteria for palliative care need and explore key aspects of their management. Methods A prospective survey of adult hospital inpatients (n = 501) was undertaken. Case notes were examined for evidence that the patient might be in their last year of life according to Gold Standards Framework (GSF) prognostic indicator criteria. For patients who met GSF criteria, clinical and socio-demographic information were recorded. Results Ninety-nine inpatients met GSF criteria, representing 19.8% of the total census population. The patients’ average age was 70 years; 47% had a primary diagnosis of cancer. Two thirds had died within 6 months of their admission. Seventy-eight of the 99 cases demonstrated evidence that a palliative approach to care had been adopted; however documentation of discussion about goals of care was very limited and only one patient had evidence of an advance care plan. Conclusion One fifth of hospital inpatients met criteria for palliative care need, the majority of whom were aged >70 years. Whilst over three quarters were concluded to be receiving care in line with a palliative care approach, very little documented evidence of discussion with patients and families regarding end of life issues was evident. Future research needs to explore how best to support ‘generalist’ palliative care providers in initiating, and appropriately recording, such discussions. PMID:23537092
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The WAMI Rural Hospital Project. Part 5: Community perception of local health care services.
Hart, L G; Lishner, D M; Amundson, B A
1991-01-01
Rural health care facilities commonly employ community health care surveys as marketing research instruments to assess consumer utilization of and satisfaction with local services. However, there is little information on the use of survey findings as a way to design interventions to enhance consumer satisfaction and hospital viability. A community survey was administered in six Northwest rural communities as part of the Rural Hospital Project (RHP) to identify weaknesses in local health care services, guide remedial activities, act as a catalyst for change, and assess changes in community perceptions following project interventions. Descriptive findings revealed problems typically observed in small rural communities, including relatively low hospital and physician market share, outmigration for certain types of health care not available locally, and dissatisfaction with some aspects of hospital and physician services. Satisfaction with various aspects of care tended to be lower among males, the uninsured, and younger respondents. Comparisons of survey responses before (1985) and after (1989) the RHP generally demonstrated stability in hospital and physician market share, with project hospitals performing well in 1989 in comparison to other rural hospitals of similar size. The percentage of respondents who rated overall quality of local hospital and physician care positively generally increased or remained stable over the study period. Substantial decreases in satisfaction levels were found for access to care. Importantly, gains were made in those areas and services which received particular emphasis in the project.
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Visser, Philip; Dwyer, Alison; Moran, Juli; Britton, Mary; Heland, Melodie; Ciavarella, Filomena; Schutte, Sandy; Jones, Daryl
2014-05-01
To assess the frequency, characteristics and outcomes of medical emergency response (MER) calls in a sub-acute hospital setting. The present study was a retrospective observational study in a sub-acute hospital providing aged care, palliative care, rehabilitation, veteran's mental health and elective surgical services. We assessed annual MER call numbers between 2005 and 2011 in the context of contemporaneous changes to hospital services. We also assessed MER calls over a 12-month period in detail using standardised case report forms and the scanned medical record. There were 2285 multiday admissions in the study period where 141 MER calls were triggered in 132 patients (61.7 calls per 1000 admissions). The median patient age was 83.0 years, and 55.3% of patients were men. Most calls occurred on weekdays and during the daytime, and were triggered by altered conscious state, low oxygen saturations and hypotension. Documentation of escalation of care before the MER call was not present in 99 of 141 (70.2%) calls. Following the call, in 70 of 141 (49.6%) cases, the patient was transferred to the acute campus, where 52 (74.2%) and 14 (20%) patients required ward and intensive care level treatment, respectively. Thirty-seven of 132 (28%) patients died. A palliative care physician adjudicated that most of these patients who died (24/37; 64.9%) were appropriate for a call, but that 19 (51.4%) should have received palliation at the time of the call. Compared with survivors, patients who died after the MER call were more likely originally admitted from supported accommodation. MER calls in our sub-acute hospital occurred in elderly patients and are associated with an in-hospital mortality of 28%. A small proportion of patients required intensive care level treatment. There is a need to improve processes involving escalation of care before MER call activation and to revise advance care directives. What is known about this topic? Rapid response team (RRT) activation has been
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What factors are affecting physician payment by acute care hospitals in rural Japan?
Yamauchi, Kazushi; Funada, Takao; Shimizu, Hiroshi; Kawahara, Kazuo
2007-03-01
The regional discrepancies of physician supply have been a growing concern in Japan. To find out how hospitals are responding in terms of physician payment (by monthly salaries and additional benefits), we conducted a survey of acute care hospitals in Yamagata, Japan. We asked about the salary and additional benefits of full-time physicians and the structural and functional characteristics of health care service provision. From these data we set out to assemble a model that can explain effectively the variability of physician payment in acute care hospitals within the prefecture. We found that physician payment was associated with variables such as type of management, staff employed per bed, full time doctors employed per bed and average length of stay. Hospital location was found to have a significant effect on payment. Variables expressing workload, like number of in-patients per doctor and number of surgical operations per doctor were inversely related. Our results suggest that hospitals may have adapted to physician preferences of workplace in terms of physician payment. To further address the problems of unbalanced geographic distribution of physicians in rural areas, work-sharing and educational and technical support schemes may also help.
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Cross, Dori A; Adler-Milstein, Julia
2017-01-01
Electronic health information exchange (HIE) is expected to help improve care transitions from hospitals to long-term care (LTC) facilities. We know little about the prevalence of hospital LTC HIE in the United States and what contextual factors may motivate or constrain this activity. Cross-sectional analysis of U.S. acute-care hospitals responding to the 2014 AHA IT Supplement survey and with available readmissions data (n = 1,991). We conducted multivariate logistic regression to explore the relationship between hospital LTC HIE and selected IT and policy characteristics. Over half of the hospitals in our study (57.2%) reported engaging in some form of HIE with LTC providers: 33.9% send-only, 0.5% receive-only, and 22.8% send and receive. Hospitals that engaged in some form of LTC HIE were more likely than those that did not engage to have attested to meaningful use (odds ratio [OR], 1.87; P = .01 for stage 1 and OR, 2.05; P < .01 for stage 2), participate in a regional HIE effort (OR, 1.34; P = .021), and exchange information electronically with other hospitals or ambulatory providers (OR, 4.54; P < .01). Organizational affiliation with a skilled nursing facility (OR, 1.29; P = .041) and higher 30-day readmission rates (OR, 1.19; P = .016) were also associated with LTC HIE, but not accountable care organization nor bundled payment participation. As payment to LTC providers and hospitals increasingly emphasizes total patient care and paying for value, those leading these organizations have new incentives to pursue collaborative relationships. Hospitals appear to be investing in electronic information exchange with LTCs as part of a general strategy to adopt EHRs and engage in HIE, but also potentially to strengthen ties to LTC providers and to reduce readmissions. To achieve widespread connectivity, continued focus on adoption of related health IT infrastructure and greater emphasis on aligning incentives for hospital-LTC care transitions would
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Zagidullin, B I; Khairullin, I I; Stanichenko, N S; Zagidullin, I M; Zagidullin, N Sh
2016-01-01
In Naberezhnye Chelny, a number of structural and technological reformations of service of emergency medical care was implemented in 2009-2012. The reformation manifested in organization of unified emergency center of medical care of patients with acute coronary syndrome; joining up of cardiological departments of two hospitals; organization of X-ray surgical department; enhancement of logistics of admission department and interaction with emergency medical care; optimization of mode of medical care rendering at pre-hospital and hospital stages. The implemented reforms permitted increasing accessibility and timeliness of reperfusion therapy under acute coronary syndrome; to implement transcutaneous coronary interventions into practice and increase their number annually; to decrease “door-balloon” index up to 30-40%. As a result, lethality of acute myocardium infarction decreased from 12 to 3 to 5.8% in 2010-2014.
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Crowley, Ruth A; Dumas, Helene M; Fragala-Pinkham, Maria A; Dougherty, Donald N; Hull, Ellen M; Hughes, Mary Laurette; Hsaio, Eric
2017-07-01
VerbalCare is a mobile software platform for hospital patients and nursing staff to communicate in real-time. The purposes of this study were to (1) identify and evaluate icons for the VerbalCare tablet application and (2) examine use and satisfaction with this tablet application in a paediatric post-acute hospital. Hospital nursing staff were surveyed to identify the most common reasons children use the "nursing call bell". Icons for the VerbalCare tablet application were developed to match the identified call bell requests and be understood by children. Through structured interview, three children provided feedback on the icons. Following staff training, the system was implemented for five patients (8-18 years). Data on frequency of use, types and timing of requests were collected via the internal software. Satisfaction surveys were completed at discharge. The VerbalCare application was used most frequently to communicate the need to use the bathroom (24%) and the need to get something (21%). Request frequency was consistent across morning, afternoon and evening and the tablet was used 40% of available days. These results indicate that children in a paediatric post-acute care hospital were able to use a tablet application for communicating with their nurse and reported satisfaction with the experience. Implications for Rehabilitation The VerbalCare tablet application was developed to allow patients to convey specific messages to nursing staff who are not in the patient's room. Children of varying ages were able to use the VerbalCare tablet application to communicate varying messages to hospital nursing staff and were satisfied with its use.
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Post-hospital medical respite care and hospital readmission of homeless persons.
Kertesz, Stefan G; Posner, Michael A; O'Connell, James J; Swain, Stacy; Mullins, Ashley N; Shwartz, Michael; Ash, Arlene S
2009-01-01
Medical respite programs offer medical, nursing, and other care as well as accommodation for homeless persons discharged from acute hospital stays. They represent a community-based adaptation of urban health systems to the specific needs of homeless persons. This article examines whether post-hospital discharge to a homeless medical respite program was associated with a reduced chance of 90-day readmission compared to other disposition options. Adjusting for imbalances in patient characteristics using propensity scores, respite patients were the only group that was significantly less likely to be readmitted within 90 days compared to those released to Own Care. Respite programs merit attention as a potentially efficacious service for homeless persons leaving the hospital.
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Post-Hospital Medical Respite Care and Hospital Readmission of Homeless Persons
Kertesz, Stefan G.; Posner, Michael A.; O’Connell, James J.; Swain, Stacy; Mullins, Ashley N.; Michael, Shwartz; Ash, Arlene S.
2009-01-01
Medical respite programs offer medical, nursing, and other care as well as accommodation for homeless persons discharged from acute hospital stays. They represent a community-based adaptation of urban health systems to the specific needs of homeless persons. This paper examines whether post-hospital discharge to a homeless medical respite program was associated with a reduced chance of 90-day readmission compared to other disposition options. Adjusting for imbalances in patient characteristics using propensity scores, Respite patients were the only group that was significantly less likely to be readmitted within 90 days compared to those released to Own Care. Respite programs merit attention as a potentially efficacious service for homeless persons leaving the hospital. PMID:19363773
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Examining financial performance indicators for acute care hospitals.
Burkhardt, Jeffrey H; Wheeler, John R C
2013-01-01
Measuring financial performance in acute care hospitals is a challenge for those who work daily with financial information. Because of the many ways to measure financial performance, financial managers and researchers must decide which measures are most appropriate. The difficulty is compounded for the non-finance person. The purpose of this article is to clarify key financial concepts and describe the most common measures of financial performance so that researchers and managers alike may understand what is being measured by various financial ratios.
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Post-acute referral patterns for hospitals and implications for bundled payment initiatives.
Lau, Christopher; Alpert, Abby; Huckfeldt, Peter; Hussey, Peter; Auerbach, David; Liu, Hangsheng; Sood, Neeraj; Mehrotra, Ateev
2014-09-01
Under new bundled payment models, hospitals are financially responsible for post-acute care delivered by providers such as skilled nursing facilities (SNFs) and home health agencies (HHAs). The hope is that hospitals will use post-acute care more prudently and better coordinate care with post-acute providers. However, little is known about existing patterns in hospitals׳ referrals to post-acute providers. Post-acute provider referrals were identified using SNF and HHA claims within 14 days following hospital discharge. Hospital post-acute care network size and concentration were estimated across hospital types and regions. The 2008 Medicare Provider Analysis and Review claims for acute hospitals and SNFs, and the 100% HHA Standard Analytic Files were used. The mean post-acute care network size for U.S. hospitals included 57.9 providers with 37.5 SNFs and 23.4 HHAs. The majority of these providers (65.7% of SNFs, 60.9% of HHAs) accounted for 1 percent or less of a hospital׳s referrals and classified as "low-volume". Other post-acute providers we classified as routine. The mean network size for routine providers was greater for larger hospitals, teaching hospitals and in regions with higher per capita post-acute care spending. The average hospital works with over 50 different post-acute providers. Moreover, the size of post-acute care networks varies considerably geographically and by hospital characteristics. These results provide context on the complex task hospitals will face in coordinating care with post-acute providers and cutting costs under new bundled payment models. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.
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Strategies to Prevent Surgical Site Infections in Acute Care Hospitals: 2014 Update
Anderson, Deverick J.; Podgorny, Kelly; Berríos-Torres, Sandra I.; Bratzler, Dale W.; Dellinger, E. Patchen; Greene, Linda; Nyquist, Ann-Christine; Saiman, Lisa; Yokoe, Deborah S.; Maragakis, Lisa L.; Kaye, Keith S.
2014-01-01
PURPOSE Previously published guidelines are available that provide comprehensive recommendations for detecting and preventing healthcare-associated infections (HAIs). The intent of this document is to highlight practical recommendations in a concise format designed to assist acute care hospitals in implementing and prioritizing their surgical site infection (SSI) prevention efforts. This document updates “Strategies to Prevent Surgical Site Infections in Acute Care Hospitals,”1 published in 2008. This expert guidance document is sponsored by the Society for Healthcare Epidemiology of America (SHEA) and is the product of a collaborative effort led by SHEA, the Infectious Diseases Society of America (IDSA), the American Hospital Association (AHA), the Association for Professionals in Infection Control and Epidemiology (APIC), and The Joint Commission, with major contributions from representatives of a number of organizations and societies with content expertise. The list of endorsing and supporting organizations is presented in the introduction to the 2014 updates.2 PMID:24799638
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Leland, Natalie; Gozalo, Pedro; Christian, TJ; Bynum, Julie; Mor, Vince; Wetle, Terrie Fox; Teno, Joan
2015-01-01
Background Post-acute care (PAC) rehabilitation aims to maximize independence and facilitate a safe community transition. Yet little is known about PAC patients’ success in staying home post-discharge or differences on this outcome across PAC providers. Objectives Examine the percentage of PAC patients who remain in the community at least 30 days after discharge (i.e., successful community discharge) following hip fracture rehabilitation and describe differences among PAC facilities based on this outcome. Research Design Retrospective observational study. Subjects Community-dwelling, Medicare fee-for-service beneficiaries 75 years of age and older who experienced their first hip fracture between 1999–2007 (n=880,779). PAC facilities admitting hip fracture patients in 2006. Measures Successful community discharge, sites of readmission after PAC discharge. Results Between 1999 and 2007, 57% of patients achieved successful community discharge. Black were less likely (adjusted odds ratios=0.84, 95% confidence interval 0.82–0.86) than similar whites to achieve successful community discharge. Among all who re-entered the community (n=581,095), 14% remained in the community fewer than 30 days. Acute hospitals (67.5%) and institutional PAC (16.8%) were the most common sites of re-entry. The median proportion of successful community discharge among facilities was 49% (IQR: 33%–66%). Lowest-quartile facilities admitted older (85.9 vs. 84.1 years of age), sicker patients (e.g., higher rates of hospital complications 6.0% vs. 4.6%), but admitted fewer annually (7.1 vs. 19.3), compared to the highest quartile. Conclusions Re-entry into the healthcare system after PAC community discharge is common. Due to the distinct care needs of the PAC population there is a need for a quality measure that complements the current 30-day hospital readmission outcome and captures the objectives of PAC rehabilitation. PMID:26340664
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Alberti, Philip M; Sutton, Karey M; Baker, Matthew
2018-05-22
U.S. teaching hospitals that qualify as 501(c)(3) organizations (a not-for-profit designation) are required to demonstrate community benefit annually. Increases in health insurance access driven by Affordable Care Act (ACA) implementation, along with new regulations, research opportunities, and educational expectations, may be changing hospitals' allocations of community benefit dollars. This study aimed to describe changes in teaching hospitals' community benefit spending between 2012 (pre-ACA implementation) and 2015 (post-ACA implementation), and to explore differences in spending changes between hospitals in Medicaid expansion and non-expansion states. In 2017, for each teaching hospital member of the Association of American Medical Colleges' (AAMC's) Council of Teaching Hospitals and Health Systems required to submit Form 990s to the Internal Revenue Service, the authors sought community benefit spending data for 2012 and 2015 as reported on Schedule H. The analysis included 169 pairs of Form 990s representing 184 AAMC member teaching hospitals (93% of 198 eligible hospitals). Compared with 2012, hospitals in 2015 spent $3.1 billion (20.14%) more on community benefit despite spending $804 million (16.17%) less on charity care. Hospitals in Medicaid expansion states increased spending on subsidized health services and Medicaid shortfalls at rates higher than hospitals in non-expansion states. The latter increased spending at higher rates on community health improvement and cash/in-kind contributions. After ACA implementation, teaching hospitals increased their overall community benefit spending while their charity care spending declined. Changes in community benefit spending differed according to states' Medicaid expansion status, demonstrating hospitals' responsiveness to state and local realities.
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Ahern, Jennifer; Matthay, Ellicott C; Goin, Dana E; Farkas, Kriszta; Rudolph, Kara E
2018-06-06
Community violence may affect a broad range of health outcomes through physiologic stress responses and changes in health behaviors among residents. However, existing research on the health impacts of community violence suffers from problems with bias. We examined the relations of acute changes in community violence with hospital visits and deaths due to stress-responsive diseases (mental, respiratory, and cardiac conditions) in statewide data from California 2005-2013. The community violence exposure was measured as both binary spikes and continuous acute changes. We applied a combined fixed-effects and time-series design that separates the effects of violence from those of community- and individual-level confounders more effectively than past research. Temporal patterning was removed from community violence rates and disease rates in each place using a Kalman smoother, resulting in residual rates. We used linear regression with place fixed-effects to examine within-place associations of acute changes in community violence with residual rates of each outcome, controlling for local time-varying covariates. We found acute increases in hospital visits and deaths due to anxiety disorders (0.31 per 100,000; 95% Confidence Interval (CI) 0.02,0.59), substance use (0.47 per 100,000; 95%CI 0.14,0.80), asthma (0.56 per 100,000; 95%CI 0.16,0.95), and fatal acute myocardial infarction (0.09 per 100,000; 95%CI 0.00,0.18) co-occurring with violence spikes. The pattern of findings was similar for the exposure of continuous acute violence changes. Although the associations were small, the identified increases in stress-responsive conditions suggest the possibility of health impacts of acute changes in community violence.
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Home-based intermediate care program vs hospitalization
Armstrong, Catherine Deri; Hogg, William E.; Lemelin, Jacques; Dahrouge, Simone; Martin, Carmel; Viner, Gary S.; Saginur, Raphael
2008-01-01
OBJECTIVE To explore whether a home-based intermediate care program in a large Canadian city lowers the cost of care and to look at whether such home-based programs could be a solution to the increasing demands on Canadian hospitals. DESIGN Single-arm study with historical controls. SETTING Department of Family Medicine at the Ottawa Hospital (Civic campus) in Ontario. PARTICIPANTS Patients requiring hospitalization for acute care. Participants were matched with historical controls based on case-mix, most responsible diagnosis, and level of complexity. INTERVENTIONS Placement in the home-based intermediate care program. Daily home visits from the nurse practitioner and 24-hour access to care by telephone. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES Multivariate regression models were used to estimate the effect of the program on 5 outcomes: length of stay in hospital, cost of care substituted for hospitalization (Canadian dollars), readmission for a related diagnosis, readmission for any diagnosis, and costs incurred by community home-care services for patients following discharge from hospital. RESULTS The outcomes of 43 hospital admissions were matched with those of 363 controls. Patients enrolled in the program stayed longer in hospital (coefficient 3.3 days, P < .001), used more community care services following discharge (coefficient $729, P = .007), and were more likely to be readmitted to hospital within 3 months of discharge (coefficient 17%, P = .012) than patients treated in hospital. Total substituted costs of home-based care were not significantly different from the costs of hospitalization (coefficient -$501, P = .11). CONCLUSION While estimated cost savings were not statistically significant, the limitations of our study suggest that we underestimated these savings. In particular, the economic inefficiencies of a small immature program and the inability to control for certain factors when selecting historical controls affected our results. Further research is needed to
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The choice of alternatives to acute hospitalization: a descriptive study from Hallingdal, Norway
2013-01-01
Background Hallingdal is a rural region in southern Norway. General practitioners (GPs) refer acutely somatically ill patients to any of three levels of care: municipal nursing homes, the regional community hospital or the local general hospital. The objective of this paper is to describe the patterns of referrals to the three different somatic emergency service levels in Hallingdal and to elucidate possible explanations for the differences in referrals. Methods Quantitative methods were used to analyse local patient statistics and qualitative methods including focus group interviews were used to explore differences in referral rates between GPs. The acute somatic admissions from the six municipalities of Hallingdal were analysed for the two-year period 2010–11 (n = 1777). A focus group interview was held with the chief municipal medical officers of the six municipalities. The main outcome measure was the numbers of admissions to the three different levels of acute care in 2010–11. Reflections of the focus group members about the differences in admission patterns were also analysed. Results Acute admissions at a level lower than the local general hospital ranged from 9% to 29% between the municipalities. Foremost among the local factors affecting the individual doctor’s admission practice were the geographical distance to the different places of care and the GP’s working experience in the local community. Conclusion The experience from Hallingdal demonstrates that GPs use available alternatives to hospitalization but to varying degrees. This can be explained by socio-demographic factors and factors related to the medical reasons for admission. However, there are also important local factors related to the individual GP and the structural preparedness for alternatives in the community. PMID:23800090
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Ben-Josef, Gal; Ott, Lesli S; Spivack, Steven B; Wang, Changqin; Ross, Joseph S; Shah, Sachin J; Curtis, Jeptha P; Kim, Nancy; Krumholz, Harlan M; Bernheim, Susannah M
2014-11-01
It is unknown whether hospitals with percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) capability provide costlier care than hospitals without PCI capability for patients with acute myocardial infarction. The growing number of PCI hospitals and higher rate of PCI use may result in higher costs for episodes-of-care initiated at PCI hospitals. However, higher rates of transfers and postacute care procedures may result in higher costs for episodes-of-care initiated at non-PCI hospitals. We identified all 2008 acute myocardial infarction admissions among Medicare fee-for-service beneficiaries by principal discharge diagnosis and classified hospitals as PCI- or non-PCI-capable on the basis of hospitals' 2007 PCI performance. We added all payments from admission through 30 days postadmission, including payments to hospitals other than the admitting hospital. We calculated and compared risk-standardized payment for PCI and non-PCI hospitals using 2-level hierarchical generalized linear models, adjusting for patient demographics and clinical characteristics. PCI hospitals had a higher mean 30-day risk-standardized payment than non-PCI hospitals (PCI, $20 340; non-PCI, $19 713; P<0.001). Patients presenting to PCI hospitals had higher PCI rates (39.2% versus 13.2%; P<0.001) and higher coronary artery bypass graft rates (9.5% versus 4.4%; P<0.001) during index admissions, lower transfer rates (2.2% versus 25.4%; P<0.001), and lower revascularization rates within 30 days (0.15% versus 0.27%; P<0.0001) than those presenting to non-PCI hospitals. Despite higher PCI and coronary artery bypass graft rates for Medicare patients initially presenting to PCI hospitals, PCI hospitals were only $627 costlier than non-PCI hospitals for the treatment of patients with acute myocardial infarction in 2008. © 2014 American Heart Association, Inc.
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Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014
2010-06-17
... footnoted).'' c. Third column, the title, ``Table 4J.--Out-Migration Adjustment-- FY 2010 (April 1, 2010 through September 30, 2010)'' is corrected to read ``Table 4J.--(Abbreviated) Out-Migration Adjustment for... corrected to read as follows: Table 4J--(Abbreviated) Out-Migration Adjustment for Acute Care Hospitals--FY...
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Marwick, Charis; Santiago, Virginia Hernandez; McCowan, Colin; Broomhall, Janice; Davey, Peter
2013-02-06
Residents of care homes are at risk of colonisation and infection with antibiotic resistant bacteria, but there is little evidence that antibiotic resistance among such patients is associated with worse outcomes than among older people living in their own homes. Our aim was to compare the prevalence of antibiotic resistant bacteria and clinical outcomes in older patients admitted to hospital with acute infections from care homes versus their own homes. We enrolled patients admitted to Ninewells Hospital in 2005 who were older than 64 years with onset of acute community acquired respiratory tract, urinary tract or skin and soft tissue infections, and with at least one sample sent for culture. The primary outcome was 30 day mortality, adjusted for age, sex, Charlson Index of co-morbidity, sepsis severity, presence of resistant isolates and resistance to initial therapy. 161 patients were identified, 60 from care homes and 101 from the community. Care home patients were older, had more co-morbidities, and higher rates of resistant bacteria, including MRSA and Gram negative organisms resistant to co-amoxiclav, cefuroxime and/or ciprofloxacin, overall (70% versus 36%, p = 0.026). 30 day mortality was high in both groups (30% in care home patients and 24% in comparators). In multivariate logistic regression we found that place of residence did not predict 30 day mortality (adjusted odds ratio (OR) for own home versus care home 1.01, 95% CI 0.40-2.52, p = 0.984). Only having severe sepsis predicted 30 day mortality (OR 10.09, 95% CI 3.37-30.19, p < 0.001), after adjustment for age, sex, co-morbidity, presence of resistant bacteria, resistance to initial therapy, and place of residence. Older patients admitted with acute infection had high 30 day mortality. Patients from care homes were more likely to have resistant organisms but high levels of antimicrobial resistance were found in both groups. Thus, we recommend that antibiotic therapies active against
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Chiovitti, Rosalina F
2008-02-01
The concept of caring is described as intangible, abstract, and invisible in nursing practice. This has translated into a view of caring as a personal choice or natural obligation rather than a deliberate process. While there has been movement to delineate caring within nursing in general, the psychiatric nurse's perspective on caring has been absent from theoretical works and measures constructed to describe nurse's work. To develop a substantive grounded theory of caring from the perspective of Registered Nurses working with patients in three Canadian acute psychiatric hospital settings. The qualitative research design of grounded theory methodology was used to develop a theory of caring. Three urban, acute psychiatric hospital settings in Canada. Two were general hospitals and one was a psychiatric hospital. Registered Nurses (N=17) licensed with the College of Nurses of Ontario. In-depth interviews with Registered Nurses were conducted using theoretical sampling. The data were analysed using constant comparative analysis. Protective empowering is the basic social psychological process that represents Registered Nurses' caring with patients in acute psychiatric hospital settings. Nurses accomplish protective empowering through six main categories of: (1) respecting the patient; (2) not taking the patient's behaviour personally; (3) keeping the patient safe; (4) encouraging the patient's health; (5) authentic relating; and (6) interactive teaching. The six main categories were accomplished through 27 subcategories. In the theory of protective empowering, the goal is to help patients participate in activities contributing to convalescence, health, and/or quality of life. The theory of protective empowering provides six main categories and 27 subcategories that can be transferred to funding formulas, patient health record documentation systems, nurse orientation and education programs, nurse role descriptions, and used in guiding discussions about organizational
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Fondevilla, Esther; Grau, Santiago; Mojal, Sergi; Palomar, Mercedes; Matas, Lurdes; Gudiol, Francesc
2016-01-01
Objective To know the patterns and consumption trends (2008-2013) of antifungal agents for systemic use in 52 acute care hospitals affiliated to VINCat Program in Catalonia (Spain). Methods Consumption was calculated in defined daily doses (DDD)/100 patient-days and analyzed according to hospital size and complexity and clinical departments. Results Antifungal consumption was higher in intensive care units (ICU) (14.79) than in medical (3.08) and surgical departments (1.19). Fluconazole was the most consumed agent in all type of hospitals and departments. Overall antifungal consumption increased by 20.5%during the study period (p = 0.066); a significant upward trend was observed in the consumption of both azoles and echinocandins. In ICUs, antifungal consumption increased by 12.4% (p = 0.019). Conclusions The study showed a sustained increase in the overall consumption of systemic antifungals in a large number of acute care hospitals of different characteristics in Catalonia. In ICUs there was a trend towards the substitution of older agents by the new ones.
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Internet Point of Care Learning at a Community Hospital
ERIC Educational Resources Information Center
Sinusas, Keith
2009-01-01
Introduction: Internet point of care (PoC) learning is a relatively new method for obtaining continuing medical education credits. Few data are available to describe physician utilization of this CME activity. Methods: We describe the Internet point of care system we developed at a medium-sized community hospital and report on its first year of…
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Identifying opportunities to enhance environmental cleaning in 23 acute care hospitals .
Carling, P C; Parry, M F; Von Beheren, S M
2008-01-01
The quality of environmental hygiene in hospitals is under increasing scrutiny from both healthcare providers and consumers because the prevalence of serious infections due to multidrug-resistant pathogens has reached alarming levels. On the basis of the results from a small number of hospitals, we undertook a study to evaluate the thoroughness of disinfection and cleaning in the patient's immediate environment and to identify opportunities for improvement in a diverse group of acute care hospitals. Prospective multicenter study to evaluate the thoroughness of terminal room cleaning in hospitals using a novel targeting method to mimic the surface contamination of objects in the patient's immediate environment. Twenty-three acute care hospitals. The overall thoroughness of terminal cleaning, expressed as a percentage of surfaces evaluated, was 49% (range for all 23 hospitals, 35%-81%). Despite the tight clustering of overall cleaning rates in 21 of the hospitals, there was marked variation within object categories, which was particularly notable with respect to the cleaning of toilet handholds, bedpan cleaners, light switches, and door knobs (mean cleaning rates, less than 30%; institutional ranges, 0%-90%). Sinks, toilet seats, and tray tables, in contrast, were consistently relatively well cleaned (mean cleaning rates, over 75%). Patient telephones, nurse call devices, and bedside rails were inconsistently cleaned. We identified significant opportunities in all participating hospitals to improve the cleaning of frequently touched objects in the patient's immediate environment. The information obtained from such assessments can be used to develop focused administrative and educational interventions that incorporate ongoing feedback to the environmental services staff, to improve cleaning and disinfection practices in healthcare institutions.
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Market and organizational factors associated with hospital vertical integration into sub-acute care.
Hogan, Tory H; Lemak, Christy Harris; Hearld, Larry R; Sen, Bisakha P; Wheeler, Jack R C; Menachemi, Nir
2018-04-11
Changes in payment models incentivize hospitals to vertically integrate into sub-acute care (SAC) services. Through vertical integration into SAC, hospitals have the potential to reduce the transaction costs associated with moving patients throughout the care continuum and reduce the likelihood that patients will be readmitted. The purpose of this study is to examine the correlates of hospital vertical integration into SAC. Using panel data of U.S. acute care hospitals (2008-2012), we conducted logit regression models to examine environmental and organizational factors associated with hospital vertical integration. Results are reported as average marginal effects. Among 3,775 unique hospitals (16,269 hospital-year observations), 25.7% vertically integrated into skilled nursing facilities during at least 1 year of the study period. One measure of complexity, the availability of skilled nursing facilities in a county (ME = -1.780, p < .001), was negatively associated with hospital vertical integration into SAC. Measures of munificence, percentage of the county population eligible for Medicare (ME = 0.018, p < .001) and rural geographic location (ME = 0.069, p < .001), were positively associated with hospital vertical integration into SAC. Dynamism, when measured as the change county population between 2008 and 2011 (ME = 1.19e-06, p < .001), was positively associated with hospital vertical integration into SAC. Organizational resources, when measured as swing beds (ME = 0.069, p < .001), were positively associated with hospital vertical integration into SAC. Organizational resources, when measured as investor owned (ME = -0.052, p < .1) and system affiliation (ME = -0.041, p < .1), were negatively associated with hospital vertical integration into SAC. Hospital adaption to the changing health care landscape through vertical integration varies across market and organizational conditions. Current Centers for Medicare and Medicaid reimbursement programs do not take
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Yokoe, Deborah S; Anderson, Deverick J; Berenholtz, Sean M; Calfee, David P; Dubberke, Erik R; Ellingson, Katherine D; Gerding, Dale N; Haas, Janet P; Kaye, Keith S; Klompas, Michael; Lo, Evelyn; Marschall, Jonas; Mermel, Leonard A; Nicolle, Lindsay E; Salgado, Cassandra D; Bryant, Kristina; Classen, David; Crist, Katrina; Deloney, Valerie M; Fishman, Neil O; Foster, Nancy; Goldmann, Donald A; Humphreys, Eve; Jernigan, John A; Padberg, Jennifer; Perl, Trish M; Podgorny, Kelly; Septimus, Edward J; VanAmringe, Margaret; Weaver, Tom; Weinstein, Robert A; Wise, Robert; Maragakis, Lisa L
2014-08-01
Since the publication of "A Compendium of Strategies to Prevent Healthcare-Associated Infections in Acute Care Hospitals" in 2008, prevention of healthcare-associated infections (HAIs) has become a national priority. Despite improvements, preventable HAIs continue to occur. The 2014 updates to the Compendium were created to provide acute care hospitals with up-to-date, practical, expert guidance to assist in prioritizing and implementing their HAI prevention efforts. They are the product of a highly collaborative effort led by the Society for Healthcare Epidemiology of America (SHEA), the Infectious Diseases Society of America (IDSA), the American Hospital Association (AHA), the Association for Professionals in Infection Control and Epidemiology (APIC), and The Joint Commission, with major contributions from representatives of a number of organizations and societies with content expertise, including the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the Institute for Healthcare Improvement (IHI), the Pediatric Infectious Diseases Society (PIDS), the Society for Critical Care Medicine (SCCM), the Society for Hospital Medicine (SHM), and the Surgical Infection Society (SIS).
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The role of non-operating income in community benefit provision by not-for-profit hospitals.
Song, Paula H; McCullough, Jeffrey S; Reiter, Kristin L
2013-01-01
Not-for-profit hospitals are under increased public scrutiny for providing what some view as insufficient levels of community benefit compared to their tax-exempt benefits. One potential driver of community benefit is financial surplus, which arises from both patient care (operating) activities and non-patient care (non-operating) activities. This study addresses the effect of hospitals' non-operating income on not-for-profit hospitals' provision of community benefit. The study sample includes 217 unique not-for-profit, non-governmental, general, acute care hospitals in California between 1997 and 2010 that filed annual reports with the California Office of Statewide Health Planning and Development (OSHPD). We model the effect of hospitals' operating and non-operating incomes on hospitals' community benefit, controlling for observable hospital characteristics such as scale and system membership, local competition, time trends, and hospital fixed effects. Our results indicate that non-operating income has no effect on levels of community benefit provided by not-for-profit hospitals. This finding suggests that not-for-profit hospitals budget for uncompensated care at levels that are prioritized over other potential investments if non-operating income falls, but remain fixed if non-operating income rises.
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McDermott, Dennis R
2009-01-01
Hospital systems or chains continue to grow their market share relative to independent hospitals. This trend generates concerns among health care industry observers as historical performance suggests chains charge more for health care services than the independents while providing reduced contributions to their community. This study empirically assesses key performance measures of 67 acute-care hospitals in Virginia by testing if there are differences between chains and independents regarding total patient revenues, revenues per admission, profitability and community support, including charity care, bad debt, taxes paid and Medicaid participation. Implications to industry policy-makers as well as to hospital executives and marketing managers are then presented.
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Fox, Mary T; Persaud, Malini; Maimets, Ilo; O'Brien, Kelly; Brooks, Dina; Tregunno, Deborah; Schraa, Ellen
2012-01-01
Objectives To compare the effectiveness of acute geriatric unit care, based on all or part of the Acute Care for Elders (ACE) model and introduced in the acute phase of illness or injury, with that of usual care. Design Systematic review and meta-analysis of 13 randomized controlled and quasi-experimental trials with parallel comparison groups retrieved from multiple sources. Setting Acute care geriatric and nongeriatric hospital units. Participants Acutely ill or injured adults (N = 6,839) with an average age of 81. Interventions Acute geriatric unit care characterized by one or more ACE components: patient-centered care, frequent medical review, early rehabilitation, early discharge planning, prepared environment. Measurements Falls, pressure ulcers, delirium, functional decline at discharge from baseline 2-week prehospital and hospital admission statuses, length of hospital stay, discharge destination (home or nursing home), mortality, costs, and hospital readmissions. Results Acute geriatric unit care was associated with fewer falls (risk ratio (RR) = 0.51, 95% confidence interval (CI) = 0.29–0.88), less delirium (RR = 0.73, 95% CI = 0.61–0.88), less functional decline at discharge from baseline 2-week prehospital admission status (RR = 0.87, 95% CI = 0.78–0.97), shorter length of hospital stay (weighted mean difference (WMD) = −0.61, 95% CI = −1.16 to −0.05), fewer discharges to a nursing home (RR = 0.82, 95% CI = 0.68–0.99), lower costs (WMD = −$245.80, 95% CI = −$446.23 to −$45.38), and more discharges to home (RR = 1.05, 95% CI = 1.01–1.10). A nonsignificant trend toward fewer pressure ulcers was observed. No differences were found in functional decline between baseline hospital admission status and discharge, mortality, or hospital readmissions. Conclusion Acute geriatric unit care, based on all or part of the ACE model and introduced during the acute phase of older adults' illness or injury, improves patient- and system
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The views of older people and health professionals about dignity in acute hospital care.
Tauber-Gilmore, Marcelle; Addis, Gulen; Zahran, Zainab; Black, Sally; Baillie, Lesley; Procter, Sue; Norton, Christine
2018-01-01
To report the findings from interviews conducted as part of a wider study on interventions to support dignified care in older people in acute hospital care. The data in this study present the interview data. Dignity is a complex concept. Despite a plethora of recommendations on how to achieve dignified care, it remains unclear how to attain this in practice and what the priorities of patients and staff are in relation to dignity. A purposive sample of older patients and staff took part in semi-structured interviews and gave their insight on the meaning of dignity and examples of what sustains and breaches a patient's dignity in acute hospital care. Thirteen patients and 38 healthcare professionals in a single metropolitan hospital in the UK interviewed. Interviews were transcribed verbatim and underwent a thematic analysis. The meaning of dignity was broadly agreed on by patients and staff. Three broad themes were identified: the meaning of dignity, staffing level and its impact on dignity, and organisational culture and dignity. Registered staff of all healthcare discipline and student nurses report very little training on dignity or care of the older person. There remain inconsistencies in the application of dignified care. Staff behaviour, a lack of training and the organisational processes continue to result in breaches to dignity of older people. Clinical nurses have a major role in ensuring dignified care for older people in hospital. There needs to be systematic dignity-related training with regular refreshers. This education coupled with measures to change the cultural attitudes in an organisation towards older peoples' care should result in long-term improvements in the level of dignified care. Hospital managers have an important role in changing system to ensure that staff deliver the levels of care they aspire to. © 2017 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.
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Leong, Ian Y O; Chan, Siew-Pang; Tan, Boon-Yeow; Sitoh, Yih-Yiow; Ang, Yan-Hoon; Merchant, Reshma; Kanagasabai, Kala; Lee, Patricia S Y; Pang, Weng-Sun
2009-02-01
While the readmission rate from community hospitals is known, the factors affecting it are not. Our aim was to determine the factors predicting unplanned readmissions from community hospitals (CHs) to acute hospitals (AHs). This was an observational prospective cohort study, involving 842 patients requiring post-acute rehabilitation in 2 CHs admitted from 3 AHs in Singapore. We studied the role of the Cumulative Illness Rating Scale (CIRS) organ impairment scores, the Mini-mental State Examination (MMSE) score, the Shah modified Barthel Index (BI) score, and the triceps skin fold thickness (TSFT) in predicting the rate of unplanned readmissions (UR), early unplanned readmissions (EUPR) and late unplanned readmissions (LUPR). We developed a clinical prediction rule to determine the risk of UR and EUPR. The rates of EUPR and LUPR were 7.6% and 10.3% respectively. The factors that predicted UR were the CIRS-heart score, the CIRS-haemopoietic score, the CIRS-endocrine / metabolic score and the BI on admission. The MMSE was predictive of EUPR. The TSFT and CIRS-liver score were predictive of LUPR. Upon receiver operator characteristics analysis, the clinical prediction rules for the prediction of EUPR and UR had areas under the curve of 0.745 and 0.733 respectively. The likelihood ratios of the clinical prediction rules for EUPR and UR ranged from 0.42 to 5.69 and 0.34 to 3.16 respectively. Patients who have UR can be identified by the admission BI, the MMSE, the TSFT and CIRS scores in the cardiac, haemopoietic, liver and endocrine/metabolic systems.
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Singh, Simone Rauscher
2013-01-01
For decades, not-for-profit hospitals have been required to provide community benefit in exchange for tax exemption. To fulfill this requirement, hospitals engage in a variety of activities ranging from free and reduced cost care provided to individual patients to services aimed at improving the health of the community at large. Limited financial resources may restrict hospitals' ability to provide the full range of community benefits and force them to engage in trade-offs. We analyzed the composition of not-for-profit hospitals' community benefit expenditures and explored whether hospitals traded off between charity care and spending on other community benefit activities. Data for this study came from Maryland hospitals' state-level community benefit reports for 2006-2010. Bivariate Spearman's rho correlation analysis was used to examine the relationships among various components of hospitals' community benefit activities. We found no evidence of trade-offs between charity care and activities targeted at the health and well-being of the community at large. Consistently, hospitals that provided more charity care did not offset these expenditures by reducing their spending on other community benefit activities, including mission-driven health services, community health services, and health professions education. Hospitals' decisions about how to allocate community benefit dollars are made in the context of broader community health needs and resources. Concerns that hospitals serving a disproportionate number of charity patients might provide fewer benefits to the community at large appear to be unfounded.
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Bonnefoy-Cudraz, Eric; Bueno, Hector; Casella, Gianni; De Maria, Elia; Fitzsimons, Donna; Halvorsen, Sigrun; Hassager, Christian; Iakobishvili, Zaza; Magdy, Ahmed; Marandi, Toomas; Mimoso, Jorge; Parkhomenko, Alexander; Price, Susana; Rokyta, Richard; Roubille, Francois; Serpytis, Pranas; Shimony, Avi; Stepinska, Janina; Tint, Diana; Trendafilova, Elina; Tubaro, Marco; Vrints, Christiaan; Walker, David; Zahger, Doron; Zima, Endre; Zukermann, Robert; Lettino, Maddalena
2018-02-01
Acute cardiovascular care has progressed considerably since the last position paper was published 10 years ago. It is now a well-defined, complex field with demanding multidisciplinary teamworking. The Acute Cardiovascular Care Association has provided this update of the 2005 position paper on acute cardiovascular care organisation, using a multinational working group. The patient population has changed, and intensive cardiovascular care units now manage a large range of conditions from those simply requiring specialised monitoring, to critical cardiovascular diseases with associated multi-organ failure. To describe better intensive cardiovascular care units case mix, acuity of care has been divided into three levels, and then defining intensive cardiovascular care unit functional organisation. For each level of intensive cardiovascular care unit, this document presents the aims of the units, the recommended management structure, the optimal number of staff, the need for specially trained cardiologists and cardiovascular nurses, the desired equipment and architecture, and the interaction with other departments in the hospital and other intensive cardiovascular care units in the region/area. This update emphasises cardiologist training, referring to the recently updated Acute Cardiovascular Care Association core curriculum on acute cardiovascular care. The training of nurses in acute cardiovascular care is additionally addressed. Intensive cardiovascular care unit expertise is not limited to within the unit's geographical boundaries, extending to different specialties and subspecialties of cardiology and other specialties in order to optimally manage the wide scope of acute cardiovascular conditions in frequently highly complex patients. This position paper therefore addresses the need for the inclusion of acute cardiac care and intensive cardiovascular care units within a hospital network, linking university medical centres, large community hospitals, and smaller
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Padula, William V
The purpose of this study was to examine the effectiveness and value of prophylactic 5-layer foam sacral dressings to prevent hospital-acquired pressure injury rates in acute care settings. Retrospective observational cohort. We reviewed records of adult patients 18 years or older who were hospitalized at least 5 days across 38 acute care hospitals of the University Health System Consortium (UHC) and had a pressure injury as identified by Patient Safety Indicator #3 (PSI-03). All facilities are located in the United States. We collected longitudinal data pertaining to prophylactic 5-layer foam sacral dressings purchased by hospital-quarter for 38 academic medical centers between 2010 and 2015. Longitudinal data on acute care, hospital-level patient outcomes (eg, admissions and PSI-03 and pressure injury rate) were queried through the UHC clinical database/resource manager from the Johns Hopkins Medicine portal. Data on volumes of dressings purchased per UHC hospital were merged with UHC data. Mixed-effects negative binomial regression was used to test the longitudinal association of prophylactic foam sacral dressings on pressure injury rates, adjusted for hospital case-mix and Medicare payments rules. Significant pressure injury rate reductions in US acute care hospitals between 2010 and 2015 were associated with the adoption of prophylactic 5-layer foam sacral dressings within a prevention protocol (-1.0 cases/quarter; P = .002) and changes to Medicare payment rules in 2014 (-1.13 cases/quarter; P = .035). Prophylactic 5-layer foam sacral dressings are an effective component of a pressure injury prevention protocol. Hospitals adopting these technologies should expect good value for use of these products.
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Severe sepsis in pre-hospital emergency care: analysis of incidence, care, and outcome.
Seymour, Christopher W; Rea, Thomas D; Kahn, Jeremy M; Walkey, Allan J; Yealy, Donald M; Angus, Derek C
2012-12-15
Severe sepsis is common and highly morbid, yet the epidemiology of severe sepsis at the frontier of the health care system-pre-hospital emergency care-is unknown. We examined the epidemiology of pre-hospital severe sepsis among emergency medical services (EMS) encounters, relative to acute myocardial infarction and stroke. Retrospective study using a community-based cohort of all nonarrest, nontrauma King County EMS encounters from 2000 to 2009 who were transported to a hospital. Overall incidence rate of hospitalization with severe sepsis among EMS encounters, as well as pre-hospital characteristics, admission diagnosis, and outcomes. Among 407,176 EMS encounters, we identified 13,249 hospitalizations for severe sepsis, of whom 2,596 died in the hospital (19.6%). The crude incidence rate of severe sepsis was 3.3 per 100 EMS encounters, greater than for acute myocardial infarction or stroke (2.3 per 100 and 2.2 per 100 EMS encounters, respectively). More than 40% of all severe sepsis hospitalizations arrived at the emergency department after EMS transport, and 80% of cases were diagnosed on admission. Pre-hospital care intervals, on average, exceeded 45 minutes for those hospitalized with severe sepsis. One-half or fewer of patients with severe sepsis were transported by paramedics (n = 7,114; 54%) or received pre-hospital intravenous access (n = 4,842; 37%). EMS personnel care for a substantial and increasing number of patients with severe sepsis, and spend considerable time on scene and during transport. Given the emphasis on rapid diagnosis and intervention for sepsis, the pre-hospital interval may represent an important opportunity for recognition and care of sepsis.
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Burke, Robert E.; Malone, Daniel; Ridgeway, Kyle J.; McManus, Beth M.; Stevens-Lapsley, Jennifer E.
2016-01-01
Hospital readmissions in older adult populations are an emerging quality indicator for acute care hospitals. Recent evidence has linked functional decline during and after hospitalization with an elevated risk of hospital readmission. However, models of care that have been developed to reduce hospital readmission rates do not adequately address functional deficits. Physical therapists, as experts in optimizing physical function, have a strong opportunity to contribute meaningfully to care transition models and demonstrate the value of physical therapy interventions in reducing readmissions. Thus, the purposes of this perspective article are: (1) to describe the need for physical therapist input during care transitions for older adults and (2) to outline strategies for expanding physical therapy participation in care transitions for older adults, with an overall goal of reducing avoidable 30-day hospital readmissions. PMID:26939601
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Occupational therapy practice in acute physical hospital settings: Evidence from a scoping review.
Britton, Lauren; Rosenwax, Lorna; McNamara, Beverley
2015-12-01
Increased accountability and growing fiscal limitations in global health care continue to challenge how occupational therapy practices are undertaken. Little is known about how these changes affect current practice in acute hospital settings. This article reviews the relevant literature to further understanding of occupational therapy practice in acute physical hospital settings. A scoping review of five electronic databases was completed using the keywords Occupational therapy, acute hospital settings/acute physical hospital settings, acute care setting/acute care hospital setting, general medicine/general medical wards, occupational therapy service provision/teaching hospitals/tertiary care hospitals. Criteria were applied to determine suitability for inclusion and the articles were analysed to uncover key themes. In total 34 publications were included in the review. Analysis of the publications revealed four themes: (1) Comparisons between the practice of novice and experienced occupational therapists in acute care (2) Occupational therapists and the discharge planning process (3) Role of occupation in the acute care setting and (4) Personal skills needed and organisation factors affecting acute care practice. The current literature has highlighted the challenges occupational therapists face in practicing within an acute setting. Findings from this review enhance understanding of how occupational therapy department managers and educators can best support staff that practise in acute hospital settings. © 2015 Occupational Therapy Australia.
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Post-Acute Home Care and Hospital Readmission of Elderly Patients with Congestive Heart Failure
ERIC Educational Resources Information Center
Li, Hong; Morrow-Howell, Nancy; Proctor, Enola K.
2004-01-01
After inpatient hospitalization, many elderly patients with congestive heart failure (CHF) are discharged home and receive post-acute home care from informal (family) caregivers and formal service providers. Hospital readmission rates are high among elderly patients with CHF, and it is thought that use of informal and formal services may reduce…
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Costs of terminal patients who receive palliative care or usual care in different hospital wards.
Simoens, Steven; Kutten, Betty; Keirse, Emmanuel; Berghe, Paul Vanden; Beguin, Claire; Desmedt, Marianne; Deveugele, Myriam; Léonard, Christian; Paulus, Dominique; Menten, Johan
2010-11-01
In addition to the effectiveness of hospital care models for terminal patients, policy makers and health care payers are concerned about their costs. This study aims to measure the hospital costs of treating terminal patients in Belgium from the health care payer perspective. Also, this study compares the costs of palliative and usual care in different types of hospital wards. A multicenter, retrospective cohort study compared costs of palliative care with usual care in acute hospital wards and with care in palliative care units. The study enrolled terminal patients from a representative sample of hospitals. Health care costs included fixed hospital costs and charges relating to medical fees, pharmacy and other charges. Data sources consisted of hospital accountancy data and invoice data. Six hospitals participated in the study, generating a total of 146 patients. The findings showed that palliative care in a palliative care unit was more expensive than palliative care in an acute ward due to higher staffing levels in palliative care units. Palliative care in an acute ward is cheaper than usual care in an acute ward. This study suggests that palliative care models in acute wards need to be supported because such care models appear to be less expensive than usual care and because such care models are likely to better reflect the needs of terminal patients. This finding emphasizes the importance of the timely recognition of the need for palliative care in terminal patients treated in acute wards.
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Desmedt, M; De Geest, S; Schubert, M; Schwendimann, R; Ausserhofer, D
2012-12-21
Magnet hospitals share nurse work environment characteristics associated with superior patient, nurse and financial outcomes. In Switzerland, however, it is uncertain how nurses appraise their work environments. To describe the quality of the nurse work environment in 35 Swiss acute care hospitals and to benchmark findings based on international Magnet hospital research. This study used two data sources: (1) the Swiss arm of the RN4CAST study; and (2) a structured literature review. Hospitals were categorised based on Magnet and non-Magnet data. Our outcome variable of interest was the quality of nurse work environment measured with the Practice Environment Scale of the Nurse Work Index (PES-NWI). We reviewed 13 American, Canadian, and Australian studies of acute-care hospitals. Three provided Magnet hospitals' nurse work environment data, and all included non-Magnet hospitals' data. Swiss hospitals' evaluations on nurse work environment quality varied widely, but 25% achieved scores indicating "Magnet nurse work environments". Swiss hospitals' average "Nursing manager ability" subscale scores fulfilled Magnet hospital criteria, although "Nurse participation in hospital affairs" and "Nursing staffing and resource adequacy" scores neared non-Magnet levels. On average, our results indicated high quality nurse work environments in Swiss hospitals. Implementing Magnet model organisational principles might be a valuable approach for Swiss acute-care hospitals to both improve mixed and unfavourable nurse work environments and to improve nurse and patient outcomes. National benchmarking of nurse work environments and other nurse-sensitive indicators may facilitate evaluating the impact of current developments in Swiss healthcare.
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Urban, Ann-Marie; Wagner, Joan I
2013-12-01
Hospitals are situated within historical and socio-political contexts; these influence the provision of patient care and the work of registered nurses (RNs). Since the early 1990s, restructuring and the increasing pressure to save money and improve efficiency have plagued acute care hospitals. These changes have affected both the work environment and the work of nurses. After recognizing this impact, healthcare leaders have dedicated many efforts to improving the work environment in hospitals. Admirable in their intent, these initiatives have made little change for RNs and their work environment, and thus, an opportunity exists for other efforts. Research indicates that spirit at work (SAW) not only improves the work environment but also strengthens the nurse's power to improve patient outcomes and contribute to a high-quality workplace. In this paper, we present findings from our research that suggest SAW be considered an important component in improving the work environment in acute care hospitals.
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Understanding the bereavement care roles of nurses within acute care: a systematic review.
Raymond, Anita; Lee, Susan F; Bloomer, Melissa J
2017-07-01
To investigate nurses' roles and responsibilities in providing bereavement care during the care of dying patients within acute care hospitals. Bereavement within acute care hospitals is often sudden, unexpected and managed by nurses who may have limited access to experts. Nurses' roles and experience in the provision of bereavement care can have a significant influence on the subsequent bereavement process for families. Identifying the roles and responsibilities, nurses have in bereavement care will enhance bereavement supports within acute care environments. Mixed-methods systematic review. The review was conducted using the databases Cumulative Index Nursing and Allied Health Literature Plus, Embase, Ovid MEDLINE, PsychINFO, CareSearch and Google Scholar. Included studies published between 2006-2015, identified nurse participants, and the studies were conducted in acute care hospitals. Seven studies met the inclusion criteria, and the research results were extracted and subjected to thematic synthesis. Nurses' role in bereavement care included patient-centred care, family-centred care, advocacy and professional development. Concerns about bereavement roles included competing clinical workload demands, limitations of physical environments in acute care hospitals and the need for further education in bereavement care. Further research is needed to enable more detailed clarification of the roles nurse undertake in bereavement care in acute care hospitals. There is also a need to evaluate the effectiveness of these nursing roles and how these provisions impact on the bereavement process of patients and families. The care provided by acute care nurses to patients and families during end-of-life care is crucial to bereavement. The bereavement roles nurses undertake are not well understood with limited evidence of how these roles are measured. Further education in bereavement care is needed for acute care nurses. © 2016 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.
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Falvey, Jason R; Burke, Robert E; Malone, Daniel; Ridgeway, Kyle J; McManus, Beth M; Stevens-Lapsley, Jennifer E
2016-08-01
Hospital readmissions in older adult populations are an emerging quality indicator for acute care hospitals. Recent evidence has linked functional decline during and after hospitalization with an elevated risk of hospital readmission. However, models of care that have been developed to reduce hospital readmission rates do not adequately address functional deficits. Physical therapists, as experts in optimizing physical function, have a strong opportunity to contribute meaningfully to care transition models and demonstrate the value of physical therapy interventions in reducing readmissions. Thus, the purposes of this perspective article are: (1) to describe the need for physical therapist input during care transitions for older adults and (2) to outline strategies for expanding physical therapy participation in care transitions for older adults, with an overall goal of reducing avoidable 30-day hospital readmissions. © 2016 American Physical Therapy Association.
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Zarian, D. A.; Peter, S. A.; Lee, S.; Kleinfeld, M.
1989-01-01
A retrospective study of 81 patients with dementia in a long-term care facility was conducted to determine the causes and frequency of acute hospitalization and the cause of death in the patients who succumbed during the acute hospital admission. Pneumonia and urinary tract infections were the most frequent causes of acute hospitalization; septicemia and respiratory failure were the most frequent causes of death. These results suggest that patients with dementia are prone to acquire life-threatening infections. Preventive measures to decrease the incidence of these complications are discussed. PMID:2500533
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It takes a village: a community partnership model in caring for the homeless.
Zazworsky, Donna; Johnson, Nancy
2014-01-01
Population health management calls for hospitals and health care entities to better align their strategies in order to deliver quality care more efficiently. Although these efforts tend to be addressed with insured populations, the homeless demand a very intentional focus. The issue of homelessness has adverse effects on the health care system, resulting in the inefficient use of resources. Community-wide efforts must be mobilized to address this inefficiency and need for preventative care and self-management education for this population. Carondelet Health Network, in partnership with El Rio Community Health Center, a federally qualified health center, along with other health care and social service providers, has established the Southern Arizona Health Village for the Homeless, providing a health care delivery system to ensure the best functional and clinical outcomes. This system includes a van (the Van of Hope), licensed as a health center, and staffed with an El Rio Community Health Center nurse practitioner and a medical assistant partnering with a Carondelet Health Network behavioral health specialist and a community outreach worker. Clinical patient information is managed via an electronic health record inclusive of clinical data, number of visits, referrals, self-management education, hospitalizations, and follow-up care. A post-hospital program with shelters and an Emergency Room Navigation Program are additional components of the village that provide a comprehensive pre-acute and post-acute effort to support the homeless. Financial impact is measured by reductions in hospitalizations and average length of stay.
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Day hospital versus admission for acute psychiatric disorders
Marshall, Max; Crowther, Ruth; Sledge, William Hurt; Rathbone, John; Soares-Weiser, Karla
2014-01-01
Background Inpatient treatment is an expensive way of caring for people with acute psychiatric disorders. It has been proposed that many of those currently treated as inpatients could be cared for in acute psychiatric day hospitals. Objectives To assess the effects of day hospital versus inpatient care for people with acute psychiatric disorders. Search methods We searched the Cochrane Schizophrenia Group Trials Register (June 2010) which is based on regular searches of MEDLINE, EMBASE, CINAHL and PsycINFO. We approached trialists to identify unpublished studies. Selection criteria Randomised controlled trials of day hospital versus inpatient care, for people with acute psychiatric disorders. Studies were ineligible if a majority of participants were under 18 or over 65, or had a primary diagnosis of substance abuse or organic brain disorder. Data collection and analysis Two review authors independently extracted and cross-checked data. We calculated risk ratios (RR) and 95% confidence intervals (CI) for dichotomous data. We calculated weighted or standardised means for continuous data. Day hospital trials tend to present similar outcomes in slightly different formats, making it difficult to synthesise data. We therefore sought individual patient data so that we could re-analyse outcomes in a common format. Main results Ten trials (involving 2685 people) met the inclusion criteria. We obtained individual patient data for four trials (involving 646 people). We found no difference in the number lost to follow-up by one year between day hospital care and inpatient care (5 RCTs, n = 1694, RR 0.94 CI 0.82 to 1.08). There is moderate evidence that the duration of index admission is longer for patients in day hospital care than inpatient care (4 RCTs, n = 1582, WMD 27.47 CI 3.96 to 50.98). There is very low evidence that the duration of day patient care (adjusted days/month) is longer for patients in day hospital care than inpatient care (3 RCTs, n = 265, WMD 2.34 days
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Connolly, Martin J; Boyd, Michal; Broad, Joanna B; Kerse, Ngaire; Lumley, Thomas; Whitehead, Noeline; Foster, Susan
2015-01-01
To assess effect of a complex, multidisciplinary intervention aimed at reducing avoidable acute hospitalization of residents of residential aged care (RAC) facilities. Cluster randomized controlled trial. RAC facilities with higher than expected hospitalizations in Auckland, New Zealand, were recruited and randomized to intervention or control. A total of 1998 residents of 18 intervention facilities and 18 control facilities. A facility-based complex intervention of 9 months' duration. The intervention comprised gerontology nurse specialist (GNS)-led staff education, facility bench-marking, GNS resident review, and multidisciplinary (geriatrician, primary-care physician, pharmacist, GNS, and facility nurse) discussion of residents selected using standard criteria. Primary end point was avoidable hospitalizations. Secondary end points were all acute admissions, mortality, and acute bed-days. Follow-up was for a total of 14 months. The intervention did not affect main study end points: number of acute avoidable hospital admissions (RR 1.07; 95% CI 0.85-1.36; P = .59) or mortality (RR 1.11; 95% CI 0.76-1.61; P = .62). This multidisciplinary intervention, packaging selected case review, and staff education had no overall impact on acute hospital admissions or mortality. This may have considerable implications for resourcing in the acute and RAC sectors in the face of population aging. Australian and New Zealand Clinical Trials Registry (ACTRN12611000187943). Copyright © 2015 AMDA – The Society for Post-Acute and Long-Term Care Medicine. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.
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The WAMI Rural Hospital Project. Part 3: Building health care leadership in rural communities.
Elder, W G; Amundson, B A
1991-01-01
The WAMI Rural Hospital Project (RHP) intervention combined aspects of community development, strategic planning and organizational development to address the leadership issues in six Northwest rural hospitals. Hospitals and physicians, other community health care providers and local townspeople were involved in this intervention, which was accomplished in three phases. In the first phase, extensive information about organizational effectiveness was collected at each site. Phase two consisted of 30 hours of education for the physician, board, and hospital administrator community representatives covering management, hospital board governance, and scope of service planning. In the third phase, each community worked with a facilitator to complete a strategic plan and to resolve conflicts addressed in the management analyses. The results of the evaluation demonstrated that the greatest change noted among RHP hospitals was improvement in the effectiveness of their governing boards. All boards adopted some or all of the project's model governance plan and had successfully completed considerable portions of their strategic plans by 1989. Teamwork among the management triad (hospital, board, and medical staff) was also substantially improved. Other improvements included the development of marketing plans for the three hospitals that did not initially have them and more effective use of outside consultants. The project had less impact on improving the functioning of the medical chief of staff, although this was not a primary target of the intervention. There was also relatively less community interest in joining regional health care associations. The authors conclude that an intervention program tailored to address specific community needs and clearly identified leadership deficiencies can have a positive effect on rural health care systems.
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Khubchandani, Jasmine A; Ingraham, Angela M; Daniel, Vijaya T; Ayturk, Didem; Kiefe, Catarina I; Santry, Heena P
2018-02-01
Owing to lack of adequate emergency care infrastructure and decline in general surgery workforce, the United States faces a crisis in access to emergency general surgery (EGS) care. Acute care surgery (ACS), an organized system of trauma, general surgery, and critical care, is a proposed solution; however, ACS diffusion remains poorly understood. To investigate geographic diffusion of ACS models of care and characterize the communities in which ACS implementation is lagging. A national survey on EGS practices was developed, tested, and administered at all 2811 US acute care hospitals providing EGS to adults between August 2015 and October 2015. Surgeons responsible for EGS coverage at these hospitals were approached. If these surgeons failed to respond to the initial survey implementation, secondary surgeons or chief medical officers at hospitals with only 1 general surgeon were approached. Survey responses on ACS implementation were linked with geocoded hospital data and national census data to determine geographic diffusion of and access to ACS. We measured the distribution of hospitals with ACS models of care vs those without over time (diffusion) and by US counties characterized by sociodemographic characteristics of county residents (access). Survey response rate was 60% (n = 1690); 272 responding hospitals had implemented ACS by 2015, steadily increasing from 34 in 2001 to 125 in 2010. Acute care surgery implementation has not been uniform. Rural regions have limited ACS access, with hospitals in counties with greater than the 75th percentile population having 5.4 times higher odds (95% CI, 1.66-7.35) of implementing ACS than hospitals in counties with less than 25th percentile population. Communities with greater percentages of adults without a college degree also have limited ACS access (OR, 3.43; 95% CI, 1.81-6.48). However, incorporating EGS into ACS models may be a potential equalizer for poor, black, and Hispanic communities. Understanding and
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Intranet usage and potential in acute care hospitals in the United States: survey-2000.
Hatcher, M
2001-12-01
This paper provides the results of the Survey-2000 measuring Intranet and its potential in health care. The survey measured the levels of Internet and Intranet existence and usage in acute care hospitals. Business-to-business electronic commerce and electronic commerce for customers were measured. Since the Intranet was not studied in survey-1997, no comparisons could be made. Therefore the results were presented and discussed. The Intranet data were compared with the Internet data and statistically significant differences were presented and analyzed. This information will assist hospitals to plan Internet and Intranet technology. This is the third of three articles based upon the results of the Survey-2000. Readers are referred to prior articles by the author, which discusses the survey design and provides a tutorial on technology transfer in acute care hospitals.(1) The first article based upon the survey results discusses technology transfer, system design approaches, user involvement, and decision-making purposes. (2) The second article based upon the survey results discusses distribution of Internet usage and rating of Internet usage applied to specific applications. Homepages, advertising, and electronic commerce are discussed from an Internet perspective.
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Hypodermoclysis therapy. In a chronic care hospital setting.
Worobec, G; Brown, M K
1997-06-01
Occasionally, elderly patients experience acute, episodic incidents of illness that result in dehydration or a high potential for dehydration (e.g., flu, diarrhea). At times, patients may be unable, or refuse, to take fluids orally. Enteral routes via a nasogastric tube or enteral stomach tube may also not be available. In the past, these patients often had to be transferred from home or long-term care facilities to an acute care hospital for intravenous therapy. A transfer of the acutely ill elderly patient to an acute care hospital is often very stressful to the patient and his/her family and is costly to the health care delivery system. Hypodermoclysis, the process of rehydrating a patient by providing isotonic fluids into the subcutaneous tissues over a short time period, provides an alternative method to deal with acute, short-term fluid deficit problems in the elderly. Hypodermoclysis therapy can be administered in a chronic care setting thus potentially decreasing the need to transfer the elderly client to an acute care hospital. The purpose of this study was to investigate the use of hypodermoclysis therapy in solving acute, or potentially acute fluid deficit problems, that were anticipated to be both reversible and short term in nature. This was carried out in an elderly population that resided in a 284-bed chronic care hospital in southern Ontario.
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Reid, Colette; Gibbins, Jane; Bloor, Sophia; Burcombe, Melanie; McCoubrie, Rachel; Forbes, Karen
2015-12-01
The quality of end-of-life (EOL) care in acute hospitals is variable and interventions to improve this care, such as EOL care pathways, are not always used. The underlying reasons for this variability are not fully understood. We explored healthcare professionals' views on delivering EOL care within an acute hospital trust in the South West of England. We employed qualitative methods (focus groups, in-depth interviews and questerviews) within a study investigating the impact of a simple EOL tool on the care of dying patients. We invited a range of staff of all grades with experience in caring for dying patients from medicine, surgery and care of the elderly teams to participate. Six focus groups, seven interviews and five questerviews were conducted. Two main themes emerged: (a) delays (difficulties and avoidance) in diagnosing dying and (b) the EOL tool supporting staff in caring for the dying. Staff acknowledged that the diagnosis of dying was often made late; this was partly due to prognostic uncertainty but compounded by a culture that did not acknowledge death as a possible outcome until death was imminent. Both the medical and nursing staff found the EOL tool useful as a means of communicating ceilings of care, ensuring appropriate prescribing for EOL symptoms, and giving nurses permission to approach the bedside of a dying patient. The culture of avoiding death and dying in acute hospitals remains a significant barrier to providing EOL care, even when EOL tools are available and accepted by staff. Published by the BMJ Publishing Group Limited. For permission to use (where not already granted under a licence) please go to http://www.bmj.com/company/products-services/rights-and-licensing/
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Trimba, Roman; Laughlin, Richard T; Krishnamurthy, Anil; Ross, Joseph S; Fox, Justin P
2016-03-01
Although hospital readmissions are being adopted as a quality measure after total hip or knee arthroplasty, they may fail accurately capture the patient's postdischarge experience. We studied 272,853 discharges from 517 hospitals to determine hospital emergency department (ED) visit and readmission rates. The hospital-level, 30-day, risk-standardized ED visit (median = 5.6% [2.4%-13.7%]) and hospital readmission (5.0% [2.6%-9.2%]) rates were similar and varied widely. A hospital's risk-standardized ED visit rate did not correlate with its readmission rate (r = -0.03, P = .50). If ED visits were included in a broader "readmission" measure, 246 (47.6%) hospitals would change perceived performance groups. Including ED visits in a broader, hospital-based, acute care measure may be warranted to better describe postdischarge health care utilization. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.
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Valdovinos, Erica; Le, Sidney; Hsia, Renee Y
2015-08-01
In exchange for sizable tax exemptions, not-for-profit hospitals must engage in activities that meet the Internal Revenue Service's community benefit standard. The provision of charity care-free care to those unable to pay-can help meet that standard. Bad debt, the other form of uncompensated care, cannot be used to meet the standard, although Medicaid shortfalls can. However, the ACA lacks guidelines for providing charity care, and federal law sets no minimum requirements for community benefit activities. Using data from California, we examined whether the levels of charity and uncompensated care provided differed across general acute care hospitals by profit status and other characteristics during 2011-13. The mean proportion of total operating expenses spent on charity care differed significantly between not-for-profit (1.9 percent) and for-profit hospitals (1.4 percent), in contrast to the mean proportion spent on uncompensated care. Both types of spending varied widely across hospitals. Policy makers should consider measures that remove disincentives to meeting the persistent considerable need for charity care-for example, increasing supports to offset rising Medicaid shortfalls resulting from program expansion-and facilitate the tracking of ACA impacts on the distribution of charity care and uncompensated care delivery. Project HOPE—The People-to-People Health Foundation, Inc.
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2011-08-18
We are revising the Medicare hospital inpatient prospective payment systems (IPPS) for operating and capital-related costs of acute care hospitals to implement changes arising from our continuing experience with these systems and to implement certain statutory provisions contained in the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act and the Health Care and Education Reconciliation Act of 2010 (collectively known as the Affordable Care Act) and other legislation. We also are setting forth the update to the rate-of-increase limits for certain hospitals excluded from the IPPS that are paid on a reasonable cost basis subject to these limits. We are updating the payment policy and the annual payment rates for the Medicare prospective payment system (PPS) for inpatient hospital services provided by long-term care hospitals (LTCHs) and implementing certain statutory changes made by the Affordable Care Act. In addition, we are finalizing an interim final rule with comment period that implements section 203 of the Medicare and Medicaid Extenders Act of 2010 relating to the treatment of teaching hospitals that are members of the same Medicare graduate medical education affiliated groups for the purpose of determining possible full-time equivalent (FTE) resident cap reductions.
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Alternative Level of Care: Canada's Hospital Beds, the Evidence and Options
Sutherland, Jason M.; Crump, R. Trafford
2013-01-01
Patients designated as alternative level of care (ALC) are an ongoing concern for healthcare policy makers across Canada. These patients occupy valuable hospital beds and limit access to acute care services. The objective of this paper is to present policy alternatives to address underlying factors associated with ALC bed use. Three alternatives, and their respective limitations and structural challenges, are discussed. Potential solutions may require a mix of policy options proposed here. Inadequate policy jeopardizes new acute care activity-based funding schemes in British Columbia and Ontario. Failure to address this issue could exacerbate pressures on the existing bottlenecks in the community care system in these and other provinces. PMID:23968671
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Matejic, Marko
2017-04-01
In the context of healthcare reforms in post-socialist Serbia, this research analyses the reconfiguration of acute care hospitals from the aspect of the spatial distribution of hospital beds among and within state-owned hospitals. The research builds a relationship between the macro or national level and the micro or hospital level of the spatial distribution of hospital beds. The aim of the study is to point out that a high level of efficiency in hospital functionality is difficult to achieve within the current hospital network and architectural-urban patterns of hospitals, and to draw attention to the necessity of a strategically planned hospital spatial reconfiguration, conducted simultaneously with other segments of the healthcare system reform. The research analyses published and unpublished data presented in tables and diagrams. The theoretical platform of the research covers earlier discussions of the Yugoslav healthcare system, its post-socialist reforms and the experiences of developed countries. The results show that the hospital bed distribution has not undergone significant changes, while the hospital spatial reconfiguration has either not been carried out at all or, if it has, only on a small scale. All this has contributed to overall inadequate, inflexible, inefficient, defragmented and unequal bed distribution. Copyright © 2016 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. Copyright © 2016 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
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Autologous blood donation in a small general acute-care hospital.
Mott, L. S.; Jones, M. J.
1995-01-01
Increased public concerns about infectious risk associated with homologous blood transfusions have led to a significant increase in autologous blood collections. In response, blood banks and large hospitals have implemented autologous blood donation programs (ABDPs). Small hospitals lack the technical resources and patient case loads to effectively institute ABDPs. A preoperative ABDP designed to increase availability and patient convenience--and, therefore, utilization--is described. The program created in a rural 90-bed general acute-care hospital processed 105 donors and collected 197 units over a 38-month period. The percentage of the collected units that were transfused was 44.7%, and only 6.1% of participating patients required homologous transfusions. Comparisons of hematological and clinical data with previously published results indicate that small-scale preoperative ABDPs are clinically effective, safe, and provide cost-efficient utilization of the safest blood supply available. PMID:7674344
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Using discrete event computer simulation to improve patient flow in a Ghanaian acute care hospital.
Best, Allyson M; Dixon, Cinnamon A; Kelton, W David; Lindsell, Christopher J; Ward, Michael J
2014-08-01
Crowding and limited resources have increased the strain on acute care facilities and emergency departments worldwide. These problems are particularly prevalent in developing countries. Discrete event simulation is a computer-based tool that can be used to estimate how changes to complex health care delivery systems such as emergency departments will affect operational performance. Using this modality, our objective was to identify operational interventions that could potentially improve patient throughput of one acute care setting in a developing country. We developed a simulation model of acute care at a district level hospital in Ghana to test the effects of resource-neutral (eg, modified staff start times and roles) and resource-additional (eg, increased staff) operational interventions on patient throughput. Previously captured deidentified time-and-motion data from 487 acute care patients were used to develop and test the model. The primary outcome was the modeled effect of interventions on patient length of stay (LOS). The base-case (no change) scenario had a mean LOS of 292 minutes (95% confidence interval [CI], 291-293). In isolation, adding staffing, changing staff roles, and varying shift times did not affect overall patient LOS. Specifically, adding 2 registration workers, history takers, and physicians resulted in a 23.8-minute (95% CI, 22.3-25.3) LOS decrease. However, when shift start times were coordinated with patient arrival patterns, potential mean LOS was decreased by 96 minutes (95% CI, 94-98), and with the simultaneous combination of staff roles (registration and history taking), there was an overall mean LOS reduction of 152 minutes (95% CI, 150-154). Resource-neutral interventions identified through discrete event simulation modeling have the potential to improve acute care throughput in this Ghanaian municipal hospital. Discrete event simulation offers another approach to identifying potentially effective interventions to improve patient
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Medication use and fall-risk assessment for falls in an acute care hospital.
Chiu, Ming-Huang; Lee, Hsin-Dai; Hwang, Hei-Fen; Wang, Shih-Chieh; Lin, Mau-Roung
2015-07-01
A nested case-control study was carried out to examine relationships of a fall-risk score and the use of single medications and polypharmacy with falls among hospitalized patients aged 50 years and older in Taiwan. There were 83 patients who experienced a fall during hospitalization in an acute-care hospital. Matched by age and sex, five control patients for each case were randomly selected from all other inpatients who had not experienced any fall at the time of the index fall. Patients who took tricyclic antidepressants, diuretics, and narcotics were 3.36-, 1.83- and 2.09-fold, respectively, more likely to experience a fall than their counterparts. Conversely, patients who took beta-blockers were 0.34-fold more likely than those who did not take them to experience a fall. Patients taking ≥6 medications were 3.08-fold more likely than those taking fewer medications to experience a fall, whereas those with anxiety were 4.72-fold more likely to experience a fall than those without. A high fall-risk score was not significantly associated with the occurrence of falls. Among older hospitalized patients, tricyclic antidepressants, diuretics, narcotics, and polypharmacy should be mindfully prescribed and reviewed on a regular basis. A fall-risk scale developed from community-dwelling older people might not accurately predict falls in hospitalized patients. Further research to validate the negative effect of beta-blocker use on falls is required. © 2014 Japan Geriatrics Society.
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Boyle, Diane K; Bergquist-Beringer, Sandra; Cramer, Emily
The purpose of this study was to describe the (a) number and types of employed WOC certified nurses in acute care hospitals, (b) rates of hospital-acquired pressure injury (HAPI) and catheter-associated urinary tract infection (CAUTI), and (c) effectiveness of WOC certified nurses with respect to lowering HAPI and CAUTI occurrences. Retrospective analysis of data from National Database of Nursing Quality Indicators. The sample comprised 928 National Database of Nursing Quality Indicators (NDNQI) hospitals that participated in the 2012 NDNQI RN Survey (source of specialty certification data) and collected HAPI, CAUTI, and nurse staffing data during the years 2012 to 2013. We analyzed years 2012 to 2013 data from the NDNQI. Descriptive statistics summarized the number and types of employed WOC certified nurses, the rate of HAPI and CAUTI, and HAPI risk assessment and prevention intervention rates. Chi-square analyses were used to compare the characteristics of hospitals that do and do not employ WOC certified nurses. Analysis-of-covariance models were used to test the association between WOC certified nurses and HAPI and CAUTI occurrences. Just more than one-third of the study hospitals (36.6%) employed WOC certified nurses. Certified continence care nurses (CCCNs) were employed in fewest number. Hospitals employing wound care specialty certified nurses (CWOCN, CWCN, and CWON) had lower HAPI rates and better pressure injury risk assessment and prevention practices. Stage 3 and 4 HAPI occurrences among hospitals employing CWOCNs, CWCNs, and CWONs (0.27%) were nearly half the rate of hospitals not employing these nurses (0.51%). There were no significant relationships between nurses with specialty certification in continence care (CWOCN, CCCN) or ostomy care (CWOCN, COCN) and CAUTI rates. CWOCNs, CWCNs, and CWONs are an important factor in achieving better HAPI outcomes in acute care settings. The role of CWOCNs, CCCNs, and COCNs in CAUTI prevention warrants further
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Ocampo, Wrechelle; Geransar, Rose; Clayden, Nancy; Jones, Jessica; de Grood, Jill; Joffe, Mark; Taylor, Geoffrey; Missaghi, Bayan; Pearce, Craig; Ghali, William; Conly, John
2017-10-01
Ward closure is a method of controlling hospital-acquired infectious diseases outbreaks and is often coupled with other practices. However, the value and efficacy of ward closures remains uncertain. To understand the current practices and perceptions with respect to ward closure for hospital-acquired infectious disease outbreaks in acute care hospital settings across Canada. A Web-based environmental scan survey was developed by a team of infection prevention and control (IPC) experts and distributed to 235 IPC professionals at acute care sites across Canada. Data were analyzed using a mixed-methods approach of descriptive statistics and thematic analysis. A total of 110 completed responses showed that 70% of sites reported at least 1 outbreak during 2013, 44% of these sites reported the use of ward closure. Ward closure was considered an "appropriate," "sometimes appropriate," or "not appropriate" strategy to control outbreaks by 50%, 45%, and 5% of participants, respectively. System capacity issues and overall risk assessment were main factors influencing the decision to close hospital wards following an outbreak. Results suggest the use of ward closure for containment of hospital-acquired infectious disease outbreaks in Canadian acute care health settings is mixed, with outbreak control methods varying. The successful implementation of ward closure was dependent on overall support for the IPC team within hospital administration. Copyright © 2017 Association for Professionals in Infection Control and Epidemiology, Inc. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.
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Kasteridis, Panagiotis; Mason, Anne; Goddard, Maria; Jacobs, Rowena; Santos, Rita; Rodriguez-Sanchez, Beatriz; McGonigal, Gerard
2016-01-01
The Quality and Outcomes Framework, or QOF, rewards primary care doctors (GPs) in the UK for providing certain types of care. Since 2006, GPs have been paid to identify patients with dementia and to conduct an annual review of their mental and physical health. During the review, the GP also assesses the carer's support needs, including impact of caring, and ensures that services are co-ordinated across care settings. In principle, this type of care should reduce the risk of admission to long-term residential care directly from an acute hospital ward, a phenomenon considered to be indicative of poor quality care. However, this potential effect has not previously been tested. Using English data from 2006/07 to 2010/11, we ran multilevel logit models to assess the impact of the QOF review on the risk of care home placement following emergency admission to acute hospital. Emergency admissions were defined for (a) people with a primary diagnosis of dementia and (b) people with dementia admitted for treatment of an ambulatory care sensitive condition. We adjusted for a wide range of potential confounding factors. Over the study period, 19% of individuals admitted to hospital with a primary diagnosis of dementia (N = 31,120) were discharged to a care home; of those admitted for an ambulatory care sensitive condition (N = 139,267), the corresponding figure was 14%. Risk factors for subsequent care home placement included older age, female gender, vascular dementia, incontinence, fall, hip fracture, and number of comorbidities. Better performance on the QOF review was associated with a lower risk of care home placement but only when the admission was for an ambulatory care sensitive condition. The QOF dementia review may help to reduce the risk of long-term care home placement following acute hospital admission.
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Salonga-Reyes, Armi; Scott, Ian A
2017-03-01
Objectives The aims of the present study were to identify causes of prolonged discharge delays among non-acute in-patients admitted to a tertiary general medicine service, quantify occupied bed days (OBDs) and propose strategies for eliminating avoidable delays. Methods A retrospective study was performed of patients admitted between 1 January 2012 and 31 May 2015 and discharged as non-acute cases requiring maintenance care and who incurred a total non-acute length of stay (LOS) >7 days and total hospital LOS >14 days. Long-stay patients with non-acute LOS ≥28 days were subject to chart review in ascertaining serial causes of discharge delay and their attributable OBDs. Literature reviews and staff feedback identified potential strategies for minimising delays. Results Of the 406 patients included in the present study, 131 incurred long-stays; for these 131 patients, delays were identified that accounted for 5420 of 6033 (90%) non-acute OBDs. Lack of available residential care beds was most frequent, accounting for 44% of OBDs. Waits for outcomes of guardianship applications accounted for 13%, whereas guardian appointments, Public Trustee applications and funding decisions for equipment or care packages each consumed between 4% and 5% of OBDs. Family and/or carer refusal of care accounted for 7%. Waits for aged care assessment team (ACAT) assessments, social worker reports, geriatrician or psychiatrist reviews and confirmation of enduring power of attorney each accounted for between 1% and 3% of OBDs. Of 30 proposed remedial strategies, those rated as high priority were: greater access to interim care or respite care beds or supported accommodation, especially for patients with special needs; dedicated agency officers for hospital guardianship applications and greater interagency collaboration and harmonisation of assessment and decision processes; and formal requests from hospital administrators to patients and family to accept care options and attend mediation
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Home-based intermediate care program vs hospitalization: Cost comparison study.
Armstrong, Catherine Deri; Hogg, William E; Lemelin, Jacques; Dahrouge, Simone; Martin, Carmel; Viner, Gary S; Saginur, Raphael
2008-01-01
To explore whether a home-based intermediate care program in a large Canadian city lowers the cost of care and to look at whether such home-based programs could be a solution to the increasing demands on Canadian hospitals. Single-arm study with historical controls. Department of Family Medicine at the Ottawa Hospital (Civic campus) in Ontario. Patients requiring hospitalization for acute care. Participants were matched with historical controls based on case-mix, most responsible diagnosis, and level of complexity. Placement in the home-based intermediate care program. Daily home visits from the nurse practitioner and 24-hour access to care by telephone. Multivariate regression models were used to estimate the effect of the program on 5 outcomes: length of stay in hospital, cost of care substituted for hospitalization (Canadian dollars), readmission for a related diagnosis, readmission for any diagnosis, and costs incurred by community home-care services for patients following discharge from hospital. The outcomes of 43 hospital admissions were matched with those of 363 controls. Patients enrolled in the program stayed longer in hospital (coefficient 3.3 days, P < .001), used more community care services following discharge (coefficient $729, P = .007), and were more likely to be readmitted to hospital within 3 months of discharge (coefficient 17%, P = .012) than patients treated in hospital. Total substituted costs of home-based care were not significantly different from the costs of hospitalization (coefficient -$501, P = .11). While estimated cost savings were not statistically significant, the limitations of our study suggest that we underestimated these savings. In particular, the economic inefficiencies of a small immature program and the inability to control for certain factors when selecting historical controls affected our results. Further research is needed to determine the economic effect of mature home-based programs.
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Improving the home health acute-care hospitalization quality measure.
Schade, Charles P; Brehm, John G
2010-06-01
(1) To demonstrate average length of service (ALOS) bias in the currently used acute-care hospitalization (ACH) home health quality measure, limiting comparability across agencies, and (2) to propose alternative ACH measures. Secondary analysis of Medicare home health service data 2004-2007; convenience sample of Medicare fee-for-service hospital discharges. Cross-sectional analysis and patient-level simulation. We aggregated outcome and ALOS data from 2,347 larger Medicare-certified home health agencies (HHAs) in the United States between 2004 and 2007, and calculated risk-adjusted monthly ACH rates. We used multiple regression to identify agency characteristics associated with ACH. We simulated ACH during and immediately after home health care using patient and agency characteristics similar to those in the actual data, comparing the existing measure with alternative fixed-interval measures. Of agency characteristics studied, ALOS had by far the highest partial correlation with the current ACH measure (r(2)=0.218, p<.0001). We replicated the correlation between ACH and ALOS in the patient-level simulation. We found no correlation between ALOS and the alternative measures. Alternative measures do not exhibit ALOS bias and would be appropriate for comparing HHA ACH rates with one another or over time.
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Comparison of the costs of care during acute illness by two community children's nursing teams.
Callery, Peter; Kyle, Richard G; Weatherly, Helen; Banks, Michele; Ewing, Carol; Powell, Peter; Kirk, Susan
2013-12-01
To compare the costs associated with care by two community children's nursing teams (CCNT). A case study incorporating questionnaire survey, analysis of routinely collected data and analysis of costs in the north-west England. Children with acute illness referred for CCNT care. Two CCNT provided care for 273 children during acute illness in order to reduce the number and duration of hospital admissions. Costs of CCNT, other services and costs to families. The objectives of both CCNT included shortening and avoiding hospitalisations. Most (45 (58%) in case A and 150 (77%) in case B) children were referred for infections. There were differences in the proportion of children who had been hospitalised (45 (57.7%) and 78 (40%)), the mean number of services used before referral to CCNT (1.6 and 2.2) and the staffing profile of the CCNT. There was a statistically significant difference in the overall mean cost to the NHS of CCNT care (£146 and £238, 95% CI for difference of means 7 to 184), associated with higher proportions of children having telephone-only contact (two (3%) and 46 (24%)) and children using almost twice as many other health services during care by one CCNT (means 0.27 and 0.51). Costs of CCNT care can vary widely when all health service use is taken into account. Differences in the way CCNT are integrated with the urgent care system, and the way in which CCNT care is organised, could contribute to variations in costs.
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2015-11-24
This final rule implements a new Medicare Part A and B payment model under section 1115A of the Social Security Act, called the Comprehensive Care for Joint Replacement (CJR) model, in which acute care hospitals in certain selected geographic areas will receive retrospective bundled payments for episodes of care for lower extremity joint replacement (LEJR) or reattachment of a lower extremity. All related care within 90 days of hospital discharge from the joint replacement procedure will be included in the episode of care. We believe this model will further our goals in improving the efficiency and quality of care for Medicare beneficiaries with these common medical procedures.
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Tzeng, Huey-Ming; Hu, Hsou Mei; Yin, Chang-Yi
2011-12-01
Medicare no longer reimburses acute care hospitals for the costs of additional care required due to hospital-acquired injuries. Consequently, this study explored the effective computerized systems to inform practice for better interventions to reduce fall risk. It provided a correlation between type of computerized system and hospital-acquired injurious fall rates at acute care hospitals in California, Florida, and New York. It used multiple publicly available data sets, with the hospital as the unit of analysis. Descriptive and Pearson correlation analyses were used. The analysis included 462 hospitals. Significant correlations could be categorized into two groups: (1) meaningful computerized systems that were associated with lower injurious fall rates: the decision support systems for drug allergy alerts, drug-drug interaction alerts, and drug-laboratory interaction alerts; and (2) computerized systems that were associated with higher injurious fall rates: the decision support system for drug-drug interaction alerts and the computerized provider order entry system for radiology tests. Future research may include additional states, multiple years of data, and patient-level data to validate this study's findings. This effort may further inform policy makers and the public about effective clinical computerized systems provided to clinicians to improve their practice decisions and care outcomes.
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Home Health Agency Work Environments and Hospitalizations
Flynn, Linda; Lake, Eileen T.; Aiken, Linda H.
2014-01-01
Background: An important goal of home health care is to assist patients to remain in community living arrangements. Yet home care often fails to prevent hospitalizations and to facilitate discharges to community living, thus putting patients at risk of additional health challenges and increasing care costs. Objectives: To determine the relationship between home health agency work environments and agency-level rates of acute hospitalization and discharges to community living. Methods and Design: Analysis of linked Center for Medicare and Medicaid Services Home Health Compare data and nurse survey data from 118 home health agencies. Robust regression models were used to estimate the effect of work environment ratings on between-agency variation in rates of acute hospitalization and community discharge. Results: Home health agencies with good work environments had lower rates of acute hospitalizations and higher rates of patient discharges to community living arrangements compared with home health agencies with poor work environments. Conclusion: Improved work environments in home health agencies hold promise for optimizing patient outcomes and reducing use of expensive hospital and institutional care. PMID:25215647
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Home health agency work environments and hospitalizations.
Jarrín, Olga; Flynn, Linda; Lake, Eileen T; Aiken, Linda H
2014-10-01
An important goal of home health care is to assist patients to remain in community living arrangements. Yet home care often fails to prevent hospitalizations and to facilitate discharges to community living, thus putting patients at risk of additional health challenges and increasing care costs. To determine the relationship between home health agency work environments and agency-level rates of acute hospitalization and discharges to community living. Analysis of linked Center for Medicare and Medicaid Services Home Health Compare data and nurse survey data from 118 home health agencies. Robust regression models were used to estimate the effect of work environment ratings on between-agency variation in rates of acute hospitalization and community discharge. Home health agencies with good work environments had lower rates of acute hospitalizations and higher rates of patient discharges to community living arrangements compared with home health agencies with poor work environments. Improved work environments in home health agencies hold promise for optimizing patient outcomes and reducing use of expensive hospital and institutional care.
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Wiese, Christoph H R; Barrels, Utz E; Graf, Bernhard M; Hanekop, Gerd G
2009-01-01
Prehospital emergency physicians (EP) are often confronted with the acute care of palliative care patients. Dyspnoea is a frequent acute symptom and its causes often differ from the generally known emergency medical causes. Till now, there have been no relevant concepts for emergency care of palliative care patients for their specific symptoms. Over a 24-month period, the authors retrospectively investigated all out-of-hospital emergency medical services for palliative care patients with acute dyspnoea at four emergency physician support points. The evaluation of these services was followed retrospectively on the basis of the therapy carried out by the EP (Group 1: therapy with morphine and oxygen; Group 2: therapy with morphine, bronchodilator effective drugs and oxygen; Group 3: therapy with bronchodilator effective drugs and oxygen; Group 4: therapy with oxygen; Group 5: no medical treatment). Moreover, EPs were interviewed about their actions and their uncertainties in the treatment of palliative care patients. The diagnosis of acute dyspnoea in palliative care patients occurred 121 times (116 patients were integrated in the present investigation) within the defined period. In total, 116 patients were included (Group 1: 21, Group 2: 29, Group 3: 31, Group 4: 28, and Group 5: 7). Dyspnoea was satisfactorily treated in 41 percent of the patients (Group 1: 67 percent, Group 2: 52 percent, Group 3: 22 percent, Group 4: 18 percent, and Group 5: 71 percent). Most EPs (70 percent) revealed uncertainties in emergency medical therapy for patients at the end of life. The current investigation showed a significant relief of acute dyspnoea when using opioids, in contrast with the established out-of-hospital emergency medical therapy for acute dyspnoea. Therefore, opioids should be recommended for emergency medical therapy of dyspnoea in palliative care patients. Clinical studies that recommend the use of effective opioids for the treatment of dyspnoea in palliative care
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Gillies, Leslie; Coker, Esther; Pizzacalla, Anne; Montemuro, Maureen; Suva, Grace; McLelland, Victoria
2016-01-01
Education is needed for enhanced capacity of acute hospitals to provide dementia care. A nonrandomized controlled, repeated-measures design was used to evaluate a dementia education program delivered to an intervention group (IG, n = 468), compared to a wait-listed group (n = 277), representing separate sites of a multisite hospital. Participants completed self-efficacy for dementia and satisfaction measures and provided written descriptions of dementia care collected at baseline, postintervention (IG only), and at 8-week follow-up. Oral narratives were gathered from IG participants 8 weeks postintervention. The IG demonstrated significant improvement in self-efficacy scores from baseline to immediately postintervention (P < .001), sustained at 8 weeks. There were no changes from baseline to 8 weeks postintervention evident in the wait-listed group (P = .21). Intervention group participants described positive impacts including implementation of person-centered care approaches. Implementation of dementia care education programs throughout hospital settings is promising for the enhancement of dementia care. PMID:27659392
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Kawano, Yuri
2008-01-01
The present study examined degrees of job-related stress factors as well as mental and physical symptoms among Japanese hospital nurses in various departments, and clarified associations of departments and job-related stress factors with those symptoms. A self-administered anonymous questionnaire was distributed to 1,882 full-time nurses at four acute care hospitals in Japan. The survey included demographic factors, and the Brief Job Stress Questionnaire. Among 1,599 nurses who completed all items relevant to the present study, we analyzed data from 1,551 female nurses. The results show that working in operating rooms was associated with fatigue, that working in intensive care units (ICU) was associated with anxiety, and that working in surgery and internal medicine was associated with anxiety and depression independently of demographic factors and job-related stress factors. The physical and mental health of nurses might affect their time off, quality of nursing care and patient satisfaction in acute care hospitals. Therefore, job-related stress factors should be minimized, to improve the physical and mental health of nurses, considering unique departmental demands.
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Schlyter, Mona; Östman, Margareta; Engström, Gunnar; André-Petersson, Lena; Tydén, Patrik; Leosdottir, Margrét
2017-04-01
Whether personality factors and depressive traits affect patients' utilization of health care following an acute myocardial infarction is relatively unknown. The aim of this study was to examine whether hospital-based health care utilization after a myocardial infarction was correlated with patients' personality factors and depressive symptoms. We studied 366 myocardial infarction patients admitted to Malmö University Hospital between 2002 and 2005 who subsequently participated in a cardiac rehabilitation programme. The patients were followed for two years after their index event. We investigated whether personality factors and depressive traits were correlated with the participants' health care utilization, defined as a) out-patient Cardiology visits and phone calls to a physician, nurse or a social worker, and b) acute visits or admissions to the Emergency or Cardiology Departments, using negative binominal regression analysis. In unadjusted comparisons neuroticism predicted more out-patient contacts. This significance remained after adjusting for age, sex, smoking, alcohol consumption and size of the myocardial infarction (measured as max level on troponin-I and left ventricular ejection fraction). There were no significant correlations between other personality factors or depression and out-patient contacts. None of the personality factors or depression predicted acute admissions. Apart from neuroticism, personality factors did not explain utilization of health care in terms of Cardiology out-patient contacts or acute admissions in myocardial infarction patients participating in a cardiac rehabilitation programme. Neither did depressive symptoms predict more health care utilization. This might indicate a robust cardiac rehabilitation programme offered to the study subjects, minimizing the need for additional health care contacts.
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Occupational therapy in Australian acute hospitals: A modified practice.
Britton, Lauren; Rosenwax, Lorna; McNamara, Beverley
2016-08-01
Ongoing changes to health-care funding Australia wide continue to influence how occupational therapists practise in acute hospitals. This study describes the practice challenges experienced by Western Australian acute care occupational therapists. Then, it explores if and how acute care occupational therapists are modifying their practice in response to these practice changes. This study used a qualitative grounded theory approach. Semi-structured interviews were completed with 13 purposively selected acute care occupational therapists from four Western Australian metropolitan hospitals. Data were analysed using a constant comparative method to provide detailed descriptions of acute care occupational therapy practice and to generate theory. Five conceptual categories were developed. The first two addressed practice challenges: pragmatic organisational influences on client care and establishing a professional identity within the multidisciplinary team. Three categories related to therapist responses are as follows: becoming the client advocate, being the facilitator and applying clinical reasoning. Finally, modified practice was identified as the core category which explains the process whereby acute care occupational therapists are ensuring they remain relevant and authentic in the acute care context. Western Australian acute care occupational therapists are practising in a highly complex health context that presents many challenges. They are responding by using a modified form of practice that ensures occupational therapy skills remain relevant within the narrow confines of this health setting. © 2016 Occupational Therapy Australia.
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Hall, C J; Peel, N M; Comans, T A; Gray, L C; Scuffham, P A
2012-01-01
There is an increasing demand for acute care services due in part to rising proportions of older people and increasing rates of chronic diseases. To reduce pressure and costs in the hospital system, community-based post-acute care discharge services for older people have evolved as one method of reducing length of stay in hospital and preventing readmissions. However, it is unclear whether they reduce overall episode cost or expenditure in the health system at a more general level. In this paper, we review the current evidence on the likely costs and benefits of these services and consider whether they are potentially cost-effective from a health services perspective, using the Australian Transition Care Programme as a case study. Evaluations of community-based post-acute services have demonstrated that they reduce length of stay, prevent some re-hospitalisations and defer nursing home placement. There is also evidence that they convey some additional health benefits to older people. An economic model was developed to identify the maximum potential benefits and the likely cost savings from reduced use of health services from earlier discharge from hospital, accelerated recovery, reduced likelihood of readmission to hospital and delayed entry into permanent institutional care for participants of the Transition Care Programme. Assuming the best case scenario, the Transition Care Programme is still unlikely to be cost saving to a healthcare system. Hence for this service to be justified, additional health benefits such as quality of life improvements need to be taken into account. If it can be demonstrated that this service also conveys additional quality of life improvements, community-based programmes such as Transition Care could be considered to be cost-effective when compared with other healthcare programmes. © 2011 Blackwell Publishing Ltd.
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Liu, Chuan-Fen; Chapko, Michael; Bryson, Chris L; Burgess, James F; Fortney, John C; Perkins, Mark; Sharp, Nancy D; Maciejewski, Matthew L
2010-01-01
Objective To examine differences in use of Veterans Health Administration (VA) and Medicare outpatient services by VA primary care patients. Data Sources/Study Setting VA administrative and Medicare claims data from 2001 to 2004. Study Design Retrospective cohort study of outpatient service use by 8,964 community-based and 6,556 hospital-based VA primary care patients. Principal Findings A significant proportion of VA patients used Medicare-reimbursed primary care (>30 percent) and specialty care (>60 percent), but not mental health care (3–4 percent). Community-based patients had 17 percent fewer VA primary care visits (p<.001), 9 percent more Medicare-reimbursed visits (p<.001), and 6 percent fewer total visits (p<.05) than hospital-based patients. Community-based patients had 22 percent fewer VA specialty care visits (p<.0001) and 21 percent more Medicare-reimbursed specialty care visits (p<.0001) than hospital-based patients, but no difference in total visits (p=.80). Conclusions Medicare-eligible VA primary care patients followed over 4 consecutive years used significant primary care and specialty care outside of VA. Community-based patients offset decreased VA use with increased service use paid by Medicare, suggesting that increasing access to VA primary care via community clinics may fragment veteran care in unintended ways. Coordination of care between VA and non-VA providers and health care systems is essential to improve the quality and continuity of care. PMID:20831716
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Patient advocacy and advance care planning in the acute hospital setting.
Seal, Marion
2007-01-01
The aim of this study was to explain the role of patient advocacy in the Advance Care Planning (ACP-ing) process. Nurses rate prolonging the dying process with inappropriate measures as their most disturbing ethical issue and protecting patients' rights to be of great concern (Johnston et al 2002). Paradoxically ethical codes assume nurses have the autonomy to uphold patients' health-care choices. Advance Directives (AD) designed to improve end-of-life care are poorly taken up and acute hospitals are generally not geared for the few they receive. The Respecting Patient Choices Program (RPCP) improves AD utilisation through providing a supportive framework for ACP-ing and primarily equipping nurses as RPC consultants. Assisting patients with this process requires attributes consistent with patient advocacy arising out of nursing's most basic tenet, the care of others. Likert Scales survey administered pre and six months post-intervention to pilot and control groups, with coinciding focus groups. Selected wards in an acute care public hospital in South Australia. Nurses on the palliative care, respiratory, renal and colo-rectal pilot wards and the haem-oncology, coronary care, cardiology and neurology/geriatric control wards. The RPCP during the 2004-2005 South Australian pilot of the (RPCP). The organisational endorsement of ACP-ing gave nurses the autonomy to be patient advocates with respect to end-of-life care, reconciling clinical practice to their code of ethics and easing distress about prolonging the dying process inappropriately. Statistically significant survey results in the post-intervention group showed nurses experienced: encouragement to ensure patients could make informed choices about their end-of-life treatment (84%); the ability to uphold these wishes in practice (73%); and job satisfaction from delivering appropriate end-of-life care (67%); compared to approximately half (42-55%) of respondents in the pre-intervention and control groups. Focus
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Bergquist-Beringer, Sandra; Cramer, Emily
2017-01-01
PURPOSE: The purpose of this study was to describe the (a) number and types of employed WOC certified nurses in acute care hospitals, (b) rates of hospital-acquired pressure injury (HAPI) and catheter-associated urinary tract infection (CAUTI), and (c) effectiveness of WOC certified nurses with respect to lowering HAPI and CAUTI occurrences. DESIGN: Retrospective analysis of data from National Database of Nursing Quality Indicators. SUBJECTS AND SETTINGS: The sample comprised 928 National Database of Nursing Quality Indicators (NDNQI) hospitals that participated in the 2012 NDNQI RN Survey (source of specialty certification data) and collected HAPI, CAUTI, and nurse staffing data during the years 2012 to 2013. METHODS: We analyzed years 2012 to 2013 data from the NDNQI. Descriptive statistics summarized the number and types of employed WOC certified nurses, the rate of HAPI and CAUTI, and HAPI risk assessment and prevention intervention rates. Chi-square analyses were used to compare the characteristics of hospitals that do and do not employ WOC certified nurses. Analysis-of-covariance models were used to test the association between WOC certified nurses and HAPI and CAUTI occurrences. RESULTS: Just more than one-third of the study hospitals (36.6%) employed WOC certified nurses. Certified continence care nurses (CCCNs) were employed in fewest number. Hospitals employing wound care specialty certified nurses (CWOCN, CWCN, and CWON) had lower HAPI rates and better pressure injury risk assessment and prevention practices. Stage 3 and 4 HAPI occurrences among hospitals employing CWOCNs, CWCNs, and CWONs (0.27%) were nearly half the rate of hospitals not employing these nurses (0.51%). There were no significant relationships between nurses with specialty certification in continence care (CWOCN, CCCN) or ostomy care (CWOCN, COCN) and CAUTI rates. CONCLUSIONS: CWOCNs, CWCNs, and CWONs are an important factor in achieving better HAPI outcomes in acute care settings. The
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The development of infection control strategies at acute-care hospitals has contributed to an overall decline in the number of healthcare-associated infections (HAI’s) in the United States, especially those caused by contaminated equipment used in surgical procedures and co...
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Chen, Chang-Hua; Kuo, Han-Yueh; Hsu, Po-Jui; Chang, Chien-Min; Chen, Jiann-Yuan; Lu, Henry Horng-Shing; Chen, Hsin-Yao; Liou, Ming-Li
2018-06-01
The global spread of carbapenem-resistant Acinetobacter baumannii (CRAB) is now a public health problem. In Taiwan, the relationship of the CRAB circulation between long-term care facilities (LTCFs) and acute care hospitals remains unclear. Here, we use molecular epidemiologic methods to describe the transmission of CRAB isolates between a community hospital and its affiliated LTCFs. Subjects localized in eight LTCFs who were not admitted acute care hospitals in recent a year were enrolled in this study. CRAB isolates were collected during June 1, 2015 and December 31, 2015. DNA fingerprinting was performed by repetitive extragenic palindromic sequence-based polymerase chain reaction (Rep-PCR) and multilocus sequence typing (MLST). Multiplex-PCR amplification for the detection of bla OXA genes and beta-lactamase genes was performed. Twenty one subjects were enrolled. The major hospital admission diagnoses among the 21 subjects were pneumonia (71.4%). Genotyping of CRAB isolates by Rep-PCR revealed that a major clone, designated as type III, comprised fifteen of 21 (71.4%) isolates taken from 5 LTCFs and one study hospital. The isolates with type III were subtyped by PubMLST into 4 ST types. The most prevalent bla OXA genes in these isolates were bla OXA-23 -like (85.70%, 18/21). Twenty isolates carried bla SHV. CONCLUSION: Clonal spread of bla OxA-23 -carrying CRABs was found around LTCFs and the affiliated hospital. In Taiwan, it is important for the government to focus attention on the importance of identifying and tracing CRAB infections in LTCFs. Copyright © 2017. Published by Elsevier B.V.
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Jones, Christine D; Cumbler, Ethan; Honigman, Benjamin; Burke, Robert E; Boxer, Rebecca S; Levy, Cari; Coleman, Eric A; Wald, Heidi L
2017-01-01
Information exchange is critical to high-quality care transitions from hospitals to post-acute care (PAC) facilities. We conducted a survey to evaluate the completeness and timeliness of information transfer and communication between a tertiary-care academic hospital and its related PAC facilities. This was a cross-sectional Web-based 36-question survey of 110 PAC clinicians and staff representing 31 PAC facilities conducted between October and December 2013. We received responses from 71 of 110 individuals representing 29 of 31 facilities (65% and 94% response rates). We collapsed 4-point Likert responses into dichotomous variables to reflect completeness (sufficient vs insufficient) and timeliness (timely vs not timely) for information transfer and communication. Among respondents, 32% reported insufficient information about discharge medical conditions and management plan, and 83% reported at least occasionally encountering problems directly related to inadequate information from the hospital. Hospital clinician contact information was the most common insufficient domain. With respect to timeliness, 86% of respondents desired receipt of a discharge summary on or before the day of discharge, but only 58% reported receiving the summary within this time frame. Through free-text responses, several participants expressed the need for paper prescriptions for controlled pain medications to be sent with patients at the time of transfer. Staff and clinicians at PAC facilities perceive substantial deficits in content and timeliness of information exchange between the hospital and facilities. Such deficits are particularly relevant in the context of the increasing prevalence of bundled payments for care across settings as well as forthcoming readmissions penalties for PAC facilities. Targets identified for quality improvement include structuring discharge summary information to include information identified as deficient by respondents, completion of discharge summaries
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Lim, Jia Xu; King, Nicolas; Low, Sharon; Ng, Wai Hoe
2015-01-01
Readmission of patients to acute hospitals contributes significantly toward inefficient utilization of healthcare resources, with studies quoting up to 90% being preventable. We aim to report and analyze the factors involved in the readmission of neurosurgical patients who had been previously transferred to an intermediate step-down care facility, and explore possible predictive markers for such readmissions. We conducted a retrospective analysis of all 129 neurosurgical patients who were transferred from out acute tertiary hospital to an intermediate care facility. The cases were segregated into those who were readmitted and those who were not readmitted back to our acute center. The demographic data, clinical features, diagnoses, treatment modalities, pretransfer laboratory findings, and inpatient complications were compared with readmission rate. There were 23 patients (17.8%) who were readmitted to our acute hospital. The most common causes of readmission was infection (n = 12, 52.2%). We found a statistically significant correlation between the higher pretransfer procalcitonin levels with the readmission of our patients (P = 0.037). There was also a significant difference noted between ethnic groups (P = 0.026) and having no complications of disease or treatment (P = 0.008), with readmission. Procalcitonin is a pro-hormone known to correlate with infection and poor neurological status. We have found that its serum values correlate significantly with the readmission rates of neurosurgical patients in our study. We postulate that by ensuring normality in procalcitonin levels prior to transfer to an intermediate care facility, potentially half of neurosurgical readmissions can be prevented.
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Lim, Jia Xu; King, Nicolas; Low, Sharon; Ng, Wai Hoe
2015-01-01
Background: Readmission of patients to acute hospitals contributes significantly toward inefficient utilization of healthcare resources, with studies quoting up to 90% being preventable. We aim to report and analyze the factors involved in the readmission of neurosurgical patients who had been previously transferred to an intermediate step-down care facility, and explore possible predictive markers for such readmissions. Methods: We conducted a retrospective analysis of all 129 neurosurgical patients who were transferred from out acute tertiary hospital to an intermediate care facility. The cases were segregated into those who were readmitted and those who were not readmitted back to our acute center. The demographic data, clinical features, diagnoses, treatment modalities, pretransfer laboratory findings, and inpatient complications were compared with readmission rate. Results: There were 23 patients (17.8%) who were readmitted to our acute hospital. The most common causes of readmission was infection (n = 12, 52.2%). We found a statistically significant correlation between the higher pretransfer procalcitonin levels with the readmission of our patients (P = 0.037). There was also a significant difference noted between ethnic groups (P = 0.026) and having no complications of disease or treatment (P = 0.008), with readmission. Conclusion: Procalcitonin is a pro-hormone known to correlate with infection and poor neurological status. We have found that its serum values correlate significantly with the readmission rates of neurosurgical patients in our study. We postulate that by ensuring normality in procalcitonin levels prior to transfer to an intermediate care facility, potentially half of neurosurgical readmissions can be prevented. PMID:26430533
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Brooke, Joanne; Manneh, Claire
2018-03-12
To explore the lived experience of caring for a patient during an acute episode of delirium by nurses working in cardiology, elderly care, renal, or respiratory specialities. A missed or delayed diagnosis of delirium in an acute hospital setting adversely impacts on patient outcomes. Nurses are the best placed health care professionals to identify a change in patient's cognitive status but struggle to do so. Inductive interpretative phenomenology. Semi-structured interviews with nurses working in an acute hospital in England between November 2016 and March 2017 (n = 23). Interviews were transcribed verbatim and analysed using thematic analysis. Three themes were identified: (i) "sometimes delirium is confusing", difficultly in differentiating between delirium and dementia; (ii) "everyone in the ward was looking after him", a need for collaborative working to provide harm free care; and (iii) "he was aggressive with us, but after treatment he was a gentleman", acceptance and tolerance of aggression. The need for education across specialities, with a combination of classroom and simulation teaching. Alongside, the development of structures to support the development of nursing teamwork and reporting of near miss incidents that occur with patients during an episode of delirium. © 2018 John Wiley & Sons Australia, Ltd.
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[The right to die with dignity in an acute-care hospital: a qualitative study].
Sepúlveda-Sánchez, Juana María; Morales-Asencio, Jose Miguel; Morales-Gil, Isabel María; Canca-Sánchez, José Carlos; Crespillo-García, Eva; Timonet-Andreu, Eva María
2014-01-01
To examine the perceptions and beliefs of doctors and nurses, and the barriers and facilitators they must address as regards the right to die with dignity in an acute-care hospital, and to consider the applicability of the provisions of Law 2/2010 of 8 April in this respect. A qualitative descriptive study, based on the focus group technique, using discourse analysis of the views of doctors and nurses responsible for the health care of terminal cancer and non-cancer patients in an acute-care hospital. The results obtained show that there are diverse obstacles to assure the rights of terminal patients, and to ensure the proper performance of their duties by healthcare professionals and institutions. The nature and impact of these difficulties depend on the characteristics of the patients and their families, the health workers involved, the organisation of health care, and cultural factors. The study highlights the need to improve the process of communication with patients and their families, to facilitate shared decision making and to establish measures to clarify issues such as palliative sedation and treatment limitation. It is necessary to improve the applicability of the law on living wills and dignified death in non-cancer specialist areas. Further training is needed regarding ethical, spiritual and anthropological aspects of care in these situations. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier España, S.L. All rights reserved.
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Konetzka, R Tamara; Stuart, Elizabeth A; Werner, Rachel M
2018-02-07
In this paper we examine empirically the effect of integration on Medicare payment and rehospitalization. We use 2005-2013 data on Medicare beneficiaries receiving post-acute care (PAC) in the U.S. to examine integration between hospitals and the two most common post-acute care settings: skilled nursing facilities (SNFs) and home health agencies (HHA), using two measures of integration-formal vertical integration and informal integration representing preferential relationships between providers without formal relationships. Our identification strategy is twofold. First, we use longitudinal models with a fixed effect for each hospital-PAC pair in a market to test how changes in integration impact patient outcomes. Second, we use an instrumental variable approach to account for patient selection into integrated providers. We find that vertical integration between hospitals and SNFs increases Medicare payments and reduces rehospitalization rates. However, vertical integration between hospitals and HHAs has little effect, nor does informal integration between hospitals and either PAC setting. Copyright © 2018 The Author(s). Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.
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Barriers to primary care hospital follow-up among older adults in rural or semi-rural communities.
Hardman, Bobbi; Newcomb, Patricia
2016-02-01
Failure to follow-up with a primary care provider (PCP) following discharge from an acute care setting is strongly associated with readmission within 90 days among elderly patients. The purpose of this study was to identify barriers to primary care follow-up among older adults in rural communities. This was an explanatory mixed methods study which included scaled survey and interview techniques. Descriptive and inferential statistics were calculated for scaled concepts. Standard content analysis was performed on the qualitative items. Correlation between intention to follow-up with a PCP and actual follow-up was poor (r=0.20). Patients encountered substantial obstacles to the PCP follow-up visit. Obstacles clustered into two groups: 1) healthcare or social system barriers and 2) personal characteristics of patients. Individualized discharge planning that reflects the complexities of post-hospitalization adaptation for elders is most likely to be useful for ensuring PCP follow-up. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.
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Williams, Heather L; Costley, Teresa; Bellury, Lanell M; Moobed, Jasmine
2018-06-01
The aim of this study was to explore the relationships between nurse-reported health-promoting behaviors (HPBs), job stress, and job satisfaction in a hospital setting. Job stress and satisfaction are key components of the nursing work environment; however, evidence of the relationship between HPB and job stress and satisfaction is lacking. A cross-sectional, 144-item survey was administered to nurses working in an acute care, community hospital in the southeastern United States. Higher levels of HPB were associated with lower job stress and higher job satisfaction. Total HPB was associated with the competence subscale of job stress. Lower job stress was significantly associated with HPB subscales: spiritual growth, interpersonal relations, and stress management. Nursing organizations can implement interventions that support HPB for nurses to reduce job stress and improve satisfaction.
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Bailey, Allan L; Moe, Grace; Moe, Jessica; Oland, Ryan
2009-01-01
The WestView community-based medication reconciliation (CMR) aims to decrease medication error risk. A clinical pharmacist visits patients' homes within 72 hours of hospital discharge and compares medications in discharge orders, family physicians' charts, community pharmacy profiles and in the home. Discrepancies are discussed and reconciled with the dispenser, hospital prescriber and follow-up care provider. The CMR demonstrates successful integration that is patient-centred and standardized, bridging the hospital-community interface and improving information flow and communication channels across a family-physician-led multi-disciplinary team. A concurrent research study will evaluate the impact of CMR on health services utilization and to develop a risk prediction model.
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Bachnick, Stefanie; Ausserhofer, Dietmar; Baernholdt, Marianne; Simon, Michael
2018-05-01
Patient-centered care is a key element of high-quality healthcare and determined by individual, structural and process factors. Patient-centered care is associated with improved patient-reported, clinical and economic outcomes. However, while hospital-level characteristics influence patient-centered care, little evidence is available on the association of patient-centered care with characteristic such as the nurse work environment or implicit rationing of nursing care. The aim of this study was to describe patient-centered care in Swiss acute care hospitals and to explore the associations with nurse work environment factors and implicit rationing of nursing care. This is a sub-study of the cross-sectional multi-center "Matching Registered Nurse Services with Changing Care Demands" study. We included 123 units in 23 acute care hospitals from all three of Switzerland's language regions. The sample consisted of 2073 patients, hospitalized for at least 24 h and ≥18 years of age. From the same hospital units, 1810 registered nurses working in direct patient care were also included. Patients' perceptions of patient-centered care were assessed using four items from the Generic Short Patient Experiences Questionnaire. Nurses completed questionnaires assessing perceived staffing and resource adequacy, adjusted staffing, leadership ability and level of implicit rationing of nursing care. We applied a Generalized Linear Mixed Models for analysis including individual-level patient and nurse data aggregated to the unit level. Patients reported high levels of patient-centered care: 90% easily understood nurses, 91% felt the treatment and care were adapted for their situation, 82% received sufficient information, and 70% felt involved in treatment and care decisions. Higher staffing and resource adequacy was associated with higher levels of patient-centered care, e.g., sufficient information (β 0.638 [95%-CI: 0.30-0.98]). Higher leadership ratings were associated with
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Daws, Karen; Punch, Amanda; Winters, Michelle; Posenelli, Sonia; Willis, John; MacIsaac, Andrew; Rahman, Muhammad Aziz; Worrall-Carter, Linda
2014-11-01
Acute coronary syndrome (ACS) contributes to the disparity in life expectancy between Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal Australians. Improving hospital care for Aboriginal patients has been identified as a means of addressing this disparity. This project developed and implemented a working together model of care, comprising an Aboriginal Hospital Liaison Officer and a specialist cardiac nurse, providing care coordination specifically directed at improving attendance at cardiac rehabilitation services for Aboriginal Australians in a large metropolitan hospital in Melbourne. A quality improvement framework using a retrospective case notes audit evaluated Aboriginal patients' admissions to hospital and identified low attendance rates at cardiac rehabilitation services. A working together model of care coordination by an Aboriginal Hospital Liaison Officer and a specialist cardiac nurse was implemented to improve cardiac rehabilitation attendance in Aboriginal patients admitted with ACS to the cardiac wards of the hospital. A retrospective medical records audit showed that there were 68 Aboriginal patients admitted to the cardiac wards with ACS from 1 July 2008 to 30 June 2011. A referral to cardiac rehabilitation was recorded for 42% of these. During the implementation of the model of care, 13 of 15 patients (86%) received a referral to cardiac rehabilitation and eight of the 13 (62%) attended. Implementation of the working together model demonstrated improved referral to and attendance at cardiac rehabilitation services, thereby, has potential to prevent complications and mortality. WHAT IS KNOWN ABOUT THE TOPIC?: Aboriginal Australians experience disparities in access to recommended care for acute coronary syndrome. This may contribute to the life expectancy gap between Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal Australians. WHAT DOES THIS PAPER ADD?: This paper describes a model of care involving an Aboriginal Hospital Liaisons Officer and a specialist cardiac nurse working
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Frey, Rosemary; Gott, Merryn; Raphael, Deborah; O'Callaghan, Anne; Robinson, Jackie; Boyd, Michal; Laking, George; Manson, Leigh; Snow, Barry
2014-12-01
Central to appropriate palliative care management in hospital settings is ensuring an adequately trained workforce. In order to achieve optimum palliative care delivery, it is first necessary to create a baseline understanding of the level of palliative care education and support needs among all clinical staff (not just palliative care specialists) within the acute hospital setting. The objectives of the study were to explore clinical staff: perceptions concerning the quality of palliative care delivery and support service accessibility, previous experience and education in palliative care delivery, perceptions of their own need for formal palliative care education, confidence in palliative care delivery and the impact of formal palliative care training on perceived confidence. A purposive sample of clinical staff members (598) in a 710-bed hospital were surveyed regarding their experiences of palliative care delivery and their education needs. On average, the clinical staff rated the quality of care provided to people who die in the hospital as 'good' (x̄=4.17, SD=0.91). Respondents also reported that 19.3% of their time was spent caring for end-of-life patients. However, only 19% of the 598 respondents reported having received formal palliative care training. In contrast, 73.7% answered that they would like formal training. Perceived confidence in palliative care delivery was significantly greater for those clinical staff with formal palliative care training. Formal training in palliative care increases clinical staff perceptions of confidence, which evidence suggests impacts on the quality of palliative care provided to patients. The results of the study should be used to shape the design and delivery of palliative care education programmes within the acute hospital setting to successfully meet the needs of all clinical staff. Published by the BMJ Publishing Group Limited. For permission to use (where not already granted under a licence) please go to http://group.bmj.com/group/rights-licensing/permissions.
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Transitions from hospital to community care: the role of patient-provider language concordance.
Rayan, Nosaiba; Admi, Hanna; Shadmi, Efrat
2014-01-01
Cultural and language discordance between patients and providers constitutes a significant challenge to provision of quality healthcare. This study aims to evaluate minority patients' discharge from hospital to community care, specifically examining the relationship between patient-provider language concordance and the quality of transitional care. This was a multi-method prospective study of care transitions of 92 patients: native Hebrew, Russian or Arabic speakers, with a pre-discharge questionnaire and structured observations examining discharge preparation from a large Israeli teaching hospital. Two weeks post-discharge patients were surveyed by phone, on the transition from hospital to community care (the Care Transition Measure (CTM-15, 0-100 scale)) and on the primary-care post-discharge visit. Overall, ratings on the CTM indicated fair quality of the transition process (scores of 51.8 to 58.8). Patient-provider language concordance was present in 49% of minority patients' discharge briefings. Language concordance was associated with higher CTM scores among minority groups (64.1 in language-concordant versus 49.8 in non-language-concordant discharges, P <0.001). Other aspects significantly associated with CTM scores: extent of discharge explanations (P <0.05), quality of discharge briefing (P <0.001), and post-discharge explanations by the primary care physician (P <0.01). Language-concordant care, coupled with extensive discharge briefings and post-discharge explanations for ongoing care, are important contributors to the quality of care transitions of ethnic minority patients.
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Transitions from hospital to community care: the role of patient–provider language concordance
2014-01-01
Background Cultural and language discordance between patients and providers constitutes a significant challenge to provision of quality healthcare. This study aims to evaluate minority patients’ discharge from hospital to community care, specifically examining the relationship between patient–provider language concordance and the quality of transitional care. Methods This was a multi-method prospective study of care transitions of 92 patients: native Hebrew, Russian or Arabic speakers, with a pre-discharge questionnaire and structured observations examining discharge preparation from a large Israeli teaching hospital. Two weeks post-discharge patients were surveyed by phone, on the transition from hospital to community care (the Care Transition Measure (CTM-15, 0–100 scale)) and on the primary-care post-discharge visit. Results Overall, ratings on the CTM indicated fair quality of the transition process (scores of 51.8 to 58.8). Patient–provider language concordance was present in 49% of minority patients’ discharge briefings. Language concordance was associated with higher CTM scores among minority groups (64.1 in language-concordant versus 49.8 in non-language-concordant discharges, P <0.001). Other aspects significantly associated with CTM scores: extent of discharge explanations (P <0.05), quality of discharge briefing (P <0.001), and post-discharge explanations by the primary care physician (P <0.01). Conclusion Language-concordant care, coupled with extensive discharge briefings and post-discharge explanations for ongoing care, are important contributors to the quality of care transitions of ethnic minority patients. PMID:25075273
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Bundling Post-Acute Care Services into MS-DRG Payments
Vertrees, James C.; Averill, Richard F.; Eisenhandler, Jon; Quain, Anthony; Switalski, James
2013-01-01
Objective A bundled hospital payment system that encompasses both acute and post-acute care has been proposed as a means of creating financial incentives in the Medicare fee-for-service system to foster care coordination and to improve the current disorganized system of post care. The objective of this study was to evaluate the statistical stability of alternative designs of a hospital payment system that includes post-acute care services to determine the feasibility of using a combined hospital and post-acute care bundle as a unit of payment. Methods The Medicare Severity-Diagnosis Related Groups (MS-DRGs) were subdivided into clinical subclasses that measured a patient's chronic illness burden to test whether a patient's chronic illness burden had a substantial impact on post-acute care expenditures. Using Medicare data the statistical performance of the MS-DRGs with and without the chronic illness subclasses was evaluated across a wide range of post-acute care windows and combinations of post-acute care service bundles using both submitted charges and Medicare payments. Results The statistical performance of the MS-DRGs as measured by R2 was consistently better when the chronic illness subclasses are included indicating that MS-DRGs by themselves are an inadequate unit of payment for post-acute care payment bundles. In general, R2 values increased as the post-acute care window length increased and decreased as more services were added to the post-acute care bundle. Discussion The study results suggest that it is feasible to develop a payment system that incorporates significant post-acute care services into the MS-DRG inpatient payment bundle. This expansion of the basic DRG payment approach can provide a strong financial incentive for providers to better coordinate care potentially leading to improved efficiency and outcome quality. PMID:24753970
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Boddington, Paula; Featherstone, Katie
2018-05-01
Continence is a key moment of care that can tell us about the wider care of people living with dementia within acute hospital wards. The spotlight is currently on the quality of hospital care of older people across the UK, yet concerns persist about their poor treatment, neglect, abuse, and discrimination within this setting. Thus, within hospitals, the care of people living with dementia is both a welfare issue and a human rights issue. The challenge of continence care for people living with dementia can be seen as the 'canary in the coal mine' for the unravelling of dignity within the acute setting. This paper draws on an ethnographic study within five hospitals in England and Wales, selected to represent a range of hospital types, geographies and socio-economic catchments. Observational fieldwork was carried out over 154 days in acute hospitals known to admit large numbers of people living with dementia. This paper starts to fill the gap between theory and data by providing an in-depth ethnographic analysis examining the ways in which treatment as a person is negotiated, achieved or threatened. We examine how the twin assaults on agency of a diagnosis of dementia and of incontinence threaten personhood. The acute threats to this patient group may then act to magnify perils to treatment as a person. Our findings suggest that personal dignity and the social construction of moral personhood are both threatened and maintained in such a setting. We show how empirical ethnographic data can lend weight to, and add detail to, theoretical accounts of moral personhood and dignity. © 2018 The Authors. Bioethics Published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.
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Featherstone, Katie
2018-01-01
Abstract Continence is a key moment of care that can tell us about the wider care of people living with dementia within acute hospital wards. The spotlight is currently on the quality of hospital care of older people across the UK, yet concerns persist about their poor treatment, neglect, abuse, and discrimination within this setting. Thus, within hospitals, the care of people living with dementia is both a welfare issue and a human rights issue. The challenge of continence care for people living with dementia can be seen as the ‘canary in the coal mine’ for the unravelling of dignity within the acute setting. This paper draws on an ethnographic study within five hospitals in England and Wales, selected to represent a range of hospital types, geographies and socio‐economic catchments. Observational fieldwork was carried out over 154 days in acute hospitals known to admit large numbers of people living with dementia. This paper starts to fill the gap between theory and data by providing an in‐depth ethnographic analysis examining the ways in which treatment as a person is negotiated, achieved or threatened. We examine how the twin assaults on agency of a diagnosis of dementia and of incontinence threaten personhood. The acute threats to this patient group may then act to magnify perils to treatment as a person. Our findings suggest that personal dignity and the social construction of moral personhood are both threatened and maintained in such a setting. We show how empirical ethnographic data can lend weight to, and add detail to, theoretical accounts of moral personhood and dignity. PMID:29676501
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The utility of outpatient commitment: acute medical care access and protecting health.
Segal, Steven P; Hayes, Stephania L; Rimes, Lachlan
2018-06-01
This study considers whether, in an easy access single-payer health care system, patients placed on outpatient commitment-community treatment orders (CTOs) in Victoria Australia-are more likely to access acute medical care addressing physical illness than voluntary patients with and without severe mental illness. For years 2000 to 2010, the study compared acute medical care access of 27,585 severely mentally ill psychiatrically hospitalized patients (11,424 with and 16,161 without CTO exposure) and 12,229 never psychiatrically hospitalized outpatients (individuals with less morbidity risk as they were not considered to have severe mental illness). Logistic regression was used to determine the influence of the CTO on the likelihood of receiving a diagnosis of physical illness requiring acute care. Validating their shared and elevated morbidity risk, 53% of each hospitalized cohort accessed acute care compared to 32% of outpatients during the decade. While not under mental health system supervision, however, the likelihood that a CTO patient would receive a physical illness diagnosis was 31% lower than for non-CTO patients, and no different from lower morbidity-risk outpatients without severe mental illness. While, under mental health system supervision, the likelihood that CTO patients would receive a physical illness diagnosis was 40% greater than non-CTO patients and 5.02 times more likely than outpatients were. Each CTO episode was associated with a 4.6% increase in the likelihood of a member of the CTO group receiving a diagnosis. Mental health system involvement and CTO supervision appeared to facilitate access to physical health care in acute care settings for patients with severe mental illness, a group that has, in the past, been subject to excess morbidity and mortality.
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Why do patients in acute care hospitals fall? Can falls be prevented?
Dykes, Patricia C; Carroll, Diane L; Hurley, Ann C; Benoit, Angela; Middleton, Blackford
2009-06-01
Obtain the views of nurses and assistants as to why patients in acute care hospitals fall. Despite a large quantitative evidence base for guiding fall risk assessment and not needing highly technical, scarce, or expensive equipment to prevent falls, falls are serious problems in hospitals. Basic content analysis methods were used to interpret descriptive data from 4 focus groups with nurses (n = 23) and 4 with assistants (n = 19). A 2-person consensus approach was used for analysis. Positive and negative components of 6 concepts-patient report, information access, signage, environment, teamwork, and involving patient/family-formed 2 core categories: knowledge/ communication and capability/actions that are facilitators or barriers, respectively, to preventing falls. Two conditions are required to reduce patient falls. A patient care plan including current and accurate fall risk status with associated tailored and feasible interventions needs to be easily and immediately accessible to all stakeholders (entire healthcare team, patients, and family). Second, stakeholders must use that information plus their own knowledge and skills and patient and hospital resources to carry out the plan.
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The Effect of Community-Based Specialist Palliative Care Teams on Place of Care.
Seow, Hsien; Dhaliwal, Gagan; Fassbender, Konrad; Rangrej, Jagadish; Brazil, Kevin; Fainsinger, Robin
2016-01-01
Prior research on community-based specialist palliative care teams used outcome measures of place of death and/or dichotomous outcome measures of acute care use in the last two weeks of life. However, existing research seldom measured the diverse places of care used and their timing prior to death. The study objective was to examine the place of care in the last 30 days of life. In this retrospective cohort study, patients who received care from a specialist palliative care team (exposed) were matched by propensity score to patients who received usual care in the community (unexposed) in Ontario, Canada. Measured was the percentage of patients in each place of care in the last month of life as a proportion of the total cohort. After matching, 3109 patients were identified in each group, where 79% had cancer and 77% received end-of-life home care. At 30 days compared to 7 days before death, the exposed group's proportions rose from 33% to 41% receiving home care and 14% to 15% in hospital, whereas the unexposed group's proportions rose from 28% to 32% receiving home care and 16% to 22% in hospital. Linear trend analysis (proportion over time) showed that the exposed group used significantly more home care services and fewer hospital days (p < 0.001) than the unexposed group. On the last day of life (place of death), the exposed group had 18% die in an in-patient hospital bed compared to 29% in usual care. Examining place of care in the last month can effectively illustrate the service use trajectory over time.
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Proton pump inhibitors and functional decline in older adults discharged from acute care hospitals.
Corsonello, Andrea; Maggio, Marcello; Fusco, Sergio; Adamo, Bakhita; Amantea, Diana; Pedone, Claudio; Garasto, Sabrina; Ceda, Gian Paolo; Corica, Francesco; Lattanzio, Fabrizia; Antonelli Incalzi, Raffaele
2014-06-01
To investigate the relationship between use of proton pump inhibitors (PPIs) and incident dependency in older adults discharged from acute care hospitals. Prospective observational study. Eleven geriatric and internal medicine acute care wards located throughout Italy. Individuals (mean age 79.2 ± 5.5) who were not completely dependent at the time of discharge from participating wards (N = 401). The outcome of interest was the loss of at least one basic activity of daily living (ADL) from discharge to the end of follow-up (12 months). The relationship between PPI use and functional decline was investigated using logistic regression analysis before and after propensity score matching. Use of PPIs was significantly associated with functional decline before (odds ratio (OR) = 1.75, 95% confidence interval (CI) = 1.17-2.60) and after propensity score matching (OR = 2.44; 95% CI = 1.36-4.41). Other predictors of functional decline were hypoalbuminemia (OR = 3.10, 95% CI = 1.36-7.10 before matching, OR = 2.81, 95% CI = 1.09-7.77 after matching) and cognitive impairment (OR = 4.08, 95% CI = 1.63-10.2 before matching, OR = 6.35, 95% CI = 1.70-24.0 after matching). Use of PPIs is associated with functional decline during 12 months of follow-up in older adults discharged from acute care hospitals. © 2014, Copyright the Authors Journal compilation © 2014, The American Geriatrics Society.
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Ekerstad, Niklas; Karlson, Björn W; Andersson, David; Husberg, Magnus; Carlsson, Per; Heintz, Emelie; Alwin, Jenny
2018-05-18
The objective of this study was to estimate the 3-month within-trial cost-effectiveness of comprehensive geriatric assessment (CGA) in acute medical care for frail elderly patients compared to usual medical care, by estimating health-related quality of life and costs from a societal perspective. Clinical, prospective, controlled, 1-center intervention trial with 2 parallel groups. Structured, systematic interdisciplinary CGA-based care in an acute elderly care unit. If the patient fulfilled the inclusion criteria, and there was a bed available at the CGA unit, the patient was included in the intervention group. If no bed was available at the CGA unit, the patient was included in the control group and admitted to a conventional acute medical care unit. A large county hospital in western Sweden. The trial included 408 frail elderly patients, 75 years or older, in need of acute in-hospital treatment. The patients were allocated to the intervention group (n = 206) or control group (n = 202). Mean age of the patients was 85.7 years, and 56% were female. The primary outcome was the adjusted incremental cost-effectiveness ratio associated with the intervention compared to the control at the 3-month follow-up. We undertook cost-effectiveness analysis, adjusted by regression analyses, including hospital, primary, and municipal care costs and effects. The difference in the mean adjusted quality-adjusted life years gained between groups at 3 months was 0.0252 [95% confidence interval (CI): 0.0082-0.0422]. The incremental cost, that is, the difference between the groups, was -3226 US dollars (95% CI: -6167 to -285). The results indicate that the care in a CGA unit for acutely ill frail elderly patients is likely to be cost-effective compared to conventional care after 3 months. Copyright © 2018 AMDA – The Society for Post-Acute and Long-Term Care Medicine. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.
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The Relative Importance of Post-Acute Care and Readmissions for Post-Discharge Spending.
Huckfeldt, Peter J; Mehrotra, Ateev; Hussey, Peter S
2016-10-01
To understand what patterns of health care use are associated with higher post-hospitalization spending. Medicare hospital, skilled nursing, inpatient rehabilitation, and home health agency claims, and Medicare enrollment data from 2007 and 2008. For 10 common inpatient conditions, we calculated variation across hospitals in price-standardized and case mix-adjusted Medicare spending in the 30 days following hospital discharge. We estimated the fraction of spending differences between low- and high-spending hospitals attributable to readmissions versus post-acute care, and within post-acute care between inpatient rehabilitation facility (IRF) versus skilled nursing facility (SNF) use. For each service, we distinguished between differences in probability of use and spending conditional on use. We identified index hospital claims and examined hospital and post-acute care occurring within a 30-day period following hospital discharge. For each Medicare Severity Diagnosis-Related Group (MS-DRG) at each hospital, we calculated average price-standardized Medicare payments for readmissions, SNFs, IRFs, and post-acute care overall (also including home health agencies and long-term care hospitals). There was extensive variation across hospitals in Medicare spending in the 30 days following hospital discharge. For example, the interquartile range across hospitals ranged from $1,245 for chronic obstructive pulmonary disease to over $4,000 for myocardial infarction MS-DRGs. The proportion of differences attributable to readmissions versus post-acute care differed across conditions. For myocardial infarction, 74 to 93 percent of the variation was due to readmissions. For hip and femur procedures and joint replacement, 72 to 92 percent of the variation was due to differences in post-acute care spending. There was also variation in the relative importance of the type of post-acute spending. For hip and femur procedures, joint replacement, and stroke, whether patients received IRF
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Malone, Michael L.; Vollbrecht, Marsha; Stephenson, Jeff; Burke, Laura; Pagel, Patti; Goodwin, James S.
2014-01-01
This article describes an innovative method to disseminate the Acute Care for Elders (ACE) model of care for hospitalized older patients implemented at 11 community hospitals in Wisconsin. The ACE Tracker is a computer-generated checklist of all older patients in a facility that takes information from multiple areas of the electronic medical record to identify the older patients’ risk factors for functional decline and poor outcomes. The ACE Tracker report was validated against in-person observation of the older patients and found to be accurate. Interdisciplinary teams on medical–surgical units use this summary report to review each patient’s plan of care and to efficiently assess the patients who are vulnerable to poor hospital outcomes. The ACE Tracker is also used during regular consultation provided through teleconferencing between an off-site geriatrician (e-Geriatrician) and the local ACE team. The effect of the ACE Tracker and e-Geriatrician models was assessed by measuring use of urinary catheters, physical restraints, high-risk medications, and social service evaluation at a single hospital for the 6 months before and after implementation of the models. There were significant improvements in urinary catheter and physical therapy referrals but no significant changes in the other outcomes. There was no change in the length of stay or in the rate of hospital readmission within 30 days. PMID:20122048
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Acute care teaching in the undergraduate nursing curriculum.
McGaughey, Jennifer
2009-01-01
To incorporate basic aspects of acute care into the undergraduate nursing programme by providing an opportunity for the development of knowledge and skills in the early recognition and assessment of deteriorating patients on general hospital wards. Acute care initiatives implemented in the hospital setting to improve the identification and management of 'at risk' patients have focused on the provision of education for trained or qualified staff. However, to ensure student nurses are 'fit to practice' at the point of registration, it has been recommended that acute care theory and skills are incorporated into the undergraduate nursing curriculum. PRACTICE DEVELOPMENT INITIATIVE: An 'Integrated Nursing Care' module was incorporated into year 3 of the undergraduate nursing programme to introduce students to acute care theory and practice. Module content focuses on the early detection and management of acute deterioration in patients with respiratory, cardiac, neurological or renal insufficiencies. We used a competency-based framework to ensure the application of theory to practice through the use of group seminars. High-fidelity patient-simulated clinical scenarios were a key feature. The United Kingdom Resuscitation Council Intermediate Life Support course is also an important component of the module. Incorporating the Integrated Nursing Care module into the undergraduate nursing curriculum provides pre-registration students the opportunity to develop their knowledge and skills in acute care. The provision of undergraduate education in care of the acutely ill patient in hospital is essential to improve nurses' competence and confidence in assessing and managing deteriorating patients in general wards at the point of registration.
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General surgery 2.0: the emergence of acute care surgery in Canada
Hameed, S. Morad; Brenneman, Frederick D.; Ball, Chad G.; Pagliarello, Joe; Razek, Tarek; Parry, Neil; Widder, Sandy; Minor, Sam; Buczkowski, Andrzej; MacPherson, Cailan; Johner, Amanda; Jenkin, Dan; Wood, Leanne; McLoughlin, Karen; Anderson, Ian; Davey, Doug; Zabolotny, Brent; Saadia, Roger; Bracken, John; Nathens, Avery; Ahmed, Najma; Panton, Ormond; Warnock, Garth L.
2010-01-01
Over the past 5 years, there has been a groundswell of support in Canada for the development of organized, focused and multidisciplinary approaches to caring for acutely ill general surgical patients. Newly forged acute care surgery (ACS) services are beginning to provide prompt, evidence-based and goal-directed care to acutely ill general surgical patients who often present with a diverse range of complex pathologies and little or no pre- or postoperative planning. Through a team-based structure with attention to processes of care and information sharing, ACS services are well positioned to improve outcomes, while finding and developing efficiencies and reducing costs of surgical and emergency health care delivery. The ACS model also offers enhanced opportunities for surgical education for students, residents and practicing surgeons, and it will provide avenues to strengthen clinical and academic bonds between the community and academic surgical centres. In the near future, cooperation of ACS services from community and academic hospitals across the country will lead to the formation of systems of acute surgical care whose development will be informed by rigorous data collection and research and evidence-based quality-improvement initiatives. In an era of increasing subspecialization, ACS is a strong unifying force in general surgery and a platform for collective advocacy for an important patient population. PMID:20334738
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Medicare's bundling pilot: including post-acute care services.
Dummit, Laura A
2011-03-28
Fee-for-service Medicare, in which a separate payment is made for each service, rewards health care providers for delivering more services, but not necessarily coordinating those services over time or across settings. To help address these concerns, the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act of 2010 requires Medicare to experiment with making a bundled payment for a hospitalization plus post-acute care, that is, the recuperative or rehabilitative care following a hospital discharge. This bundled payment approach is intended to promote more efficient care across the acute/post-acute episode because the entity that receives the payment has financial incentives to keep episode costs below the payment. Although the entity is expected to control costs through improved care coordination and efficiency, it could stint on care or avoid expensive patients instead. This issue brief focuses on the unique challenges posed by the inclusion of post-acute care services in a payment bundle and special considerations in implementing and evaluating the episode payment approach.
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Inpatient Dialysis Unit Project Development: Redesigning Acute Hemodialysis Care.
Day, Jennifer
2017-01-01
Executive leaders of an acute care hospital performed a market and financial analysis, and created a business plan to establish an inpatient hemodialysis unit operated by the hospital to provide safe, high-quality, evidence-based care to the population of individuals experiencing end stage renal disease (ESRD) within the community. The business plan included a SWOT (Strengths - Weaknesses - Opportunities - Threats) analysis to assess advantages of the hospital providing inpatient hemodialysis services versus outsourcing the services with a contracted agency. The results of the project were a newly constructed tandem hemodialysis room and an operational plan with clearly defined key performance indicators, process improvement initiatives, and financial goals. This article provides an overview of essential components of a business plan to guide the establishment of an inpatient hemodialysis unit. Copyright© by the American Nephrology Nurses Association.
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Schwierz, Christoph; Wübker, Achim; Wübker, Ansgar; Kuchinke, Björn A
2011-10-01
This paper shows that patients with private health insurance (PHI) are being offered significantly shorter waiting times than patients with statutory health insurance (SHI) in German acute hospital care. This behavior may be driven by the higher expected profitability of PHI relative to SHI holders. Further, we find that hospitals offering private insurees shorter waiting times when compared with SHI holders have a significantly better financial performance than those abstaining from or with less discrimination.
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Chavez, Laura J; Liu, Chuan-Fen; Tefft, Nathan; Hebert, Paul L; Devine, Beth; Bradley, Katharine A
2017-10-01
Hospital readmissions and emergency department (ED) visits within 30 days of discharge are costly. Heavy alcohol use could predict increased risk for post-discharge acute care. This study assessed 30-day acute care utilization and expenditures for different categories of alcohol use. Veterans Affairs (VA) patients age ≥65 years with past-year alcohol screening, hospitalized for a medical condition, were included. VA and Medicare health care utilization data were used. Two-part models adjusted for patient demographics. Among 416,050 hospitalized patients, 25% had 30-day acute care use. Nondrinking patients (n = 267,746) had increased probability of acute care use, mean utilization days, and expenditures (difference of $345; 95% CI $268-$423), relative to low-risk drinkers (n = 105,023). High-risk drinking patients (n = 5,300) had increased probability of acute care use and mean utilization days, but not expenditures. Although these patients did not have greater acute care expenditures than low-risk drinking patients, they may nevertheless be vulnerable to poor post-discharge outcomes.
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Hospitalization Rates of Nursing Home Residents and Community-Dwelling Seniors in British Columbia
ERIC Educational Resources Information Center
Ronald, Lisa A.; McGregor, Margaret J.; McGrail, Kimberlyn M.; Tate, Robert B.; Broemling, Anne-Marie
2008-01-01
The overall use of acute care services by nursing home (NH) residents in Canada has not been well documented. Our objectives were to identify the major causes of hospitalization among NH facility residents and to compare rates to those of community-dwelling seniors. A retrospective cohort was defined using population-level health administrative…
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Singh, Simone R; Young, Gary J; Daniel Lee, Shoou-Yih; Song, Paula H; Alexander, Jeffrey A
2015-05-01
We investigated whether federally tax-exempt hospitals consider community health needs when deciding how much and what types of community benefits to provide. Using 2009 data from hospital tax filings to the Internal Revenue Service and the 2010 County Health Rankings, we employed both univariate and multivariate analyses to examine the relationship between community health needs and the types and levels of hospitals' community benefit expenditures. The study sample included 1522 private, tax-exempt hospitals throughout the United States. We found some patterns between community health needs and hospitals' expenditures on community benefits. Hospitals located in communities with greater health needs spent more as a percentage of their operating budgets on benefits directly related to patient care. By contrast, spending on community health improvement initiatives was unrelated to community health needs. Important opportunities exist for tax-exempt hospitals to improve the alignment between their community benefit activities and the health needs of the community they serve. The Affordable Care Act requirement that hospitals conduct periodic community health needs assessments may be a first step in this direction.
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Blackford, Martha G; Falletta, Lynn; Andrews, David A; Reed, Michael D
2012-09-01
To fulfill Food and Drug Administration and Department of Health and Human Services emergency care research informed consent requirements, our burn center planned and executed a deferred consent strategy gaining Institutional Review Board (IRB) approval to proceed with the clinical study. These federal regulations dictate public disclosure and community consultation unique to acute care research. Our regional burn center developed and implemented a deferred consent public notification and community consultation paradigm appropriate for a burn study. Published accounts of deferred consent strategies focus on acute care resuscitation practices. We adapted those strategies to design and conduct a comprehensive public notification/community consultation plan to satisfy deferred consent requirements for burn center research. To implement a robust media campaign we engaged the hospital's public relations department, distributed media materials, recruited hospital staff for speaking engagements, enlisted community volunteers, and developed initiatives to inform "hard-to-reach" populations. The hospital's IRB determined we fulfilled our obligation to notify the defined community. Our communication strategy should provide a paradigm other burn centers may appropriate and adapt when planning and executing a deferred consent initiative. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier Ltd and ISBI. All rights reserved.
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Tung, Greg J.; Lindrooth, Richard C.; Johnson, Emily K.; Hardy, Rose; Castrucci, Brian C.
2017-01-01
Context: Community Benefit spending by not-for-profit hospitals has served as a critical, formalized part of the nation's safety net for almost 50 years. This has occurred mostly through charity care. This article examines how not-for-profit hospitals spent Community Benefit dollars prior to full implementation of the Affordable Care Act (ACA). Methods: Using data from 2009 to 2012 hospital tax and other governmental filings, we constructed national, hospital-referral-region, and facility-level estimates of Community Benefit spending. Data were collected in 2015 and analyzed in 2015 and 2016. Data were matched at the facility level for a non-profit hospital's IRS tax filings (Form 990, Schedule H) and CMS Hospital Cost Report Information System and Provider of Service data sets. Results: During 2009, hospitals spent about 8% of total operating expenses on Community Benefit. This increased to between 8.3% and 8.5% in 2012. The majority of spending (>80%) went toward charity care, unreimbursed Medicaid, and subsidized health services, with approximately 6% going toward both community health improvement and health professionals' education. By 2012, national spending on Community Benefit likely exceeded $60 billion. The largest hospital systems spent the vast majority of the nation's Community Benefit; the top 25% of systems spent more than 80 cents of every Community Benefit dollar. Discussion: Community Benefit spending has remained relatively steady as a proportion of total operating expenses and so has increased over time—although charity care remains the major focus of Community Benefit spending overall. Implications: More than $60 billion was spent on Community Benefit prior to implementation of the ACA. New reporting and spending requirements from the IRS, alongside changes by the ACA, are changing incentives for hospitals in how they spend Community Benefit dollars. In the short term, and especially the long term, hospital systems would do well to partner
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Leider, Jonathon P; Tung, Greg J; Lindrooth, Richard C; Johnson, Emily K; Hardy, Rose; Castrucci, Brian C
Community Benefit spending by not-for-profit hospitals has served as a critical, formalized part of the nation's safety net for almost 50 years. This has occurred mostly through charity care. This article examines how not-for-profit hospitals spent Community Benefit dollars prior to full implementation of the Affordable Care Act (ACA). Using data from 2009 to 2012 hospital tax and other governmental filings, we constructed national, hospital-referral-region, and facility-level estimates of Community Benefit spending. Data were collected in 2015 and analyzed in 2015 and 2016. Data were matched at the facility level for a non-profit hospital's IRS tax filings (Form 990, Schedule H) and CMS Hospital Cost Report Information System and Provider of Service data sets. During 2009, hospitals spent about 8% of total operating expenses on Community Benefit. This increased to between 8.3% and 8.5% in 2012. The majority of spending (>80%) went toward charity care, unreimbursed Medicaid, and subsidized health services, with approximately 6% going toward both community health improvement and health professionals' education. By 2012, national spending on Community Benefit likely exceeded $60 billion. The largest hospital systems spent the vast majority of the nation's Community Benefit; the top 25% of systems spent more than 80 cents of every Community Benefit dollar. Community Benefit spending has remained relatively steady as a proportion of total operating expenses and so has increased over time-although charity care remains the major focus of Community Benefit spending overall. More than $60 billion was spent on Community Benefit prior to implementation of the ACA. New reporting and spending requirements from the IRS, alongside changes by the ACA, are changing incentives for hospitals in how they spend Community Benefit dollars. In the short term, and especially the long term, hospital systems would do well to partner with public health, other social services, and even
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Louh, Irene K.; Greendyke, William G.; Hermann, Emilia A.; Davidson, Karina W.; Falzon, Louise; Vawdrey, David K.; Shaffer, Jonathan A.; Calfee, David P.; Furuya, E. Yoko; Ting, Henry H.
2017-01-01
Objective Prevention of Clostridium difficile infection (CDI) in acute care hospitals is a priority for hospitals and clinicians. We performed a qualitative systematic review to update the evidence on interventions to prevent CDI published since 2009. Design We searched Ovid, MEDLINE, EMBASE, The Cochrane Library, CINAHL, ISI Web of Knowledge, and grey literature databases from January 1, 2009 to August 1, 2015. Setting We included studies performed in acute care hospitals. Patients or participants We included studies conducted on hospitalized patients that investigated the impact of specific interventions on CDI rates. Interventions We used the QI-Minimum Quality Criteria Set (QI-MQCS) to assess the quality of included studies. Interventions were grouped thematically: environmental disinfection, antimicrobial stewardship, hand hygiene, chlorhexidine bathing, probiotics, bundled approaches, and others. A meta-analysis was performed when possible. Results Of 3236 articles screened, 261 met the criteria for full-text review and 46 studies were ultimately included. The average quality rating was 82% on the QI-MQCS. The most effective interventions, resulting in a 45% to 85% reduction in CDI, included daily to twice daily disinfection of high-touch surfaces (including bed rails) and terminal cleaning of patient rooms with chlorine-based products. Bundled interventions and antimicrobial stewardship showed promise for reducing CDI rates. Chlorhexidine bathing and intensified hand hygiene practices were not effective for reducing CDI rates. Conclusions Daily and terminal cleaning of patient rooms using chlorine-based products were most effective in reducing CDI rates in hospitals. Further studies are needed to identify the components of bundled interventions that reduce CDI rates. PMID:28300019
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Introducing Namaste Care to the hospital environment: a pilot study.
St John, Kimberley; Koffman, Jonathan
2017-10-01
The rising prevalence of dementia is impacting on acute hospitals and placing increased expectations on health and social care professionals to improve the support and services they are delivering. It has been recommended that good practice in dementia care relies on adopting a palliative approach to care and meeting people's physical, psychological, social and spiritual needs. Increased dementia training for staff that includes initiatives that promote dignity; enhancing communication skills and recognizing that a person with dementia may be approaching the end of their lives are needed. Our study aim was to explore whether Namaste Care is an acceptable and effective service for people with advanced dementia being cared for on an acute hospital ward. This was an exploratory qualitative interview, pilot study. Individual, semi-structured, face-to-face interviews were conducted with hospital healthcare staff working in an area of the hospital where Namaste Care had been implemented. Data were analysed using the framework approach. Eight interviews were completed with members of the multidisciplinary ward team. Two themes were identified: (I) difficulties establishing relationships with people with dementia in hospital (subthemes: lack of time and resources, lack of confidence leading to fear and anxiety); (II) the benefits of a Namaste Care service in an acute hospital setting (subthemes: a reduction in agitated behavior; connecting and communicating with patients with dementia using the senses; a way of showing people with dementia they are cared for and valued). This small-scale study indicates that Namaste Case has the potential to improve the quality of life of people with advanced dementia being cared for in an acute hospital setting. However, further research is required to explore more specifically its benefits in terms of improved symptom management and wellbeing of people with dementia on acute hospitals wards.
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Fall Prevention in Acute Care Hospitals
Dykes, Patricia C.; Carroll, Diane L.; Hurley, Ann; Lipsitz, Stuart; Benoit, Angela; Chang, Frank; Meltzer, Seth; Tsurikova, Ruslana; Zuyov, Lyubov; Middleton, Blackford
2011-01-01
Context Falls cause injury and death for persons of all ages, but risk of falls increases markedly with age. Hospitalization further increases risk, yet no evidence exists to support short-stay hospital-based fall prevention strategies to reduce patient falls. Objective To investigate whether a fall prevention tool kit (FPTK) using health information technology (HIT) decreases patient falls in hospitals. Design, Setting, and Patients Cluster randomized study conducted January 1, 2009, through June 30, 2009, comparing patient fall rates in 4 urban US hospitals in units that received usual care (4 units and 5104 patients) or the intervention (4 units and 5160 patients). Intervention The FPTK integrated existing communication and workflow patterns into the HIT application. Based on a valid fall risk assessment scale completed by a nurse, the FPTK software tailored fall prevention interventions to address patients’ specific determinants of fall risk. The FPTK produced bed posters composed of brief text with an accompanying icon, patient education handouts, and plans of care, all communicating patient-specific alerts to key stakeholders. Main Outcome Measures The primary outcome was patient falls per 1000 patient-days adjusted for site and patient care unit. A secondary outcome was fall-related injuries. Results During the 6-month intervention period, the number of patients with falls differed between control (n=87) and intervention (n=67) units (P=.02). Site-adjusted fall rates were significantly higher in control units (4.18 [95% confidence interval {CI}, 3.45-5.06] per 1000 patient-days) than in intervention units (3.15 [95% CI, 2.54-3.90] per 1000 patient-days; P=.04). The FPTK was found to be particularly effective with patients aged 65 years or older (adjusted rate difference, 2.08 [95% CI, 0.61-3.56] per 1000 patient-days; P=.003). No significant effect was noted in fall-related injuries. Conclusion The use of a fall prevention tool kit in hospital units
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Pediatric stroke: clinical characteristics, acute care utilization patterns, and mortality.
Statler, Kimberly D; Dong, Li; Nielsen, Denise M; Bratton, Susan L
2011-04-01
Acute care utilization patterns are not well described but may help inform care coordination and treatment for pediatric stroke. The Kids Inpatient Database was queried to describe demographics and clinical characteristics of children with stroke, compare acute care utilization for hemorrhagic vs. ischemic stroke and Children's vs. non-Children's Hospitals, and identify factors associated with aggressive care and in-hospital mortality. Using a retrospective cohort of children hospitalized with stroke, demographics, predisposing conditions, and intensive (mechanical ventilation, advanced monitoring, and blood product administration) or aggressive (pharmacological therapy and/or invasive interventions) care were compared by stroke and hospital types. Factors associated with aggressive care or in-hospital mortality were explored using logistic regression. Hemorrhagic stroke comprised 43% of stroke discharges, was more common in younger children, and carried greater mortality. Ischemic stroke was more common in older children and more frequently associated with a predisposing condition. Rates of intensive and aggressive care were low (30% and 15%), similar by stroke type, and greater at Children's Hospitals. Older age, hemorrhagic stroke, predisposing condition, and treatment at a Children's Hospital were associated with aggressive care. Hemorrhagic stroke and aggressive care were associated with in-hospital mortality. Acute care utilization is similar by stroke type but both intensive and aggressive care are more common at Children's Hospitals. Mortality remains relatively high after pediatric stroke. Widespread implementation of treatment guidelines improved outcomes in adult stroke. Adoption of recently published treatment recommendations for pediatric stroke may help standardize care and improve outcomes.
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[Accreditation model for acute hospital care in Catalonia, Spain].
López-Viñas, M Luisa; Costa, Núria; Tirvió, Carmen; Davins, Josep; Manzanera, Rafael; Ribera, Jaume; Constante, Carles; Vallès, Roser
2014-07-01
The implementation of an accreditation model for healthcare centres in Catalonia which was launched for acute care hospitals, leaving open the possibility of implementing it in the rest of lines of service (mental health and addiction, social health, and primary healthcare centres) is described. The model is based on the experience acquired over more tan 31 years of hospital accreditation and quality assessment linked to management. In January 2006 a model with accreditation methodology adapted to the European Foundation for Quality Management (EFQM) model was launched. 83 hospitals are accredited, with an average of 82.6% compliance with the standards required for accreditation. The number of active assessment bodies is 5, and the accreditation period is 3 years. A higher degree of compliance of the so-called "agent" criteria with respect to "outcome" criteria is obtained. Qualitative aspects for implementation to be stressed are: a strong commitment both from managers and staff in the centres, as well as a direct and fluent communication between the accreditation body (Ministry of Health of the Government of Catalonia) and accredited centres. Professionalism of audit bodies and an optimal communication between audit bodies and accredited centres is also added. Copyright © 2014. Published by Elsevier Espana.
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Inpatient Pressure Ulcer Prevalence in an Acute Care Hospital Using Evidence-Based Practice.
Beal, M Elizabeth; Smith, Kimberly
2016-04-01
A national goal was set in 2004 for decreasing hospital-acquired pressure ulcers (HAPUs). A mean to achieve that goal was initiated in 2005 with long-term care facilities. Acute care facilities, with encouragement from the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, took action. Pressure ulcer prevention efforts at MaineGeneral Medical Center (MGMC), a 192-bed acute care hospital in Augusta, Maine, sought to reduce HAPU prevalence from a mean of 7.8% in 2005. A retrospective study over a 10-year period, from 2005 through 2014, tracked HAPUs and evidence-based practice (EBP) initiatives to decrease the annual mean prevalence rate. The annual mean HAPU prevalence rate of 7.8% in 2005 decreased to 1.4% in 2011, then maintaining this level through 2014 at MGMC. Evidence-based practices for pressure ulcer prevention were implemented using data collection tools from the National Database of Nursing Quality Indicators; guidelines from the National Pressure Ulcer Advisory Panel; and procedural guidance tools from the 5 Million Lives Campaign and the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality. Accurate data collection methods and evidence-based guidelines are vital to improving care; yet planning with annual review, fostering an EBP culture, by-in of stakeholders, and education, are the means to long-term consistent implementation of pressure ulcer prevention measures. Keys to decreasing and maintaining the rate were based on effective scientific evidence for prevention of pressure ulcers: assessment tools, education, planning guidance, documentation, and evidence-based practice guidelines. © 2016 Sigma Theta Tau International.
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Factors affecting the healing of pressure ulcers in a Korean acute care hospital.
Sung, Young Hee; Park, Kyung Hee
2011-01-01
We sought to determine the factors affecting pressure ulcer (PU) healing in an acute care facility in Korea. Data were collected between October 1, 2006, and September 30, 2007, regarding PU status and factors hypothesized to influence wound healing. We developed a form that queried factors thought to affect PU healing based on literature review. We also administered the Pressure Ulcer Scale for Healing (PUSH) tool to assess healing of PUs and calculated change in PUSH scale as the outcome variable reflecting the magnitude of the healing of PU. One hundred fifty eight patients with a total of 326 PUs in an acute care hospital located in Seoul, Korea, comprised the sample. The variables found to significantly affect PU healing included mean arterial pressure (MAP), serum albumin level, urinary incontinence, consultation with nutritionist, Braden Scale scale, wound size, and exudate amount. Pressure ulcer healing was improved when the MAP was higher (B = 0.034) and the serum albumin level was more than 2.8 g/dL (20.8 grams/liter) (B = 1.107). When managing patients in an acute care setting, PU healing may be improved by maintaining MAP and providing protein supplements to keep serum albumin level greater than 2.8 g/dL (20.8 grams/liter).
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Davison, A G; Monaghan, M; Brown, D; Eraut, C D; O'Brien, A; Paul, K; Townsend, J; Elston, C; Ward, L; Steeples, S; Cubitt, L
2006-01-01
Recent randomized controlled studies have reported success for hospital at home for prevention and early discharge of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) patients using hospital based respiratory nurse specialists. This observational study reports results using an integrated hospital and community based generic intermediate care service. The length of care, readmission within 60 days and death within 60 days in the early discharge (9.37 days, 21.1%, 7%) and the prevention of admission (five to six days, 34.1%, 3.8%) are similar to previous studies. We suggest that this generic community model of service may allow hospital at home services for COPD to be introduced in more areas.
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Philbin, E F; Weil, H F; Erb, T A; Jenkins, P L
1999-08-01
Severity of illness, treatment choices, and clinical outcomes may vary with physician training. This study was performed to determine whether such differences exist among patients with congestive heart failure (CHF) treated by cardiologists and by noncardiologists in the community hospital setting. Prospective cohort study. Ten acute-care community hospitals. PATIENTS, MEASUREMENTS, AND RESULTS: Two thousand four hundred fifty-four patients with CHF were identified and followed up for 6 months after hospital discharge. Patients who were not treated by a cardiologist (group I; n = 977) were compared with patients whose attending physician was a cardiologist (group II; n = 419) and patients who received consultative care from a cardiologist (group III; n = 1,058). When compared with group I patients, group II patients were more likely to receive the recommended diagnostic tests and treatment strategies, although some of these differences could be explained by variations in the case mix. Group II patients had higher hospital charges, but lower CHF readmission rates and better postdischarge quality-of-life measures. No differences in adjusted mortality rates were observed. In the community-hospital setting, the clinical practices of cardiologists are more compatible with published treatment guidelines than the clinical practices of other physicians. The benefits of cardiology specialty care include lower CHF readmission rates and better postdischarge quality-of-life measures, rather than lower mortality rates, fewer hospital charges, or shorter length of stay.
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Brooks, Gabriel A.; Li, Ling; Uno, Hajime; Hassett, Michael J.; Landon, Bruce E.; Schrag, Deborah
2014-01-01
The root causes of regional variation in medical spending are poorly understood and vary by clinical condition. To identify drivers of regional spending variation for Medicare patients with advanced cancer, we used linked Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results (SEER) program–Medicare data from 2004–10. We broke down Medicare spending into thirteen cancer-relevant service categories. We then calculated the contribution of each category to spending and regional spending variation. Acute hospital care was the largest component of spending and the chief driver of regional spending variation, accounting for 48 percent of spending and 67 percent of variation. In contrast, chemotherapy accounted for 16 percent of spending and 10 percent of variation. Hospice care comprised 5 percent of spending; however variation in hospice spending was fully offset by opposing variation in other categories. Our analysis suggests that the strategy with the greatest potential to improve the value of care for patients with advanced cancer is to reduce reliance on acute hospital care for this patient population. PMID:25288424
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Why Do Patients in Acute Care Hospitals Fall? Can Falls Be Prevented?
Dykes, Patricia C.; Carroll, Diane L.; Hurley, Ann C.; Benoit, Angela; Middleton, Blackford
2011-01-01
Objective Obtain the views of nurses and assistants as to why patients in acute care hospitals fall. Background Despite a large quantitative evidence base for guiding fall risk assessment and not needing highly technical, scarce, or expensive equipment to prevent falls, falls are serious problems in hospitals. Methods Basic content analysis methods were used to interpret descriptive data from 4 focus groups with nurses (n = 23) and 4 with assistants (n = 19). A 2-person consensus approach was used for analysis. Results Positive and negative components of 6 concepts—patient report, information access, signage, environment, teamwork, and involving patient/family—formed 2 core categories: knowledge/communication and capability/actions that are facilitators or barriers, respectively, to preventing falls. Conclusion Two conditions are required to reduce patient falls. A patient care plan including current and accurate fall risk status with associated tailored and feasible interventions needs to be easily and immediately accessible to all stakeholders (entire healthcare team, patients, and family). Second, stakeholders must use that information plus their own knowledge and skills and patient and hospital resources to carry out the plan. PMID:19509605
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Building Care Bridges between Acute and Long-Term Care with Nursing Diagnosis.
ERIC Educational Resources Information Center
Taylor, Carol A.
The increasing age of the American population and the current emphasis on cost containment in health care make the 1980s an ideal time for building bridges to span the health care needs of elderly persons in acute care and long-term care. While hospitals often discharge patients to nursing homes as an intermediate step between hospitalization and…
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Community health insurance in Gudalur, India, increases access to hospital care.
Devadasan, Narayanan; Criel, Bart; Van Damme, Wim; Manoharan, S; Sarma, P Sankara; Van der Stuyft, Patrick
2010-03-01
To reduce the burden of out-of-pocket payments on households in India, the government has introduced community health insurance (CHI) as part of its National Rural Health Mission. Indian CHI schemes have been shown to provide financial protection and have the potential to improve quality of care, but do not seem to improve access. This study examines this dimension of CHI performance and explores conditions under which a CHI scheme can improve access to hospital care for the poor. We conducted a panel survey at the ACCORD-AMS-ASHWINI (AAA) CHI scheme in India. The AAA CHI scheme protects the poorest sections of society against hospitalization expenses. 297 insured and 248 matched uninsured households were observed by village volunteers on a weekly basis for 12 months. Any patient presenting with a 'major ailment' in these households was interviewed using a structured questionnaire. Outcomes measured were utilization of hospital services, cost of treatment and quality of treatment received. The two cohorts were similar regarding demographic, social and economic parameters. More insured than uninsured households expressed trust in the CHI scheme organizers. Both groups had similar levels of minor ailments, but the insured had higher incidence of chronic and major ailments. Insured patients had a hospital admission rate 2.2 times higher than uninsured patients, independent of confounding factors. This higher rate among the insured was also found in children and those with pre-existing conditions. Vulnerable sections of the insured population-children, pregnant women, the poorest-had the highest admission rates. Most admissions, in both cohorts, took place in the ASHWINI hospital. Credible and trustworthy organizers, effective providers, low co-payments, and low indirect costs contributed to this result. A well-designed CHI scheme has the potential to improve access to hospital care, even for vulnerable sections of the community-the poorest, individuals with pre
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Evaluating the Quality of Patient Decision-Making Regarding Post-Acute Care.
Burke, Robert E; Jones, Jacqueline; Lawrence, Emily; Ladebue, Amy; Ayele, Roman; Leonard, Chelsea; Lippmann, Brandi; Matlock, Daniel D; Allyn, Rebecca; Cumbler, Ethan
2018-05-01
Despite a national focus on post-acute care brought about by recent payment reforms, relatively little is known about how hospitalized older adults and their caregivers decide whether to go to a skilled nursing facility (SNF) after hospitalization. We sought to understand to what extent hospitalized older adults and their caregivers are empowered to make a high-quality decision about utilizing an SNF for post-acute care and what contextual or process elements led to satisfaction with the outcome of their decision once in SNF. Qualitative inquiry using the Ottawa Decision Support Framework (ODSF), a conceptual framework that describes key components of high-quality decision-making. Thirty-two previously community-dwelling older adults (≥ 65 years old) and 22 caregivers interviewed at three different hospitals and three skilled nursing facilities. We used key components of the ODSF to identify elements of context and process that affected decision-making and to what extent the outcome was characteristic of a high-quality decision: informed, values based, and not associated with regret or blame. The most important contextual themes were the presence of active medical conditions in the hospital that made decision-making difficult, prior experiences with hospital readmission or SNF, relative level of caregiver support, and pressure to make a decision quickly for which participants felt unprepared. Patients described playing a passive role in the decision-making process and largely relying on recommendations from the medical team. Patients commonly expressed resignation and a perceived lack of choice or autonomy, leading to dissatisfaction with the outcome. Understanding and intervening to improve the quality of decision-making regarding post-acute care supports is essential for improving outcomes of hospitalized older adults. Our results suggest that simply providing information is not sufficient; rather, incorporating key contextual factors and improving the
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Li, Pingdong; Gong, Yucui; Zeng, Guangqiao; Ruan, Liang; Li, Guifen
2015-01-01
This study explored a community nursing service mode in which respiratory nurse specialists cared for patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) in a 12-week period after hospital discharge, with the aim of better preventing acute exacerbations, improving health-related quality of life (HRQOL) and reducing medical expenses in these patients. We carried out a prospective randomized controlled study in which 68 COPD patients discharged were recruited from a general hospital in Guangzhou, China, were randomized divided into two groups. The control group underwent conventional nursing care, and the intervention group received community continuing care by respiratory nurse specialists. The observation period was 12 weeks. The results of intervention were evaluated using the Seattle Obstructive Lung Disease Questionnaire (SOLDQ) and the COPD Self-Efficacy Scale (CSES). In addition, the frequency of acute exacerbations, emergency treatments or hospitalizations, and medical expenses were recorded in the 12-week observation period. After six weeks, the total and subscale scores (P < 0.05) of SOLDQ and CSES significantly improved compared to the baseline ones in the intervention group. The control group had significantly higher scores in the treatment satisfaction (TS) of SOLDQ, the total score, and the weather/environment and behavioral risk factors of CSES. After 12 weeks, the total and subscale scores of SOLDQ and CSES showed a sustained and significant growth in the intervention group (P < 0.05). The control group had significantly higher scores only in the weather/environment risk factor of CSES. During the 12-week observation, the intervention group had significantly fewer acute exacerbations, emergency treatments or re-hospitalizations and significantly lower average medical expenses than the control group (P < 0.05). Community continuing care by respiratory nurse specialists may improve HRQOL, increase self-efficacy, reduce incidence of acute
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Li, Pingdong; Gong, Yucui; Zeng, Guangqiao; Ruan, Liang; Li, Guifen
2015-01-01
Objective: This study explored a community nursing service mode in which respiratory nurse specialists cared for patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) in a 12-week period after hospital discharge, with the aim of better preventing acute exacerbations, improving health-related quality of life (HRQOL) and reducing medical expenses in these patients. Methods: We carried out a prospective randomized controlled study in which 68 COPD patients discharged were recruited from a general hospital in Guangzhou, China, were randomized divided into two groups. The control group underwent conventional nursing care, and the intervention group received community continuing care by respiratory nurse specialists. The observation period was 12 weeks. The results of intervention were evaluated using the Seattle Obstructive Lung Disease Questionnaire (SOLDQ) and the COPD Self-Efficacy Scale (CSES). In addition, the frequency of acute exacerbations, emergency treatments or hospitalizations, and medical expenses were recorded in the 12-week observation period. Results: After six weeks, the total and subscale scores (P < 0.05) of SOLDQ and CSES significantly improved compared to the baseline ones in the intervention group. The control group had significantly higher scores in the treatment satisfaction (TS) of SOLDQ, the total score, and the weather/environment and behavioral risk factors of CSES. After 12 weeks, the total and subscale scores of SOLDQ and CSES showed a sustained and significant growth in the intervention group (P < 0.05). The control group had significantly higher scores only in the weather/environment risk factor of CSES. During the 12-week observation, the intervention group had significantly fewer acute exacerbations, emergency treatments or re-hospitalizations and significantly lower average medical expenses than the control group (P < 0.05). Conclusions: Community continuing care by respiratory nurse specialists may improve HRQOL, increase self
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Young, Gary J.; Daniel Lee, Shoou-Yih; Song, Paula H.; Alexander, Jeffrey A.
2015-01-01
Objectives. We investigated whether federally tax-exempt hospitals consider community health needs when deciding how much and what types of community benefits to provide. Methods. Using 2009 data from hospital tax filings to the Internal Revenue Service and the 2010 County Health Rankings, we employed both univariate and multivariate analyses to examine the relationship between community health needs and the types and levels of hospitals’ community benefit expenditures. The study sample included 1522 private, tax-exempt hospitals throughout the United States. Results. We found some patterns between community health needs and hospitals’ expenditures on community benefits. Hospitals located in communities with greater health needs spent more as a percentage of their operating budgets on benefits directly related to patient care. By contrast, spending on community health improvement initiatives was unrelated to community health needs. Conclusions. Important opportunities exist for tax-exempt hospitals to improve the alignment between their community benefit activities and the health needs of the community they serve. The Affordable Care Act requirement that hospitals conduct periodic community health needs assessments may be a first step in this direction. PMID:25790412
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Depression and prognosis following hospital admission because of acute myocardial infarction
Lauzon, Claude; Beck, Christine A.; Huynh, Thao; Dion, Danielle; Racine, Normand; Carignan, Suzanne; Diodati, Jean G.; Charbonneau, François; Dupuis, Robert; Pilote, Louise
2003-01-01
Background Whether there is an association between depression at the time of acute myocardial infarction and subsequent risk of cardiac complications and death remains controversial. Most studies of this risk factor have been limited to patients of single institutions, and this might account for the varying results. We prospectively evaluated patients admitted to 5 tertiary care and 5 community hospitals and followed them for 1 year to measure the prevalence and prognostic impact of depressive symptoms after acute myocardial infarction. Methods Patients were recruited for the study by trained nurse interviewers who had documented acute myocardial infarction within 2–3 days of admission. The nurses collected information from the medical records and asked study subjects to complete the Beck Depression Inventory questionnaire during their stay in hospital and using a mailed questionnaire 30 days, 6 months and 1 year later. We obtained information on vital status for patients lost to follow-up from a central death registry. Results Of the 587 study subjects, 550 (94%) completed the Beck Depression Inventory at baseline and 191 (35%) had a score of 10 or more, indicating at least mild depression. Rates of depression did not vary over the follow-up period and were similar among patients admitted to tertiary care or community hospitals. Depressed patients were more likely to undergo catheterization (57% v. 47%, 95% confidence interval [CI] around the difference 0.1%–19.6%) and were more likely to undergo percutaneous coronary intervention (32% v. 24%, 95% CI around the difference 0.1%–16.2%) within 30 days of first admission to hospital. Patients with depression on admission had higher rates of a composite of cardiac complications, including recurrent ischemia, infarction or congestive heart failure during their first stay in hospital or readmission for angina, recurrent acute myocardial infarction, congestive heart failure or arrhythmia (adjusted hazard ratio 1
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Managed care and hospital cost containment.
Konetzka, R Tamara; Zhu, Jingsan; Sochalski, Julie; Volpp, Kevin G
2008-01-01
This study assesses the ability of managed care to contain hospital costs since the managed care backlash, using data from California's Office of Statewide Health Planning and Development for all acute-care hospitals in the state for the period 1991-2001. The analysis employs a long-differences design to examine cost growth before and after the managed care backlash. Results from the early 1990s are consistent with prior evidence that the combination of more competitive markets and high managed care penetration held down costs. Post-backlash, high managed care penetration no longer was associated with lower cost growth in the most competitive markets, indicating that the synergistic effects between managed care and hospital competition no longer may exist.
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Neuman, Mark D.; Silber, Jeffrey H.; Passarella, Molly A.; Werner, Rachel M.
2016-01-01
OBJECTIVE To quantify the contribution of acute versus post-acute care factors to survival and functional outcomes after hip fracture. DESIGN, SETTING, AND PARTICIPANTS Retrospective cohort study using Medicare data; subjects included previously ambulatory nursing home residents hospitalized for hip fracture between 2005 and 2009. METHODS We used logistic regression to measure the associations of hospital and nursing home factors with functional and survival outcomes at 30 and 180 days among patients discharged to a nursing facility; we quantified the contribution of hospital versus nursing home factors to outcomes via the omega statistic. RESULTS Among 45,996 hospitalized patients, 1,814 (3.9%) died during hospitalization. 42,781 (93%) were discharged alive to a nursing home. Of these, 12,126 (28%) died within 180 days and 20,479 (48%) died or were newly unable to walk within 180 days. Hospital characteristics were not consistently associated with outcomes. Multiple nursing home characteristics predicted 30- and 180-day outcomes, including bed count, chain membership, and performance on selected quality measures. Nursing home factors explained three times more variation in the odds of 30-day mortality than did hospital factors (omega, hospital versus nursing home: 0.32, 95% confidence interval (CI) 0.11, 0.96), seven times more variation in the odds of 180-day mortality (omega: 0.15, 95% CI 0.04, 0.61), and eight times more variation in the odds of 180-day death or new dependence in locomotion (omega: 0.12, 95% CI 0.05, 0.31). CONCLUSIONS Nursing home factor sex plain a larger proportion of the variation in clinical outcomes following hip fracture than do hospital factors. PMID:27811551
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Louh, Irene K; Greendyke, William G; Hermann, Emilia A; Davidson, Karina W; Falzon, Louise; Vawdrey, David K; Shaffer, Jonathan A; Calfee, David P; Furuya, E Yoko; Ting, Henry H
2017-04-01
OBJECTIVE Prevention of Clostridium difficile infection (CDI) in acute-care hospitals is a priority for hospitals and clinicians. We performed a qualitative systematic review to update the evidence on interventions to prevent CDI published since 2009. DESIGN We searched Ovid, MEDLINE, EMBASE, The Cochrane Library, CINAHL, the ISI Web of Knowledge, and grey literature databases from January 1, 2009 to August 1, 2015. SETTING We included studies performed in acute-care hospitals. PATIENTS OR PARTICIPANTS We included studies conducted on hospitalized patients that investigated the impact of specific interventions on CDI rates. INTERVENTIONS We used the QI-Minimum Quality Criteria Set (QI-MQCS) to assess the quality of included studies. Interventions were grouped thematically: environmental disinfection, antimicrobial stewardship, hand hygiene, chlorhexidine bathing, probiotics, bundled approaches, and others. A meta-analysis was performed when possible. RESULTS Of 3,236 articles screened, 261 met the criteria for full-text review and 46 studies were ultimately included. The average quality rating was 82% according to the QI-MQCS. The most effective interventions, resulting in a 45% to 85% reduction in CDI, included daily to twice daily disinfection of high-touch surfaces (including bed rails) and terminal cleaning of patient rooms with chlorine-based products. Bundled interventions and antimicrobial stewardship showed promise for reducing CDI rates. Chlorhexidine bathing and intensified hand-hygiene practices were not effective for reducing CDI rates. CONCLUSIONS Daily and terminal cleaning of patient rooms using chlorine-based products were most effective in reducing CDI rates in hospitals. Further studies are needed to identify the components of bundled interventions that reduce CDI rates. Infect Control Hosp Epidemiol 2017;38:476-482.
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Use of a guideline based questionnaire to audit hospital care of acute asthma.
Bell, D; Layton, A J; Gabbay, J
1991-01-01
OBJECTIVES--To design an audit questionnaire and pilot its use by an audit assistant to monitor inpatient management of acute asthma and to compare the care given by chest physicians and general physicians. DESIGN--Retrospective review by a chest physician and audit assistant of a random sample of 76 case records of patients by a criterion based questionnaire developed from hospital guidelines on management of acute asthma. SETTING--One district general hospital. PATIENTS--76 adult patients with acute asthma: 38 admitted with a relevant primary diagnosis between April 1988 and March 1989 and a further 38 admitted through the accident and emergency department between April 1989 and March 1990. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES--Conformity with recognised standards for assessment and management of acute asthma before and after the audit and by chest physicians and general physicians. RESULTS--Age and sex did not differ significantly between the different groups of patients. Overall, deviations from the guidelines occurred in recording measures of severity of asthma, emergency treatment with beta 2 agonists (60/76, 79%) and steroids (43/76, 57%), and prescription of antibiotics in accordance with at least one criterion of the guidelines (29/45, 64%). Chest physicians were more rigorous than general physicians in recording severity measures, especially serum potassium concentration (chi 2 = 3.6, df = 1, p = 0.06), emergency steroid treatment within the correct period (chi 2 = 3.9, df = 1, p = 0.05), and referral for follow up at an outpatient chest clinic. Recording of arterial blood gas tensions improved significantly between the 1988-9 and 1989-90 samples (chi 2 = 7.0, df = 1, p = 0.08). CONCLUSIONS--The questionnaire proved easy to use for both doctor and audit assistant. The audit improved few standards of care and emphasises the need for further reinforcement and feedback. PMID:2070112
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Rask, Kimberly J; Hodge, Jennifer; Kluge, Linda
2017-11-01
Identify contextual and implementation factors impacting the effectiveness of an organizational-level intervention to reduce preventable hospital readmissions from affiliated skilled nursing facilities (SNFs). Observational study of the implementation of Interventions to Reduce Acute Care Transfers tools in 3 different cohorts. SNFs. SNFs belonging to 1 of 2 corporate entities and a group of independent SNFs that volunteered to participate in a Quality Improvement Organization (QIO) training program. Two groups of SNFs received INTERACT II training and technical assistance from corporate staff, and 1 group of SNFs received training from QIO staff. Thirty-day acute care hospital readmissions from Medicare fee-for-service claims, contextual factors using the Model for Understanding Success in Quality framework. All 3 cohorts were able to deliver the INTERACT training program to their constituent facilities through regional events as well as onsite technical assistance, but the impact on readmission rates varied. Facilities supported by the QIO and corporation A were able to achieve statistically significant reductions in 30-day readmission rates. A review of contextual factors found that although all cohorts were challenged by staff turnover and workload, corporation B facilities struggled with a less mature quality improvement (QI) culture and infrastructure. Both corporations demonstrated a strong corporate commitment to implementing INTERACT II, but differences in training strategies, QI culture, capacity, and competing pressures may have impacted the effectiveness of the training. Proactively addressing these factors may help long-term care organizations interested in reducing acute care readmission rates increase the likelihood of QI success. Copyright © 2017 AMDA – The Society for Post-Acute and Long-Term Care Medicine. All rights reserved.
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[The strategy and process of out-hospital emergency care of acute cardiovascular events].
Sun, Gang; Wu, Li-e; Li, Qian-ying; Yang, Ye; Wang, Zi-chao; Zhang, Jing-yin; Li, Shu-jun; Yan, Xu-long; Wang, Ming; Zhang, Wen-xiang; Huang, Guan-hua
2009-06-01
To study the strategy and process of out-hospital emergency care of acute cardiovascular events. One hundred and eighty-three patients in the Second Affiliated Hospital of Baotou Medical College were prospectively studied. The patients were divided into two groups according to the different ways of out-hospital care, one group consisted of patients who received first-aid care after calling "120" (94 cases), another was self-aid group consisting of patients sent to hospital by relatives (89 cases). The proportion of persons with higher than high school education and better knowledge for emergency care of patients with heart disease in first-aid group was higher than self-aid group (50.0% vs. 29.2%, 83.0% vs. 60.7%, both P<0.05). When the patients were brought to the emergency room, they were all treated according to our standard procedure and then registered. All patients were followed up at the end of first and third month after illness. Cardiovascular events were mainly myocardial infarction (61.7%) among 183 patients. There were statistically significant differences between two groups in self-aid response time, first disposal time and out-hospital rescuing time [(32.3+/-5.6) minutes vs. (89.6+/- 8.4) minutes, (47.3+/-7.3) minutes vs. (149.8+/-13.5) minutes, (61.7+/-8.3) minutes vs. [(149.8+/- 13.5) minutes, all P<0.01], but no difference was found in in-hospital rescuing time [(29.9+/-5.3) minutes vs. (31.1+/-4.5) minutes, P>0.05]. Morbidity rate was lower in first-aid group than self-aid group in 1st and 3rd month, respectively (2.1% vs. 9.0%, 4.2% vs. 12.4%, both P<0.05). Excellent emergency system and procedure can shorten initial disposal time and out-hospital rescuing time, thus improve patients' prognosis. The education level and health knowledge of patients and their relatives directly affect their mode of arriving hospital and prognosis.
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State-Level Community Benefit Regulation and Nonprofit Hospitals' Provision of Community Benefits.
Singh, Simone R; Young, Gary J; Loomer, Lacey; Madison, Kristin
2018-04-01
Do nonprofit hospitals provide enough community benefits to justify their tax exemptions? States have sought to enhance nonprofit hospitals' accountability and oversight through regulation, including requirements to report community benefits, conduct community health needs assessments, provide minimum levels of community benefits, and adhere to minimum income eligibility standards for charity care. However, little research has assessed these regulations' impact on community benefits. Using 2009-11 Internal Revenue Service data on community benefit spending for more than eighteen hundred hospitals and the Hilltop Institute's data on community benefit regulation, we investigated the relationship between these four types of regulation and the level and types of hospital-provided community benefits. Our multivariate regression analyses showed that only community health needs assessments were consistently associated with greater community benefit spending. The results for reporting and minimum spending requirements were mixed, while minimum income eligibility standards for charity care were unrelated to community benefit spending. State adoption of multiple types of regulation was consistently associated with higher levels of hospital-provided community benefits, possibly because regulatory intensity conveys a strong signal to the hospital community that more spending is expected. This study can inform efforts to design regulations that will encourage hospitals to provide community benefits consistent with policy makers' goals. Copyright © 2018 by Duke University Press.
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Ido, Moges Seyoum; Bayakly, Rana; Frankel, Michael; Lyn, Rodney; Okosun, Ike S
2015-01-15
Tracking the vital status of stroke patients through death data is one approach to assessing the impact of quality improvement in stroke care. We assessed the feasibility of linking Georgia hospital discharge data with mortality data to evaluate the effect of participation in the Georgia Coverdell Acute Stroke Registry on survival rates among acute ischemic stroke patients. Multistage probabilistic matching, using a fine-grained record integration and linkage software program and combinations of key variables, was used to link Georgia hospital discharge data for 2005 through 2009 with mortality data for 2006 through 2010. Data from patients admitted with principal diagnoses of acute ischemic stroke were analyzed by using the extended Cox proportional hazard model. The survival times of patients cared for by hospitals participating in the stroke registry and of those treated at nonparticipating hospitals were compared. Average age of the 50,579 patients analyzed was 69 years, and 56% of patients were treated in Georgia Coverdell Acute Stroke Registry hospitals. Thirty-day and 365-day mortality after first admission for stroke were 8.1% and 18.5%, respectively. Patients treated at nonparticipating facilities had a hazard ratio for death of 1.14 (95% confidence interval, 1.03-1.26; P = .01) after the first week of admission compared with patients cared for by hospitals participating in the registry. Hospital discharge data can be linked with death data to assess the impact of clinical-level or community-level chronic disease control initiatives. Hospitals need to undertake quality improvement activities for a better patient outcome.
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Hospital at home versus in-patient hospital care.
Shepperd, S; Iliffe, S
2005-07-20
Hospital at home is defined as a service that provides active treatment by health care professionals, in the patient's home, of a condition that otherwise would require acute hospital in-patient care, always for a limited period. To assess the effects of hospital at home compared with in-patient hospital care. We searched the Cochrane Effective Practice and Organisation of Care Group (EPOC) specialised register (November 2004), MEDLINE (1966 to 1996), EMBASE (1980 to 1995), Social Science Citation Index (1992 to 1995), Cinahl (1982 to 1996), EconLit (1969 to 1996), PsycLit (1987 to 1996), Sigle (1980 to 1995) and the Medical Care supplement on economic literature (1970 to 1990). Randomised trials of hospital at home care compared with acute hospital in-patient care. The participants were patients aged 18 years and over. Two reviewers independently extracted data and assessed study quality. Twenty two trials are included in this update of the review. Among trials evaluating early discharge hospital at home schemes we found an odds ratio (OR) for mortality of 1.79 95% CI 0.85 to 3.76 for elderly medical patients (age 65 years and over) (n = 3 trials); OR 0.58; 95% CI 0.29 to 1.17 for patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) (n = 5 trials); and OR 0.78; 95%CI 0.52 to 1.19 for patients recovering from a stroke (n = 4 trials). Two trials evaluating the early discharge of patients recovering from surgery reported an OR 0.43 (95% CI 0.02 to 10.89) for patients recovering from a hip replacement and an OR 1.01 (95% CI 0.37 to 2.81) for patients with a mix of conditions at three months follow-up. For readmission to hospital we found an OR 1.76; 95% CI 0.78 to 3.99 at 3 months follow-up for elderly medical patients (n = 2 trials); OR 0.81; 95% CI 0.55 to 1.19 for patients with COPD (n = 5 trials); and OR 0.96; 95% CI 0.63 to 1.45 for patients recovering from a stroke (n = 3 trials). No significant heterogeneity was observed. One trial recruiting patients
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Hopewood, Ian
2011-01-01
As the quantity of elderly Americans requiring oncologic care grows, and as cancer treatment and medicine become more advanced, assessing quality of cancer care becomes a necessary and advantageous practice for any facility.' Such analysis is especially practical in small community hospitals, which may not have the resources of their larger academic counterparts to ensure that the care being provided is current and competitive in terms of both technique and outcome. This study is a comparison of the colorectal cancer care at one such center, Falmouth Community Hospital (FCH)--located in Falmouth, Massachusetts, about an hour and a half away from the nearest metropolitan center--to the care provided at a major nearby Boston Tertiary Center (BTC) and at teaching and research facilities across New England and the United States. The metrics used to measure performance encompass both outcome (survival rate data) as well as technique, including quality of surgery (number of lymph nodes removed) and the administration of adjuvant treatments, chemotherapy, and radiation therapy, as per national guidelines. All data for comparison between FCH and BTC were culled from those hospitals' tumor registries. Data for the comparison between FCH and national tertiary/referral centers were taken from the American College of Surgeons' Commission on Cancer, namely National Cancer Data Base (NCDB) statistics, Hospital Benchmark Reports and Practice Profile Reports. The results showed that, while patients at FCH were diagnosed at both a higher age and at a more advanced stage of colorectal cancer than their BTC counterparts, FCH stands up favorably to BTC and other large centers in terms of the metrics referenced above. Quality assessment such as the analysis conducted here can be used at other community facilities to spotlight, and ultimately eliminate, deficiencies in cancer programs.
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Kumar, Anil; Aronow, Wilbert S; Alexa, Margelusa; Gothwal, Ritu; Jesmajian, Stephen; Bhushan, Bharat; Gaba, Praveen; Catevenis, James
2010-04-30
The prevalence of use of any advance directives was 26% in 112 patients hospitalized in a cardiac care unit (CCU)/intensive care unit (ICU) in an academic medical center. We investigated in 2 community hospitals the prevalence of use of advance directives (AD), health care proxy (HCP), legal guardian (LG), and living will (LW) in 512 patients hospitalized in a CCU/ ICU approached for AD and HCP. The use of AD was 22%, of HCP was 19%, of LG was 16%, and of LW was 5%. The use of AD was 22%, of HCP was 19%, of LG was 16%, and of LW was 5% in patients hospitalized in a CCU/ICU. Educational programs on use of AD and of HCP need to be part of cardiovascular training programs and of cardiovascular continuing medical education.
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Impact of a Palliative Care Program on Tracheostomy Utilization in a Community Hospital.
Pan, Cynthia X; Gutierrez, Cristina; Maw, Min M; Kansler, Amanda L; Gross, Liam; He, Jie; Kanta, Romana; Paul, Subroto
2015-12-01
Tracheostomies are typically provided to wean patients off the ventilator. However, in many circumstances tracheostomies are placed in patients who are at the end of their life with little hope of meaningful recovery. Palliative care teams decrease utilization of aggressive medical interventions in patients who are at the end of life. The study objective was to determine the impact of a palliative care team on tracheostomy utilization in a community hospital setting. The study was a four-year retrospective analysis of adult patients undergoing elective tracheostomy two years before and after the establishment of a palliative care program. The study in an ethnically diverse community hospital included patients older than 18 years old, with patients undergoing a tracheostomy due to trauma excluded. Before and after comparisons were made of demographics, in-hospital mortality, length of stay, and discharge status of patients undergoing tracheostomy. Seven hundred ninety patients undergoing tracheostomy were identified (n = 406, n = 384 before and after September 10, 2010, respectively). Patients were ethnically diverse (Caucasian 43%, Asian 23%, African American 11%, Hispanic 7%). The number of hospital admissions slightly increased during these two time periods (n = 58,926; n = 60,662, respectively). There were no statistical differences in age (73 versus 72, p = 0.827); gender (n = 218 [54%] versus n = 217 [57%] male, p = 0.426); or race (n = 187 [46%] versus n = 150 [39%] Caucasian, p = 0.073) in the two time periods. Patients who underwent tracheostomy after a palliative care service was established had less incidence of comorbid disease (Charlson Comorbidity Index score [CCIS]: 2 versus 3, p = 0.025); lower inpatient mortality (n = 107 [28%] versus n = 148 [37%], p = 0.009]); greater discharge to home or rehabilitation (n = 262 [68%] versus n = 249 [62%], p = 0.01); and lower rates of palliative weaning from mechanical ventilation (n = 61[16%] versus n = 113 [28
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Optimizing the care model for an uncomplicated acute pain episode in sickle cell disease.
Telfer, Paul; Kaya, Banu
2017-12-08
The pathophysiology, clinical presentation, and natural history of acute pain in sickle cell disease are unique and require a disease-centered approach that also applies general principles of acute and chronic pain management. The majority of acute pain episodes are managed at home without the need to access health care. The long-term consequences of poorly treated acute pain include chronic pain, adverse effects of chronic opioid usage, psychological maladjustment, poor quality of life, and excessive health care utilization. There is no standard protocol for management of an acute pain crisis in either the hospital or the community. The assumptions that severe acute pain must be managed in the hospital with parenteral opioids and that strong opioids are needed for home management of pain need to be questioned. Pain management in the emergency department often does not meet acceptable standards, while chronic use of strong opioids is likely to result in opioid-induced hyperalgesia, exacerbation of chronic pain symptoms, and opioid dependency. We suggest that an integrated approach is needed to control the underlying condition, modify psychological responses, optimize social support, and ensure that health care services provide safe, effective, and prompt treatment of acute pain and appropriate management of chronic pain. This integrated approach should begin at an early age and continue through the adolescent, transition, and adult phases of the care model. © 2016 by The American Society of Hematology. All rights reserved.
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ERIC Educational Resources Information Center
Soskolne, Varda; Kaplan, Giora; Ben-Shahar, Ilana; Stanger, Varda; Auslander, Gail. K.
2010-01-01
Objective: To examine the associations of patients' characteristics, hospitalization factors, and the patients' or family assessment of the discharge planning process, with their evaluation of adequacy of the discharge plan. Method: A prospective study. Social workers from 11 acute care hospitals in Israel provided data on 1426 discharged…
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Capp, Roberta; Misky, Gregory J; Lindrooth, Richard C; Honigman, Benjamin; Logan, Heather; Hardy, Rose; Nguyen, Dong Q; Wiler, Jennifer L
2017-10-01
Many high utilizers of the emergency department (ED) have public insurance, especially through Medicaid. We evaluated how participation in Bridges to Care (B2C)-an ED-initiated, multidisciplinary, community-based program-affected subsequent ED use, hospital admissions, and primary care use among publicly insured or Medicaid-eligible high ED utilizers. During the six months after the B2C intervention was completed, participants had significantly fewer ED visits (a reduction of 27.9 percent) and significantly more primary care visits (an increase of 114.0 percent), compared to patients in the control group. In a subanalysis of patients with mental health comorbidities, we found that recipients of B2C services had significantly fewer ED visits (a reduction of 29.7 percent) and hospitalizations (30.0 percent), and significantly more primary care visits (an increase of 123.2 percent), again compared to patients in the control group. The B2C program reduced acute care use and increased the number of primary care visits among high ED utilizers, including those with mental health comorbidities. Project HOPE—The People-to-People Health Foundation, Inc.
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Provision of community benefits by tax-exempt U.S. hospitals.
Young, Gary J; Chou, Chia-Hung; Alexander, Jeffrey; Lee, Shoou-Yih Daniel; Raver, Eli
2013-04-18
The Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (ACA) requires tax-exempt hospitals to conduct assessments of community needs and address identified needs. Most tax-exempt hospitals will need to meet this requirement by the end of 2013. We conducted a national study of the level and pattern of community benefits that tax-exempt hospitals provide. The study comprised more than 1800 tax-exempt hospitals, approximately two thirds of all such institutions. We used reports that hospitals filed with the Internal Revenue Service for fiscal year 2009 that provide expenditures for seven types of community benefits. We combined these reports with other data to examine whether institutional, community, and market characteristics are associated with the provision of community benefits by hospitals. Tax-exempt hospitals spent 7.5% of their operating expenses on community benefits during fiscal year 2009. More than 85% of these expenditures were devoted to charity care and other patient care services. Of the remaining community-benefit expenditures, approximately 5% were devoted to community health improvements that hospitals undertook directly. The rest went to education in health professions, research, and contributions to community groups. The level of benefits provided varied widely among the hospitals (hospitals in the top decile devoted approximately 20% of operating expenses to community benefits; hospitals in the bottom decile devoted approximately 1%). This variation was not accounted for by indicators of community need. In 2009, tax-exempt hospitals varied markedly in the level of community benefits provided, with most of their benefit-related expenditures allocated to patient care services. Little was spent on community health improvement.
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Goodridge, Donna; Henry, Chrysanthus; Watson, Erin; McDonald, Meghan; New, Lucia; Harrison, Elizabeth L; Scharf, Murray; Penz, Erika; Campbell, Steve; Rotter, Thomas
2018-02-26
While effective engagement of patients and families in treatment is increasingly viewed as a priority for many healthcare systems, much remains to be learned about the nature and outcomes of approaches that seek to accomplish this goal in the acute care hospital setting. Wide variability in the implementation of practices designed to promote patient and family engagement in hospitals has been noted. Approaches aimed at promoting patient and family engagement in treatment share the over-arching goal of changing behaviors of patients, families, and healthcare providers and possibly administrators. Behavior change techniques (BCTs) can be a key element of patient and family engagement approaches. This scoping review will contribute to the development of an evidence base detailing that the BCTs have potential to be effective in patient and family engagement interventions. The specific objectives of this review are to (a) identify and classify approaches used in acute care hospitals to engage patient and families in treatment according to the behavior change technique taxonomy; and (b) evaluate and synthesize the outcomes for these approaches for patients and families, healthcare providers, and health administrators/funders. This systematic scoping review will allow us to determine the extent, range, and nature of research activity related to initiatives designed to promote patient and family engagement in care. A comprehensive electronic literature search will be conducted in MEDLINE, EMBASE, and CINAHL. Studies will be included if they report on outcomes of a structured or systematic approach to the promotion of adult inpatient and family engagement in treatment in acute care settings. Studies will be selected in a two-stage screening process (title and abstract; full text) and quality will be assessed using the mixed methods assessment tool. Data extraction will include narrative descriptions of the intervention and classification of the behavior change techniques
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Felices-Abad, F; Latour-Pérez, J; Fuset-Cabanes, M P; Ruano-Marco, M; Cuñat-de la Hoz, J; del Nogal-Sáez, F
2010-01-01
We present a map of 27 indicators to measure the care quality given to patients with acute coronary syndrome attended in the pre- and hospital area. This includes technical process indicators (registration of care intervals, performance of electrocardiogram, monitoring and vein access, assessment of prognostic risk, hemorrhage and in-hospital mortality, use of reperfusion techniques and performance of echocardiograph), pharmacological process indicators (platelet receptors inhibition, anticoagulation, thrombolysis, beta-blockers, angiotensin converting inhibitors and lipid lowering drugs) and outcomes indicators (quality scales of the care given and mortality). Copyright © 2010 Elsevier España, S.L. y SEMICYUC. All rights reserved.
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2012-08-31
We are revising the Medicare hospital inpatient prospective payment systems (IPPS) for operating and capital-related costs of acute care hospitals to implement changes arising from our continuing experience with these systems. Some of the changes implement certain statutory provisions contained in the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act and the Health Care and Education Reconciliation Act of 2010 (collectively known as the Affordable Care Act) and other legislation. These changes will be applicable to discharges occurring on or after October 1, 2012, unless otherwise specified in this final rule. We also are updating the rate-of-increase limits for certain hospitals excluded from the IPPS that are paid on a reasonable cost basis subject to these limits. The updated rate-of-increase limits will be effective for cost reporting periods beginning on or after October 1, 2012. We are updating the payment policies and the annual payment rates for the Medicare prospective payment system (PPS) for inpatient hospital services provided by long-term care hospitals (LTCHs) and implementing certain statutory changes made by the Affordable Care Act. Generally, these changes will be applicable to discharges occurring on or after October 1, 2012, unless otherwise specified in this final rule. In addition, we are implementing changes relating to determining a hospital's full-time equivalent (FTE) resident cap for the purpose of graduate medical education (GME) and indirect medical education (IME) payments. We are establishing new requirements or revised requirements for quality reporting by specific providers (acute care hospitals, PPS-exempt cancer hospitals, LTCHs, and inpatient psychiatric facilities (IPFs)) that are participating in Medicare. We also are establishing new administrative, data completeness, and extraordinary circumstance waivers or extension requests requirements, as well as a reconsideration process, for quality reporting by ambulatory surgical centers
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A Single Long-Term Acute Care Hospital Experience with a Pressure Ulcer Prevention Program.
Young, Daniel L; Borris-Hale, Cathy; Falconio-West, Margaret; Chakravarthy, Debashish
2015-01-01
The occurrence of pressure ulcers (PrUs) challenges care facilities. Few studies report PrU reduction efforts in long-term acute care (LTAC). This study described the PrU reduction efforts of a single, LTAC facility using the Medline Pressure Ulcer Prevention Program (mPUPP). This study was a quasi-experimental, quality improvement project, with pre- and postmeasurement design. Outcomes were tracked for 24 months. The mPUPP was implemented in month 11. Education for caregivers was provided through an interactive web-based suite. In addition, all Patient Care Technicians attended a 4-week 1-hour inservice. New skin care products were implemented. The facility also implemented an algorithm for treatment of wounds. There was a significant reduction in the mean monthly hospital-acquired PrU (nPrU) rate when preprogram is compared to postprogram. Sustainable nPrU reduction can be achieved with mPUPP. LTAC hospitals could expect to reduce nPrU with education and incentive of caregivers. © 2014 Association of Rehabilitation Nurses.
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Gait speed is limited but improves over the course of acute care physical therapy.
Braden, Heather J; Hilgenberg, Sean; Bohannon, Richard W; Ko, Man-Soo; Hasson, Scott
2012-01-01
Gait is a common focus of physical therapists' management of patients in acute care settings. Walking speed, the distance a patient covers per unit time, has been advocated as a "sixth vital sign." However, the feasibility of measuring walking speed and the degree to which walking speed is limited or improves over the course of therapy in the acute care setting are unclear. The purpose of this study of patients undergoing physical therapy during acute care hospitalization, therefore, was to determine whether walking speed can be measured in acute care and whether walking speed is limited and changes over the course of therapy. This was an observational cross-sectional study. Participants were 46 hospital inpatients, mean age 75.0 years (SD = 7.8), referred to physical therapy and able to walk at least 20 ft. Information regarding diagnosis, comorbidities, physical assistance, device use, body height, and weight was obtained. Speed was determined during initial and final physical therapy visits while patients walked at their self-selected speed over a marked course in a hospital corridor. Therapists reported that walking speed was clinically feasible, requiring inexpensive, available resources, 4 minutes' additional time, and simple calculations for documentation. Initial walking speed was a mean of 0.33 m/s (SD = 0.21; 95% confidence interval [CI]: 0.27-0.39), whereas final speed was 0.37 m/s (SD = 0.20; 95% CI: 0.31-0.43). The Wilcoxon test showed the increase in walking speed (0.04 m/s) to be significant (P = .005) over a mean therapy period of 2.0 days (SD = 1.4) and total hospitalization period of 5.5 days (SD = 3.6). The effect size and standardized response mean were 0.19 and 0.36, respectively. Minimal detectable change was 0.18 m/s. Walking speed is a feasible measure for patients admitted to an acute care hospital. It shows that patients walk slowly relative to community requirements but that their speed improves even over a short course of therapy.
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ERIC Educational Resources Information Center
Auslander, Gail K.; Soskolne, Varda; Stanger, Varda; Ben-Shahar, Ilana; Kaplan, Giora
2008-01-01
This study aimed to examine the implementation, adequacy, and outcomes of discharge planning. The authors carried out a prospective study of 1,426 adult patients discharged from 11 acute care hospitals in Israel. Social workers provided detailed discharge plans on each patient. Telephone interviews were conducted two weeks post-discharge. Findings…
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Hwang, Eun Jeong; Sim, In Ok
2016-02-01
The study purposes were to construct and test structural equation modeling on the causal relationship of community residents' perceived quality of care, image, and role performance with satisfaction, intention to (re)visit and intention to recommend hospital. A cross-sectional survey was conducted with 3,900 community residents from 39 district public hospitals. The questionnaire was designed to collected information on personal characteristics and community awareness of public hospitals. Community awareness consisted of 6 factors and 18 items. The data were collected utilizing call-interview by a survey company. Research data were collected via questionnaires and analyzed using SPSS version 20.0 and AMOS version 20.0. Model fit indices for the hypothetical model were suitable for the recommended level: χ²=796.40 (df=79, p<.001), GFI=.93, AGFI=.90, RMSR=.08, NFI=.94. Quality of care, image, and role performance explained 68.1% of variance in community awareness. Total effect of quality of care process factors on satisfaction (path coefficients=3.67), intention to (re)visit (path coefficients=2.67) and intention to recommend hospital (coefficients=2.45) were higher than other factors. Findings show that public hospitals have to make an effort to improve community image through the provision of quality care, and excellent role performance. Support for these activities is available from both Central and Local Governments.
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Chaves, Sandra S; Pérez, Alejandro; Miller, Lisa; Bennett, Nancy M; Bandyopadhyay, Ananda; Farley, Monica M; Fowler, Brian; Hancock, Emily B; Kirley, Pam Daily; Lynfield, Ruth; Ryan, Patricia; Morin, Craig; Schaffner, William; Sharangpani, Ruta; Lindegren, Mary Lou; Tengelsen, Leslie; Thomas, Ann; Hill, Mary B; Bradley, Kristy K; Oni, Oluwakemi; Meek, James; Zansky, Shelley; Widdowson, Marc-Alain; Finelli, Lyn
2015-12-15
Patients hospitalized with influenza may require extended care on discharge. We aimed to explore predictors for extended care needs and the potential mitigating effect of antiviral treatment among community-dwelling adults aged ≥ 65 years hospitalized with influenza. We used laboratory-confirmed influenza hospitalizations from 3 influenza seasons. Extended care was defined as new placement in a skilled nursing home/long-term/rehabilitation facility on hospital discharge. We focused on those treated with antiviral agents to explore the effect of early treatment on extended care and hospital length of stay using logistic regression and competing risk survival analysis, accounting for time from illness onset to hospitalization. Treatment was categorized as early (≤ 4 days) or late (>4 days) in reference to date of illness onset. Among 6593 community-dwelling adults aged ≥ 65 years hospitalized for influenza, 18% required extended care at discharge. The need for care increased with age and neurologic disorders, intensive care unit admission, and pneumonia were predictors of care needs. Early treatment reduced the odds of extended care after hospital discharge for those hospitalized ≤ 2 or >2 days from illness onset (adjusted odds ratio, 0.38 [95% confidence interval {CI}, .17-.85] and 0.75 [.56-.97], respectively). Early treatment was also independently associated with reduction in length of stay for those hospitalized ≤ 2 days from illness onset (adjusted hazard ratio, 1.81; 95% CI, 1.43-2.30) or >2 days (1.30; 1.20-1.40). Prompt antiviral treatment decreases the impact of influenza on older adults through shorten hospitalization and reduced extended care needs. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the Infectious Diseases Society of America 2015. This work is written by (a) US Government employee(s) and is in the public domain in the US.
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Latent Growth Modeling of nursing care dependency of acute neurological inpatients.
Piredda, M; Ghezzi, V; De Marinis, M G; Palese, A
2015-01-01
Longitudinal three-time point study, addressing how neurological adult patient care dependency varies from the admission time to the 3rd day of acute hospitalization. Nursing care dependency was measured with the Care Dependency Scale (CDS) and a Latent Growth Modeling approach was used to analyse the CDS trend in 124 neurosurgical and stroke inpatients. Care dependence followed a decreasing linear trend. Results can help nurse-managers planning an appropriate amount of nursing care for acute neurological patients during their initial stage of hospitalization. Further studies are needed aimed at investigating the determinants of nursing care dependence during the entire in-hospital stay.
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Readmission to an Acute Care Hospital During Inpatient Rehabilitation for Traumatic Brain Injury.
Hammond, Flora M; Horn, Susan D; Smout, Randall J; Beaulieu, Cynthia L; Barrett, Ryan S; Ryser, David K; Sommerfeld, Teri
2015-08-01
To assess the incidence of, causes for, and factors associated with readmission to an acute care hospital (RTAC) during inpatient rehabilitation for traumatic brain injury (TBI). Prospective observational cohort. Inpatient rehabilitation. Individuals with TBI admitted consecutively for inpatient rehabilitation (N=2130). Not applicable. RTAC incidence, RTAC causes, rehabilitation length of stay (RLOS), and rehabilitation discharge location. A total of 183 participants (9%) experienced RTAC for a total of 210 episodes. Of 183 participants, 161 patients experienced 1 RTAC episode, 17 had 2, and 5 had 3. The mean time from rehabilitation admission to first RTAC was 22±22 days. The mean duration in acute care during RTAC was 7±8 days. Eighty-four participants (46%) had ≥1 RTAC episodes for medical reasons, 102 (56%) had ≥1 RTAC episodes for surgical reasons, and 6 (3%) participants had RTAC episodes for unknown reasons. Most common surgical RTAC reasons were neurosurgical (65%), pulmonary (9%), infection (5%), and orthopedic (5%); most common medical reasons were infection (26%), neurological (23%), and cardiac (12%). Any RTAC was predicted as more likely for patients with older age, history of coronary artery disease, history of congestive heart failure, acute care diagnosis of depression, craniotomy or craniectomy during acute care, and presence of dysphagia at rehabilitation admission. RTAC was less likely for patients with higher admission FIM motor scores and education less than high school diploma. RTAC occurrence during rehabilitation was significantly associated with longer RLOS and smaller likelihood of discharge home. Approximately 9% of patients with TBI experienced RTAC episodes during inpatient rehabilitation for various medical and surgical reasons. This information may help inform interventions aimed at reducing interruptions in rehabilitation for RTAC. RTACs were associated with longer RLOS and discharge to an institutional setting. Copyright
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Do HMO penetration and hospital competition impact quality of hospital care?
Rivers, P A; Fottler, M D
2004-11-01
This study examines the impact of HMO penetration and competition on hospital markets. A modified structure-conduct-performance paradigm was applied to the health care industry in order to investigate the impact of HMO penetration and competition on risk-adjusted hospital mortality rates (i.e. quality of hospital care). Secondary data for 1957 acute care hospitals in the USA from the 1991 American Hospital Association's Annual Survey of Hospitals were used. The outcome variables were risk-adjusted mortality rates in 1991. Predictor variables were market characteristics (i.e. managed care penetration and hospital competition). Control variables were environmental, patient, and institutional characteristics. Associations between predictor and outcome variables were investigated using statistical regression techniques. Hospital competition had a negative relationship with risk-adjusted mortality rates (a negative indicator of quality of care). HMO penetration, hospital competition, and an interaction effect of HMO penetration and competition were not found to have significant effects on risk-adjusted mortality rates. These findings suggest that when faced with intense competition, hospitals may respond in ways associated with reducing their mortality rates.
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Healthcare Resource Availability, Quality of Care, and Acute Ischemic Stroke Outcomes.
O'Brien, Emily C; Wu, Jingjing; Zhao, Xin; Schulte, Phillip J; Fonarow, Gregg C; Hernandez, Adrian F; Schwamm, Lee H; Peterson, Eric D; Bhatt, Deepak L; Smith, Eric E
2017-02-03
Healthcare resources vary geographically, but associations between hospital-based resources and acute stroke quality and outcomes remain unclear. Using Get With The Guidelines-Stroke and Dartmouth Atlas of Health Care data, we examined associations between healthcare resource availability, stroke care, and outcomes. We categorized hospital referral regions with high-, medium-, or low-resource levels based on the 2006 national per-capita availability median of 6 relevant acute stroke care resources. Using multivariable logistic regression, we examined healthcare resource level and in-hospital quality and outcomes. Of 1 480 308 admitted ischemic stroke patients (2006-2013), 28.8% were hospitalized in low-, 44.4% in medium-, and 26.9% in high-resource hospital referral regions. Quality-of-care/timeliness metrics, adjusted length of stay, and in-hospital mortality were similar across all resource levels. Significant variation exists in regional availability of healthcare resources for acute ischemic stroke treatment, yet among Get With the Guidelines-Stroke hospitals, quality of care and in-hospital outcomes did not differ by regional resource availability. © 2017 The Authors. Published on behalf of the American Heart Association, Inc., by Wiley Blackwell.
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Intensive Care in Critical Access Hospitals
ERIC Educational Resources Information Center
Freeman, Victoria A.; Walsh, Joan; Rudolf, Matthew; Slifkin, Rebecca T.; Skinner, Asheley Cockrell
2007-01-01
Context: Although critical access hospitals (CAHs) have limitations on number of acute care beds and average length of stay, some of them provide intensive care unit (ICU) services. Purpose: To describe the facilities, equipment, and staffing used by CAHs for intensive care, the types of patients receiving ICU care, and the perceived impact of…
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A comprehensive review of prehospital and in-hospital delay times in acute stroke care.
Evenson, K R; Foraker, R E; Morris, D L; Rosamond, W D
2009-06-01
The purpose of this study was to systematically review and summarize prehospital and in-hospital stroke evaluation and treatment delay times. We identified 123 unique peer-reviewed studies published from 1981 to 2007 of prehospital and in-hospital delay time for evaluation and treatment of patients with stroke, transient ischemic attack, or stroke-like symptoms. Based on studies of 65 different population groups, the weighted Poisson regression indicated a 6.0% annual decline (P<0.001) in hours/year for prehospital delay, defined from symptom onset to emergency department arrival. For in-hospital delay, the weighted Poisson regression models indicated no meaningful changes in delay time from emergency department arrival to emergency department evaluation (3.1%, P=0.49 based on 12 population groups). There was a 10.2% annual decline in hours/year from emergency department arrival to neurology evaluation or notification (P=0.23 based on 16 population groups) and a 10.7% annual decline in hours/year for delay time from emergency department arrival to initiation of computed tomography (P=0.11 based on 23 population groups). Only one study reported on times from arrival to computed tomography scan interpretation, two studies on arrival to drug administration, and no studies on arrival to transfer to an in-patient setting, precluding generalizations. Prehospital delay continues to contribute the largest proportion of delay time. The next decade provides opportunities to establish more effective community-based interventions worldwide. It will be crucial to have effective stroke surveillance systems in place to better understand and improve both prehospital and in-hospital delays for acute stroke care.
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Regional variation in acute stroke care organisation.
Muñoz Venturelli, Paula; Robinson, Thompson; Lavados, Pablo M; Olavarría, Verónica V; Arima, Hisatomi; Billot, Laurent; Hackett, Maree L; Lim, Joyce Y; Middleton, Sandy; Pontes-Neto, Octavio; Peng, Bin; Cui, Liying; Song, Lily; Mead, Gillian; Watkins, Caroline; Lin, Ruey-Tay; Lee, Tsong-Hai; Pandian, Jeyaraj; de Silva, H Asita; Anderson, Craig S
2016-12-15
Few studies have assessed regional variation in the organisation of stroke services, particularly health care resourcing, presence of protocols and discharge planning. Our aim was to compare stroke care organisation within middle- (MIC) and high-income country (HIC) hospitals participating in the Head Position in Stroke Trial (HeadPoST). HeadPoST is an on-going international multicenter crossover cluster-randomized trial of 'sitting-up' versus 'lying-flat' head positioning in acute stroke. As part of the start-up phase, one stroke care organisation questionnaire was completed at each hospital. The World Bank gross national income per capita criteria were used for classification. 94 hospitals from 9 countries completed the questionnaire, 51 corresponding to MIC and 43 to HIC. Most participating hospitals had a dedicated stroke care unit/ward, with access to diagnostic services and expert stroke physicians, and offering intravenous thrombolysis. There was no difference for the presence of a dedicated multidisciplinary stroke team, although greater access to a broad spectrum of rehabilitation therapists in HIC compared to MIC hospitals was observed. Significantly more patients arrived within a 4-h window of symptoms onset in HIC hospitals (41 vs. 13%; P<0.001), and a significantly higher proportion of acute ischemic stroke patients received intravenous thrombolysis (10 vs. 5%; P=0.002) compared to MIC hospitals. Although all hospitals provided advanced care for people with stroke, differences were found in stroke care organisation and treatment. Future multilevel analyses aims to determine the influence of specific organisational factors on patient outcomes. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.
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The effects of massage therapy on pain management in the acute care setting.
Adams, Rose; White, Barb; Beckett, Cynthia
2010-03-17
Pain management remains a critical issue for hospitals and is receiving the attention of hospital accreditation organizations. The acute care setting of the hospital provides an excellent opportunity for the integration of massage therapy for pain management into the team-centered approach of patient care. This preliminary study evaluated the effect of the use of massage therapy on inpatient pain levels in the acute care setting. The study was conducted at Flagstaff Medical Center in Flagstaff, Arizona-a nonprofit community hospital serving a large rural area of northern Arizona. A convenience sample was used to identify research participants. Pain levels before and after massage therapy were recorded using a 0 - 10 visual analog scale. Quantitative and qualitative methods were used for analysis of this descriptive study. Hospital inpatients (n = 53) from medical, surgical, and obstetrics units participated in the current research by each receiving one or more massage therapy sessions averaging 30 minutes each. The number of sessions received depended on the length of the hospital stay. Before massage, the mean pain level recorded by the patients was 5.18 [standard deviation (SD): 2.01]. After massage, the mean pain level was 2.33 (SD: 2.10). The observed reduction in pain was statistically significant: paired samples t(52) = 12.43, r = .67, d = 1.38, p < .001. Qualitative data illustrated improvement in all areas, with the most significant areas of impact reported being overall pain level, emotional well-being, relaxation, and ability to sleep. This study shows that integration of massage therapy into the acute care setting creates overall positive results in the patient's ability to deal with the challenging physical and psychological aspects of their health condition. The study demonstrated not only significant reduction in pain levels, but also the interrelatedness of pain, relaxation, sleep, emotions, recovery, and finally, the healing process.
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Lim, Mei Ling; Yong, Bei Yi Paulynn; Mar, Mei Qi Maggie; Ang, Shin Yuh; Chan, Mei Mei; Lam, Madeleine; Chong, Ngian Choo Janet; Lopez, Violeta
2018-07-01
To explore the experiences of community nurses and home carers, in caring for patients on home enteral nutrition. The number of patients on home enteral nutrition is on the increase due to advancement in technology and shift in focus of providing care from acute to community care settings. A mixed-method approach was adopted. (i) A face-to-face survey design was used to elicit experience of carers of patients on home enteral nutrition. (ii) Focus group interviews were conducted with community nurses. Ninety-nine carers (n = 99) were recruited. Patient's mean age that they cared for was aged 77.7 years (SD = 11.2), and they had been on enteral feeding for a mean of 29 months (SD = 23.0). Most were bed-bound (90%) and required full assistance with their feeding (99%). Most were not on follow-up with dietitians (91%) and dentists (96%). The three most common reported gastrointestinal complications were constipation (31%), abdominal distension (28%) and vomiting (22%). Twenty community nurses (n = 20) were recruited for the focus group interviews. Four main themes emerged from the analysis: (i) challenge of accessing allied health services in the community; (ii) shorter length of stay in the acute care setting led to challenges in carers' learning and adaptation; (iii) transition gaps between hospital and home care services; and (iv) managing expectations of family. To facilitate a better transition of care for patients, adequate training for carers, standardising clinical practice in managing patients with home enteral nutrition and improving communication between home care services and the acute care hospitals are needed. This study highlighted the challenges faced by community home care nurses and carers. Results of this study would help to inform future policies and practice changes that would improve the quality of care received by patients on home enteral nutrition. © 2018 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.
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2013-01-01
Background The interRAI Acute Care instrument is a multidimensional geriatric assessment system intended to determine a hospitalized older persons’ medical, psychosocial and functional capacity and needs. Its objective is to develop an overall plan for treatment and long-term follow-up based on a common set of standardized items that can be used in various care settings. A Belgian web-based software system (BelRAI-software) was developed to enable clinicians to interpret the output and to communicate the patients’ data across wards and care organizations. The purpose of the study is to evaluate the (dis)advantages of the implementation of the interRAI Acute Care instrument as a comprehensive geriatric assessment instrument in an acute hospital context. Methods In a cross-sectional multicenter study on four geriatric wards in three acute hospitals, trained clinical staff (nurses, occupational therapists, social workers, and geriatricians) assessed 410 inpatients in routine clinical practice. The BelRAI-system was evaluated by focus groups, observations, and questionnaires. The Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities and Threats were mapped (SWOT-analysis) and validated by the participants. Results The primary strengths of the BelRAI-system were a structured overview of the patients’ condition early after admission and the promotion of multidisciplinary assessment. Our study was a first attempt to transfer standardized data between home care organizations, nursing homes and hospitals and a way to centralize medical, allied health professionals and nursing data. With the BelRAI-software, privacy of data is guaranteed. Weaknesses are the time-consuming character of the process and the overlap with other assessment instruments or (electronic) registration forms. There is room for improving the user-friendliness and the efficiency of the software, which needs hospital-specific adaptations. Opportunities are a timely and systematic problem detection and continuity of
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Devriendt, Els; Wellens, Nathalie I H; Flamaing, Johan; Declercq, Anja; Moons, Philip; Boonen, Steven; Milisen, Koen
2013-09-05
The interRAI Acute Care instrument is a multidimensional geriatric assessment system intended to determine a hospitalized older persons' medical, psychosocial and functional capacity and needs. Its objective is to develop an overall plan for treatment and long-term follow-up based on a common set of standardized items that can be used in various care settings. A Belgian web-based software system (BelRAI-software) was developed to enable clinicians to interpret the output and to communicate the patients' data across wards and care organizations. The purpose of the study is to evaluate the (dis)advantages of the implementation of the interRAI Acute Care instrument as a comprehensive geriatric assessment instrument in an acute hospital context. In a cross-sectional multicenter study on four geriatric wards in three acute hospitals, trained clinical staff (nurses, occupational therapists, social workers, and geriatricians) assessed 410 inpatients in routine clinical practice. The BelRAI-system was evaluated by focus groups, observations, and questionnaires. The Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities and Threats were mapped (SWOT-analysis) and validated by the participants. The primary strengths of the BelRAI-system were a structured overview of the patients' condition early after admission and the promotion of multidisciplinary assessment. Our study was a first attempt to transfer standardized data between home care organizations, nursing homes and hospitals and a way to centralize medical, allied health professionals and nursing data. With the BelRAI-software, privacy of data is guaranteed. Weaknesses are the time-consuming character of the process and the overlap with other assessment instruments or (electronic) registration forms. There is room for improving the user-friendliness and the efficiency of the software, which needs hospital-specific adaptations. Opportunities are a timely and systematic problem detection and continuity of care. An actual shortage of
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Hinno, Saima; Partanen, Pirjo; Vehviläinen-Julkunen, Katri; Aaviksoo, Ain
2009-12-01
The aim of the present study was to examine Estonian nurses' thinking with regard to how they perceive their autonomy, control over practice, teamwork and organizational support in regional, central and general hospitals. BACKGROUND; Despite the well-documented fact that there is a need to improve nurses' working environments in hospitals to promote safe patient care, in Europe broader studies on this topic have not received priority thus far. A nationally representative stratified random sample of 478 acute care hospital nurses was surveyed using the Nursing Work Index-Revised (NWI-R) instrument in 2005/2006. Nurses perceived their autonomy, control over practice and organizational support remarkably lower than nurse-physician relationships. Age and tenure were highly related to the nurses' perceptions. The Estonian nurses' ambivalent perceptions of the organizational attributes reflected the effects ascribed to hospital reforms. There is an urgent need for nurse managers to be particularly alert and attentive with regard to nurses who have been practising the profession for more than a decade. Support for their practice should be provided with the long-term goal of assuring the retention of those experienced nurses. Continuous monitoring of nurses' perceptions should be used systematically as a tool for staffing decisions at the hospital level.
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Leadership-organizational culture relationship in nursing units of acute care hospitals.
Casida, Jesus; Pinto-Zipp, Genevieve
2008-01-01
The phenomena of leadership and organizational culture (OC) has been defined as the driving forces in the success or failure of an organization. Today, nurse managers must demonstrate leadership behaviors or styles that are appropriate for the constantly changing, complex, and turbulent health care delivery system. In this study, researchers explored the relationship between nurse managers' leadership styles and OC of nursing units within an acute care hospital that had achieved excellent organizational performance as demonstrated by a consistent increase in patient satisfaction ratings. The data from this study support that transformational and transactional contingent reward leaderships as nurse manager leadership styles that are associated with nursing unit OC that have the ability to balance the dynamics of flexibility and stability within their nursing units and are essential for maintaining organizational effectiveness. It is essential for first-line nursing leaders to acquire knowledge and skills on organizational cultural competence.
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Janssen, Frank; Awadallah, Mohammed; Alhalabi, Awed; Körber, Barbara; Lang, Reinhard; Scibor, Mateusz; Handschu, René
2018-04-01
While telemedicine is in expanding use in acute stroke care, little is known about its use in general neurology, especially in acute care. We sought to investigate the feasibility and possible effects of a telemedicine device within the neurological back-up service of an acute care hospital. In a 450 bed academic teaching hospital an experienced neurologist (EN) is on call to support the junior doctor at the hospital. Support was possible whether by standard telephone advice (TA) or by audiovisual consultations (AVC). In AVC the expert used a mobile telemedicine device and so he could establish audiovisual contact from his home to the emergency room and examine newly admitted patients. Technical and patient details including timing and diagnosis were recorded. Video and audio quality as well as impact of AVC on diagnosis was rated by the EN. Out of about 1200 cases in off peak times, during the study period, 164 AVC including remote video examination were done (13.6%). Also 48 cases were documented by pure TA. Video quality was rated to a medium of 1.7, audio quality to 2.1. In 36 cases the audiovisual consultation was influenced by technical issues leading to cessation of AVC in 8 cases. Duration of teleconsultation was 17.3 min in AVC compared to 8.7 min for TA. The consultation diagnosis in AVC was confirmed in 74.4% of all cases compared to 57.7% in TA. AVC was rated as a valuable contribution to the diagnostic workup in 74.3% of all cases seen. In about 40% of all cases AVC was not possible due to technical or organizational reasons. Audiovisual consultation seems to be a feasible and useful support in routine neurology back-up service of an acute care hospital. Better mobility of devices and flexibility of service is needed to improve availability and quality of this valuable tool.
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Reorganization of mental health services: from institutional to community-based models of care.
Saraceno, B; Gater, R; Rahman, A; Saeed, K; Eaton, J; Ivbijaro, G; Kidd, M; Dowrick, C; Servili, C; Funk, M K; Underhill, C
2015-09-28
Mental health services in the Eastern Mediterranean Region are predominantly centralized and institutionalized, relying on scarce specialist manpower. This creates a major treatment gap for patients with common and disabling mental disorders and places an unnecessary burden on the individual, their family and society. Six steps for reorganization of mental health services in the Region can be outlined: (1) integrate delivery of interventions for priority mental disorders into primary health care and existing priority programmes; (2) systematically strengthen the capacity of non-specialized health personnel for providing mental health care; (3) scale up community-based services (community outreach teams for defined catchment, supported residential facilities, supported employment and family support); (4) establish mental health services in general hospitals for outpatient and acute inpatient care; (5) progressively reduce the number of long-stay beds in mental hospitals through restricting new admissions; and (6) provide transitional/bridge funding over a period of time to scale up community-based services and downsize mental institutions in parallel.
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The effect of performance-volume limit on the DRG based acute care hospital financing in Hungary.
Endrei, Dóra; Zemplényi, Antal; Molics, Bálint; Agoston, István; Boncz, Imre
2014-04-01
The aim of our paper is to analyse the effect of the so-called performance volume limit (PVL) financing method on acute hospital care. The data were derived from the nationwide administrative dataset of the National Health Insurance Fund Administration (OEP) covering the period 2003-2008. We analysed the trends in the DRG cost-weights, number of cases, case-mix, and average length of stay. We calculated the average annual reimbursement rate per DRG cost-weight with and without the application of PVL degression according to the hospital type and medical professions. Our results showed that although the national case mix (i.e., the sum of all of the DRG cost-weights produced in one year) did not change between 2003-2006, the trend of the annual number of cases increased, and the average length of stay decreased. During 2007-2008, a significant decline was found in each indicator. The introduction of the PVL resulted in a health insurance budget saving of 1.9% in 2004, 2.6% in 2005, 3.4% in 2006, 5.6% in 2007, and 3.2% in 2008. We found the lowest reimbursement rate per DRG cost-weight at the university medical schools (HUF 138,200 or € 550) and children's hospitals (HUF 132,547 or € 528), whereas the highest was at the county hospitals (HUF 143,451 or € 571) and city hospitals (HUF 142, 082 or € 565). The implementation of the PVL reduced the acute care hospital activity and reimbursement. The effect of the PVL was different on the different types of hospitals, and it had a serious disadvantageous effect on the university medical schools and children's hospitals. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.
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Maggio, Marcello; Corsonello, Andrea; Ceda, Gian Paolo; Cattabiani, Chiara; Lauretani, Fulvio; Buttò, Valeria; Ferrucci, Luigi; Bandinelli, Stefania; Abbatecola, Angela Marie; Spazzafumo, Liana; Lattanzio, Fabrizia
2013-04-08
The use of proton pump inhibitors (PPIs) has rapidly increased during the past several years. However, concern remains about risks associated with their long-term use in older populations. To investigate the relationship between the use of PPIs and the risk of death or the combined end point of death or rehospitalization in older patients discharged from acute care hospitals. We investigated the relationship between PPI use and study outcomes using time-dependent Cox proportional hazards regression in patients 65 years or older discharged from acute care medical wards from April 1 to June 30, 2007. Eleven acute care medical wards. Four hundred ninety-one patients (mean [SD] age, 80.0 [5.9] years). Mortality and the combined end point of death or rehospitalization. RESULTS The use of PPIs was independently associated with mortality (hazard ratio, 1.51 [95% CI, 1.03-2.77]) but not with the combined end point (1.49 [0.98-2.17]). An increased risk of mortality was observed among patients exposed to high-dose PPIs vs none (hazard ratio, 2.59 [95% CI, 1.22-7.16]). In older patients discharged from acute care hospitals, the use of high-dose PPIs is associated with increased 1-year mortality. Randomized controlled studies including older frail patients are needed. In the meantime, physicians need to use caution and balance benefits and harms in long-term prescription of high-dose PPIs.
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Total quality in acute care hospitals: guidelines for hospital managers.
Holthof, B
1991-08-01
Quality improvement can not focus exclusively on peer review and the scientific evaluation of medical care processes. These essential elements have to be complemented with a focus on individual patient needs and preferences. Only then will hospitals create the competitive advantage needed to survive in an increasingly market-driven hospital industry. Hospital managers can identify these patients' needs by 'living the patient experience' and should then set the hospital's quality objectives according to its target patients and their needs. Excellent quality program design, however, is not sufficient. Successful implementation of a quality improvement program further requires fundamental changes in pivotal jobholders' behavior and mindset and in the supporting organizational design elements.
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Bari, Sanwarul; Mannan, Ishtiaq; Rahman, Mohammed Anisur; Darmstadt, Gary L.; Seraji, M. Habibur R.; Baqui, Abdullah H.; Arifeen, Shams El; Rahman, Syed Moshfiqur; Saha, Samir K.; Ahmed, A.S.M. Nawshad Uddin; Ahmed, Saifuddin; Santosham, Mathuram; Black, Robert E.
2006-01-01
The Projahnmo-II Project in Mirzapur upazila (sub-district), Tangail district, Bangladesh, is promoting care-seeking for sick newborns through health education of families, identification and referral of sick newborns in the community by community health workers (CHWs), and strengthening of neonatal care in Kumudini Hospital, Mirzapur. Data were drawn from records maintained by the CHWs, referral hospital registers, a baseline household survey of recently-delivered women conducted from March to June 2003, and two interim household surveys in January and September 2005. Increases were observed in self-referral of sick newborns for care, compliance after referral by the CHWs, and care-seeking from qualified providers and from the Kumudini Hospital, and decreases were observed in care-seeking from unqualified providers in the intervention arm. An active surveillance for illness by the CHWs in the home, education of families by them on recognition of danger signs and counselling to seek immediate care for serious illness, and improved linkages between the community and the hospital can produce substantial increases in care-seeking for sick newborns. PMID:17591349
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Jangland, Eva; Kitson, Alison; Muntlin Athlin, Åsa
2016-04-01
To explore how patients with acute abdominal pain describe their experiences of fundamental care across the acute care episode. Acute abdominal pain is one of the most common conditions to present in the acute care setting. Little is known about how patients' fundamental care needs are managed from presentation to post discharge. A multi-stage qualitative case study using the Fundamentals of Care framework as the overarching theoretical and explanatory mechanism. Repeated reflective interviews were conducted with five adult patients over a 6-month period in 2013 at a university hospital in Sweden. The interviews (n = 14) were analysed using directed content analysis. Patients' experiences across the acute care episode are presented as five patient narratives and synthesized into five descriptions of the entire hospital journey. The patients talked about the fundamentals of care and had vivid accounts of what they meant to them. The experiences of each of the patients were influenced by the extent to which they felt engaged with the health professionals. The ability to engage or build a rapport was identified as a central component across the fundamental care elements, but it varied in visibility. Consistent pain management, comfort, timely and accurate information, choice and dignity and relationships were identified as essential fundamental care needs of patients experiencing acute abdominal pain regardless of setting, diagnosis, or demographic variables. These were variously achieved and the patients' narratives raised areas for improvement in several areas. © 2016 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.
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Promoting accountability: hospital charity care in California, Washington state, and Texas.
Sutton, Janet P; Stensland, Jeffrey
2004-05-01
Debate as to whether private hospitals meet their charitable obligations is heated. This study examines how alternative state approaches for ensuring hospital accountability to the community affects charitable expenditures and potentially affects access to care for the uninsured. Descriptive and multivariate analyses were used to compare private California hospitals' charity care expenditures with those of hospitals in Texas and Washington state. The key finding from this study is that net of hospital characteristics, market characteristics and community need, Texas hospitals were estimated to provide over 3 times more charity care and Washington hospitals were estimated to provide 66% more charity care than California hospitals. This finding suggests that more prescriptive community benefit or charity care requirements may be necessary to ensure that private hospitals assume a larger role in the care of the uninsured.
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Health care funding in the Australian Capital Territory: from hospital to community.
Hindle, Don
2002-01-01
This paper presents an outline of the socio-demographic features of the Australian Capital Territory (the ACT) and of its health care system. I describe how health care resources are allocated in the government sector, present a more detailed description of the way that hospital services are purchased, and summarise the government's policy directions for health. I argue that the main directions are sensible, and particularly those that support more integrated care that is largely based in the community. There appear to be no major weaknesses in the budget-share output-based funding model used in the purchase of hospital services, although the rationale for some of the components might be clarified. In total, the ACT government appears to be on the right track. However, I argue that more rapid progress might be possible if there were greater collaboration between the Territory health authority and the relatively powerful private medical profession.
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Spirig, Rebecca; Spichiger, Elisabeth; Martin, Jacqueline S; Frei, Irena Anna; Müller, Marianne; Kleinknecht, Michael
2014-01-01
With this study protocol, a research program is introduced. Its overall aim is to prepare the instruments and to conduct the first monitoring of nursing service context factors at three university and two cantonal hospitals in Switzerland prior to the introduction of the reimbursement system based on Diagnosis Related Groups (DRG) and to further develop a theoretical model as well as a methodology for future monitoring following the introduction of DRGs. DRG was introduced to all acute care hospitals in Switzerland in 2012. In other countries, DRG introduction led to rationing and subsequently to a reduction in nursing care. As result, nursing-sensitive patient outcomes were seriously jeopardised. Switzerland has the opportunity to learn from the consequences experienced by other countries when they introduced DRGs. Their experiences highlight that DRGs influence nursing service context factors such as complexity of nursing care or leadership, which in turn influence nursing-sensitive patient outcomes. For this reason, the monitoring of nursing service context factors needs to be an integral part of the introduction of DRGs. However, most acute care hospitals in Switzerland do not monitor nursing service context data. Nursing managers and hospital executive boards will be in need of this data in the future, in order to distribute resources effectively. A mixed methods design in the form of a sequential explanatory strategy was chosen. During the preparation phase, starting in spring 2011, instruments were selected and prepared, and the access to patient and nursing data in the hospitals was organized. Following this, online collection of quantitative data was conducted in fall 2011. In summer 2012, qualitative data was gathered using focus group interviews, which helped to describe the processes in more detail. During 2013 and 2014, an integration process is being conducted involving complementing, comparing and contrasting quantitative and qualitative findings
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Spirig, Rebecca; Spichiger, Elisabeth; Martin, Jacqueline S.; Frei, Irena Anna; Müller, Marianne; Kleinknecht, Michael
2014-01-01
Aims: With this study protocol, a research program is introduced. Its overall aim is to prepare the instruments and to conduct the first monitoring of nursing service context factors at three university and two cantonal hospitals in Switzerland prior to the introduction of the reimbursement system based on Diagnosis Related Groups (DRG) and to further develop a theoretical model as well as a methodology for future monitoring following the introduction of DRGs. Background: DRG was introduced to all acute care hospitals in Switzerland in 2012. In other countries, DRG introduction led to rationing and subsequently to a reduction in nursing care. As result, nursing-sensitive patient outcomes were seriously jeopardised. Switzerland has the opportunity to learn from the consequences experienced by other countries when they introduced DRGs. Their experiences highlight that DRGs influence nursing service context factors such as complexity of nursing care or leadership, which in turn influence nursing-sensitive patient outcomes. For this reason, the monitoring of nursing service context factors needs to be an integral part of the introduction of DRGs. However, most acute care hospitals in Switzerland do not monitor nursing service context data. Nursing managers and hospital executive boards will be in need of this data in the future, in order to distribute resources effectively. Methods/Design: A mixed methods design in the form of a sequential explanatory strategy was chosen. During the preparation phase, starting in spring 2011, instruments were selected and prepared, and the access to patient and nursing data in the hospitals was organized. Following this, online collection of quantitative data was conducted in fall 2011. In summer 2012, qualitative data was gathered using focus group interviews, which helped to describe the processes in more detail. During 2013 and 2014, an integration process is being conducted involving complementing, comparing and contrasting
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Performance measures for in-hospital care of acute ischemic stroke in public hospitals in Chile
2013-01-01
Background The aim of this study were to describe acute care of ischemic stroke patients and adherence to performance measures, as well as the outcomes of these events, in a sample of patients treated in public hospitals in Chile. Methods We retrospectively reviewed the medical charts of patients with ischemic stroke from a sample of seven public hospitals in the Metropolitan Region of Santiago. We analyzed adherence to the following evidence-based measures: clinical evaluation at admission, use of intravenous thrombolysis, dysphagia screening and prescription of antithrombotic therapy at discharge. As outcome measures we analyzed post-stroke pneumonia and 30-day case-fatality. We used a logistic regression model by each outcome with generalized estimating equations, which accounted for clustering of patients within hospitals and included sex, age (years), clinical status at admission (reduced level of consciousness, speech disturbance, aphasia and hemiplegia), comorbidities, dysphagia screening and neurological evaluation at admission as measures of acute stroke care. Results We reviewed the charts of 677 patients, of which 52.3% were men. The mean age was 69.8 years in women and 66.3 years in men. Diagnosis of stroke was confirmed by a computed tomography scan within 4.5 hours of symptom onset in only 9.6% of the patients. Intravenous thrombolysis was administered in 1.7%. Dysphagia screening was performed in 12.1% (95% CI 9.7-15.0) and antithrombotic therapy was prescribed in 68.9% (95% CI 64.6-72.9). Pneumonia was diagnosed in 23.6% (95% CI 20.4-27.2). Thirty-day fatality was 8.7% (95% CI 6.7-11.3). The variables independently associated with 30-day case fatality were age (OR 1.08, 95% 1.06-1.10), pneumonia (OR 7.7, 95% 95% CI 4.0-14.7), aphasia (OR 2.4, 95% CI 1.1-5.6), reduced level of consciousness (OR 2.4, 95% CI 1.3-4.4), and speech disturbance (OR 1.4, 95% CI 1.0-1.9). No association was found between 30-day case fatality and dysphagia screening or
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Use of acute care hospital services by immigrant seniors in Ontario: A linkage study.
Ng, Edward; Sanmartin, Claudia; Tu, Jack; Manuel, Doug
2014-10-01
Seniors constitute the largest group of hospital users. The increasing share of immigrants in Canada's senior population can affect the demand for hospital care. This study used the linked 2006 Census-Hospital Discharge Abstract Database to examine hospitalization during the 2004-to-2006 period, by immigrant status, of Ontario seniors living in the community. Hospitalization was assessed with logistic regressions; cumulative length of stay, with zero-truncated negative binomial regressions. All-cause hospitalization and hospitalizations specific to circulatory and digestive diseases were examined. Immigrant seniors had significantly low age-/sex-adjusted odds of hospitalization, compared with Canadian-born seniors (OR = 0.81). The odds varied from 0.4 among East Asians to 0.89 among Europeans, and rose with length of time since arrival from 0.54 for recent (1994 to 2003) to 0.86 for long-term (before 1984) immigrants. Adjustment for demographic and socio-economic characteristics did not change the overall patterns. Immigrants' cumulated length of hospital stay tended to be shorter than or similar to that of Canadian-born seniors. Immigrant seniors, especially recent arrivals, had lower odds of hospitalization and similar time in hospital, compared with Canadian-born seniors. These patterns likely reflect differences in health status. Variations by world region and disease reflect the diverse health care needs of immigrant seniors.
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Analysis of the Community Benefit Standard in Texas Hospitals.
Worthy, James Corbett; Anderson, Cheryl L
2016-01-01
The federal government provides special tax-exemption status, known as the community benefit standard, to some nonprofit hospitals. It is not known if hospitals that claim the community benefit standard provide more or different services from those provided by hospitals that do not claim the community benefit status. Guided by the socioecological model, this quantitative study investigated 95 hospitals serving 52 counties in South Texas--43 that claimed a community benefit and 52 that did not. The independent variables were hospitals that claimed the community benefit standard versus hospitals that did not. The dependent variables were the three essential criteria and the 13 reported services used to meet the community benefit standard. The study results show that all hospitals that claimed the community benefit standard met two of the three required criteria. However, only 22 of 43 hospitals had a full-time emergency department (ED), the third criterion. Χ² analysis showed statistically significant differences for only two of the five common services: having an ED and community education for community benefit hospitals versus noncommunity benefit hospitals. On average, hospitals that claimed the community benefit spent 100 times more money on community services than hospitals that did not claim the community benefit. Further investigation is needed to determine the reasons for the gap in services pertaining to EDs, trauma care, neonatal intensive care, free-standing clinics, collaborative efforts, other medical services, education of patients, community health education, and other education services.
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Community orientation in hospitals: an institutional and resource dependence perspective.
Proenca, E J; Rosko, M D; Zinn, J S
2000-01-01
OBJECTIVE: To conceptualize community orientation-defined as the generation, dissemination, and use of community health-need intelligence-as a strategic response to environmental pressures, and to test a theoretically justified model of the predictors of community orientation in hospitals. DATA SOURCES: The analysis used data for 4,578 hospitals obtained from the 1994 and 1995 American Hospital Association (AHA) Annual Survey and the 1994 Medicare Hospital Cost Report data sets. Market-level data came from the Area Resource File. STUDY DESIGN: Multiple regression analysis was used to examine the effects of hospital size, dependence on managed care, ownership, network, system and alliance memberships, and level of diffusion of community-orientation practices in the area on the degree of community orientation in hospitals. The model, based on Oliver's (1991) framework of organizational responsiveness to environmental pressures, controlled for the effects of industry concentration and lagged profitability. PRINCIPAL FINDINGS: Degree of community orientation is significantly related to hospital size; ownership; dependence on managed care; and membership in a network, system, or alliance. It is also significantly related to the diffusion of community-orientation practices among other area hospitals. CONCLUSIONS: Degree of community orientation is influenced by the nature of environmental pressures and by hospital interests. It is higher in hospitals that are large, nonprofit, or members of a network, system, or alliance; in hospitals that are more dependent on managed care; and in hospitals that operate in areas with higher diffusion of community-orientation activities. PMID:11130801
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Chung, Sheng-Chia; Sundström, Johan; Gale, Chris P; James, Stefan; Deanfield, John; Wallentin, Lars; Timmis, Adam; Jernberg, Tomas; Hemingway, Harry
2015-08-07
To assess the between hospital variation in use of guideline recommended treatments and clinical outcomes for acute myocardial infarction in Sweden and the United Kingdom. Population based longitudinal cohort study using nationwide clinical registries. Nationwide registry data comprising all hospitals providing acute myocardial infarction care in Sweden (SWEDEHEART/RIKS-HIA, n=87; 119,786 patients) and the UK (NICOR/MINAP, n=242; 391,077 patients), 2004-10. Between hospital variation in 30 day mortality of patients admitted with acute myocardial infarction. Case mix standardised 30 day mortality from acute myocardial infarction was lower in Swedish hospitals (8.4%) than in UK hospitals (9.7%), with less variation between hospitals (interquartile range 2.6% v 3.5%). In both countries, hospital level variation and 30 day mortality were inversely associated with provision of guideline recommended care. Compared with the highest quarter, hospitals in the lowest quarter for use of primary percutaneous coronary intervention had higher volume weighted 30 day mortality for ST elevation myocardial infarction (10.7% v 6.6% in Sweden; 12.7% v 5.8% in the UK). The adjusted odds ratio comparing the highest with the lowest quarters for hospitals' use of primary percutaneous coronary intervention was 0.70 (95% confidence interval 0.62 to 0.79) in Sweden and 0.68 (0.60 to 0.76) in the UK. Differences in risk between hospital quarters of treatment for non-ST elevation myocardial infarction and secondary prevention drugs for all discharged acute myocardial infarction patients were smaller than for reperfusion treatment in both countries. Between hospital variation in 30 day mortality for acute myocardial infarction was greater in the UK than in Sweden. This was associated with, and may be partly accounted for by, the higher practice variation in acute myocardial infarction guideline recommended treatment in the UK hospitals. High quality healthcare across all hospitals, especially
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2015-08-17
We are revising the Medicare hospital inpatient prospective payment systems (IPPS) for operating and capital related costs of acute care hospitals to implement changes arising from our continuing experience with these systems for FY 2016. Some of these changes implement certain statutory provisions contained in the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act and the Health Care and Education Reconciliation Act of 2010 (collectively known as the Affordable Care Act), the Pathway for Sustainable Growth Reform(SGR) Act of 2013, the Protecting Access to Medicare Act of 2014, the Improving Medicare Post-Acute Care Transformation Act of 2014, the Medicare Access and CHIP Reauthorization Act of 2015, and other legislation. We also are addressing the update of the rate-of-increase limits for certain hospitals excluded from the IPPS that are paid on a reasonable cost basis subject to these limits for FY 2016.As an interim final rule with comment period, we are implementing the statutory extensions of the Medicare dependent,small rural hospital (MDH)Program and changes to the payment adjustment for low-volume hospitals under the IPPS.We also are updating the payment policies and the annual payment rates for the Medicare prospective payment system (PPS) for inpatient hospital services provided by long-term care hospitals (LTCHs) for FY 2016 and implementing certain statutory changes to the LTCH PPS under the Affordable Care Act and the Pathway for Sustainable Growth Rate (SGR) Reform Act of 2013 and the Protecting Access to Medicare Act of 2014.In addition, we are establishing new requirements or revising existing requirements for quality reporting by specific providers (acute care hospitals,PPS-exempt cancer hospitals, and LTCHs) that are participating in Medicare, including related provisions for eligible hospitals and critical access hospitals participating in the Medicare Electronic Health Record (EHR)Incentive Program. We also are updating policies relating to the
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Smeds-Alenius, Lisa; Tishelman, Carol; Lindqvist, Rikard; Runesdotter, Sara; McHugh, Matthew D
2016-09-01
Quality and safety in health care has been increasingly in focus during the past 10-15 years. Stakeholders actively discuss ways to measure safety and quality of care to improve the health care system as a whole. Defining and measuring quality and safety, however, is complicated. One underutilized resource worthy of further exploration is the use of registered nurses (RNs) as informants of overall quality of care and patient safety. However, research is still scarce or lacking regarding RN assessments of patient safety and quality of care and their relationship to objective patient outcomes. To investigate relationships between RN assessed quality of care and patient safety and 30-day inpatient mortality post-surgery in acute-care hospitals. This is a national cross-sectional study. A survey (n=>10,000 RNs); hospital organizational data (n=67); hospital discharge registry data (n>200,000 surgical patients). RN data derives from a national sample of RNs working directly with inpatient care in surgical/medical wards in acute-care hospitals in Sweden in 2010. Patient data are from the same hospitals in 2009-2010. Adjusted multivariate logistic regression models were used to estimate relationships between RN assessments and 30-day inpatient mortality. Patients cared for in hospitals where a high proportion of RNs reported excellent quality of care (the highest third of hospitals) had 23% lower odds of 30-day inpatient mortality compared to patients cared for in hospitals in the lowest third (OR 0.77, CI 0.65-0.91). Similarly, patients in hospitals where a high proportion of RNs reported excellent patient safety (highest third) had is 26% lower odds of death (OR 0.74, CI 0.60-0.91). RN assessed excellent patient safety and quality of care are related to significant reductions in odds of 30-day inpatient mortality, suggesting that positive RN reports of quality and safety can be valid indicators of these key variables. Copyright © 2016 The Author(s). Published by
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Methodology for a Community Based Stroke Preparedness Intervention: The ASPIRE Study
Boden-Albala, Bernadette; Edwards, Dorothy F.; Clair, Shauna St; Wing, Jeffrey J; Fernandez, Stephen; Gibbons, Chris; Hsia, Amie W.; Morgenstern, Lewis B.; Kidwell, Chelsea S.
2014-01-01
Background and Purpose Acute stroke education has focused on stroke symptom recognition. Lack of education about stroke preparedness and appropriate actions may prevent people from seeking immediate care. Few interventions have rigorously evaluated preparedness strategies in multiethnic community settings. Methods The Acute Stroke Program of Interventions Addressing Racial and Ethnic Disparities (ASPIRE) project is a multi-level program utilizing a community engaged approach to stroke preparedness targeted to underserved black communities in the District of Columbia (DC). This intervention aimed to decrease acute stroke presentation times and increase intravenous tissue plasminogen activator (IV tPA) utilization for acute ischemic stroke. Results Phase 1 included: 1) enhancement of EMS focus on acute stroke; 2) hospital collaborations to implement and/or enrich acute stroke protocols and transition DC hospitals toward Primary Stroke Center certification; and 3) pre-intervention acute stroke patient data collection in all 7 acute care DC hospitals. A community advisory committee, focus groups, and surveys identified perceptions of barriers to emergency stroke care. Phase 2 included a pilot intervention and subsequent citywide intervention rollout. A total of 531 community interventions were conducted with over 10,256 participants reached; 3289 intervention evaluations were performed, and 19,000 preparedness bracelets and 14,000 stroke warning magnets were distributed. Phase 3 included an evaluation of EMS and hospital processes for acute stroke care and a yearlong post-intervention acute stroke data collection period to assess changes in IV tPA utilization. Conclusions We report the methods, feasibility, and pre-intervention data collection efforts of the ASPIRE intervention. PMID:24876243
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Patients' and Care Partners' Perspectives on Dignity and Respect During Acute Care Hospitalization.
Gazarian, Priscilla K; Morrison, Constance R C; Lehmann, Lisa Soleymani; Tamir, Orly; Bates, David W; Rozenblum, Ronen
2017-02-22
Delivering patient-centered care (PCC) is essential to our healthcare system. Patient dignity and respect are foundational elements of PCC. Understanding patients' and their care partner's perspectives on the meaning of dignity and respect within a clinical care environment is critical to achieving our goal of PCC. The aim of the study was to understand how patients and their care partners define, describe, and experience dignity and respect during hospitalization. We conducted a qualitative study with 22 patients and care partners hospitalized in high-acuity patient care areas in 1 academic medical center. Data collected from semistructured interviews were analyzed using grounded theory open coding in Atlas Ti software. Our data provide a definition of dignity and respect during hospitalization from the patient and care partner perspective and a conceptual model of the factors needed to enhance patients' and care partners' experience of dignity and respect in the hospital setting. Dignity was felt to be intrinsic to personhood including the recognition of that person's value by others. Respect was characterized as the behavioral or social norms that acknowledge dignity. Determinants of dignity and respect were categorized at the organizational (macro) level and within the microsystem between clinicians, patients, and their care partners. The definition of dignity and respect and the conceptual model presented here represent an important supplement to our understanding of dignity and respect during hospitalization. Healthcare organizations should focus on the key factors found in this study to create a culture that treats patients with dignity and respect.
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Sundström, Johan; Gale, Chris P; James, Stefan; Deanfield, John; Wallentin, Lars; Timmis, Adam; Jernberg, Tomas; Hemingway, Harry
2015-01-01
Objective To assess the between hospital variation in use of guideline recommended treatments and clinical outcomes for acute myocardial infarction in Sweden and the United Kingdom. Design Population based longitudinal cohort study using nationwide clinical registries. Setting and participants Nationwide registry data comprising all hospitals providing acute myocardial infarction care in Sweden (SWEDEHEART/RIKS-HIA, n=87; 119 786 patients) and the UK (NICOR/MINAP, n=242; 391 077 patients), 2004-10. Main outcome measures Between hospital variation in 30 day mortality of patients admitted with acute myocardial infarction. Results Case mix standardised 30 day mortality from acute myocardial infarction was lower in Swedish hospitals (8.4%) than in UK hospitals (9.7%), with less variation between hospitals (interquartile range 2.6% v 3.5%). In both countries, hospital level variation and 30 day mortality were inversely associated with provision of guideline recommended care. Compared with the highest quarter, hospitals in the lowest quarter for use of primary percutaneous coronary intervention had higher volume weighted 30 day mortality for ST elevation myocardial infarction (10.7% v 6.6% in Sweden; 12.7% v 5.8% in the UK). The adjusted odds ratio comparing the highest with the lowest quarters for hospitals’ use of primary percutaneous coronary intervention was 0.70 (95% confidence interval 0.62 to 0.79) in Sweden and 0.68 (0.60 to 0.76) in the UK. Differences in risk between hospital quarters of treatment for non-ST elevation myocardial infarction and secondary prevention drugs for all discharged acute myocardial infarction patients were smaller than for reperfusion treatment in both countries. Conclusion Between hospital variation in 30 day mortality for acute myocardial infarction was greater in the UK than in Sweden. This was associated with, and may be partly accounted for by, the higher practice variation in acute myocardial infarction guideline recommended
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2009-01-01
Background There is an ongoing debate in Germany about the assumption that patients with private health insurance (PHI) benefit from better access to medical care, including shorter waiting times (Lüngen et al. 2008), compared to patients with statutory health insurance (SHI). Problem Existing analyses of the determinants for waiting times in Germany are a) based on patient self-reports and b) do not cover the inpatient sector. This paper aims to fill both gaps by (i) generating new primary data and (ii) analyzing waiting times in German hospitals. Methods We requested individual appointments from 485 hospitals within an experimental study design, allowing us to analyze the impact of PHI versus SHI on waiting times (Asplin et al. 2005). Results In German acute care hospitals patients with PHI have significantly shorter waiting times than patients with SHI. Conclusion Discrimination in waiting times by insurance status does occur in the German acute hospital sector. Since there is very little transparency in treatment quality in Germany, we do not know whether discrimination in waiting times leads to discrimination in the quality of treatment. This is an important issue for future research. PMID:20025744
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Alonso de Leciñana-Cases, María; Gil-Núñez, Antonio; Díez-Tejedor, Exuperio
2009-01-01
Stroke is a neurological emergency. The early administration of specific treatment improves the prognosis of the patients. Emergency care systems with early warning for the hospital regarding patients who are candidates for this treatment (stroke code) increases the number of patients treated. Currently, reperfusion via thrombolysis for ischemic stroke and attention in stroke units are the bases of treatment. Healthcare professionals and health provision authorities need to work together to organize systems that ensure continuous quality care for the patients during the whole process of their disease. To implement this, there needs to be an appropriate analysis of the requirements and resources with the objective of their adjustment for efficient use. It is necessary to provide adequate information and continuous training for all professionals who are involved in stroke care, including primary care physicians, extrahospital emergency teams and all physicians involved in the care of stroke patients within the hospital. The neurologist has the function of coordinating the protocols of intrahospital care. These organizational plans should also take into account the process beyond the acute phase, to ensure the appropriate application of measures of secondary prevention, rehabilitation, and chronic care of the patients that remain in a dependent state. We describe here the stroke care program in the Community of Madrid (Spain). (c) 2009 S. Karger AG, Basel.
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Innovative approach to improving the care of acute decompensated heart failure.
Merhaut, Shawn; Trupp, Robin
2011-06-01
The care of patients presenting to hospitals with acute decompensated heart failure remains a challenging and multifaceted dilemma across the continuum of care. The combination of improved survival rates for and rising incidence of heart failure has created both a clinical and economic burden for hospitals of epidemic proportion. With limited clinical resources, hospitals are expected to provide efficient, comprehensive, and quality care to a population laden with multiple comorbidities and social constraints. Further, this care must be provided in the setting of a volatile economic climate heavily affected by prolonged length of stays, high readmission rates, and changing healthcare policy. Although problems continue to mount, solutions remain scarce. In an effort to help hospitals identify gaps in care, control costs, streamline processes, and ultimately improve outcomes for these patients, the Society of Chest Pain Centers launched Heart Failure Accreditation in July 2009. Rooted in process improvement science, the Society's approach includes utilization of a tiered Accreditation tool to identify best practices, facilitate an internal gap analysis, and generate opportunities for improvement. In contrast to other organizations that require compliance with predetermined specifications, the Society's Heart Failure Accreditation focuses on the overall process including the continuum of care from emergency medical services, emergency department care, inpatient management, transition from hospital to home, and community outreach. As partners in the process, the Society strives to build relationships with facilities and share best practices with the ultimate goal to improve outcomes for heart failure patients.
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Utilization of Post-Acute Care following Distal Radius Fracture among Medicare Beneficiaries
Zhong, Lin; Mahmoudi, Elham; Giladi, Aviram M.; Shauver, Melissa; Chung, Kevin C.; Waljee, Jennifer F.
2016-01-01
Purpose To examine the utilization and cost of post-acute care following isolated distal radius fractures (DRF) among Medicare beneficiaries. Methods We examined utilization of post-acute care among Medicare beneficiaries who experienced an isolated DRF (n=38,479) during 2007 using 100% Medicare claims data. We analyzed the effect of patient factors on hospital admission following DRF and the receipt of post-acute care delivered by skilled nursing facilities (SNFs), inpatient rehabilitation facilities (IRFs), home healthcare agencies (HHAs), and outpatient OT/PT for the recovery of DRF. Results In this cohort of isolated DRF patients, 1,694 (4.4%) were admitted to hospitals following DRF, and 20% received post-acute care. Women and patients with more comorbid conditions were more likely to require hospital admission. The utilization of post-acute care was higher among women, patients who resided in urban areas, and patients of higher socioeconomic status. The average cost per patient of post-acute care services from IRFs and SNFs ($15,888/patient) was significantly higher than the average cost other aspects of DRF care and accounted for 69% of the total DRF-related expenditure among patients who received inpatient rehabilitation. Conclusions Sociodemographic factors, including sex, socioeconomic status, and age, were significantly correlated with the use of post-acute care following isolated DRFs, and post-acute care accounted for a substantial proportion of the total expenditures related to these common injuries among the elderly. Identifying patients who will derive the greatest benefit from post-acute care can inform strategies to improve the cost-efficiency of rehabilitation and optimize scarce healthcare resources. Level of evidence Therapeutic, III PMID:26527599
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Patient Perspectives on Accessing Acute Illness Care
Finta, Mary K.; Borkenhagen, Amy; Werner, Nicole E.; Duckles, Joyce; Sellers, Craig R.; Seshadri, Sandhya; Lampo, Denise; Shah, Manish N.
2017-01-01
Introduction Older adults use the emergency department (ED) at high rates, including for illnesses that could be managed by their primary care providers (PCP). Policymakers have implemented barriers and incentives, often financial, to try to modify use patterns but with limited success. This study aims to understand the factors that influence older adults’ decision to obtain acute illness care from the ED rather than from their PCPs. Methods We performed a qualitative study using a directed content analysis approach from February to October 2013. Fifteen community-dwelling older adults age≥65 years who presented to the ED of an academic medical center hospital for care and who were discharged home were enrolled. Semi-structured interviews were conducted initially in the ED and subsequently in patients’ homes over the following six weeks. All interviews were audio-recorded, transcribed, verified, and coded. The study team jointly analyzed the data and identified themes that emerged from the interviews. Results The average age of study participants was 74 years (standard deviation ±7.2 years); 53% were female; 80% were white. We found five themes that influenced participants’ decisions to obtain acute illness care from the ED: limited availability of PCP-based care, variable interactions with healthcare providers and systems, limited availability of transportation for illness care, desire to avoid burdening friends and family, and previous experiences with illnesses. Conclusion Community-dwelling older adults integrate multiple factors when deciding to obtain care from an ED rather than their PCPs. These factors relate to personal and social considerations, practical issues, and individual perceptions based on previous experiences. If these findings are validated in confirmatory studies, policymakers wishing to modify where older adults receive care should consider person-centered interventions at the system and individual level, such as decision support
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Jusela, Cheryl; Struble, Laura; Gallagher, Nancy Ambrose; Redman, Richard W; Ziemba, Rosemary A
2017-03-01
HOW TO OBTAIN CONTACT HOURS BY READING THIS ARTICLE INSTRUCTIONS 1.3 contact hours will be awarded by Villanova University College of Nursing upon successful completion of this activity. A contact hour is a unit of measurement that denotes 60 minutes of an organized learning activity. This is a learner-based activity. Villanova University College of Nursing does not require submission of your answers to the quiz. A contact hour certificate will be awarded once you register, pay the registration fee, and complete the evaluation form online at http://goo.gl/gMfXaf. To obtain contact hours you must: 1. Read the article, "Communication Between Acute Care Hospitals and Skilled Nursing Facilities During Care Transitions: A Retrospective Chart Review" found on pages 19-28, carefully noting any tables and other illustrative materials that are included to enhance your knowledge and understanding of the content. Be sure to keep track of the amount of time (number of minutes) you spend reading the article and completing the quiz. 2. Read and answer each question on the quiz. After completing all of the questions, compare your answers to those provided within this issue. If you have incorrect answers, return to the article for further study. 3. Go to the Villanova website listed above to register for contact hour credit. You will be asked to provide your name; contact information; and a VISA, MasterCard, or Discover card number for payment of the $20.00 fee. Once you complete the online evaluation, a certificate will be automatically generated. This activity is valid for continuing education credit until February 29, 2020. CONTACT HOURS This activity is co-provided by Villanova University College of Nursing and SLACK Incorporated. Villanova University College of Nursing is accredited as a provider of continuing nursing education by the American Nurses Credentialing Center's Commission on Accreditation. ACTIVITY OBJECTIVES 1. Discuss problematic barriers during care transitions
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Acute sports injuries requiring hospital care.
Sandelin, J
1986-01-01
The present investigation reports 138 consecutive patients injured in sports, who needed treatment as in-patients in a one year period. More injuries were sustained in soccer than in other sports. The lower extremity was the site of most injuries, fractures and dislocations being the most common type of injury. At follow-up 50% of the patients complained of discomfort. The average stay in hospital after a sports injury requiring hospital care was 6 days. In 52% of the patients the duration of sports incapacity was at least six months and in seven per cent the sports incapacity after the sustained injury was permanent. PMID:3779346
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Clèries, Montse; Bosch, Anna; Vela, Emili; Bustins, Montse
2015-09-01
To verify the usefulness of the minimum data set (MDS) for acute-care hospitals and emergency resources for the study of road traffic injuries and to describe the use of health resources in Catalonia (Spain). The study population consisted of patients treated in any kind of emergency service and patients admitted for acute hospitalization in Catalonia in 2013. A descriptive analysis was performed by age, gender, time and clinical variables. A total of 48,150 patients were treated in hospital emergency departments, 6,210 were attended in primary care, and 4,912 were admitted to hospital. There was a higher proportion of men (56.2%), mainly aged between 20 and 40 years. Men accounted for 54.9% of patients with minor injuries and 75.1% of those with severe injuries. Contusions are the most common injury (30.2%), followed by sprains (28.7%). Fractures mostly affected persons older than 64 years, internal injuries particularly affected men older than 64 years, and wounds mainly affected persons younger than 18 years and older than 64 years. In the adult population, the severity of the injuries increased with age, leading to longer length of stay and greater complexity. Hospital mortality was 0.2%. Fractures, internal injuries and wounds were more frequent in the group of very serious injuries, and sprains and contusions in the group of minor injuries. MDS records (acute hospitals and emergency resources) provide information that is complementary to other sources of information on traffic accidents, increasing the completeness of the data. Copyright © 2014 SESPAS. Published by Elsevier Espana. All rights reserved.
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Rural Implications of Medicare's Post-Acute-Care Transfer Payment Policy
ERIC Educational Resources Information Center
Schoenman, Julie A.; Mueller, Curt D.
2005-01-01
Under the Medicare post-acute-care (PAC) transfer policy, acute-care hospitals are reimbursed under a per-diem formula whenever beneficiaries are discharged from selected diagnosis-related groups (DRGs) to a skilled nursing facility, home health care, or a prospective payment system (PPS)-excluded facility. Total per-diem payments are below the…
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Caswell, Glenys; Pollock, Kristian; Harwood, Rowan; Porock, Davina
2015-08-01
This paper focuses on communication between hospital staff and family carers of patients dying on acute hospital wards, with an emphasis on the family carers' perspective. The age at which people in the UK die is increasing and many continue to die in the acute hospital setting. Concerns have been expressed about poor quality end of life care in hospitals, in particular regarding communication between staff and relatives. This research aimed to understand the factors and processes which affect the quality of care provided to frail older people who are dying in hospital and their family carers. The study used mixed qualitative methods, involving non-participant observation, semi-structured interviews and a review of case notes. Four acute wards in an English University teaching hospital formed the setting: an admissions unit, two health care of older people wards and a specialist medical and mental health unit for older people. Thirty-two members of staff took part in interviews, five members of the palliative care team participated in a focus group and 13 bereaved family carers were interviewed. In all, 245 hours of observation were carried out including all days of the week and all hours of the day. Forty-two individual patient cases were constructed where the patient had died on the wards during the course of the study. Thirty three cases included direct observations of patient care. Interviews were completed with 12 bereaved family carers of ten patient cases. Carers' experience of the end of life care of their relative was enhanced when mutual understanding was achieved with healthcare professionals. However, some carers reported communication to be ineffective. They felt unsure about what was happening with their relative and were distressed by the experience of their relative's end of life care. Establishing a concordant relationship, based on negotiated understanding of shared perspectives, can help to improve communication between healthcare professionals
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Utilization of acute care among patients with ESRD discharged home from skilled nursing facilities.
Hall, Rasheeda K; Toles, Mark; Massing, Mark; Jackson, Eric; Peacock-Hinton, Sharon; O'Hare, Ann M; Colón-Emeric, Cathleen
2015-03-06
Older adults with ESRD often receive care in skilled nursing facilities (SNFs) after an acute hospitalization; however, little is known about acute care use after SNF discharge to home. This study used Medicare claims for North and South Carolina to identify patients with ESRD who were discharged home from a SNF between January 1, 2010 and August 31, 2011. Nursing Home Compare data were used to ascertain SNF characteristics. The primary outcome was time from SNF discharge to first acute care use (hospitalization or emergency department visit) within 30 days. Cox proportional hazards models were used to identify patient and facility characteristics associated with the outcome. Among 1223 patients with ESRD discharged home from a SNF after an acute hospitalization, 531 (43%) had at least one rehospitalization or emergency department visit within 30 days. The median time to first acute care use was 37 days. Characteristics associated with a shorter time to acute care use were black race (hazard ratio [HR], 1.25; 95% confidence interval [95% CI], 1.04 to 1.51), dual Medicare-Medicaid coverage (HR, 1.24; 95% CI, 1.03 to 1.50), higher Charlson comorbidity score (HR, 1.07; 95% CI, 1.01 to 1.12), number of hospitalizations during the 90 days before SNF admission (HR, 1.12; 95% CI, 1.03 to 1.22), and index hospital discharge diagnoses of cellulitis, abscess, and/or skin ulcer (HR, 2.59; 95% CI, 1.36 to 4.45). Home health use after SNF discharge was associated with a lower rate of acute care use (HR, 0.72; 95% CI, 0.59 to 0.87). There were no statistically significant associations between SNF characteristics and time to first acute care use. Almost one in every two older adults with ESRD discharged home after a post-acute SNF stay used acute care services within 30 days of discharge. Strategies to reduce acute care utilization in these patients are needed. Copyright © 2015 by the American Society of Nephrology.
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Penney, Christine; Henry, Effie
2008-01-01
The public, providers and policy-makers are interested in a service continuum where care is provided in the appropriate place. Alternate level of care is used to define patients who no longer need acute care but remain in an acute care bed. Our aims were to determine how subacute care and convalescent care should be defined in British Columbia (BC); how these care levels should be aligned with existing legislation to provide more consistent service standards to patients and what reporting requirements were needed for system planning and performance management. A literature review was conducted to understand the international trends in performance management, care delivery models and change management. A Canada-wide survey was carried out to determine the directions of other provinces on the defined issues and a BC survey provided a current state analysis of programming within the five regional health authorities (HAs). A provincial policy framework for subacute and convalescent care has been developed to begin to address the concerns raised and provide a base for performance measurement. The policy has been approved and disseminated to BC HAs for implementation. An implementation plan has been developed and implementation activities have been integrated into the work of existing provincial committees. Evaluation will occur through performance measurement. The benefits anticipated include: clear policy guidance for programme development; improved comparability of performance information for system monitoring, planning and integrity of the national acute care Discharge Abstracting Database; improved efficiency in acute care bed use; and improved equity of access, insurability and quality for patients requiring subacute and convalescent care. While a national reporting system exists for acute care in Canada, this project raises questions about the implications for this system, given the shifting definition of acute care as other care levels emerge. Questions are also
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From prevention to nursing home care: a comprehensive national audit of stroke care.
Horgan, Frances; McGee, Hannah; Hickey, Anne; Whitford, David L; Murphy, Sean; Royston, Maeve; Cowman, Seamus; Shelley, Emer; Conroy, Ronan M; Wiley, Miriam; O'Neill, Desmond
2011-01-01
Many countries are developing national audits of stroke care. However, these typically focus on stroke care from acute event to hospital discharge rather than the full spectrum from prevention to long-term care. We report on a comprehensive national audit of stroke care in the community and hospitals in the Republic of Ireland. The findings provide insights into the wider needs of people with stroke and their families, a basis for developing stroke-appropriate health strategies, and a global model for the evaluation of stroke services. Six national surveys were completed: general practitioners (prevention and primary care), hospital organisational and clinical audit of 2,570 consecutive stroke admissions (acute and hospital care), allied health professionals and public health nurses (discharge to community care), nursing homes (needs of patients discharged to long-term care), and patient and carers (post-hospital phase of rehabilitation and ongoing care). The audit identified substantial deficits in a number of areas including primary prevention, emergency assessment/investigation and treatment in hospital, discharge planning, rehabilitation and ongoing secondary prevention, and communication with patients and families. There was a lack of coordination and communication between the acute and community services, with a dearth of therapy services in both home and nursing home settings. This multi-faceted national stroke audit facilitated multiple perspectives on the continuum of stroke prevention and care. An overall synthesis of surveys supports the development of a multidisciplinary perspective in planning the development of comprehensive stroke services at the national level, and may assist in regional and global development of stroke strategies. Copyright © 2011 S. Karger AG, Basel.
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Hospital costs of acute pulmonary embolism.
Fanikos, John; Rao, Amanda; Seger, Andrew C; Carter, Danielle; Piazza, Gregory; Goldhaber, Samuel Z
2013-02-01
Pulmonary embolism places a heavy economic burden on health care systems, but the components of hospital cost have not been elucidated. We evaluated hospitalized patients with the primary diagnosis of pulmonary embolism. Our goal was to determine the total and component costs associated with their hospital care. We included patients hospitalized at Brigham and Women's Hospital from September 2003 to May 2010. Patient demographics, characteristics, comorbidities, interventions, and treatments were obtained from the electronic medical record. Costs were obtained using the hospital's accounting software and categorized into the areas providing direct patient supplies or care. We identified 991 hospitalized patients with acute pulmonary embolism. In-hospital mortality was 4.2%, and 90-day mortality after hospital discharge was 13.8%. The median length of hospital stay was 3 days, and the mean length of hospital stay was 4 days. The mean total hospitalization cost per patient was $8764. Nursing costs, which included room and board, were $5102. Pharmacy ($966) and radiology ($963) costs were similar. Pharmacy costs ($966) were dominated by the use of low-molecular-weight heparin ($232). Radiology costs ($963) were dominated by the use of diagnostic imaging examinations ($672). During the observation period, an average of 160 patients with pulmonary embolism were admitted each year, requiring an annual hospital expense ranging from $884,814 to $1,866,489. Pulmonary embolism has a high case fatality rate and remains an expensive illness to diagnose and treat. Nursing costs comprise the largest component of costs. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.
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Community/hospital indicators in South African public sector mental health services.
Lund, Crick; Flisher, Alan J
2003-12-01
The need to balance resources between community and hospital-based mental health services in the post-deinstitutionalisation era has been well-documented. However, few indicators have been developed to monitor the relationship between community and hospital services, in either developed or developing countries. There is a particular need for such indicators in the South African context, with its history of inequitable services based in custodial institutions under apartheid, and a new policy that proposes the development of more equitable community-based care. Indicators are needed to measure the distribution of resources and the relative utilisation of community and hospital-based services during the reform process. These indicators are potentially useful for assessing the implementation of policy objectives over time. To develop and document community/hospital indicators in public sector mental health services in South Africa. A questionnaire was distributed to provincial mental health coordinators requesting numbers of full-time equivalent (FTE) staff who provide mental health care at all service levels, annual patient admissions to hospitals and annual patient attendances at ambulatory care facilities. The information was supplemented by consultations with mental health coordinators in each of the 9 provinces. Population data were obtained from preliminary findings of the 1996 census. The community/hospital indicator measuring staff distribution was defined as the ratio of staff employed in community settings to all staff, expressed as a percentage. The community/hospital indicator measuring patient service utilisation was defined as the ratio of the annual ambulatory care attendance rate per 100,000 population to the sum of this rate and the annual hospital admission rate per 100,000 population, expressed as a percentage. Of psychiatric public sector staff, 25% are located in community settings in South Africa (provincial range: 11-70%). If hospital outpatient
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The Determinants of the Technical Efficiency of Acute Inpatient Care in Canada.
Wang, Li; Grignon, Michel; Perry, Sheril; Chen, Xi-Kuan; Ytsma, Alison; Allin, Sara; Gapanenko, Katerina
2018-04-17
To evaluate the technical efficiency of acute inpatient care at the pan-Canadian level and to explore the factors associated with inefficiency-why hospitals are not on their production frontier. Canadian Management Information System (MIS) database (CMDB) and Discharge Abstract Database (DAD) for the fiscal year of 2012-2013. We use a nonparametric approach (data envelopment analysis) applied to three peer groups (teaching, large, and medium hospitals, focusing on their acute inpatient care only). The double bootstrap procedure (Simar and Wilson 2007) is adopted in the regression. Information on inpatient episodes of care (number and quality of outcomes) was extracted from the DAD. The cost of the inpatient care was extracted from the CMDB. On average, acute hospitals in Canada are operating at about 75 percent efficiency, and this could thus potentially increase their level of outcomes (quantity and quality) by addressing inefficiencies. In some cases, such as for teaching hospitals, the factors significantly correlated with efficiency scores were not related to management but to the social composition of the caseload. In contrast, for large and medium nonteaching hospitals, efficiency related more to the ability to discharge patients to postacute care facilities. The efficiency of medium hospitals is also positively related to treating more clinically noncomplex patients. The main drivers of efficiency of acute inpatient care vary by hospital peer groups. Thus, the results provide different policy and managerial implications for teaching, large, and medium hospitals to achieve efficiency gains. © Health Research and Educational Trust.
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Cost-effectiveness of intensive psychiatric community care for high users of inpatient services.
Rosenheck, R A; Neale, M S
1998-05-01
This 2-year experimental study evaluated the effectiveness and cost of 10 intensive psychiatric community care (IPCC) programs at Department of Veterans Affairs medical centers in the northeastern United States. High users of inpatient services were randomly assigned to either IPCC or standard Department of Veterans Affairs care at 6 general medical and surgical hospitals (n=271 vs 257) and 4 neuropsychiatric hospitals (n=183 vs 162). Patient interviews every 6 months and national computerized data were used to assess clinical outcomes, health service use, health care costs, and non-health care costs. There was only 1 significant clinical difference between groups across follow-up periods: IPCC patients at general medical and surgical sites had higher community living skills. However, at the final interview, IPCC patients at general medical and surgical sites showed significantly lower symptoms, higher functioning, and greater satisfaction with services. Treatment with IPCC significantly reduced hospital use only at neuropsychiatric sites (320 vs 513 days, P<.001). Total societal costs, including the cost of IPCC, were lower for IPCC at neuropsychiatric sites ($82,454 vs $116,651, P<.001), but greater at general medical and surgical sites ($51,537 vs $46,491, P<.01). When 2 sites that incompletely implemented the model were dropped from the analysis, costs at general medical and surgical sites were $38 lower for IPCC (P=.26). At acute care hospitals, IPCC treatment is associated with greater long-term clinical improvement and, when fully implemented, is cost-neutral. At long-stay hospitals treating older, less-functional patients, it is not associated with clinical or functional improvement but generates substantial cost savings. Intensive psychiatric community care thus has beneficial, but somewhat different, outcome profiles at different types of hospitals.
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Rouch, L; Farbos, F; Cool, C; McCambridge, C; Hein, C; Elmalem, S; Rolland, Y; Vellas, B; Cestac, P
2018-01-01
To evaluate the overall rate of adherence by general practitioners (GPs) to treatment modifications suggested at discharge from hospital and to assess the way communication between secondary and primary care could be improved. Observational prospective cohort study. Patients hospitalized from the emergency department to the acute geriatric care unit of a university hospital. 206 subjects with a mean age of 85 years. Changes in drug regimen undertaken during hospitalization were collected with the associated justifications. Adherence at one month by GPs to treatment modifications was assessed as well as modifications implemented in primary care with their rationale in case of non-adherence. Community pharmacists' and GPs' opinions about quality of communication and information transfer at hospital-general practice interface were investigated. 5.5 ± 2.8 drug regimen changes were done per patient during hospitalization. The rate of adherence by GPs to treatment modifications suggested at discharge from hospital was 83%. In most cases, non-adherence by GPs to treatment modifications done during hospitalization was due to dosage adjustments, symptoms resolution but also worsening of symptoms. The last of which was particularly true for psychotropic drugs. All GPs received their patients' discharge letters but the timely dissemination still needs to be improved. Only 6.6% of community pharmacists were informed of treatment modifications done during their patients' hospitalization. Our findings showed a successful rate of adherence by GPs to treatment modifications suggested at discharge from hospital, due to the fact that optimization was done in a collaborative way between geriatricians and hospital pharmacists and that justifications for drug regimen changes were systematically provided in discharge letters. Communication processes at the interface between secondary and primary care, particularly with community pharmacists, must be strengthened to improve seamless
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Pulimaddi, Ramulu; Parveda, Amruth Rao; Brahmanpally, Balkishan; Kalakanda, Paul Marx; Ramakrishna, K; Chinnapaka, Venkata Ramana Devi
2017-12-01
The snakebites are considered to be an occupational hazard in agriculture workers and the snake handlers, resulting in a considerable morbidity, mortality and economical implications. This study was conducted to determine the incidence, clinical presentation, renal injury and clinical outcome in snakebite victims who developed acute kidney injury (AKI). This hospital-based prospective, observational study was done on 100 cases who were admitted for the management of snakebite and found to develop AKI in a tertiary care hospital at Hyderabad, India. Renal function tests, complete blood picture, urine routine examination, ultrasound examination of abdomen and coagulation profile were done and the prognosis was assessed by noting recovery, mortality, morbidity and/or progress to chronic stage. A total of 100 patients with a mean age of 43.80±12.63 yr (range 18-70); 62 males and 38 females were studied. All had bites on lower limbs. A total of 86 patients arrived in the hospital within 24 h, and 14 arrived after 24 h. Oliguria was found in 60, bleeding tendencies in 64, haemodynamic instability noted - tachycardia in 86. Systolic blood pressure (BP) was <120 mm Hg in 68 and BP was not recordable in four patients. Twelve patients were in stage III kidney disease and needed haemodialysis. Of the 100 cases of snakebite-induced acute kidney failure, 86 recovered and six died. On follow up, after six months eight patients developed chronic kidney failure. A cascade of events tends to occur in severe haemotoxic envenomation such as bleeding disorders, hypotension/circulatory shock, intravascular haemolysis, disseminated intravascular coagulation and acute respiratory disease syndrome (ARDS). The findings of this study showed that early hospitalization, quick antisnake venom administration and adequate supporting care provided promising results.
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Low, Lian Leng; Maulod, Adlina; Lee, Kheng Hock
2017-10-08
Poorer health outcomes and disproportionate healthcare use in socioeconomically disadvantaged patients is well established. However, there is sparse literature on effective integrated care interventions that specifically target these high-risk individuals. The Integrated Community of Care (ICoC) is a novel care model that integrates hospital-based transitional care with health and social care in the community for high-risk individuals living in socially deprived communities. This study aims to evaluate the effectiveness of the ICoC in reducing acute hospital use and investigate the implementation process and its effects on clinical outcomes using a mixed-methods participatory action research (PAR) approach. This is a single-centre prospective, controlled, observational study performed in the SingHealth Regional Health System. A total of 250 eligible patients from an urbanised low-income community in Singapore will be enrolled during their index hospitalisation. Our PAR model combines two research components: quantitative and qualitative, at different phases of the intervention. Outcomes of acute hospital use and health-related quality of life are compared with controls, at 30 days and 1 year. The qualitative study aims at developing a more context-specific social ecological model of health behaviour. This model will identify how influences within one's social environment: individual, interpersonal, organisational, community and policy factors affect people's experiences and behaviours during care transitions from hospital to home. Knowledge on the operational aspects of ICoC will enrich our evidence-based strategies to understand the impact of the ICoC. The blending of qualitative and quantitative mixed methods recognises the dynamic implementation processes as well as the complex and evolving needs of community stakeholders in shaping outcomes. Ethics approval was granted by the SingHealth Centralised Institutional Review Board (CIRB 2015/2277). The findings
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Maulod, Adlina; Lee, Kheng Hock
2017-01-01
Introduction Poorer health outcomes and disproportionate healthcare use in socioeconomically disadvantaged patients is well established. However, there is sparse literature on effective integrated care interventions that specifically target these high-risk individuals. The Integrated Community of Care (ICoC) is a novel care model that integrates hospital-based transitional care with health and social care in the community for high-risk individuals living in socially deprived communities. This study aims to evaluate the effectiveness of the ICoC in reducing acute hospital use and investigate the implementation process and its effects on clinical outcomes using a mixed-methods participatory action research (PAR) approach. Methods and analysis This is a single-centre prospective, controlled, observational study performed in the SingHealth Regional Health System. A total of 250 eligible patients from an urbanised low-income community in Singapore will be enrolled during their index hospitalisation. Our PAR model combines two research components: quantitative and qualitative, at different phases of the intervention. Outcomes of acute hospital use and health-related quality of life are compared with controls, at 30 days and 1 year. The qualitative study aims at developing a more context-specific social ecological model of health behaviour. This model will identify how influences within one’s social environment: individual, interpersonal, organisational, community and policy factors affect people’s experiences and behaviours during care transitions from hospital to home. Knowledge on the operational aspects of ICoC will enrich our evidence-based strategies to understand the impact of the ICoC. The blending of qualitative and quantitative mixed methods recognises the dynamic implementation processes as well as the complex and evolving needs of community stakeholders in shaping outcomes. Ethics and dissemination Ethics approval was granted by the Sing
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Mallidou, Anastasia A; Cummings, Greta G; Estabrooks, Carole A; Giovannetti, Phyllis B
2011-01-01
Hospital organizational culture is widely held to matter to the delivery of services, their effectiveness, and system performance in general. However, little empirical evidence exists to support that culture affects provider and patient outcomes; even less evidence exists to support how this occurs. To explore causal relationships and mechanisms between nursing specialty subcultures and selected patient outcomes (i.e., quality of care, adverse patient events). Martin's differentiation perspective of culture (nested subcultures within organizations) was used as a theoretical framework to develop and test a model. Hospital nurse subcultures were identified as being reflected in formal practices (i.e., satisfactory salary, continuing education, quality assurance program, preceptorship), informal practices (i.e., autonomy, control over practice, nurse-physician relationships), and content themes (i.e., emotional exhaustion). A series of structural equation models were assessed using LISREL on a large nurse survey database representing four specialties (i.e., medical, surgical, intensive care, emergency) in acute care hospitals in Alberta, Canada. Nursing specialty subcultures differentially influenced patient outcomes. Specifically, quality of care (a) was affected by nurses' control over practice, (b) was better in intensive care than in medical specialty, and (c) was related to lower adverse patient events; nurses in intensive care and emergency specialties reported fewer adverse events than did their counterparts in medical specialties. Understanding the meaning of subcultures in clinical settings would influence nurses and administrators efforts to implement clinical change and affect outcomes. More research is needed on nested subcultures within healthcare organizations for better understanding differentiated subspecialty effects on complexity of care and outcomes in hospitals. Copyright © 2010 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.
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Community benefit prevails. Are radical changes in hospital tax-exemption laws necessary?
Seay, J D
1992-01-01
Voluntary, not-for-profit hospitals are in danger of losing their tax-exempt status as policymakers lean toward stricter charity care requirements that would penalize hospitals which failed to provide at least a predetermined level of charity care. Proposed legislation abandons community benefit and advocates a relief-of-poverty standard. The relief-of-poverty standard advances the notion that hospitals are not providing enough charity care to merit their tax exemption. However, the voluntary hospitals' share of uncompensated care costs (as a percentage of total costs) increased from 70 percent in 1981 to 75 percent in 1989. The relief-of-poverty standard is inferior to the community benefit standard because it does not take into account that the character of community benefit varies among hospitals and communities. However, community benefit must be better defined. Some current activities--individual hospital reassessments, collective hospital reassessments, voluntary development of criteria, and statutory standards--will be instructive in efforts to arrive at a definition of community benefit that is appropriate for the specific community. Leaders in voluntary, not-for-profit hospitals need to develop positive and equitable criteria for hospital tax exemption. These hospitals' accountability is in question, but it is their integrity that is at stake.
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The Effects of Massage Therapy on Pain Management in the Acute Care Setting
Adams, Rose; White, Barb; Beckett, Cynthia
2010-01-01
Background Pain management remains a critical issue for hospitals and is receiving the attention of hospital accreditation organizations. The acute care setting of the hospital provides an excellent opportunity for the integration of massage therapy for pain management into the team-centered approach of patient care. Purpose and Setting This preliminary study evaluated the effect of the use of massage therapy on inpatient pain levels in the acute care setting. The study was conducted at Flagstaff Medical Center in Flagstaff, Arizona—a nonprofit community hospital serving a large rural area of northern Arizona. Method A convenience sample was used to identify research participants. Pain levels before and after massage therapy were recorded using a 0 – 10 visual analog scale. Quantitative and qualitative methods were used for analysis of this descriptive study. Participants Hospital inpatients (n = 53) from medical, surgical, and obstetrics units participated in the current research by each receiving one or more massage therapy sessions averaging 30 minutes each. The number of sessions received depended on the length of the hospital stay. Result Before massage, the mean pain level recorded by the patients was 5.18 [standard deviation (SD): 2.01]. After massage, the mean pain level was 2.33 (SD: 2.10). The observed reduction in pain was statistically significant: paired samples t52 = 12.43, r = .67, d = 1.38, p < .001. Qualitative data illustrated improvement in all areas, with the most significant areas of impact reported being overall pain level, emotional well-being, relaxation, and ability to sleep. Conclusions This study shows that integration of massage therapy into the acute care setting creates overall positive results in the patient’s ability to deal with the challenging physical and psychological aspects of their health condition. The study demonstrated not only significant reduction in pain levels, but also the interrelatedness of pain, relaxation
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Ensuring Access to Quality Health Care in Vulnerable Communities.
Bhatt, Jay; Bathija, Priya
2018-04-24
For millions of Americans living in vulnerable rural and urban communities, their hospital is an important, and often their only, source of health care. As transformation in the hospital and health care field continues, some communities may be at risk of losing access to health care services and the opportunities and resources they need to improve and maintain their health. Integrated, comprehensive strategies to reform health care delivery and payment, within which vulnerable communities can make individual choices based on their needs, support structures, and preferences, are needed.In this Invited Commentary, the authors outline characteristics and parameters of vulnerable communities as well as the essential health care services that hospitals should strive to maintain locally identified by the American Hospital Association Task Force on Ensuring Access in Vulnerable Communities. They also describe four of nine emerging strategies-recommended by the task force-to reform health care delivery and payment and allow hospitals to provide the essential health care services, along with implementation barriers and how to address them. While this Invited Commentary focuses on vulnerable communities, the four highlighted strategies (addressing the social determinants of health, adopting new and innovative virtual care strategies, designing global budgets, and using inpatient/outpatient transformation strategy), as well as the other five strategies, may have broader applicability for all communities.
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[Primary health care and hospitalizations in ambulatory care sensitive conditions in Catalonia].
Caminal Homar, J; Starfield, B; Sánchez Ruiz, E; Hermosilla Pérez, E; Martín Mateo, M
2001-09-01
Ambulatory Care Sensitive Conditions (ACSC) are a set of selected codes of hospital discharge diagnosis intended to measure avoidable hospitalizations. Primary Health Care Services may avoid the hospitalizations due to ACSC by applying any of the following interventions, that are characteristics of this level of care: a) primary prevention; b) secondary prevention, and c) tertiary prevention and rehabilitation. Observational, cross-sectional pilot study on 248,174 hospital discharges, from a population of 2,248,704 inhabitants in 161 Basic Health Care Units (BHCU), recorded in the minimum basic set of hospital discharge data in Catalonia during 1996. The complete list of diagnostic codes of ACSC, identified in the literature search, has been used. Crude and age-standardised hospitalisation rates have been estimated. Standardised hospitalisation ratio (SHR) has been computed to compare hospitalisation rates between BHCU. To analyse the effect of variables associated with high ACSC admission rates, multivariate analysis has been carried out by means of Poisson's regression. Hospitalisation due to ACSC account for 13% of all hospitalizations and 16% of hospital stay days. Acute and chronic diseases of the lower respiratory tract are the first cause of hospitalisation at any age group (< 5, 15-64 and > or = 65 years). The most common diagnostic groups, for all ages are respiratory disorders (acute and chronic diseases of the lower respiratory tract and pneumonia) and urinary tract conditions (pyelonephritis/urinary tract infection). The so-called self-limited health problems (ear, nose and throat mild infections/infections of the upper respiratory tract, febrile convulsions in children and gastroenteritis) account for more than 10% of all hospitalizations by ACSC, 45% of which occur in children. The overall crude hospitalisation rate by ACSC is 146.9/10,000 inhabitants (range: 12.4/10,000-239.9/10,000). SHR ranges from 0.01 to 1.85. "Hospital admissions due to ACSC" is
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Ishibashi, Masaaki; Ishii, Masakazu; Nagano, Miku; Kiuchi, Yuji; Iwamoto, Sanju
2018-01-01
Previous reports suggested that sharing outpatient information during chemotherapy is very important for managing pharmaceutical usage between community pharmacies and hospitals. We herein examined using a questionnaire survey whether pharmaceutical management for outpatient chemotherapy is desired by community and hospital pharmacists. The response rates were 44.3% (133/300) for pharmacists in community pharmacies and 53.7% (161/300) for pharmacists in hospitals. Prescriptions for outpatients during chemotherapy were issued at 88.2% of the hospitals. Currently, 28.9% of hospital pharmacists rarely provide pharmaceutical care, such as patient guidance and adverse effect monitoring, for outpatients receiving oral chemotherapy. Furthermore, whereas 93.7% of hospital pharmacists conducted prescription audits based on the chemotherapy regimen, audits were only performed by 14.8% of community pharmacists. Thus, outpatients, particularly those on oral regimens, were unable to receive safe pharmaceutical care during chemotherapy. Community pharmacists suggested that hospital pharmacists should use "medication notebooks" and disclose prescription information when providing clinical information to community pharmacists. They also suggested sending clinical information to hospital pharmacists by fax. On the other hand, hospital pharmacists suggested the use of "medication notebooks" and electronic medical records when providing clinical information to community pharmacists. In addition, they suggested for community pharmacists to use electronic medical records when providing clinical information to hospital pharmacists. As there may be differences in opinion between community and hospital pharmacists, mutual preliminary communication is important for successful outpatient chemotherapy.
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Soares, Luiz Guilherme L; Japiassu, André M; Gomes, Lucia C; Pereira, Rogéria
2018-02-01
Patients with complex palliative care needs can experience delayed discharge, which causes an inappropriate occupancy of hospital beds. Post-acute care facilities (PACFs) have emerged as an alternative discharge destination for some of these patients. The aim of this study was to investigate the frequency of admissions and characteristics of palliative care patients discharged from hospitals to a PACF. We conducted a retrospective analysis of PACF admissions between 2014 and 2016 that were linked to hospital discharge reports and electronic health records, to gather information about hospital-to-PACF transitions. In total, 205 consecutive patients were discharged from 6 different hospitals to our PACF. Palliative care patients were involved in 32% (n = 67) of these discharges. The most common conditions were terminal cancer (n = 42, 63%), advanced dementia (n = 17, 25%), and stroke (n = 5, 8%). During acute hospital stays, patients with cancer had significant shorter lengths of stay (13 vs 99 days, P = .004), a lower use of intensive care services (2% vs 64%, P < .001) and mechanical ventilation (2% vs 40%, P < .001), when compared to noncancer patients. Approximately one-third of discharges from hospitals to a PACF involved a heterogeneous group of patients in need of palliative care. Further studies are necessary to understand the trajectory of posthospitalized patients with life-limiting illnesses and what factors influence their decision to choose a PACF as a discharge destination and place of death. We advocate that palliative care should be integrated into the portfolio of post-acute services.
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Di Pollina, Laura; Guessous, Idris; Petoud, Véronique; Combescure, Christophe; Buchs, Bertrand; Schaller, Philippe; Kossovsky, Michel; Gaspoz, Jean-Michel
2017-02-14
Care of frail and dependent older adults with multiple chronic conditions is a major challenge for health care systems. The study objective was to test the efficacy of providing integrated care at home to reduce unnecessary hospitalizations, emergency room visits, institutionalization, and mortality in community dwelling frail and dependent older adults. A prospective controlled trial was conducted, in real-life clinical practice settings, in a suburban region in Geneva, Switzerland, served by two home visiting nursing service centers. Three hundred and one community-dwelling frail and dependent people over 60 years old were allocated to previously randomized nursing teams into Control (N = 179) and Intervention (N = 122) groups: Controls received usual care by their primary care physician and home visiting nursing services, the Intervention group received an additional home evaluation by a community geriatrics unit with access to a call service and coordinated follow-up. Recruitment began in July 2009, goals were obtained in July 2012, and outcomes assessed until December 2012. Length of follow-up ranged from 5 to 41 months (mean 16.3). Primary outcome measure was the number of hospitalizations. Secondary outcomes were reasons for hospitalizations, the number and reason of emergency room visits, institutionalization, death, and place of death. The number of hospitalizations did not differ between groups however, the intervention led to lower cumulative incidence for the first hospitalization after the first year of follow-up (69.8%, CI 59.9 to 79.6 versus 87 · 6%, CI 78 · 2 to 97 · 0; p = .01). Secondary outcomes showed that the intervention compared to the control group had less frequent unnecessary hospitalizations (4.1% versus 11.7%, p = .03), lower cumulative incidence for the first emergency room visit, 8.3%, CI 2.6 to 13.9 versus 23.2%, CI 13.1 to 33.3; p = .01), and death occurred more frequently at home (44.4 versus 14
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Scott, Phillip A; Meurer, William J; Frederiksen, Shirley M; Kalbfleisch, John D; Xu, Zhenzhen; Haan, Mary N; Silbergleit, Robert; Morgenstern, Lewis B
2013-02-01
Use of alteplase improves outcome in some patients with stroke. Several types of barrier frequently prevent its use. We assessed whether a standardised, barrier-assessment, multicomponent intervention could increase alteplase use in community hospitals in Michigan, USA. In a cluster-randomised controlled trial, we selected adult, non-specialty, acute-care community hospitals in the Lower Peninsula of Michigan, USA. Eligible hospitals discharged at least 100 patients who had had a stroke per year, had less than 100 000 visits to the emergency department per year, and were not academic comprehensive stroke centres. Using a computer-generated randomisation sequence, we selected 12 matched pairs of eligible hospitals. Within pairs, the hospitals were allocated to intervention or control groups with restricted randomisation in January, 2007. Between January, 2007, and December, 2007, intervention hospitals implemented a multicomponent intervention that included qualitative and quantitative assessment of barriers to alteplase use and ways to address the findings, and provided additional support. The primary outcome was change in alteplase use in patients with stroke in emergency departments between the pre-intervention period (January, 2005, to December, 2006) and the post-intervention period (January, 2008, to January, 2010). Physicians in participating hospitals and the coordinating centre could not be masked to group assignment, but were masked to progress made in paired control hospitals. External medical reviewers who were masked to group assignment assessed outcomes. We did intention-to-treat (ITT) and target-population (without one pair that was excluded after randomisation) analyses. This trial is registered at ClinicalTrials.gov, number NCT00349479. All 24 hospitals completed the study. Overall, 745 of 40 823 patients with stroke received intravenous alteplase treatment. In the ITT analysis, the proportion of patients with stroke who were admitted and
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Paediatric emergency and acute care in resource poor settings.
Duke, Trevor; Cheema, Baljit
2016-02-01
Acute care of seriously ill children is a global public health issue, and there is much scope for improving quality of care in hospitals at all levels in many developing countries. We describe the current state of paediatric emergency and acute care in the least developed regions of low and middle income countries and identify gaps and requirements for improving quality. Approaches are needed which span the continuum of care: from triage and emergency treatment, the diagnostic process, identification of co-morbidities, treatment, monitoring and supportive care, discharge planning and follow-up. Improvements require support and training for health workers and quality processes. Effective training is that which is ongoing, combining good technical training in under-graduate courses and continuing professional development. Quality processes combine evidence-based guidelines, essential medicines, appropriate technology, appropriate financing of services, standards and assessment tools and training resources. While initial emergency treatment is based on common clinical syndromes, early differentiation is required for specific treatment, and this can usually be carried out clinically without expensive tests. While global strategies are important, it is what happens locally that makes a difference and is too often neglected. In rural areas in the poorest countries in the world, public doctors and nurses who provide emergency and acute care for children are revered by their communities and demonstrate daily that much can be carried out with little. © 2016 The Authors. Journal of Paediatrics and Child Health © 2016 Paediatrics and Child Health Division (Royal Australasian College of Physicians).
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Quality geriatric care as perceived by nurses in long-term and acute care settings.
Barba, Beth Ellen; Hu, Jie; Efird, Jimmy
2012-03-01
This study focused on differences in nurses' satisfaction with the quality of care of older people and with organisational characteristics and work environment in acute care and long-term care settings. Numerous studies have explored links between nurses' satisfaction with care and work environments on the one hand and a variety of physical, behavioural and psychological reactions of nurses on the other. One key to keeping nurses in the workplace is a better understanding of nurses' satisfaction with the quality of care they provide. Descriptive design. The self-selected sample included 298 registered nurses and licensed practical nurses who provide care to minority, underserved and disadvantaged older populations in 89 long-term care and <100 bed hospitals in 38 rural counties and eight metropolitan areas in a Southern state. All completed the Agency Geriatric Nursing Care survey, which consisted of a 13-item scale measuring nurses' satisfaction with the quality of geriatric care in their practice settings and an 11-item scale examining obstacles to providing quality geriatric care. Demographic variables were compared with chi-square. Independent t-tests were used to examine differences between nurses in long-term care and acute care settings. Significant differences were found in level of satisfaction and perceived obstacles to providing quality care to older adults between participants from acute and long-term care. Participants in long-term care had greater satisfaction with the quality of geriatric care than those in acute facilities. Nurses in long-term care were more satisfied that care was evidence-based; specialised to individual needs of older adults; promoted autonomy and independence of elders; and was continuous across settings. Participants in acute facilities perceived more obstacles to providing quality geriatric care than nurses in long-term care facilities. Modification of hospital geriatric practice environments and leadership commitment to
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Trends in Hospitalizations for Acute Kidney Injury - United States, 2000-2014.
Pavkov, Meda E; Harding, Jessica L; Burrows, Nilka R
2018-03-16
Acute kidney injury is a sudden decrease in kidney function with or without kidney damage, occurring over a few hours or days. Diabetes, hypertension, and advanced age are primary risk factors for acute kidney injury. It is increasingly recognized as an in-hospital complication of sepsis, heart conditions, and surgery (1,2). Its most severe stage requires treatment with dialysis. Acute kidney injury is also associated with higher likelihood of long-term care, incidence of chronic kidney disease and hospital mortality, and health care costs (1,2). Although a number of U.S. studies have indicated an increasing incidence of dialysis-treated acute kidney injury since the late 1990s (3), no data are available on national trends in diabetes-related acute kidney injury. To estimate diabetes- and nondiabetes-related acute kidney injury trends, CDC analyzed 2000-2014 data from the National Inpatient Sample (NIS) (4) and the National Health Interview Survey (NHIS) (5). Age-standardized rates of acute kidney injury hospitalizations increased by 139% (from 23.1 to 55.3 per 1,000 persons) among adults with diagnosed diabetes, and by 230% (from 3.5 to 11.7 per 1,000 persons) among those without diabetes. Improving both patient and provider awareness that diabetes, hypertension, and advancing age are frequently associated with acute kidney injury might reduce its occurrence and improve management of the underlying diseases in an aging population.
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Kapasi, H.; Kelly, L.; Morgan, J.
2000-01-01
PROBLEM ADDRESSED: First Nations* communities in the North have a high prevalence of coronary artery disease and type 2 diabetes and face an increasing incidence of myocardial infarction (MI). Many conditions delay timely administration of thrombolysis, including long times between when patients first experience symptoms and when they present to community nursing stations, delays in air transfers to treating hospitals, uncertainty about when planes are available, and poor flying conditions. OBJECTIVE OF PROGRAM: To develop a program for administration of thrombolysis on the way to hospital by air ambulance paramedics flying to remote communities to provide more rapid thrombolytic therapy to northern patients experiencing acute MIs. COMPONENTS OF PROGRAM: Critical care flight paramedics fly to northern communities from Sioux Lookout, Ont; assess patients; communicate with base hospital physicians; review an exclusion criteria checklist; and administer thrombolytics according to the Sioux Lookout District Health Centre/Base Hospital Policy and Procedure Manual. Patients are then flown to hospitals in Sioux Lookout; Winnipeg, Man; or Thunder Bay, Ont. CONCLUSION: This thrombolysis program is being pilot tested, and further evaluation and development is anticipated. Images p1316-a p1317-a p1317-b PMID:10907571
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Surgical rescue: The next pillar of acute care surgery.
Kutcher, Matthew E; Sperry, Jason L; Rosengart, Matthew R; Mohan, Deepika; Hoffman, Marcus K; Neal, Matthew D; Alarcon, Louis H; Watson, Gregory A; Puyana, Juan Carlos; Bauzá, Graciela M; Schuchert, Vaishali D; Fombona, Anisleidy; Zhou, Tianhua; Zolin, Samuel J; Becher, Robert D; Billiar, Timothy R; Forsythe, Raquel M; Zuckerbraun, Brian S; Peitzman, Andrew B
2017-02-01
The evolving field of acute care surgery (ACS) traditionally includes trauma, emergency general surgery, and critical care. However, the critical role of ACS in the rescue of patients with a surgical complication has not been explored. We here describe the role of "surgical rescue" in the practice of ACS. A prospective, electronic medical record-based ACS registry spanning January 2013 to May 2014 at a large urban academic medical center was screened by ICD-9 codes for acute surgical complications of an operative or interventional procedure. Long-term outcomes were derived from the Social Security Death Index. Of 2,410 ACS patients, 320 (13%) required "surgical rescue": most commonly, from wound complications (32%), uncontrolled sepsis (19%), and acute obstruction (15%). The majority of complications (85%) were related to an operation; 15% were related to interventional procedures. The most common rescue interventions required were bowel resection (23%), wound debridement (18%), and source control of infection (17%); 63% of patients required operative intervention, and 22% required surgical critical care. Thirty-six percent of complications occurred in ACS primary patients ("local"), whereas 38% were referred from another surgical service ("institutional") and 26% referred from another institution ("regional"). Hospital length of stay was longer, and in-hospital and 1-year mortalities were higher in rescue patients compared with those without a complication. Outcomes were equivalent between "local" and "institutional" patients, but hospital length of stay and discharge to home were significantly worse in "institutional" referrals. We here describe the distinct role of the acute care surgeon in the surgical management of complications; this is an additional pillar of ACS. In this vital role, the acute care surgeon provides crucial support to other providers as well as direct patient care in the "surgical rescue" of surgical and procedural complications
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Reeve, Carole; Humphreys, John; Wakerman, John; Carroll, Vicki; Carter, Maureen; O'Brien, Tim; Erlank, Carol; Mansour, Rafik; Smith, Bec
2015-01-01
The aim of this study was to describe the reorientation of a remote primary health-care service, in the Kimberley region of Australia, its impact on access to services and the factors instrumental in bringing about change. A unique community-initiated health service partnership was developed between a community-controlled Aboriginal health organisation, a government hospital and a population health unit, in order to overcome the challenges of delivering primary health care to a dispersed, highly disadvantaged Aboriginal population in a very remote area. The shared goals and clear delineation of responsibilities achieved through the partnership reoriented an essentially acute hospital-based service to a prevention-focussed comprehensive primary health-care service, with a focus on systematic screening for chronic disease, interdisciplinary follow up, health promotion, community advocacy and primary prevention. This formal partnership enabled the primary health-care service to meet the major challenges of providing a sustainable, prevention-focussed service in a very remote and socially disadvantaged area.
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Middleton, Addie; Kuo, Yong-Fang; Graham, James E; Karmarkar, Amol; Lin, Yu-Li; Goodwin, James S; Haas, Allen; Ottenbacher, Kenneth J
2018-04-21
Examine readmission patterns over 90-day episodes of care in persons discharged from hospitals to post-acute settings. Retrospective cohort study. Acute care hospitals. Medicare fee-for-service enrollees (N = 686,877) discharged from hospitals to post-acute care in 2013-2014. The cohort included beneficiaries >65 years of age hospitalized for stroke, joint replacement, or hip fracture and who survived for 90 days following discharge. 90-day unplanned readmissions. The cohort included 127,680 individuals with stroke, 442,195 undergoing joint replacement, and 117,002 with hip fracture. Thirty-day readmission rates ranged from 3.1% for knee replacement patients discharged to home health agencies (HHAs) to 14.4% for hemorrhagic stroke patients discharged to skilled nursing facilities (SNFs). Ninety-day readmission rates ranged from 5.0% for knee replacement patients discharged to HHAs to 26.1% for hemorrhagic stroke patients discharged to SNFs. Differences in readmission rates decreased between stroke subconditions (hemorrhagic and ischemic) and increased between joint replacement subconditions (knee, elective hip, and nonelective hip) from 30 to 90 days across all initial post-acute discharge settings. We observed clear patterns in readmissions over 90-day episodes of care across post-acute discharge settings and subconditions. Our findings suggest that patients with hemorrhagic stroke may be more vulnerable than those with ischemic over the first 30 days after hospital discharge. For patients receiving nonelective joint replacements, readmission prevention efforts should start immediately after discharge and continue, or even increase, over the 90-day episode of care. Copyright © 2018 AMDA – The Society for Post-Acute and Long-Term Care Medicine. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.
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Owais, Aatekah; Sultana, Shazia; Stein, Aryeh D.; Bashir, Nasira H.; Awaldad, Razia; Zaidi, Anita K M
2011-01-01
Objective Sick young infants are at high risk of mortality in developing countries but families often decline hospital referral. Our objective was to identify the predictors of acceptance of referral for hospital care among families of severely ill newborns and infants <59 days old in three low-income communities of Karachi, Pakistan. Study design A cohort of 541 newborns and infants referred from home by community health workers doing household surveillance, and diagnosed with a serious illness at local community clinics between January 1 and December 31, 2007, was followed-up within 1 month of referral to the public hospital. Results Only 24% of families accepted hospital referral. Major reasons for refusal were financial difficulties (67%) and father/elder denying permission (65%). Religious/cultural beliefs were cited by 20% of families. Referral acceptance was higher with recognition of severity of the illness by mother (OR=12.7; 95% CI=4.6–35.2), family’s ability to speak the dominant language at hospital (OR=2.0; 95% CI=1.3–3.1), presence of grunting in the infant (OR=3.3; 95% CI=1.2–9.0), and infant temperature <35.5°C (OR=4.1; 95% CI=2.3–7.4). No gender differential was observed. Conclusion Refusal of hospital referral for sick young infants is very common. Interventions that encourage appropriate care seeking, as well as community-based management of young infant illnesses when referral is not feasible are needed to improve neonatal survival in low-income countries. PMID:21273989
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Fleiner, Tim; Dauth, Hannah; Gersie, Marleen; Zijlstra, Wiebren; Haussermann, Peter
2017-08-29
The primary objective of this trial is to investigate the effects of a short-term exercise program on neuropsychiatric signs and symptoms in acute hospital dementia care. Within a hospital-based randomized controlled trial, the intervention group conducted a 2-week exercise program with four 20-min exercise sessions on 3 days per week. The control group conducted a social stimulation program. Effects on neuropsychiatric signs and symptoms were measured via the Alzheimer's Disease Cooperative Study-Clinical Global Impression of Change, the Neuropsychiatric Inventory, and the Cohen-Mansfield Agitation Inventory. The antipsychotic and sedative dosage was quantified by olanzapine and diazepam equivalents. Eighty-five patients were randomized via minimization to an intervention group (IG) and a control group (CG). Seventy patients (82%) (mean age 80 years, 33 females, mean Mini Mental State Examination score 18.3 points) completed the trial. As compared to the CG (n = 35), the IG (n = 35) showed significantly reduced neuropsychiatric signs and symptoms. Especially, agitated behavior and lability improved. There were no between-group differences concerning antipsychotic and benzodiazepine medication. This exercise program is easily applicable in hospital dementia care and significantly reduces neuropsychiatric signs and symptoms in patients suffering from predominantly moderate stages of dementia. German Clinical Trial Register DRKS00006740 . Registered 28 October 2014.
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Health and Taxes: Hospitals, Community Health and the IRS.
Crossley, Mary
2016-01-01
The Affordable Care Act created new conditions of federal tax exemption for nonprofit hospitals, including a requirement that hospitals conduct a community health needs assessment (CHNA) every three years to identify significant health needs in their communities and then develop and implement a strategy responding to those needs. As a result, hospitals must now do more than provide charity care to their patients in exchange for the benefits of tax exemption. The CHNA requirement has the potential both to prompt a radical change in hospitals' relationship to their communities and to enlist hospitals as meaningful contributors to community health improvement initiatives. Final regulations issued in December 2014 clarify hospitals' obligations under the CHNA requirement, but could do more to facilitate hospitals' engagement in collaborative community health projects. The Internal Revenue Service (IRS) has a rich opportunity, while hospitals are still learning to conduct CHNAs, to develop guidance establishing clear but flexible expectations for how providers should assess and address community needs. This Article urges the IRS to seize that opportunity by refining its regulatory framework for the CHNA requirement. Specifically, the IRS should more robustly promote transparency, accountability, community engagement, and collaboration while simultaneously leaving hospitals a good degree of flexibility. By promoting alignment between hospitals' regulatory compliance activities and broader community health improvement initiatives, the IRS could play a meaningful role in efforts to reorient our system towards promoting health and not simply treating illness.
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2016-08-22
We are revising the Medicare hospital inpatient prospective payment systems (IPPS) for operating and capital-related costs of acute care hospitals to implement changes arising from our continuing experience with these systems for FY 2017. Some of these changes will implement certain statutory provisions contained in the Pathway for Sustainable Growth Reform Act of 2013, the Improving Medicare Post-Acute Care Transformation Act of 2014, the Notice of Observation Treatment and Implications for Care Eligibility Act of 2015, and other legislation. We also are providing the estimated market basket update to apply to the rate-of-increase limits for certain hospitals excluded from the IPPS that are paid on a reasonable cost basis subject to these limits for FY 2017. We are updating the payment policies and the annual payment rates for the Medicare prospective payment system (PPS) for inpatient hospital services provided by long-term care hospitals (LTCHs) for FY 2017. In addition, we are making changes relating to direct graduate medical education (GME) and indirect medical education payments; establishing new requirements or revising existing requirements for quality reporting by specific Medicare providers (acute care hospitals, PPS-exempt cancer hospitals, LTCHs, and inpatient psychiatric facilities), including related provisions for eligible hospitals and critical access hospitals (CAHs) participating in the Electronic Health Record Incentive Program; updating policies relating to the Hospital Value-Based Purchasing Program, the Hospital Readmissions Reduction Program, and the Hospital-Acquired Condition Reduction Program; implementing statutory provisions that require hospitals and CAHs to furnish notification to Medicare beneficiaries, including Medicare Advantage enrollees, when the beneficiaries receive outpatient observation services for more than 24 hours; announcing the implementation of the Frontier Community Health Integration Project Demonstration; and
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Ridout, Kathryn K; Kole, Jonathan; Fitzgerald, Kelly L; Ridout, Samuel J; Donaldson, Abigail A; Alverson, Brian
2016-07-01
This study investigates how the clinical practice guideline-recommended laboratory monitoring for refeeding syndrome impacts management and outcomes of adolescents with eating disorders hospitalized for acute medical stabilization and examines the value of laboratory monitoring (defined as the patient health outcomes achieved per dollar spent). A retrospective chart review of medical admissions in a children's hospital between October 2010 and February 2014 was performed. Encounters were identified using International Classification of Diseases, Ninth Revision codes of eating disorders as primary or secondary diagnoses. Exclusion criteria included systemic diseases associated with significant electrolyte abnormalities. Chart abstraction was performed using a predetermined form. Costs were estimated by converting hospital-fixed Medicaid charges using a statewide cost-to-charge ratio. Of the 196 patient encounters, there were no cases of refeeding syndrome. A total of 3,960 key recommended laboratories were obtained; 1.9% were below normal range and .05% were critical values. Of these, .28% resulted in supplementation; none were associated with a change in inpatient management. Total laboratory costs were $269,250.85; the calculated health care value of this monitoring is 1.04 × 10(-8) differential outcomes per dollar spent. This study provides evidence to suggest that daily laboratory monitoring for refeeding syndrome is a poor health care value in the management of adolescents hospitalized for acute medical stabilization with eating disorders. This initial analysis suggests that starting at a relatively low caloric level and advancing nutrition slowly may negate the need for daily laboratory assessment, which may have important implications for current guidelines. Copyright © 2016 Society for Adolescent Health and Medicine. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.
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The Progress of US Hospitals in Addressing Community Health Needs.
Cramer, Geri Rosen; Singh, Simone R; Flaherty, Stephen; Young, Gary J
2017-02-01
To identify how US tax-exempt hospitals are progressing in regard to community health needs assessment (CHNA) implementation following the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act. We analyzed data on more than 1500 tax-exempt hospitals in 2013 to assess patterns in CHNA implementation and to determine whether a hospital's institutional and community characteristics are associated with greater progress. Our findings show wide variation among hospitals in CHNA implementation. Hospitals operating as part of a health system as well as hospitals participating in a Medicare accountable care organization showed greater progress in CHNA implementation whereas hospitals serving a greater proportion of uninsured showed less progress. We also found that hospitals reporting the highest level of CHNA implementation progress spent more on community health improvement. Hospitals widely embraced the regulations to perform a CHNA. Less is known about how hospitals are moving forward to improve population health through the implementation of programs to meet identified community needs.
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Segaric, Cheryl Ann; Hall, Wendy A
2015-02-01
In this grounded theory study, informed by symbolic interactionism, we explain how nurses, patients, and family members construct relationships in acute care settings, including managing effects of work environments. We recruited participants from 10 acute care units across four community hospitals in a Western Canadian city. From 33 hr of participant observation and 40 interviews with 13 nurses, 17 patients, and 10 family members, we constructed the basic social-psychological process of progressively engaging. Nurses, patients, and family members approached constructing relationships through levels of engagement, ranging from perspectives about "just doing the job" to "doing the job with heart." Progressively engaging involved three stages: focusing on tasks, getting acquainted, and building rapport. Workplace conditions and personal factors contributed or detracted from participants' movement through the stages of the process; with higher levels of engagement, participants experienced greater satisfaction and cooperation. Progressively engaging provides direction for how all participants in care can invest in relationships. © The Author(s) 2014.
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Improving Pediatric Asthma Care and Outcomes Across Multiple Hospitals.
Nkoy, Flory; Fassl, Bernhard; Stone, Bryan; Uchida, Derek A; Johnson, Joseph; Reynolds, Carolyn; Valentine, Karen; Koopmeiners, Karmella; Kim, Eun Hea; Savitz, Lucy; Maloney, Christopher G
2015-12-01
Gaps exist in inpatient asthma care. Our aims were to assess the impact of an evidence-based care process model (EB-CPM) 5 years after implementation at Primary Children's Hospital (PCH), a tertiary care facility, and after its dissemination to 7 community hospitals. Participants included asthmatics 2 to 17 years admitted at 8 hospitals between 2003 and 2013. The EB-CPM was implemented at PCH between January 2008 and March 2009, then disseminated to 7 community hospitals between January and June 2011. We measured compliance using a composite score (CS) for 8 quality measures. Outcomes were compared between preimplementation and postimplementation periods. Confounding was addressed through multivariable regression analyses. At PCH, the CS increased and remained at >90% for 5 years after implementation. We observed sustained reductions in asthma readmissions (P = .026) and length of stay (P < .001), a trend toward reduced costs (P = .094), and no change in hospital resource use, ICU transfers, or deaths. The CS also increased at the 7 community hospitals, reaching 80% to 90% and persisting >2 years after dissemination, with a slight but not significant readmission reduction (P = .119), a significant reduction in length of stay (P < .001) and cost (P = .053), a slight increase in hospital resource use (P = .032), and no change in ICU transfers or deaths. Our intervention resulted in sustained, long-term improvement in asthma care and outcomes at the tertiary care hospital and successful dissemination to community hospitals. Copyright © 2015 by the American Academy of Pediatrics.
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McCurdy, BR
2012-01-01
Executive Summary In July 2010, the Medical Advisory Secretariat (MAS) began work on a Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD) evidentiary framework, an evidence-based review of the literature surrounding treatment strategies for patients with COPD. This project emerged from a request by the Health System Strategy Division of the Ministry of Health and Long-Term Care that MAS provide them with an evidentiary platform on the effectiveness and cost-effectiveness of COPD interventions. After an initial review of health technology assessments and systematic reviews of COPD literature, and consultation with experts, MAS identified the following topics for analysis: vaccinations (influenza and pneumococcal), smoking cessation, multidisciplinary care, pulmonary rehabilitation, long-term oxygen therapy, noninvasive positive pressure ventilation for acute and chronic respiratory failure, hospital-at-home for acute exacerbations of COPD, and telehealth (including telemonitoring and telephone support). Evidence-based analyses were prepared for each of these topics. For each technology, an economic analysis was also completed where appropriate. In addition, a review of the qualitative literature on patient, caregiver, and provider perspectives on living and dying with COPD was conducted, as were reviews of the qualitative literature on each of the technologies included in these analyses. The Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease Mega-Analysis series is made up of the following reports, which can be publicly accessed at the MAS website at: http://www.hqontario.ca/en/mas/mas_ohtas_mn.html. Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD) Evidentiary Framework Influenza and Pneumococcal Vaccinations for Patients With Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD): An Evidence-Based Analysis Smoking Cessation for Patients With Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD): An Evidence-Based Analysis Community-Based Multidisciplinary Care for Patients With Stable Chronic Obstructive
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Quality and equity of care in U.S. hospitals.
Trivedi, Amal N; Nsa, Wato; Hausmann, Leslie R M; Lee, Jonathan S; Ma, Allen; Bratzler, Dale W; Mor, Maria K; Baus, Kristie; Larbi, Fiona; Fine, Michael J
2014-12-11
Nearly every U.S. hospital publicly reports its performance on quality measures for patients who are hospitalized for acute myocardial infarction, heart failure, or pneumonia. Because performance rates are not reported according to race or ethnic group, it is unclear whether improvements in equity of care have accompanied aggregate improvements in health care quality over time. We assessed performance rates for quality measures covering three conditions (six measures for acute myocardial infarction, four for heart failure, and seven for pneumonia). These rates, adjusted for patient- and hospital-level covariates, were compared among non-Hispanic white, non-Hispanic black, and Hispanic patients who received care between 2005 and 2010 in acute care hospitals throughout the United States. Adjusted performance rates for the 17 quality measures improved by 3.4 to 57.6 percentage points between 2005 and 2010 for white, black, and Hispanic adults (P<0.001 for all comparisons). In 2005, as compared with adjusted performance rates for white patients, adjusted performance rates were more than 5 percentage points lower for black patients on 3 measures (range of differences, 12.3 to 14.2) and for Hispanic patients on 6 measures (5.6 to 14.5). Gaps decreased significantly on all 9 of these measures between 2005 and 2010, with adjusted changes for differences between white patients and black patients ranging from -8.5 to -11.8 percentage points and from -6.2 to -15.1 percentage points for differences between white patients and Hispanic patients. Decreasing differences according to race or ethnic group were attributable to more equitable care for white patients and minority patients treated in the same hospital, as well as to greater performance improvements among hospitals that disproportionately serve minority patients. Improved performance on quality measures for white, black, and Hispanic adults hospitalized for acute myocardial infarction, heart failure, or pneumonia was
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Moesinger, Robert C.; Davis, Jan W.; Hill, Britani; Johnston, W. Cory; Gray, Carl; Johnson, Harold; Ingersoll, Leslye; Whipple, Gary; Reilly, Mark; Harris, Robert; Hansen, Vincent
2011-01-01
Background. The treatment of pancreatic cancer and other periampullary neoplasms is complex and challenging. Major high-volume cancer centers can provide excellent multidisciplinary care of these patients but almost two-thirds of pancreatic cancer patients are treated at low volume centers. There is very little published data from low volume community cancer programs in regards to the treatment of periampullary cancer. In this study, a review of comprehensive periampullary cancer care at two low volume hospitals with comparison to national standards is presented. Methods. This is a retrospective review of 70 consecutive patients with periampullary neoplasms who underwent surgery over a 5-year period (2006–2010) at two community hospitals. Results. There were 51 successful resections of 70 explorations (73%) including 34 Whipple procedures. Mortality rate was 2.9%. Comparison of these patients to national standards was made in terms of operative mortality, resectability rate, administration of adjuvant therapy, clinical trial participation and overall survival. The results in these patients were comparable to national standards. Conclusions. With adequate commitment of resources and experienced surgical and oncologic practitioners, community cancer centers can meet national tertiary care standards in terms of pancreatic and periampullary cancer care. PMID:22312532
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Bell, Derek; Lambourne, Adrian; Percival, Frances; Laverty, Anthony A.; Ward, David K.
2013-01-01
Recent recommendations for physicians in the UK outline key aspects of care that should improve patient outcomes and experience in acute hospital care. Included in these recommendations are Consultant patterns of work to improve timeliness of clinical review and improve continuity of care. This study used a contemporaneous validated survey compared with clinical outcomes derived from Hospital Episode Statistics, between April 2009 and March 2010 from 91 acute hospital sites in England to evaluate systems of consultant cover for acute medical admissions. Clinical outcomes studied included adjusted case fatality rates (aCFR), including the ratio of weekend to weekday mortality, length of stay and readmission rates. Hospitals that had an admitting Consultant presence within the Acute Medicine Unit (AMU, or equivalent) for a minimum of 4 hours per day (65% of study group) had a lower aCFR compared with hospitals that had Consultant presence for less than 4 hours per day (p<0.01) and also had a lower 28 day re-admission rate (p<0.01). An ‘all inclusive’ pattern of Consultant working, incorporating all the guideline recommendations and which included the minimum Consultant presence of 4 hours per day (29%) was associated with reduced excess weekend mortality (p<0.05). Hospitals with >40 acute medical admissions per day had a lower aCFR compared to hospitals with fewer than 40 admissions per day (p<0.03) and had a lower 7 day re-admission rate (p<0.02). This study is the first large study to explore the potential relationships between systems of providing acute medical care and clinical outcomes. The results show an association between well-designed systems of Consultant working practices, which promote increased patient contact, and improved patient outcomes in the acute hospital setting. PMID:23613858
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Bell, Derek; Lambourne, Adrian; Percival, Frances; Laverty, Anthony A; Ward, David K
2013-01-01
Recent recommendations for physicians in the UK outline key aspects of care that should improve patient outcomes and experience in acute hospital care. Included in these recommendations are Consultant patterns of work to improve timeliness of clinical review and improve continuity of care. This study used a contemporaneous validated survey compared with clinical outcomes derived from Hospital Episode Statistics, between April 2009 and March 2010 from 91 acute hospital sites in England to evaluate systems of consultant cover for acute medical admissions. Clinical outcomes studied included adjusted case fatality rates (aCFR), including the ratio of weekend to weekday mortality, length of stay and readmission rates. Hospitals that had an admitting Consultant presence within the Acute Medicine Unit (AMU, or equivalent) for a minimum of 4 hours per day (65% of study group) had a lower aCFR compared with hospitals that had Consultant presence for less than 4 hours per day (p<0.01) and also had a lower 28 day re-admission rate (p<0.01). An 'all inclusive' pattern of Consultant working, incorporating all the guideline recommendations and which included the minimum Consultant presence of 4 hours per day (29%) was associated with reduced excess weekend mortality (p<0.05). Hospitals with >40 acute medical admissions per day had a lower aCFR compared to hospitals with fewer than 40 admissions per day (p<0.03) and had a lower 7 day re-admission rate (p<0.02). This study is the first large study to explore the potential relationships between systems of providing acute medical care and clinical outcomes. The results show an association between well-designed systems of Consultant working practices, which promote increased patient contact, and improved patient outcomes in the acute hospital setting.
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Acute hospital admissions among nursing home residents: a population-based observational study
2011-01-01
Background Nursing home residents are prone to acute illness due to their high age, underlying illnesses and immobility. We examined the incidence of acute hospital admissions among nursing home residents versus the age-matched community dwelling population in a geographically defined area during a two years period. The hospital stays of the nursing home population are described according to diagnosis, length of stay and mortality. Similar studies have previously not been reported in Scandinavia. Methods The acute hospitalisations of the nursing home residents were identified through ambulance records. These were linked to hospital patient records for inclusion of demographics, diagnosis at discharge, length of stay and mortality. Incidence of hospitalisation was calculated based on patient-time at risk. Results The annual hospital admission incidence was 0.62 admissions per person-year among the nursing home residents and 0.26 among the community dwellers. In the nursing home population we found that dominant diagnoses were respiratory diseases, falls-related and circulatory diseases, accounting for 55% of the cases. The median length of stay was 3 days (interquartile range = 4). The in-hospital mortality rate was 16% and 30 day mortality after discharge 30%. Conclusion Acute hospital admission rate among nursing home residents was high in this Scandinavian setting. The pattern of diagnoses causing the admissions appears to be consistent with previous research. The in-hospital and 30 day mortality rates are high. PMID:21615911
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Compliance with clinical pathways for inpatient care in Chinese public hospitals.
He, Xiao Yan; Bundorf, M Kate; Gu, Jian Jun; Zhou, Ping; Xue, Di
2015-10-06
The National Health and Family Planning Commission of China has issued more than 400 clinical pathways to improve the effectiveness and efficiency of medical care delivered by public hospitals in China. The aim of our study is to determine whether patient care is compliant with national clinical pathways in public general hospitals of Pudong New Area in Shanghai. We identified the clinical pathways established by the National Health and Family Planning Commission of China for 5 common conditions (community-acquired pneumonia, acute myocardial infarction (AMI), heart failure, cesarean section, type-2 diabetes). We randomly selected patients with each condition admitted to one of 7 public general hospitals in Pudong New Area in China in January, 2013. We identified key process indicators (KPIs) for each pathway and, based on chart review for each patient, determined whether the patient's care was compliant for each indicator. We calculated the proportion of care which was compliant with clinical pathways for each indicator, the average proportion of indicators that were met for each patient, and the proportion of patients whose care was compliant for all measures. For selected indicators, we compared compliance rates among hospitals in our study with those from other countries. Average compliance rates across the KPIs for each condition ranged from 61 % for AMI to 89 % for pneumonia. The percent of patient receiving fully compliant care ranged from 0 for AMI and heart failure to 39 % for pneumonia. Compared to the compliance rate for process indicators in the hospitals of other countries, some rates in the hospitals that we audited were higher, but some were lower. Few patients received care that complied with all the pathways for each condition. The reasons for low compliance with national clinical pathways and how to improve clinical quality in public hospitals of China need to be further explored.
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Venkatasalu, Munikumar Ramasamy
2017-09-02
To investigate older British South Asians' views on dying at acute hospitals. Older people, including those from ethnic minorities prefer 'home as a haven' for their last days of life; however, they are more likely to die in hospital. Constructive grounded theory was used as a methodological approach that informed data collection to data analysis. Open meetings with 11 local South Asian community organisations enabled the researchers to recruit a total of 55 older South Asians in this study. Data were collected using gender-based focus groups (n=5) and in-depth, semi-structured interviews (n=29). Transcripts were analysed using Nvivo 9. Three key themes were identified: 'mistrust', 'let him not be alone' and 'family as a protective shield'. The theme 'mistrust' is explored through examination of beliefs, attitudes and expectations about 'hospital' as a place in the care of the dying. The theme of 'let him not be alone' draws the family's preferences and concerns in relation to leaving their older dying relative alone in the hospital. The final theme of 'family as a protective shield' describes the element of family care as a protective shield for their older one to have peaceful end-of-life care moments in the hospital. Allowing older relatives to die in hospital seems to evoke feelings of missed filial responsibilities and guilt among family carers among older ethnic minorities. The presence of cultural paranoia and mistrust often led minorities to experience sub-standard end-of-life care in acute hospitals.
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Services for reducing duration of hospital care for acute stroke patients.
2005-04-18
Stroke patients conventionally receive a substantial part of their rehabilitation in hospital. Services have now been developed which offer patients in hospital an early discharge with rehabilitation at home (early supported discharge (ESD)). To establish the effects and costs of ESD services compared with conventional services. We searched the Cochrane Stroke Group's trials register (last searched August 2004) and obtained further information from individual trialists. Randomised controlled trials recruiting stroke patients in hospital to receive either conventional care or any service intervention which has provided rehabilitation and support in a community setting with an aim of reducing the duration of hospital care. Two reviewers scrutinised trials and categorised them on their eligibility. Standardised individual patient data was then sought from the primary trialists. Results were analysed for all trials and for subgroups of patients and services; in particular whether the intervention was provided by a co-ordinated multidisciplinary team (co-ordinated ESD team) or not. Outcome data are currently available for 11 trials (1597 patients). Patients tended to be a selected elderly group with moderate disability. The ESD group showed significant reductions (P < 0.0001) in the length of hospital stay equivalent to approximately 8 days. Overall, the odds ratios (OR) (95% confidence interval (CI)) for death, death or institutionalisation, death or dependency at the end of scheduled follow up were OR 0.90, 95% CI 0.64 to 1.27, P = 0.56, OR 0.74, 95% CI 0.56 to 0.96, P = 0.02 and OR 0.79, 95% CI 0.64 to 0.97, P = 0.02, respectively. The greatest benefits were seen in the trials evaluating a co-ordinated ESD team and in stroke patients with mild-moderate disability. Improvements were also seen in patients' extended activities of daily living scores (standardised mean difference 0.12, 95% CI 0.00 to 0.25, P = 0.05) and satisfaction with services (OR 1.60, 95% CI 1.08 to
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Gladman, John; Buckell, John; Young, John; Smith, Andrew; Hulme, Clare; Saggu, Satti; Godfrey, Mary; Enderby, Pam; Teale, Elizabeth; Longo, Roberto; Gannon, Brenda; Holditch, Claire; Eardley, Heather; Tucker, Helen
2017-01-01
Introduction To understand the variation in performance between community hospitals, our objectives are: to measure the relative performance (cost efficiency) of rehabilitation services in community hospitals; to identify the characteristics of community hospital rehabilitation that optimise performance; to investigate the current impact of community hospital inpatient rehabilitation for older people on secondary care and the potential impact if community hospital rehabilitation was optimised to best practice nationally; to examine the relationship between the configuration of intermediate care and secondary care bed use; and to develop toolkits for commissioners and community hospital providers to optimise performance. Methods and analysis 4 linked studies will be performed. Study 1: cost efficiency modelling will apply econometric techniques to data sets from the National Health Service (NHS) Benchmarking Network surveys of community hospital and intermediate care. This will identify community hospitals' performance and estimate the gap between high and low performers. Analyses will determine the potential impact if the performance of all community hospitals nationally was optimised to best performance, and examine the association between community hospital configuration and secondary care bed use. Study 2: a national community hospital survey gathering detailed cost data and efficiency variables will be performed. Study 3: in-depth case studies of 3 community hospitals, 2 high and 1 low performing, will be undertaken. Case studies will gather routine hospital and local health economy data. Ward culture will be surveyed. Content and delivery of treatment will be observed. Patients and staff will be interviewed. Study 4: co-designed web-based quality improvement toolkits for commissioners and providers will be developed, including indicators of performance and the gap between local and best community hospitals performance. Ethics and dissemination Publications
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Acute Care Utilization by Patients After Graduation of Their Resident Primary Care Physicians.
Solomon, Sonja R; Gooding, Holly C; Reyes Nieva, Harry; Linder, Jeffrey A
2015-11-01
The disruption in provider continuity caused by medical resident graduation may result in adverse patient outcomes. Our aim was to investigate whether resident graduation was associated with increased acute care utilization by residents' primary care patients. This was a retrospective cohort study of patients cared for by junior and senior residents finishing the academic year in 2010, 2011 and 2012. We compared rates of clinic visits, emergency department (ED) visits, and hospitalizations between transitioning patients whose residents were graduating and non-transitioning patients whose residents were not graduating. Our study population comprised 90 residents, 4018 unique patients, and 5988 resident-patient dyads that transitioned (n = 3136) or did not transition (n = 2852). For transitioning patients, the clinic visit rate per 100 patients in the 4 months before and after graduation was 129 and 102, respectively; for non-transitioning patients, the clinic visit rate was 119 and 94, respectively (difference-in-differences, +2 per 100 patients; p = 0.12). For transitioning patients, the ED visit rate per 100 patients before and after graduation was 29 and 26, respectively; for non-transitioning patients, the ED visit rate was 28 and 25, respectively (difference-in-differences, 0; p = 0.49). For transitioning patients, the hospitalization rate per 100 patients before and after graduation was 14 and 13, respectively; for non-transitioning patients, the hospitalization rate was 15 and 12, respectively (difference-in-differences, -2; p = 0.20). In multivariable modeling there was no increased risk for transitioning patients for clinic visits (adjusted rate ratio [aRR], 1.03; 95 % confidence interval [CI], 0.97 to 1.10), ED visits (aRR, 1.05; 95 % CI, 0.92 to 1.20), or hospitalizations (aRR, 1.04; 95 % CI, 0.83 to 1.31). Acute care utilization by residents' patients did not increase or decrease after graduation. Acute care utilization was high
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The Citadel cannot hold: technologies go outside the hospital, patients and doctors too.
Stoeckle, J D
1995-01-01
Use of the acute hospital has markedly decreased over the past four decades for various reasons: the decentralization of diagnostic treatment technologies to out-of-hospital sites; the clinical substitutions of quick diagnostic testing of the ambulatory patient for the longer diagnostic testing of the hospitalized patient; the diminished use of hospital bed rest and the expanded use of exercise for treatment; the corporate organization of hospital work that emphasizes efficiency; and the group practice organization of generalists and specialists that avoids hospital use for the diagnosis of complex disorders in ambulatory patients. A smaller domain for hospital bed care and renewed attention to chronic disease and prevention in the community diminish the hold of the acute hospital on care. The evolution of more collaborative, decentralized arrangements promises to be a positive development for community care.
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Dyson, Lyn; Hedgecock, Bronwyn; Tomkins, Sharon; Cooke, Gordon
2009-11-01
Ongoing education for the nursing workforce is necessary to ensure currency of knowledge in order to enable evidence based client care. The cost of education is high to the organisation and the individual, and must therefore be cost-effective, relevant and appropriate. According to research, education for nurses is not always systematically planned and developed and often relies on the interest area and assessment of the nurse educators. To survey the learning needs of clinically based registered nurses within an acute care setting. An anonymous questionnaire was used to collect the data. Two groups completed the questionnaire: all eligible registered nurses in two acute care hospitals located in urban New Zealand and their senior nurses such as clinical nurse managers, specialists and educators. The study found agreement on learning needs and also noted differing opinions between the Registered Nurses (RNs), and their senior RNs, RNs initially registered overseas and between levels of practice, on selection and ranking of learning needs. This survey identified a number of high learning needs for RNs working within acute care settings. Differences in perception of learning needs for RNs, between the nurses themselves and the Senior RNs exist, as well as among sub groups of RNs. As a result, educators and managers are encouraged to collaborate to realise the opportunity which exists for the provision of education across specialty areas and to work with the different groups and the individual to ensure unique learning needs are met.
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Kang, Hee-Chung; Hong, Jae-Seok
2017-08-01
If cost reductions produce a cost-quality trade-off, healthcare policy makers need to be more circumspect about the use of cost-effective initiatives. Additional empirical evidence about the relationship between cost and quality is needed to design a value-based payment system. We examined the association between cost and quality performances for acute myocardial infarction (AMI) care at the hospital level.In 2008, this cross-sectional study examined 69 hospitals with 6599 patients hospitalized under the Korea National Health Insurance (KNHI) program. We separately estimated hospital-specific effects on cost and quality using the fixed effect models adjusting for average patient risk. The analysis examined the association between the estimated hospital effects against the treatment cost and quality. All hospitals were distributed over the 4 cost × quality quadrants rather than concentrated in only the trade-off quadrants (i.e., above-average cost and above-average quality, below-average cost and below-average quality). We found no significant trade-off between cost and quality among hospitals providing AMI care in Korea.Our results further contribute to formulating a rationale for value-based hospital-level incentive programs by supporting the necessity of different approaches depending on the quality location of a hospital in these 4 quadrants.
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Heidenreich, Paul A; Lewis, William R; LaBresh, Kenneth A; Schwamm, Lee H; Fonarow, Gregg C
2009-10-01
Many hospitals enrolled in the American Heart Association's Get With The Guidelines (GWTG) Program achieve high levels of recommended care for heart failure, acute myocardial infarction (MI) and stroke. However, it is unclear if outcomes are better in those hospitals recognized by the GWTG program for their processes of care. We compared hospitals enrolled in GWTG and receiving achievement awards for high levels of recommended processes of care with other hospitals using data on risk-adjusted 30-day survival for heart failure and acute MI reported by the Center for Medicare and Medicaid Services. Among the 3,909 hospitals with 30-day data reported by Center for Medicare and Medicaid Services 355 (9%) received GWTG achievement awards. Risk-adjusted mortality for hospitals receiving awards was lower for both heart failure (11.0% vs 11.2%, P = .0005) and acute MI (16.1% vs 16.5%, P < .0001) compared to those not receiving awards. After additional adjustment for hospital characteristics and noncardiac performance measures, the reduction in mortality remained significantly lower for GWTG award hospitals for acute myocardial infraction (-0.19%, 95% CI -0.33 to -0.05), but not for heart failure (-0.11%, 95% CI -0.25 to 0.02). Additional adjustment for cardiac processes of care reduced the benefit of award hospitals by 28% for heart failure mortality and 43% for acute MI mortality. Hospitals receiving achievement awards from the GWTG program have modestly lower risk adjusted mortality for acute MI and to a lesser extent, heart failure, explained in part by better process of care.
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2012-01-01
The translation of knowledge into rational care is as essential and pressing a task as the development of new diagnostic or therapeutic devices, and is arguably more important. The emerging science of health care delivery has identified the central role of human factor ergonomics in the prevention of medical error, omission, and waste. Novel informatics and systems engineering strategies provide an excellent opportunity to improve the design of acute care delivery. In this article, future hospitals are envisioned as organizations built around smart environments that facilitate consistent delivery of effective, equitable, and error-free care focused on patient-centered rather than provider-centered outcomes. PMID:22546172
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Community representation in hospital decision making: a literature review.
Murray, Zoë
2015-06-01
Advancing quality in health services requires structures and processes that are informed by consumer input. Although this agenda is well recognised, few researchers have focussed on the establishment and maintenance of customer input throughout the structures and processes used to produce high-quality, safe care. We present an analysis of literature outlining the barriers and enablers involved in community representation in hospital governance. The review aimed to explore how community representation in hospital governance is achieved. Studies spanning 1997-2012 were analysed using Donabedian' s model of quality systems as a guide for categories of interest: structure, in relation to administration of quality; process, which is particularly concerned with cooperation and culture; and outcome, considered, in this case, to be the achievement of effective community representation on quality of care. There are limited published studies on community representation in hospital governance in Australia. What can be gleaned from the literature is: 1) quality subcommittees set up to assist Hospital Boards are a key structure for involving community representation in decision making around quality of care, and 2) there are a number of challenges to effectively developing the process of community representation in hospital governance: ambiguity and the potential for escalated indecision; inadequate value and consideration given to it by decision makers resulting in a lack of time and resources needed to support the community engagement strategy (time, facilitation, budgets); poor support and attitude amongst staff; and consumer issues, such as feeling isolated and intimidated by expert opinion. The analysis indicates that: quality subcommittees set up to assist boards are a key structure for involving community representation in decision making around quality of care. There are clearly a number of challenges to effectively developing the process of community representation in
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Chew, Brendan Wk; Tiew, Lay Hwa; Creedy, Debra K
2016-09-01
To investigate acute care nurses' perceptions of spirituality and spiritual care and relationships with nurses' personal and professional characteristics. Spirituality and spiritual care are often neglected or absent in daily nursing practice. Nurses' perceptions of spirituality can be influenced by personal, professional and social factors and affect the provision of spiritual care. A cross-sectional, exploratory, nonexperimental design was used. All nursing staff (n = 1008) from a large acute care hospital in Singapore were invited to participate. Participants completed a demographic form and the Spiritual Care-Giving Scale. Completed surveys were received from 767 staff yielding a response rate of 76%. Descriptive statistics and General Linear Modelling were used to analyse data. Acute care nurses reported positive perceptions of spirituality and spiritual care. Religion, area of clinical practice and view of self as spiritual were associated with nurses' reported perspectives of spirituality and spiritual care. Nurses working in this acute care hospital in Singapore reported positive perceptions of spirituality and spiritual care. Respondents tended to equate religion with spirituality and were often unclear about what constituted spiritual care. They reported a sense of readiness to apply an interprofessional approach to spiritual care. However, positive perceptions of spirituality may not necessarily translate into practice. Spiritual care can improve health outcomes. Nurses' understanding of spirituality is essential for best practice. Interprofessional collaboration with clinicians, administrators, educators, chaplains, clergy and spiritual leaders can contribute to the development of practice guidelines and foster spiritual care by nurses. Further research is needed on the practical applications of spiritual care in nursing. © 2016 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.
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Singh, Simone R; Song, Paula H
2013-01-01
For many years, hospitals have relied on nonpatient care activities to complement patient care revenues and strengthen financial performance. For hospitals that lose money on patient care, nonpatient care revenues may mean the difference between net income and loss. Little is known currently, however, about whether nonpatient care revenues allow hospitals with negative patient care margins to offset their losses. The aims of this study are (a) to examine whether hospitals rely on income from nonpatient care activities to offset losses on patient care and (b) to identify characteristics of hospitals that are able to offset such losses. Data for this study came from the state of California. The sample consisted of not-for-profit and investor-owned short-term general acute care hospitals for the years 2003-2007. Descriptive statistics were used to compare hospitals with negative patient care margins that were able to offset patient care losses to hospitals that were unable to do so. Between 2003 and 2007, approximately 40% of study hospitals lost money on patient care. Of these, only 25% relied on nonpatient care income to offset losses. Hospitals that were able to offset patient care losses tended to be larger, not-for-profit organizations that were able to generate substantial shares of their total revenues from nonpatient care activities, in particular, charitable donations and financial investments. Despite claims that income from nonpatient care activities frequently allows hospitals to offset patient care losses, this study showed that only a small proportion of hospitals were able to do so. The financial viability of hospitals with negative patient care margins will thus depend on their ability to (a) deliver high-quality care profitably, (b) derive income from other operating activities, and (c) generate income from financial investments and engage in active development efforts to increase donations and gifts.
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Young, Daniel L; Moonie, Sheniz; Bungum, Tim
2017-01-01
Research has demonstrated benefits of early and continued physical therapy for patients in acute care hospitals. Despite known benefits, scheduled sessions do not always result in treatment. Reported percentages for nontreatment are 15% to 25%. Understanding when and why nontreatment occurs is fundamental to future interventions to reduce it and provide patients with needed services. The study objective was to describe nontreatment and the extent to which attributes of the patient, physical therapist, and environment affect its occurrence at a suburban community hospital. This was a cross-sectional study. Medical records for 1,252 patients who were scheduled for 6,246 physical therapy sessions were reviewed. Therapist demographics were collected via a questionnaire. Therapist sexes were equally represented, and most therapists were nonwhite and worked full time at the hospital. The nontreatment percentage for individual therapists ranged from 5.4% to 23.2%. This percentage was 1.3% for the first scheduled session but nearly 20% for the remaining sessions. In more than 30% of nontreatment events, the specific therapist attempting treatment was not identified. Patients were much less likely to experience nontreatment if they were scheduled for therapy on a Tuesday or if they were in the hospital for a musculoskeletal condition. Sunday had a particularly high percentage of nontreatment. The participants were recruited from a single hospital. The specific therapist associated with nontreatment events was not always known. Hospital and rehabilitation department policies and culture for weekend therapy staffing should be evaluated in light of the high percentage of nontreatment on Sunday. The impact of patient diagnosis on nontreatment must be evaluated further and may reflect hospital culture. Future research efforts should be designed to obtain data on the assigned therapist for all instances of nontreatment. © 2017 American Physical Therapy Association
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Pellegrin, Karen L; Krenk, Les; Oakes, Sheena Jolson; Ciarleglio, Anita; Lynn, Joanne; McInnis, Terry; Bairos, Alistair W; Gomez, Lara; McCrary, Mercedes Benitez; Hanlon, Alexandra L; Miyamura, Jill
2017-01-01
To evaluate the association between a system of medication management services provided by specially trained hospital and community pharmacists (Pharm2Pharm) and rates and costs of medication-related hospitalization in older adults. Quasi-experimental interrupted time series design comparing intervention and nonintervention hospitals using a mixed-effects analysis that modeled the intervention as a time-dependent variable. Sequential implementation of Pharm2Pharm at six general nonfederal acute care hospitals in Hawaii with more than 50 beds in 2013 and 2014. All five other such hospitals served as a contemporaneous comparison group. Adult inpatients who met criteria for being at risk for medication problems (N = 2,083), 62% of whom were aged 65 or older. A state-wide system of medication management services provided by specially trained hospital and community pharmacists serving high-risk individuals from hospitalization through transition to home and for up to 1 year after discharge. Medication-related hospitalization rate per 1,000 admissions of individuals aged 65 and older, adjusted for case mix; estimate of costs of hospitalizations and actual costs of pharmacist services. The predicted, case mix-adjusted medication-related hospitalization rate of individuals aged 65 and older was 36.5% lower in the Pharm2Pharm hospitals after implementation than in the nonintervention hospitals (P = .01). The estimated annualized cost of avoided admissions was $6.6 million. The annual cost of the pharmacist services for all Pharm2Pharm participants was $1.8 million. The Pharm2Pharm model was associated with an estimated 36% reduction in the medication-related hospitalization rate for older adults and a 2.6:1 return on investment, highlighting the value of pharmacists as drug therapy experts in geriatric care. © 2016 The Authors. The Journal of the American Geriatrics Society published by Wiley Periodicals, Inc. on behalf of The American Geriatrics Society.
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Pouliot, Katherine; Weisse, Carol S; Pratt, David S; DiSorbo, Philip
2017-03-01
There is a growing need for home-based palliative care services, especially for seriously ill individuals who want to avoid hospitalizations and remain with their regular outside care providers. To evaluate the effectiveness of Care Choices, a new in-home palliative care program provided by the Visiting Nurse Services of Northeastern New York and Ellis Medicine's community hospital serving New York's Capital District. This prospective cohort study assessed patient outcomes over the course of 1 year for 123 patients (49 men and 74 women) with serious illnesses who were new enrollees in the program. Quality of life was assessed at baseline and after 1 month on service. Satisfaction with care was measured after 1 and 3 months on service. The number of emergency department visits and inpatient hospitalizations pre- and postenrollment was measured for all enrollees. Patients were highly satisfied (72.7%-100%) with their initial care and reported greater satisfaction ( P < .05) and stable symptom management over time. Fewer emergency department ( P < .001) and inpatient hospital admissions ( P < .001) occurred among enrollees while on the palliative care service. An in-home palliative care program offered jointly through a visiting nurse service and community hospital may be a successful model for providing quality care that satisfies chronically ill patients' desire to remain at home and avoid hospital admissions.
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Cunha, Cheston B; Kassakian, Steven Z; Chan, Ryan; Tenover, Fred C; Ziakas, Panos; Chapin, Kimberle C; Mermel, Leonard A
2016-02-01
There are increasing reports of multidrug-resistant gram-negative bacilli in nursing homes and acute care hospitals. We performed a point prevalence survey to detect fecal carriage of gram-negative bacteria carrying carbapenem resistance genes or which were otherwise resistant to carbapenem antibiotics among 500 consecutive admissions from local nursing homes to 2 hospitals in Providence, Rhode Island. We performed a case-control study to identify risk factors associated with carriage of carbapenem-resistant Enterobacteriaceae (CRE). There were 404 patients with 500 hospital admissions during which they had rectal swab samples cultured. Fecal carriage of any carbapenem-resistant or carbapenemase- producing gram-negative bacteria was found in 23 (4.6%) of the 500 hospital admissions, including 7 CRE (1.4%), 2 (0.4%) of which were Klebsiella pneumoniae carbapenemase (ie, blaKPC) producing (CPE) Citrobacter freundii, 1 of which was carbapenem susceptible by standard testing methods. Use of a gastrostomy tube was associated with CRE carriage (P = .04). We demonstrated fecal carriage of carbapenem-resistant or carbapenemase-producing gram-negative bacteria in 4.6% of nursing home patients admitted to 2 acute care hospitals, but only 0.4% of such admissions were patients with fecal carriage of CPE. Use of gastrostomy tubes was associated with fecal carriage of gram-negative bacteria with detectable carbapenem resistance. CRE fecal carriage is uncommon in our hospital admissions from nursing homes. Copyright © 2016 Association for Professionals in Infection Control and Epidemiology, Inc. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.
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Steed, Airica
2012-01-01
The lean system has been shown to be a viable and sustainable solution for the growing number of cost, quality, and efficiency issues in the health care industry. While there is a growing body of evidence to support the outcomes that can be achieved as a result of the successful application of the lean system in hospital organizations, there is not a complete understanding of the leadership attributes and methods that are necessary to achieve successful widespread mobilization and sustainment. This study was an exploration of leadership and its relevant association with successful lean system deployments in acute care hospitals. This research employed an exploratory qualitative research design encompassing a research questionnaire and telephonic interviews of 25 health care leaders in 8 hospital organizations across the United States. The results from this study identified the need to have a strong combination of personal characteristics, learned behaviors, strategies, tools, and tactics that evolved into a starting adaptable framework for health care leaders to leverage when starting their own transformational change journeys using the lean system. Health care leaders could utilize the outcomes reported in this study as a conduit to enhance the effective deployment, widespread adoption, and sustainment of the lean system in practice.
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Pathak, Elizabeth Barnett; Wieten, Sarah; Djulbegovic, Benjamin
2014-01-01
Objectives In the USA, there is little systematic evidence about the real-world trajectories of patient medical care after hospice enrolment. The objective of this study was to analyse predictors of the length of stay for hospice patients who were admitted to hospital in a retrospective analysis of the mandatorily reported hospital discharge data. Setting All acute-care hospitals in Florida during 1 January 2010 to 30 June 2012. Participants All patients with source of admission coded as ‘hospice’ (n=2674). Primary outcome measures The length of stay and discharge status: (1) died in hospital; (2) discharged back to hospice; (3) discharged to another healthcare facility; and (4) discharged home. Results Patients were elderly (median age=81) with a high burden of disease. Almost half died (46%), while the majority of survivors were discharged to hospice (80% of survivors, 44% of total). A minority went to a healthcare facility (5.6%) or to home (5.2%). Only 9.2% received any procedure. Respiratory services were received by 29.4% and 16.8% were admitted to the intensive care unit. The median length of stay was 1 day for those who died. In an adjusted survival model, discharge to a healthcare facility resulted in a 74% longer hospital stay compared with discharge to hospice (event time ratio (ETR)=1.74, 95% CI 1.54 to 1.97 p<0.0001), with 61% longer hospital stays among patients discharged home (ETR=1.61, 95% CI 1.39 to 1.86 p<0.0001). Total financial charges for all patients exceeded $25 million; 10% of patients who appeared to exit hospice incurred 32% of the charges. Conclusions Our results raise significant questions about the ethics and pragmatics of end-of-life medical care, and the intentions and scope of hospices in the USA. Future studies should incorporate prospective linkage of subjective patient-centred data and objective healthcare encounter data. PMID:25052170
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What affects local community hospitals' survival in turbulent times?
Chiang, Hung-Che; Wang, Shiow-Ing
2015-06-01
Hospital closures became a prevalent phenomenon in Taiwan after the implementation of a national health insurance program. A wide range of causes contributes to the viability of hospitals, but little is known about the situation under universal coverage health systems. The purpose of present study is to recognize the factors that may contribute to hospital survival under the universal coverage health system. This is a retrospective case-control study. Local community hospitals that contracted with the Bureau of National Health Insurance in 1998 and remained open during the period 1998-2011 are the designated cases. Controls are local community hospitals that closed during the same period. Using longitudinal representative health claim data, 209 local community hospitals that closed during 1998-2011 were compared with 165 that remained open. Variables related to institutional characteristics, degree of competition, characteristics of patients and financial performance were analyzed by logistic regression models. Hospitals' survival was positively related to specialty hospital, the number of respiratory care beds, the physician to population ratio, the number of clinics in the same region, a highly competitive market and the occupancy rate of elderly patients in the hospital. Teaching hospitals, investor-owned hospitals, the provision of obstetrics services or home care, and the number of medical centers or other local community hospitals may jeopardize the chance of survival. Factors-enhanced local hospitals to survive under the universal coverage health system have been identified. Hospital managers could manipulate these findings and adapt strategies for subsistence. © The Author 2015. Published by Oxford University Press in association with the International Society for Quality in Health Care; all rights reserved.
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2010-01-01
Background Management decisions regarding quality and quantity of nurse staffing have important consequences for hospital budgets. Furthermore, these management decisions must address the nursing care requirements of the particular patients within an organizational unit. In order to determine optimal nurse staffing needs, the extent of nursing workload must first be known. Nursing workload is largely a function of the composite of the patients' individual health status, particularly with respect to functioning status, individual need for nursing care, and severity of symptoms. The International Classification of Functioning, Disability and Health (ICF) and the derived subsets, the so-called ICF Core Sets, are a standardized approach to describe patients' functioning status. The objectives of this study were to (1) examine the association between patients' functioning, as encoded by categories of the Acute ICF Core Sets, and nursing workload in patients in the acute care situation, (2) compare the variance in nursing workload explained by the ICF Core Set categories and with the Barthel Index, and (3) validate the Acute ICF Core Sets by their ability to predict nursing workload. Methods Patients' functioning at admission was assessed using the respective Acute ICF Core Set and the Barthel Index, whereas nursing workload data was collected using an established instrument. Associations between dependent and independent variables were modelled using linear regression. Variable selection was carried out using penalized regression. Results In patients with neurological and cardiopulmonary conditions, selected ICF categories and the Barthel Index Score explained the same variance in nursing workload (44% in neurological conditions, 35% in cardiopulmonary conditions), whereas ICF was slightly superior to Barthel Index Score for musculoskeletal conditions (20% versus 16%). Conclusions A substantial fraction of the variance in nursing workload in patients with rehabilitation
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Pogorzelska-Maziarz, Monika; Gilmartin, Heather; Reese, Sara
2018-06-01
Given the changing nature of infection prevention and control (IPC), appropriate infection preventionist (IP) staffing needs to be established. In this study, we aimed to describe current IP staffing levels and IPC department resources in U.S. acute care hospitals. These data came from the 2015 MegaSurvey conducted by the Association of Professionals in Infection Prevention and Epidemiology. Descriptive statistics and bivariate analyses were conducted to examine differences in respondent, facility, and department characteristics by facility size (average inpatient census ≤100 vs >100). Data from 1623 respondents were included. Most (72%) had single-site responsibilities and dedicated 76%-100% of their job to IPC (68%). The overall median IP staffing was 1.25 IPs per 100 inpatient census (interquartile range = 1.81). Almost half (46%) represented facilities with daily inpatient census ≤100; the average number of IPs in these facilities was 1.1 (standard deviation = 0.7). The reported number of IPs increased steadily with higher patient census. Significant differences were observed in IP staffing, responsibilities, and support to the IPC department between smaller and larger hospitals. This study represents the current snapshot of IP staffing and IPC resources in acute care hospitals. Findings indicate important differences between large and small facilities in staffing and IPC resources. The field of infection prevention would benefit from a comprehensive assessment of IPC department staffing and resource needs. Copyright © 2018 Association for Professionals in Infection Control and Epidemiology, Inc. All rights reserved.
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Fitzgerald, Julie C; Li, Yimei; Fisher, Brian T; Huang, Yuan-Shung; Miller, Tamara P; Bagatell, Rochelle; Seif, Alix E; Aplenc, Richard; Thomas, Neal J
2018-06-01
To evaluate hospital-level variability in resource utilization and mortality in children with new leukemia who require ICU support, and identify factors associated with variation. Retrospective cohort study. Children's hospitals contributing to the Pediatric Health Information Systems administrative database from 1999 to 2011. Inpatients less than 25 years old with newly diagnosed acute lymphocytic leukemia or acute myeloid leukemia requiring ICU support (n = 1,754). Evaluated exposures included leukemia type, year of diagnosis, and hospital-wide proportion of patients with public insurance. The main outcome was hospital mortality. Wide variability existed in the ICU resources used across hospitals. Combined acute lymphocytic leukemia and acute myeloid leukemia mortality varied by hospital from 0% (95% CI, 0-14.8%) to 42.9% (95% CI, 17.7-71.1%). A mixed-effects model with a hospital-level random effect suggests significant variation across hospitals in mortality (p = 0.007). When including patient and hospital factors as fixed effects into the model, younger age, acute myeloid leukemia versus acute lymphocytic leukemia diagnosis, leukemia diagnosis prior to 2005, hospital-wide proportion of public insurance patients, and hospital-level proportion of leukemia patients receiving ICU care are significantly associated with mortality. The variation across hospitals remains significant with all patient factors included (p = 0.021) but is no longer significant after adjusting for the hospital-level factors proportion of public insurance and proportion receiving ICU care (p = 0.48). Wide hospital-level variability in ICU resource utilization and mortality exists in the care of children with leukemia requiring ICU support. Hospital payer mix is associated with some mortality variability. Additional study into how ICU support could be standardized through clinical practice guidelines, impact of payer mix on hospital resources allocation to the ICU, and subsequent impact on
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Menachemi, Nir; Chukmaitov, Askar; Saunders, Charles; Brooks, Robert G
2008-01-01
Hospitals have been slow to adopt information technology (IT) largely because of a lack of generalizable evidence of the value associated with such adoption. To explore the relationship between IT adoption and quality of care in acute-care hospitals. Primary data on hospital IT adoption were combined with secondary hospital discharge data. Regression analyses were used to examine the relationship between various measures of IT adoption and several quality indicators after controlling for confounders. Adoption of IT was measured using a previously validated method that considers clinical, administrative, and strategic IT capabilities of acute-care hospitals. Quality measures included the Inpatient Quality Indicators developed by the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality. Data from 98 hospitals were available for analyses. Hospitals adopted an average of 11.3 (45.2%) clinical IT applications, 15.7 (74.8%) administrative IT applications, and 5 (50%) strategic IT applications. In multivariate regression analyses, hospitals that adopted a greater number of IT applications were significantly more likely to have desirable quality outcomes on seven Inpatient Quality Indicator measures, including risk-adjusted mortality from percutaneous transluminal coronary angioplasty, gastrointestinal hemorrhage, and acute myocardial infarction. An increase in clinical IT applications was also inversely correlated with utilization of incidental appendectomy, and an increase in the adoption of strategic IT applications was inversely correlated with risk-adjusted mortality from craniotomy and laparoscopic cholecystectomy. Hospital adoption of IT is associated with desirable quality outcomes across hospitals in Florida. These findings will assist hospital leaders interested in understanding better the effect of costly IT adoption on quality of care in their institutions.
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The prevailing winds of oppression: understanding the new graduate experience in acute care.
Duchscher, Judy Boychuk; Myrick, Florence
2008-01-01
The experience of new graduates in acute care. The majority of newly graduated nurses make their initial professional role transition in acute care. Being socialized into the dynamic culture of today's hospitals creates significant challenges not only for the nurses themselves but also for institutions of higher education, healthcare administrators, and policy makers across this country. Demanding workloads for hospital nurses, an aging nursing workforce, and the high level of stress inherent in workplaces across North America are factors contributing to an exodus of both new and seasoned nurses out of acute care. This article outlines the implicit and explicit factors that may be contributing to the dissatisfaction and distress in nursing graduates entering professional practice through hospital nursing. CINAHL, MEDLINE, Sociolit, and PubMed. Discussion is focused on the oppressive context in which hospital nursing continues to be situated and explores the ideological, structural, and relational aspects of domination that continue to surface in the work experiences of novice as well as seasoned nurses. Suggestions for addressing the issues that plague the acute care environment are integrated throughout the article, and a detailed framework of empowerment for this nursing context is offered.
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Modeling organizational determinants of hospital mortality.
al-Haider, A S; Wan, T T
1991-01-01
This study examines hospital characteristics that affect the differential in hospital mortality. Death rates for 1984 Medicare inpatients in acute care hospitals, released by the Health Care Financing Administration in 1986, were analyzed. A confirmatory statistical approach to organizational determinants of hospital mortality was formulated and validated through an empirical examination of 239 hospitals. The findings suggest that the effect of hospital size and specialization on mortality was a spurious one when the effects of other variables were simultaneously controlled. A positive association existed between service intensity and hospital mortality: the more hospital services consumed, the higher the mortality rate. Community attributes accounted for more variance in hospital mortality rates than did organizational attributes. The organizational and community factors studied explained 27 percent of the total variance in hospital mortality. PMID:1869442
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Clinical outcomes in heart failure: report from a community hospital-based registry.
Philbin, E F; Rocco, T A; Lindenmuth, N W; Ulrich, K; Jenkins, P L
1999-12-01
Most of the recent information on the prognosis of patients with heart failure has come from large clinical trials or tertiary care centers. This study reports current information from a community hospital-based heart failure registry. We compiled data from 2,906 unselected consecutive patients with heart failure who were admitted to 10 acute care community hospitals in New York State between 1995 and 1997. Patients were followed prospectively for 6 months after hospital discharge or until their death. The mean (+/- SI)) age of the sample was 76 +/- 11 years. The majority of the patients were women (56%) and most were white (95%). Hospital length of stay averaged 7.4 +/- 7.6 days; hospital charges averaged $7,460 +/- $6,114. Mortality during the index admission was 5%. Among the 2,508 patients for whom mortality or follow-up data were available, an additional 411 died during follow-up, for a cumulative 6-month mortality of 23%. Progressive pump failure was the predominant cause of death in the hospital and after discharge. Although mean functional class (on a 1 to 4 scale) improved from 3.4 +/- 0.7 at hospital admission to 2.3 +/- 0.9 at 1 month after discharge, 43% of patients had at least one hospital readmission during follow-up and 25% had at least one recurrent admission for heart failure. The mean time from index discharge to first rehospitalization was 60 +/- 56 days. In all, 55% of patients (1,370 of 2,508) were rehospitalized or died during the study period. Despite advances in the management of heart failure, patients recently hospitalized for this disorder remain at high risk of death, hospital readmission, and poor clinical outcome. Discovery or implementation of new or existing methods of prevention and treatment remain a high priority.
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Olson, DaiWai M; Bettger, Janet Prvu; Alexander, Karen P; Kendrick, Amy S; Irvine, Julian R; Wing, Liz; Coeytaux, Remy R; Dolor, Rowena J; Duncan, Pamela W; Graffagnino, Carmelo
2011-10-01
To review the available published literature to assess whether evidence supports a beneficial role for coordinated transition of care services for the postacute care of patients hospitalized with first or recurrent stroke or myocardial infarction (MI). This review was framed around five areas of investigation: (1) key components of transition of care services, (2) evidence for improvement in functional outcomes, morbidity, mortality, and quality of life, (3) associated risks or potential harms, (4) evidence for improvement in systems of care, and (5) evidence that benefits and harms vary by patient-based or system-based characteristics. MEDLINE(®), CINAHL(®), Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews, and Embase(®). We included studies published in English from 2000 to 2011 that specified postacute hospitalization transition of care services as well as prevention of recurrent stroke or MI. A total of 62 articles representing 44 studies were included for data abstraction. Transition of care interventions were grouped into four categories: (1) hospital -initiated support for discharge was the initial stage in the transition of care process, (2) patient and family education interventions were started during hospitalization but were continued at the community level, (3) community-based models of support followed hospital discharge, and (4) chronic disease management models of care assumed the responsibility for long-term care. Early supported discharge after stroke was associated with reduced total hospital length of stay without adverse effects on functional recovery, and specialty care after MI was associated with reduced mortality. Because of several methodological shortcomings, most studies did not consistently demonstrate that any specific intervention resulted in improved patient-or system -based outcomes. Some studies included more than one intervention, which made it difficult to determine the effect of individual components on clinical outcomes. There was
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Olson, DaiWai M; Bettger, Janet Prvu; Alexander, Karen P; Kendrick, Amy S; Irvine, Julian R; Wing, Liz; Coeytaux, Remy R; Dolor, Rowena J; Duncan, Pamela W; Graffagnino, Carmelo
2011-01-01
OBJECTIVES To review the available published literature to assess whether evidence supports a beneficial role for coordinated transition of care services for the postacute care of patients hospitalized with first or recurrent stroke or myocardial infarction (MI). This review was framed around five areas of investigation: (1) key components of transition of care services, (2) evidence for improvement in functional outcomes, morbidity, mortality, and quality of life, (3) associated risks or potential harms, (4) evidence for improvement in systems of care, and (5) evidence that benefits and harms vary by patient-based or system-based characteristics. DATA SOURCES MEDLINE(®), CINAHL(®), Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews, and Embase(®). REVIEW METHODS We included studies published in English from 2000 to 2011 that specified postacute hospitalization transition of care services as well as prevention of recurrent stroke or MI. RESULTS A total of 62 articles representing 44 studies were included for data abstraction. Transition of care interventions were grouped into four categories: (1) hospital -initiated support for discharge was the initial stage in the transition of care process, (2) patient and family education interventions were started during hospitalization but were continued at the community level, (3) community-based models of support followed hospital discharge, and (4) chronic disease management models of care assumed the responsibility for long-term care. Early supported discharge after stroke was associated with reduced total hospital length of stay without adverse effects on functional recovery, and specialty care after MI was associated with reduced mortality. Because of several methodological shortcomings, most studies did not consistently demonstrate that any specific intervention resulted in improved patient-or system -based outcomes. Some studies included more than one intervention, which made it difficult to determine the effect of individual
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Erlenwein, J; Stamer, U; Koschwitz, R; Koppert, W; Quintel, M; Meißner, W; Petzke, F
2014-04-01
In 2007, the German national guidelines on "Treatment of acute perioperative and post-traumatic pain" were published. The aim of this study was to describe current structure and process data for acute pain management in German hospitals and to compare how the guidelines and other initiatives such as benchmarking or certification changed the healthcare landscape in the last decade. All directors of German departments of anesthesiology according to the DGAI ("Deutschen Gesellschaft für Anästhesiologie und Intensivmedizin", German Society for Anesthesiology and Intensive Care) were mailed a standardized questionnaire on structures and processes of acute pain management in their hospitals. A total of 403 completed questionnaires (46 %) could be evaluated. Of hospitals, 81 % had an acute pain service (ASD), whereby only 45 % met defined quality criteria. Written standards for acute pain management were available in 97 % of the hospitals on surgical wards and 51 % on nonsurgical wards. In 96 %, perioperative pain was regularly recorded (generally pain at rest and/or movement, pain-related functional impairment in 16 % only). Beside these routine measurements, only 38 % of hospitals monitored pain for effectiveness after acute medications. Often interdisciplinary working groups and/or pain managers are established for hospital-wide control. As specific therapy, the patient-controlled analgesia and epidural analgesia are largely prevalent (> 90 % of all hospitals). In the last decade, intravenous and oral opioid administration of opioids (including slow release preparations) has become established in acute pain management. The survey was representative by evaluating 20 % of all German hospitals. The organizational requirements for appropriate pain management recommended by the German guidelines for acute pain recommended have been established in the hospital sector in recent years. However, the organizational enforcement for acute pain management in
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Generational differences in acute care nurses.
Widger, Kimberley; Pye, Christine; Cranley, Lisa; Wilson-Keates, Barbara; Squires, Mae; Tourangeau, Ann
2007-01-01
Generational differences in values, expectations and perceptions of work have been proposed as one basis for problems and solutions in recruitment and retention of nurses. This study used a descriptive design. A sample of 8207 registered nurses and registered practical nurses working in Ontario, Canada, acute care hospitals who responded to the Ontario Nurse Survey in 2003 were included in this study. Respondents were categorized as Baby Boomers, Generation X or Generation Y based on their birth year. Differences in responses among these three generations to questions about their own characteristics, employment circumstances, work environment and responses to the work environment were explored. There were statistically significant differences among the generations. Baby Boomers primarily worked full-time day shifts. Gen Y tended to be employed in teaching hospitals; Boomers worked more commonly in community hospitals. Baby Boomers were generally more satisfied with their jobs than Gen X or Gen Y nurses. Gen Y had the largest proportion of nurses with high levels of burnout in the areas of emotional exhaustion and depersonalization. Baby Boomers had the largest proportion of nurses with low levels of burnout. Nurse managers may be able to capitalize on differences in generational values and needs in designing appropriate interventions to enhance recruitment and retention of nurses.
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Hutchinson, A; Brand, C; Irving, L; Roberts, C; Thompson, P; Campbell, D
2010-05-01
In 2003, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) accounted for 46% of the burden of chronic respiratory disease in the Australian community. In the 65-74-year-old age group, COPD was the sixth leading cause of disability for men and the seventh for women. To measure the influence of disease severity, COPD phenotype and comorbidities on acute health service utilization and direct acute care costs in patients admitted with COPD. Prospective cohort study of 80 patients admitted to the Royal Melbourne Hospital in 2001-2002 for an exacerbation of COPD. Patients were followed for 12 months and data were collected on acute care utilization. Direct hospital costs were derived using Transition II, an activity-based costing system. Individual patient costs were then modelled to ascertain which patient factors influenced total direct hospital costs. Direct costs were calculated for 225 episodes of care, the median cost per admission was AU$3124 (interquartile range $1393 to $5045). The median direct cost of acute care management per patient per year was AU$7273 (interquartile range $3957 to $14 448). In a multivariate analysis using linear regression modelling, factors predictive of higher annual costs were increasing age (P= 0.041), use of domiciliary oxygen (P= 0.008) and the presence of chronic heart failure (P= 0.006). This model has identified a number of patient factors that predict higher acute care costs and awareness of these can be used for service planning to meet the needs of patients admitted with COPD.
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Deployment of lean six sigma in care coordination: an improved discharge process.
Breslin, Susan Ellen; Hamilton, Karen Marie; Paynter, Jacquelyn
2014-01-01
This article presents a quality improvement project to reduce readmissions in the Medicare population related to heart failure, acute myocardial infarction, and pneumonia. The article describes a systematic approach to the discharge process aimed at improving transitions of care from hospital to post-acute care, utilizing Lean Six Sigma methodology. Inpatient acute care hospital. A coordinated discharge process, which includes postdischarge follow-up, can reduce avoidable readmissions. Implications for The quality improvement project demonstrated the significant role case management plays in preventing costly readmissions and improving outcomes for patients through better transitions of care from the hospital to the community. By utilizing Lean Six Sigma methodology, hospitals can focus on eliminating waste in their current processes and build more sustainable improvements to deliver a safe, quality, discharge process for their patients. Case managers are leading this effort to improve care transitions and assure a smoother transition into the community postdischarge..
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Does a biomedical research centre affect patient care in local hospitals?
Lichten, Catherine A; Marsden, Grace; Pollitt, Alexandra; Kiparoglou, Vasiliki; Channon, Keith M; Sussex, Jon
2017-01-21
Biomedical research can have impacts on patient care at research-active hospitals. We qualitatively evaluated the impact of the Oxford Biomedical Research Centre (Oxford BRC), a university-hospital partnership, on the effectiveness and efficiency of healthcare in local hospitals. Effectiveness and efficiency are conceptualised in terms of impacts perceived by clinicians on the quality, quantity and costs of patient care they deliver. First, we reviewed documentation from Oxford BRC and literature on the impact of research activity on patient care. Second, we interviewed leaders of the Oxford BRC's research to identify the direct and indirect impacts they expected their activity would have on local hospitals. Third, this information was used to inform interviews with senior clinicians responsible for patient care at Oxford's acute hospitals to discover what impacts they observed from research generally and from Oxford BRC's research work specifically. We compared and contrasted the results from the two sets of interviews using a qualitative approach. Finally, we identified themes emerging from the senior clinicians' responses, and compared them with an existing taxonomy of mechanisms through which quality of healthcare may be affected in research-active settings. We were able to interview 17 research leaders at the Oxford BRC and 19 senior clinicians at Oxford's acute hospitals. The research leaders identified a wide range of beneficial impacts that they expected might be felt at local hospitals as a result of their research activity. They expected the impact of their research activity on patient care to be generally positive. The senior clinicians responsible for patient care at those hospitals presented a more mixed picture, identifying many positive impacts, but also a smaller number of negative impacts, from research activity, including that of the Oxford BRC. We found the existing taxonomy of benefit types to be helpful in organising the findings, and propose
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Cowan, Logan T; Alonso, Alvaro; Pankow, James S; Folsom, Aaron R; Rosamond, Wayne D; Gottesman, Rebecca F; Lakshminarayan, Kamakshi
2016-06-01
Acute triggers for ischemic stroke, which may include infection, are understudied, as is whether background cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk modifies such triggering. We hypothesized that infection increases acute stroke risk, especially among those with low CVD risk. Hospitalized strokes and infections were identified in the Atherosclerosis Risk in Communities (ARIC) cohort. A case-crossover design and conditional logistic regression were used to compare hospitalized infections among patients with stroke (14, 30, 42, and 90 days before stroke) with corresponding control periods 1 year and 2 years before stroke. Background CVD risk was assessed at both visit 1 and the visit most proximal to stroke, with risk dichotomized at the median. A total of 1008 adjudicated incident ischemic strokes were included. Compared with control periods, hospitalized infection was more common within 2 weeks before stroke (14-day odds ratio [OR], 7.7; 95% CI, 2.1-27.3); the strength of association declined with increasing time in the exposure window before stroke (30-day OR, 5.7 [95% CI, 2.3-14.3]; 42-day OR, 4.5 [95% CI, 2.0-10.2]; and 90-day OR, 3.6 [95% CI, 2.1-6.5]). Stroke risk was higher among those with low compared with high CVD risk, with this interaction reaching statistical significance for some exposure periods. These results support the hypothesis that hospitalized infection is a trigger of ischemic stroke and may explain some cryptogenic strokes. Infection control efforts may prevent strokes. CVD preventive therapies may prevent strokes if used in the peri-infection period, but clinical trials are needed. © 2016 American Heart Association, Inc.
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Lind, Susanne; Sandberg, J; Brytting, T; Fürst, C J; Wallin, L
2018-01-21
Although hospitals have been described as inadequate place for end-of-life care, many deaths still occur in hospital settings. Although patient-reported outcome measures have shown positive effects for patients in need of palliative care, little is known about how to implement them. We aimed to explore the feasibility of a pilot version of an implementation strategy for the Integrated Palliative care Outcome Scale (IPOS) in acute care settings. A strategy, including information, training, and facilitation to support the use of IPOS, was developed and carried out at three acute care units. For an even broader understanding of the strategy, it was also tested at a palliative care unit. A process evaluation was conducted including collecting quantitative data and performing interviews with healthcare professionals. Result Factors related to the design and performance of the strategy and the context contributed to the results. The prevalence of completed IPOS in the patient's records varied from 6% to 44% in the acute care settings. At the palliative care unit, the prevalence in the inpatient unit was 53% and the specialized home care team 35%. The qualitative results showed opposing perspectives concerning the training provided: Related to everyday work at the acute care units and Nothing in it for us at the palliative care unit. In the acute care settings, A need for an improved culture regarding palliative care was identified. A context characterized by A constantly increasing workload, a feeling of Constantly on-going changes, and a feeling of Change fatigue were found at all units. Furthermore, the internal facilitators and the nurse managers' involvement in the implementation differed between the units. Significance of the results The feasibility of the strategy in our study is considered to be questionable and the components need to be further explored to enhance the impact of the strategy and thereby improve the use of IPOS.
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A patient-centered research agenda for the care of the acutely ill older patient.
Wald, Heidi L; Leykum, Luci K; Mattison, Melissa L P; Vasilevskis, Eduard E; Meltzer, David O
2015-05-01
Hospitalists and others acute-care providers are limited by gaps in evidence addressing the needs of the acutely ill older adult population. The Society of Hospital Medicine sponsored the Acute Care of Older Patients Priority Setting Partnership to develop a research agenda focused on bridging this gap. Informed by the Patient-Centered Outcomes Research Institute framework for identification and prioritization of research areas, we adapted a methodology developed by the James Lind Alliance to engage diverse stakeholders in the research agenda setting process. The work of the Partnership proceeded through 4 steps: convening, consulting, collating, and prioritizing. First, the steering committee convened a partnership of 18 stakeholder organizations in May 2013. Next, stakeholder organizations surveyed members to identify important unanswered questions in the acute care of older persons, receiving 1299 responses from 580 individuals. Finally, an extensive and structured process of collation and prioritization resulted in a final list of 10 research questions in the following areas: advanced-care planning, care transitions, delirium, dementia, depression, medications, models of care, physical function, surgery, and training. With the changing demographics of the hospitalized population, a workforce with limited geriatrics training, and gaps in evidence to inform clinical decision making for acutely ill older patients, the identified research questions deserve the highest priority in directing future research efforts to improve care for the older hospitalized patient and enrich training. © 2015 Society of Hospital Medicine.
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Nurse Reported Quality of Care: A Measure of Hospital Quality
McHugh, Matthew D.; Stimpfel, Amy Witkoski
2013-01-01
As the primary providers of round-the-clock bedside care, nurses are well positioned to report on hospital quality of care. Researchers have not examined how nurses’ reports of quality correspond with standard process or outcomes measures of quality. We assess the validity of evaluating hospital quality by aggregating hospital nurses’ responses to a single item that asks them to report on quality of care. We found that a 10% increment in the proportion of nurses reporting excellent quality of care was associated with lower odds of mortality and failure to rescue; greater patient satisfaction; and higher composite process of care scores for acute myocardial infarction, pneumonia, and surgical patients. Nurse reported quality of care is a useful indicator of hospital performance. PMID:22911102
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Tarrant, Carolyn; Sutton, Elizabeth; Angell, Emma; Aldridge, Cassie P; Boyal, Amunpreet; Bion, Julian
2017-04-05
It is now well-recognised that patients admitted to hospital on weekends are at higher risk of death than those admitted during weekdays. However, the causes of this 'weekend effect' are poorly understood. Some contend that there is a deficit of medical staff on weekends resulting in poorer quality care, whereas others find that patients admitted to hospital on weekends are sicker and therefore at higher risk of adverse outcomes. Clarifying the causal pathway is clearly important in order to identify effective solutions. In this article we describe an ethnographic approach to evaluating the organisation and delivery of medical care on weekends compared with weekdays, with a specific focus on the role of medical staff as part of National Health Service England's plan to implement 7-day services. We will conduct an ethnographic study of 20 acute hospitals in England between April 2016 and March 2018 as part of the High-intensity Specialist-Led Acute Care project (www.hislac.org). Data will be collected through observations and shadowing, and interviews with staff, in 10 hospitals with higher intensity specialist (consultant) staffing on weekends and 10 with lower intensity specialist staffing. Interviews will be conducted with up to 20 patients sampled from two high-intensity and two low-intensity sites. We will coordinate, compare and contrast observations across our team of ethnographers. Analysis will be both in-depth and cross-cutting, exploring specific features within individual sites and making comparisons between them. We outline how data collection and analysis will be facilitated and organised. The project has received ethics approval from the South West Wales Research Ethics Committee: Reference 13/WA/0372. Informed consent will be obtained for all interview participants. The findings will be disseminated through peer-reviewed publications in high-quality journals and at national and international conferences. © Article author(s) (or their employer
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[Six-months outcomes after admission in acute geriatric care unit secondary to a fall].
Dickes-Sotty, Hélène; Chevalet, Pascal; Fix, Marie-Hélène; Riaudel, Typhaine; Serre-Sahel, Caroline; Ould-Aoudia, Vincent; Berrut, Gilles; De Decker, Laure
2012-12-01
Fall in elderly subject is a main event by its medical and social consequences, but few studies were dedicated to the prognosis from hospitalization in geriatric acute care unit. Describe the outcome of elderly subjects hospitalized after a fall in geriatric acute care unit. Longitudinal study of 6 months follow-up, 100 patients of 75 and more years old hospitalized after a fall in acute care geriatric unit. On a total of 128 patients hospitalized for fall, 100 agreed to participate in the study, 3 died during the hospitalization, so 97 subjects were able to be followed. During 6 months after the hospitalization, 14 patients died (14.9%), 51 (58%) have fallen again (58%) and 11 (22%) of them suffer from severe injuries. Thirty seven (39.7%) were rehospitalized and 10 of them related to fall. Among the patients coming from their home, 25 had been institutionalized. The main risk factor which have been identified to be associated with a new fall during the follow-up was a known dementia at the entry. The medical and social prognosis of an elderly subject hospitalized in an acute care unit is severe. The main comorbidity which influences the medical and social outcome is a known dementia, in addition to a history of previous fall.
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Managed care, vertical integration strategies and hospital performance.
Wang, B B; Wan, T T; Clement, J; Begun, J
2001-09-01
The purpose of this study is to examine the association of managed care with hospital vertical integration strategies, as well as to observe the relationships of different types of vertical integration with hospital efficiency and financial performance. The sample consists of 363 California short-term acute care hospitals in 1994. Linear structure equation modeling is used to test six hypotheses derived from the strategic adaptation model. Several organizational and market factors are controlled statistically. Results suggest that managed care is a driving force for hospital vertical integration. In terms of performance, hospitals that are integrated with physician groups and provide outpatient services (backward integration) have better operating margins, returns on assets, and net cash flows (p < 0.01). These hospitals are not, however, likely to show greater productivity. Forward integration with a long-term-care facility, on the other hand, is positively and significantly related to hospital productivity (p < 0.001). Forward integration is negatively related to financial performance (p < 0.05), however, opposite to the direction hypothesized. Health executives should be responsive to the growth of managed care in their local market and should probably consider providing more backward integrated services rather than forward integrated services in order to improve the hospital's financial performance in today's competitive health care market.
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Scala, Raffaele
2009-04-01
Acute respiratory failure (ARF) is one of the most common and severe urgencies of the modern medicine which may require the application of mechanical ventilation and a careful monitoring of the patient's conditions. With the popularity of non-invasive ventilation and the interest of the pulmonologist for the care of the respiratory critical patient, in Italy there has been the spreading of Respiratory Intensive Care Units (RICU), which are as intermediate specialist structures in terms of intensity of care between the General Intensive Care Unit and the ordinary ward. In this article, the author analysed the cultural, scientific and organizational aspects of the central role played by the pulmonologist who's working in the RICU in the complex intra-hospital multi-disciplinary management of ARF.
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Rural implications of Medicare's post-acute-care transfer payment policy.
Schoenman, Julie A; Mueller, Curt D
2005-01-01
Under the Medicare post-acute-care (PAC) transfer policy, acute-care hospitals are reimbursed under a per-diem formula whenever beneficiaries are discharged from selected diagnosis-related groups (DRGs) to a skilled nursing facility, home health care, or a prospective payment system (PPS)-excluded facility. Total per-diem payments are below the full DRG payment only when the patient's length of stay (LOS) is short relative to the geometric mean LOS for the DRG; otherwise, the full DRG payment is received. This policy originally applied to 10 DRGs beginning in fiscal year 1999 and was expanded to additional DRGs in FY2004. The Secretary may include other DRGs and types of PAC settings in future expansions. This article examines how the initial policy change affected rural and urban hospitals and investigates the likely impact of the FY2004 expansion and other possible future expansions. The authors used 1998-2001 Medicare Provider Analysis and Review (MEDPAR) data to investigate changes in hospital discharge patterns after the original policy was implemented, compute the change in Medicare revenue resulting from the payment change, and simulate the expected revenue reductions under expansions to additional DRGs and swing-bed discharges. Neither rural nor urban hospitals appear to have made a sustained change in their discharge behavior so as to limit their exposure to the transfer policy. Financial impacts from the initial policy were similar in relative terms for both types of hospitals and would be expected to be fairly similar for an expansion to additional DRGs. On average, including swing-bed discharges in the transfer policy would have a very small financial impact on small rural hospitals; only hospitals that make extensive use of swing beds after a short inpatient stay might expect large declines in total Medicare revenue. Rural hospitals are not disproportionately harmed by the PAC transfer policy. An expanded policy may even benefit rural hospitals by
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Baatiema, Leonard; de-Graft Aikins, Ama; Sav, Adem; Mnatzaganian, George; Chan, Carina K Y; Somerset, Shawn
2017-01-01
Objective Despite major advances in research on acute stroke care interventions, relatively few stroke patients benefit from evidence-based care due to multiple barriers. Yet current evidence of such barriers is predominantly from high-income countries. This study seeks to understand stroke care professionals’ views on the barriers which hinder the provision of optimal acute stroke care in Ghanaian hospital settings. Design A qualitative approach using semistructured interviews. Both thematic and grounded theory approaches were used to analyse and interpret the data through a synthesis of preidentified and emergent themes. Setting A multisite study, conducted in six major referral acute hospital settings (three teaching and three non-teaching regional hospitals) in Ghana. Participants A total of 40 participants comprising neurologists, emergency physician specialists, non-specialist medical doctors, nurses, physiotherapists, clinical psychologists and a dietitian. Results Four key barriers and 12 subthemes of barriers were identified. These include barriers at the patient (financial constraints, delays, sociocultural or religious practices, discharge against medical advice, denial of stroke), health system (inadequate medical facilities, lack of stroke care protocol, limited staff numbers, inadequate staff development opportunities), health professionals (poor collaboration, limited knowledge of stroke care interventions) and broader national health policy (lack of political will) levels. Perceived barriers varied across health professional disciplines and hospitals. Conclusion Barriers from low/middle-income countries differ substantially from those in high-income countries. For evidence-based acute stroke care in low/middle-income countries such as Ghana, health policy-makers and hospital managers need to consider the contrasts and uniqueness in these barriers in designing quality improvement interventions to optimise patient outcomes. PMID:28450468
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Follett, Tara; Calderon-Crossman, Sara; Clarke, Denise; Ergezinger, Marcia; Evanochko, Christene; Johnson, Krystal; Mercy, Natalie; Taylor, Barbara
2017-04-01
A level 1 community hospital with a labor, delivery, recovery, and postpartum (LDRP) unit delivering over 2800 babies per year was operating without dedicated neonatal resuscitation and stabilization support. With lack of funding and space to provide an onsite level 2 neonatal intensive care unit (NICU), a position was created to provide neonatal nurse practitioner (NNP) coverage to support the LDRP unit. The article describes the innovative solution of having an NNP team rotate from a regional neonatal intensive care program to a busy community LDRP unit. The presence of the NNP supported the development and integration of the advanced practice nursing role with interdisciplinary team members in both the LDRP and the emergency department. The NNP was able to provide expertise, leadership, and mentorship for neonatal resuscitation and stabilization as well as education and consultation on neonatal care. In addition to the services provided by the NNP for infant's requiring acute care, the NNP provided transitional support for those infants who remained with their mothers in the LDRP unit. Furthermore, time required by the neonatal transport team to stabilize babies before transport to the NICU was decreased with NNP presence. The divergence from practice of the traditional NNP clinical role in the NICU setting to more of a consultant and nursing leader has proven to be a valued role at the community hospital. A solid economic analysis of the cost-effectiveness of the NNP role in this community hospital is warranted.
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The mission of the well-managed community hospital.
Griffith, J R
1988-07-01
The well-managed community hospital as an organization is in dynamic equilibrium with its geographic community and with other communities providing finance, physicians, nurses, other professionals and resources necessary to meet local health care needs. The hospital is "well-managed" when it develops an equilibrium that permits all of its various constituencies to be satisfied. Growth in market share results from good management. The hospital's ability to attract and satisfy the needs of health care professionals while simultaneously meeting the needs of patients and their families at competitive prices allows it to flourish. Its financial success allows it to reward its medical staff and employees in ways that attract the best of each work group. A central problem in achieving good management is communication. Hospitals must communicate their goals convincingly to a large number of doctors and employees. "The Well-Managed Community Hospital," winner of the James A. Hamilton Hospital Administration Book Award, argues that a well-structured mission statement is the essential first step in the communications process. According to the book, final responsibility for the mission statement lies with the governing board and is one of five non-delegable functions of the board. The nature of the mission setting function as described in the book follows.
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Murata, Atsuhiko; Matsuda, Shinya; Mayumi, Toshihiko; Okamoto, Kohji; Kuwabara, Kazuaki; Ichimiya, Yukako; Fujino, Yoshihisa; Kubo, Tatsuhiko; Fujimori, Kenji; Horiguchi, Hiromasa
2012-02-01
Little information is available on the analysis of medical costs of acute pancreatitis hospitalizations. This study aimed to determine the factors affecting medical costs of patients with acute pancreatitis during hospitalization using a Japanese administrative database. A total of 7193 patients with acute pancreatitis were referred to 776 hospitals. We defined "patients with high medical costs" as patients whose medical costs exceeded the 90th percentile in medical costs during hospitalization and identified the independent factors for patients with high medical costs with and without controlling for length of stay. Multiple logistic regression analysis demonstrated that necrosectomy was the most significant factor for medical costs of acute pancreatitis during hospitalization. The odds ratio of necrosectomy was 33.64 (95% confidence interval, 14.14-80.03; p<0.001). Use of an intensive care unit was the most significant factor for medical costs after controlling for LOS. The OR of an ICU was 6.44 (95% CI, 4.72-8.81; p<0.001). This study demonstrated that necrosectomy and use of an ICU significantly affected the medical costs of acute pancreatitis hospitalization. These results highlight the need for health care implementations to reduce medical costs whilst maintaining the quality of patient care, and targeting patients with severe acute pancreatitis. Copyright © 2011 Editrice Gastroenterologica Italiana S.r.l. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.
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Chalder, M J E; Wright, C L; Morton, K J P; Dixon, P; Daykin, A R; Jenkins, S; Benger, J; Calvert, J; Shaw, A; Metcalfe, C; Hollingworth, W; Purdy, S
2016-02-25
Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease is one of the commonest respiratory diseases in the United Kingdom, accounting for 10% of unplanned hospital admissions each year. Nearly a third of these admitted patients are re-admitted to hospital within 28 days of discharge. Whilst there is a move within the NHS to ensure that people with long-term conditions receive more co-ordinated care, there is little research evidence to support an optimum approach to this in COPD. This study aims to evaluate the effectiveness of introducing standardised packages of care i.e. care bundles, for patients with acute exacerbations of COPD as a means of improving hospital care and reducing re-admissions. This mixed-methods evaluation will use a controlled before-and-after design to examine the effect of, and costs associated with, implementing care bundles for patients admitted to hospital with an acute exacerbation of COPD, compared with usual care. It will quantitatively measure a range of patient and organisational outcomes for two groups of hospitals - those who deliver care using COPD care bundles, and those who deliver care without the use of COPD care bundles. These care bundles may be provided for patients with COPD following admission, prior to discharge or at both points in the care pathway. The primary outcome will be re-admission to hospital within 28 days of discharge, although the study will additionally investigate a number of secondary outcomes including length of stay, total bed days, in-hospital mortality, costs of care and patient / carer experience. A series of nested qualitative case studies will explore in detail the context and process of care as well as the impact of COPD bundles on staff, patients and carers. The results of the study will provide information about the effectiveness of care bundles as a way of managing in-hospital care for patients with an acute exacerbation of COPD. Given the number of unplanned hospital admissions for this patient group and their
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Louis Simonet, Martine; Kossovsky, Michel P; Chopard, Pierre; Sigaud, Philippe; Perneger, Thomas V; Gaspoz, Jean-Michel
2008-01-01
Background Early identification of patients who need post-acute care (PAC) may improve discharge planning. The purposes of the study were to develop and validate a score predicting discharge to a post-acute care (PAC) facility and to determine its best assessment time. Methods We conducted a prospective study including 349 (derivation cohort) and 161 (validation cohort) consecutive patients in a general internal medicine service of a teaching hospital. We developed logistic regression models predicting discharge to a PAC facility, based on patient variables measured on admission (day 1) and on day 3. The value of each model was assessed by its area under the receiver operating characteristics curve (AUC). A simple numerical score was derived from the best model, and was validated in a separate cohort. Results Prediction of discharge to a PAC facility was as accurate on day 1 (AUC: 0.81) as on day 3 (AUC: 0.82). The day-3 model was more parsimonious, with 5 variables: patient's partner inability to provide home help (4 pts); inability to self-manage drug regimen (4 pts); number of active medical problems on admission (1 pt per problem); dependency in bathing (4 pts) and in transfers from bed to chair (4 pts) on day 3. A score ≥ 8 points predicted discharge to a PAC facility with a sensitivity of 87% and a specificity of 63%, and was significantly associated with inappropriate hospital days due to discharge delays. Internal and external validations confirmed these results. Conclusion A simple score computed on the 3rd hospital day predicted discharge to a PAC facility with good accuracy. A score > 8 points should prompt early discharge planning. PMID:18647410
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Effects of Payment Changes on Trends in Post-Acute Care
Buntin, Melinda Beeuwkes; Colla, Carrie Hoverman; Escarce, José J
2009-01-01
Objective To test how the implementation of new Medicare post-acute payment systems affected the use of inpatient rehabilitation facilities (IRFs), skilled nursing facilities (SNFs), and home health agencies. Data Sources Medicare acute hospital, IRF, and SNF claims; provider of services file; enrollment file; and Area Resource File data. Study Design We used multinomial logit models to measure realized access to post-acute care and to predict how access to alternative sites of care changed in response to prospective payment systems. Data Extraction Methods A file was constructed linking data for elderly Medicare patients discharged from acute care facilities between 1996 and 2003 with a diagnosis of hip fracture, stroke, or lower extremity joint replacement. Principal Findings Although the effects of the payment systems on the use of post-acute care varied, most reduced the use of the site of care they directly affected and boosted the use of alternative sites of care. Payment system changes do not appear to have differentially affected the severely ill. Conclusions Payment system incentives play a significant role in determining where Medicare beneficiaries receive their post-acute care. Changing these incentives results in shifting of patients between post-acute sites. PMID:19490159
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Effects of payment changes on trends in post-acute care.
Buntin, Melinda Beeuwkes; Colla, Carrie Hoverman; Escarce, José J
2009-08-01
To test how the implementation of new Medicare post-acute payment systems affected the use of inpatient rehabilitation facilities (IRFs), skilled nursing facilities (SNFs), and home health agencies. Medicare acute hospital, IRF, and SNF claims; provider of services file; enrollment file; and Area Resource File data. We used multinomial logit models to measure realized access to post-acute care and to predict how access to alternative sites of care changed in response to prospective payment systems. A file was constructed linking data for elderly Medicare patients discharged from acute care facilities between 1996 and 2003 with a diagnosis of hip fracture, stroke, or lower extremity joint replacement. Although the effects of the payment systems on the use of post-acute care varied, most reduced the use of the site of care they directly affected and boosted the use of alternative sites of care. Payment system changes do not appear to have differentially affected the severely ill. Payment system incentives play a significant role in determining where Medicare beneficiaries receive their post-acute care. Changing these incentives results in shifting of patients between post-acute sites.
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Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014
2010-06-02
...This notice contains the final wage indices, hospital reclassifications, payment rates, impacts, and other related tables effective for the fiscal year (FY) 2010 hospital inpatient prospective payment systems (IPPS) and rate year 2010 long-term care hospital (LTCH) prospective payment system (PPS). The rates, tables, and impacts included in this notice reflect changes required by or resulting from the implementation of several provisions of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act and the Health Care and Education Reconciliation Act of 2010. These provisions require the extension of the expiration date for certain geographic reclassifications and special exception wage indices through September 30, 2010; and certain market basket updates for the IPPS and LTCH PPS.
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A subacute model of geriatric care for frail older persons: the Tan Tock Seng Hospital experience.
Chong, Mei Sian; Empensando, Esmiller F; Ding, Yew Yoong; Tan, Thai Lian
2012-08-01
The subacute care unit in Tan Tock Seng Hospital (TTSH) was set up in May 2009. We examined its impact on the transitions at the nexus between hospital and community sectors, patients' discharge destination and functional performance. We studied patients admitted during the initial 6-month period (May to October 2009). Differences in demographics, length of stay (LOS), comorbidity and severity of illness measures, functional outcomes (modified Barthel Index (MBI)) according to discharge destinations were obtained. We also studied the impact of LOS on the geriatric department and the bill size over the pre- and post-subacute implementation periods. Majority of the subacute patients' hospital stay was in subacute care. Of these patients, 44.9% were discharged home, 24.2% to a slow stream rehabilitation (SSR) setting and 29.2% to nursing homes. 16.9% consisted of a subgroup of dementia patients requiring further behavioural and functional interventions, of which 50% managed to be discharged home. Functional gains were seen during subacute stay; with greatest gains observed in the SSR group. There were no differences in overall LOS nor total bill size (DRG-adjusted) for the geriatric medicine department during the first 6 months of operating this new subacute model compared with the prior 4-month period. We propose this subacute model of geriatric care, which allows right-siting of care and improved functional outcomes. It fulfills the role easing transitions between acute hospital and community sectors. In particular, it provides specialised care to a subgroup of dementia patients with challenging behaviours and is fiscally sound from the wider hospital perspective.
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The impact of out-of-hospital models of care on paediatric emergency department presentations.
Viner, Russell M; Blackburn, Frances; White, Francesca; Mannie, Randy; Parr, Tracy; Nelson, Sara; Lemer, Claire; Riddell, Anna; Watson, Mando; Cleugh, Francesca; Heys, Michelle; Hargreaves, Dougal S
2018-02-01
To estimate the potential impact of enhanced primary care and new out-of-hospital models (OOHMs) on emergency department (ED) presentations by children and young people (CYP). Observational study. Data collected prospectively on 3020 CYP 0-17.9 years from 6 London EDs during 14 days by 25 supernumerary clinicians. CYP with transient acute illness, exacerbation of long-term condition (LTC), complex LTC/disability and injury/trauma were considered manageable within OOHM. OOHMs assessed included nurse-led services, multispecialty community provider (MCP), primary and acute care system (PACS) plus current and enhanced primary care. Diagnosis, severity; record of investigations, management and outcome that occurred; objective assessment of clinical need and potential alternative management options/destinations. Of the patients 95.6% had diagnoses appropriate for OOHM. Most presentations required assessment by a clinician with skills in assessing illness (39.6%) or injuries (30.9%). One thousand two hundred and ninety-one (42.75%) required no investigations and 1007 (33.3%) were provided only with reassurance. Of the presentations 42.2% were judged to have been totally avoidable if the family had had better health education.Of the patients 26.1% were judged appropriate for current primary care (community pharmacy or general practice) with 31.5% appropriate for the combination of enhanced general practice and community pharmacy. Proportions suitable for new models were 14.1% for the nurse-led acute illness team, MCP 25.7%, GP federation CYP service 44.6%, comprehensive walk-in centre for CYP 64.3% and 75.5% for a PACS. High proportions of ED presentations by CYP could potentially be managed in new OOHMs or by enhancement of existing primary care. © Article author(s) (or their employer(s) unless otherwise stated in the text of the article) 2018. All rights reserved. No commercial use is permitted unless otherwise expressly granted.
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Language used by health care professionals to describe dying at an acute care hospital.
Wentlandt, Kirsten; Toupin, Philippe; Novosedlik, Natalia; Le, Lisa W; Zimmermann, Camilla; Kaya, Ebru
2018-05-21
To understand the language used to describe the deterioration and death of patients in an acute academic tertiary care centre, and to identify whether patient diagnoses or palliative care(PC) involvement was associated with clearer descriptions of this process. We conducted a retrospective chart review of the final admission of 150 patients who died on an inpatient internal medicine unit. Conventional and summative content analysis was performed of the language used to describe, either directly or indirectly, that the patient's death was imminent. Of the 150 deaths, the median age was 79.5(range22-101), 58% were male, and 69% spoke English. A total of 45% of deaths were from cancer, and 66% occurred with prior PC team involvement. There was no documentation of the dying process in 18(12%) of charts. In the remainder, clinicians' documentation of imminent death fell into three categories: 1 identification of the current state using specific labels, e.g. 'dying'(24.7%), or 'end of life'(15.3%), or less specific language, 'unwell' or 'doing poorly'(6.0%); 2 predicting the future state using specific or more vague predictions: e.g.'hours to days'(7.3%) or 'poor or guarded prognosis'(26.0%); 3 using care provided to the patient to imply patient status: e.g. palliative care(49.3%) or comfort care(28.7%). PC involvement, but not a malignant diagnosis, was associated with more frequent use of specific language to describe the current(p=0.004) or future state(p=0.02). Death and dying in hospital is inadequately documented and is often described using unclear and vague language. PC involvement is associated with clearer language to describe this process. Copyright © 2018. Published by Elsevier Inc.
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ERIC Educational Resources Information Center
Endsley, Patricia
2017-01-01
The purpose of this scoping review was to survey the most recent (5 years) acute care, community health, and mental health nursing workload literature to understand themes and research avenues that may be applicable to school nursing workload research. The search for empirical and nonempirical literature was conducted using search engines such as…
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Fall prevention in acute care hospitals: a randomized trial.
Dykes, Patricia C; Carroll, Diane L; Hurley, Ann; Lipsitz, Stuart; Benoit, Angela; Chang, Frank; Meltzer, Seth; Tsurikova, Ruslana; Zuyov, Lyubov; Middleton, Blackford
2010-11-03
Falls cause injury and death for persons of all ages, but risk of falls increases markedly with age. Hospitalization further increases risk, yet no evidence exists to support short-stay hospital-based fall prevention strategies to reduce patient falls. To investigate whether a fall prevention tool kit (FPTK) using health information technology (HIT) decreases patient falls in hospitals. Cluster randomized study conducted January 1, 2009, through June 30, 2009, comparing patient fall rates in 4 urban US hospitals in units that received usual care (4 units and 5104 patients) or the intervention (4 units and 5160 patients). The FPTK integrated existing communication and workflow patterns into the HIT application. Based on a valid fall risk assessment scale completed by a nurse, the FPTK software tailored fall prevention interventions to address patients' specific determinants of fall risk. The FPTK produced bed posters composed of brief text with an accompanying icon, patient education handouts, and plans of care, all communicating patient-specific alerts to key stakeholders. The primary outcome was patient falls per 1000 patient-days adjusted for site and patient care unit. A secondary outcome was fall-related injuries. During the 6-month intervention period, the number of patients with falls differed between control (n = 87) and intervention (n = 67) units (P=.02). Site-adjusted fall rates were significantly higher in control units (4.18 [95% confidence interval {CI}, 3.45-5.06] per 1000 patient-days) than in intervention units (3.15 [95% CI, 2.54-3.90] per 1000 patient-days; P = .04). The FPTK was found to be particularly effective with patients aged 65 years or older (adjusted rate difference, 2.08 [95% CI, 0.61-3.56] per 1000 patient-days; P = .003). No significant effect was noted in fall-related injuries. The use of a fall prevention tool kit in hospital units compared with usual care significantly reduced rate of falls. clinicaltrials.gov Identifier: NCT
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Milner, Kate M; Duke, Trevor; Bucens, Ingrid
2013-07-01
Improving newborn health and survival is an essential part of progression toward Millennium Development Goal 4 in the World Health Organization Western Pacific and South East Asian regions. Both community and facility-based services are required. Strategies to improve the quality of care provided for newborns in health clinics and district- and referral-level hospitals have been relatively neglected in most countries in the region and in the published literature. Indirect historical evidence suggests that improving facility-based care will be an increasing priority for improving newborn survival in Asia and the Pacific as newborn mortality rates decrease and health systems contexts change. There are deficiencies in many aspects of newborn care, including immediate care and care for seriously ill newborns, which contribute substantially to regional newborn morbidity and mortality. We propose a practical quality improvement approach, based on models and standards of newborn care for primary-, district- and referral-level heath facilities and incorporated within existing maternal, newborn and child health programmes. There are examples where such approaches are being used effectively. There is a need to produce more nurses, community health workers and doctors with skills in care of the well and the sick newborn, and there are World Health Organization models of training to support this, including guidelines on emergency obstetric and newborn care and the Pocket Book of Hospital Care for Children. There are also simple data collection and analysis programmes that can assist in auditing outcomes, problem identification and health services planning. Finally, with increased survival rates there are gaps in follow-up care for newborns at high risk of long-term health and developmental impairments, and addressing this will be necessary to ensure optimal developmental and health outcomes for these children. © 2013 The Authors. Journal of Paediatrics and Child Health
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The development of an acute care case manager orientation.
Strzelecki, S; Brobst, R
1997-01-01
The authors describe the development of an inpatient acute care case manager orientation in a community hospital. Benner's application of the Dreyfus model of skill acquisition provides the basis for the orientation program. The candidates for the case manager position were expert clinicians. Because of the role change it was projected that they would function as advanced beginners. It was also predicted that, as the case managers progressed within the role, the educational process would need to be adapted to facilitate progression of skills to the proficient level. Feedback from participants reinforced that the model supported the case manager in the role transition. In addition, the model provided a predictive framework for ongoing educational activities.
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Helms, Charles; Polgreen, Philip; Polgreen, Linnea; Evans, Thomas; Roberts, Lance L; Clabaugh, Gerd; Quinlisk, Patricia
2011-04-18
In 2006 a voluntary, provider-based project was initiated to improve influenza vaccination rates among healthcare workers (HCWs) employed by acute care hospitals in Iowa. The statewide vaccination target was 95% by 2010. Data from the first four influenza seasons (2006-2007, 2007-2008, 2008-2009 and 2009-2010) are presented. A website was used to submit and circulate hospital-specific influenza vaccination rates. Rates were fed back to participating hospitals from the outset and hospital-specific rates made publicly available for the last two influenza seasons. Hospital participation rates ranged from 86% in season 1 to 100% in the subsequent three seasons. Statewide median hospital employee vaccination rates trended upward from 73% in season 1 to 93% in season 4. By season 4, 35% of participating hospitals had reached or exceeded a 95% vaccination rate. In season 4 the mean employee vaccination rate of 19 hospitals reporting use of a mandatory vaccination policy was 96% vs. 87% in the 64 hospitals not using such policies. Over a 4 year period, while participating in a provider-based, voluntary project, acute care hospitals in Iowa reported significantly improved seasonal influenza vaccination rates among their employees. Copyright © 2011 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.
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Risk profile and treatment options of acute ischemic in-hospital stroke.
Schürmann, Kolja; Nikoubashman, Omid; Falkenburger, Björn; Tauber, Simone C; Wiesmann, Martin; Schulz, Jörg B; Reich, Arno
2016-03-01
Despite the potential immediate access to diagnosis and care, in-hospital stroke (IHS) is associated with delay in diagnosis, lower rates of reperfusion treatment, and unfavorable outcome. Endovascular reperfusion therapy has shown promising results in recent trials for community-onset strokes (COS) and is limited by less contraindications than systemic thrombolysis. Thus, endovascular approaches may offer additional acute treatment options for IHS. We performed a retrospective, observational monocentric analysis of patients with acute ischemic stroke between January 2010 and December 2014. Out of 3506 acute ischemic strokes, 331 (9.4%) were IHS. In-hospital mortality (31.4 vs. 8.0%) and duration of stay after stroke (19.5 vs. 12.1 days) were higher in IHS than in COS. Most IHS occurred in cardiologic and cardiosurgical patients after catheterization or surgery. In 111 cases (33.5%) the time of onset could not be established as a result of sedation or delayed referral resulting in delayed symptom recognition. 52 IHS (15.7%) and 828 COS (26.0%, p < 0.001) patients received any kind of reperfusion therapy, of which 59.6% (IHS) and 12.1% (COS) comprised isolated endovascular interventions (p < 0.001). Intra-hospital delays (time to brain imaging, systemic thrombolysis, and angiography) were longer and outcome parameters (mRS d90, in-hospital mortality, length of stay) were worse in IHS, whereas rates of procedural complications and intracranial hemorrhages were similar in both groups. The overall rate of reperfusion treatment is lower in IHS compared to COS, as IHS patients are less likely to be eligible for systemic thrombolysis. Interventional stroke treatment is a safe and feasible therapeutic option for patients who are not eligible for systemic thrombolysis and should be anticipated whenever IHS is diagnosed.
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Services for reducing duration of hospital care for acute stroke patients.
Fearon, Patricia; Langhorne, Peter
2012-09-12
Stroke patients conventionally receive a substantial part of their rehabilitation in hospital. Services have now been developed which offer patients in hospital an early discharge with rehabilitation at home (early supported discharge (ESD)). To establish the effects and costs of ESD services compared with conventional services. We searched the trials registers of the Cochrane Stroke Group (January 2012) and the Cochrane Effective Practice and Organisation of Care (EPOC) Group, MEDLINE (2008 to 7 February 2012), EMBASE (2008 to 7 February 2012) and CINAHL (1982 to 7 February 2012). In an effort to identify further published, unpublished and ongoing trials we searched 17 trial registers (February 2012), performed citation tracking of included studies, checked reference lists of relevant articles and contacted trialists. Randomised controlled trials recruiting stroke patients in hospital to receive either conventional care or any service intervention which has provided rehabilitation and support in a community setting with an aim of reducing the duration of hospital care. The primary patient outcome was the composite end-point of death or long-term dependency recorded at the end of scheduled follow-up. Two review authors scrutinised trials and categorised them on their eligibility. We then sought standardised individual patient data from the primary trialists. We analysed the results for all trials and for subgroups of patients and services, in particular whether the intervention was provided by a co-ordinated multidisciplinary team (co-ordinated ESD team) or not. Outcome data are currently available for 14 trials (1957 patients). Patients tended to be a selected elderly group with moderate disability. The ESD group showed significant reductions (P < 0.0001) in the length of hospital stay equivalent to approximately seven days. Overall, the odds ratios (OR) (95% confidence interval (CI)) for death, death or institutionalisation, death or dependency at the end of
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Botti, Mari; Redley, Bernice; Nguyen, Lemai; Coleman, Kimberley; Wickramasinghe, Nilmini
2015-01-01
This research focuses on a major health priority for Australia by addressing existing gaps in the implementation of nursing informatics solutions in healthcare. It serves to inform the successful deployment of IT solutions designed to support patient-centered, frontline acute healthcare delivery by multidisciplinary care teams. The outcomes can guide future evaluations of the contribution of IT solutions to the efficiency, safety and quality of care delivery in acute hospital settings.
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Prabhakaran, Shyam; Khorzad, Rebeca; Brown, Alexandra; Nannicelli, Anna P; Khare, Rahul; Holl, Jane L
2015-10-01
Although best practices have been developed for achieving door-to-needle (DTN) times ≤60 minutes for stroke thrombolysis, critical DTN process failures persist. We sought to compare these failures in the Emergency Department at an academic medical center and a community hospital. Failure modes effects and criticality analysis was used to identify system and process failures. Multidisciplinary teams involved in DTN care participated in moderated sessions at each site. As a result, DTN process maps were created and potential failures and their causes, frequency, severity, and existing safeguards were identified. For each failure, a risk priority number and criticality score were calculated; failures were then ranked, with the highest scores representing the most critical failures and targets for intervention. We detected a total of 70 failures in 50 process steps and 76 failures in 42 process steps at the community hospital and academic medical center, respectively. At the community hospital, critical failures included (1) delay in registration because of Emergency Department overcrowding, (2) incorrect triage diagnosis among walk-in patients, and (3) delay in obtaining consent for thrombolytic treatment. At the academic medical center, critical failures included (1) incorrect triage diagnosis among walk-in patients, (2) delay in stroke team activation, and (3) delay in obtaining computed tomographic imaging. Although the identification of common critical failures suggests opportunities for a generalizable process redesign, differences in the criticality and nature of failures must be addressed at the individual hospital level, to develop robust and sustainable solutions to reduce DTN time. © 2015 American Heart Association, Inc.
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Mehta, Ambereen K; Wilks, Steven; Cheng, M Jennifer; Baker, Karen; Berger, Ann
2018-03-01
Patients who receive early palliative care consults have clinical courses and outcomes more consistent with their goals. Nurses have been shown to be advocates for early palliative care involvement and are able to lead advanced care planning discussions. The purpose of this study was to assess whether after a brief educational session, nurses at a suburban, community hospital could demonstrate knowledge of palliative care principles, would want to independently initiate end-of-life conversations with patients and families, and would want to place specialty palliative care consults. Four 1 hour presentations were made at 4 nursing leadership council meetings from November through December 2015. Anonymous pre- and post-presentation surveys were distributed and collected in person. Setting/Participant: Nonprofit, suburban, community hospital in Maryland. Participants were full-time or part-time hospital employees participating in a nursing leadership council who attended the presentation. We compared responses from pre- and post-presentation surveys. Fifty nurses (19 departments) completed pre-presentation surveys (100% response rate) and 49 nurses completed post-presentation surveys (98% response rate). The average score on 7 index questions increased from 71% to 90%. After the presentations, 86% strongly agreed or agreed that nurses should be able to independently order a palliative care consult and 88% strongly agreed or agreed with feeling comfortable initiating an end-of-life conversation. Brief educational sessions can teach palliative care principles to nurses. Most participants of the study would want to be able to directly consult palliative care and would feel comfortable initiating end-of-life conversations after this educational session.
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Slatyer, Susan; Pienaar, Catherine; Williams, Anne M; Proctor, Karen; Hewitt, Laura
2015-08-01
To explore the experiences and perceptions of hospital staff caring for dying patients in a dedicated patient/family room (named Lotus Room). Dying in hospital is a common outcome for people across the world. However, noise and activity in acute environments present barriers to quality end-of-life care. This is of concern because care provided to dying patients has been shown to affect both the patients and the bereaved families. A qualitative descriptive approach was used. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with 17 multidisciplinary staff and seven families provided information through an investigator-developed instrument. Qualitative data analysis generated three categories describing: Dying in an hospital; The Lotus Room; and the Outcomes for patients and families. The Lotus Room was seen as a large, private and, ultimately, safe space for patients and families within the public hospital environment. Family feedback supported staff perspectives that the Lotus Room facilitated family presence and communication. The privacy afforded by the Lotus Room within this acute hospital provided benefits for the dying patients and grieving families. Improved outcomes included a peaceful death for patients, which may have assisted the family with their bereavement. This study provides evidence of how the physical environment can address well-established barriers to quality end-of-life care in acute hospitals. © 2015 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.
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The diagnosis of delirium in an acute-care hospital in Moscow: what does the Pandora’s box contain?
Tkacheva, Olga N; Runikhina, Nadezda K; Vertkin, Arkadiy L; Voronina, Irina V; Sharashkina, Natalia V; Mkhitaryan, Elen A; Ostapenko, Valentina S; Prokhorovich, Elena A; Freud, Tamar; Press, Yan
2017-01-01
Background Delirium, a common problem among hospitalized elderly patients, is not usually diagnosed by doctors for various reasons. The primary aim of this study was to evaluate the effect of a short training course on the identification of delirium and the diagnostic rate of delirium among hospitalized patients aged ≥65 years. The secondary aim was to identify the risk factors for delirium. Methods A prospective study was conducted in an acute-care hospital in Moscow, Russia. Six doctors underwent a short training course on delirium. Data collected included assessment by the confusion assessment method for the intensive care units, sociodemographic data, functional state before hospitalization, comorbidity, and hospitalization indices (indication for hospitalization, stay in intensive care unit, results of laboratory tests, length of hospitalization, and in-hospital mortality). Results Delirium was diagnosed in 13 of 181 patients (7.2%) who underwent assessment. Cognitive impairment was diagnosed more among patients with delirium (30.0% vs 6.1%, P=0.029); Charlson comorbidity index was higher (3.6±2.4 vs 2.3±1.8, P=0.013); and Barthel index was lower (43.5±34.5 vs 94.1±17.0, P=0.000). The length of hospitalization was longer for patients with delirium at 13.9±7.3 vs 8.8±4.6 days (P=0.0001), and two of the 13 patients with delirium died during hospitalization compared with none of the 168 patients without delirium (P=0.0001). Conclusion Although the rate of delirium was relatively low compared with studies from the West, this study proves that an educational intervention among doctors can bring about a significant change in the diagnosis of the condition. PMID:28260868
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Acute porphyrias: clinical spectrum of hospitalized patients.
Sheerani, Mughis; Urfy, Mian Zainulsajadeen; Hassan, Ali; Islam, Zunaira; Baig, Shahid
2007-11-01
To determine characteristics, clinical features and triggers of acute porphyria in hospitalized patients presenting to a tertiary care center in Pakistan. Case series. The Aga Khan University Hospital, Karachi, from 1988 to 2003. Case records of 26 patients hospitalized with diagnosis were identified through computerized hospital patients' data. The diagnosis of acute porphyria was based on pertinent clinical features and laboratory investigations after exclusion of other alternative diagnosis and patients previously diagnosed as porphyric. The data was analyzed through SPSS software version 11.0. Twelve patients (46.2%) were males. Mean age was 21 years. Most common manifestation were gastrointestinal (n=22; 88.5%) followed by neurological symptoms (n=14; 54%). Neurological manifestations included seizures (n=9; 34.6%) and neuropathy (n=6; 23%). One patient presented with depression and insomnia. Family history was positive in (n=8; 30.8%). Eighteen (69%) had history of previous attacks at their presentation to the hospital. Most common precipitating factor was 'eating outside' (n=18; 69%). Porphyrias are uncommon and cryptic group of diseases. This study shows a slightly different gender distribution, earlier onset of symptoms, higher number of neuropsychiatric symptoms (especially seizures), more distal neuropathies and different precipitant in the studied subset of patients than described previously in the western studies.
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Ngantcha, Marcus; Le-Pogam, Marie-Annick; Calmus, Sophie; Grenier, Catherine; Evrard, Isabelle; Lamarche-Vadel, Agathe; Rey, Grégoire
2017-08-22
Results of associations between process and mortality indicators, both used for the external assessment of hospital care quality or public reporting, differ strongly across studies. However, most of those studies were conducted in North America or United Kingdom. Providing new evidence based on French data could fuel the international debate on quality of care indicators and help inform French policy-makers. The objective of our study was to explore whether optimal care delivery in French hospitals as assessed by their Hospital Process Indicators (HPIs) is associated with low Hospital Standardized Mortality Ratios (HSMRs). The French National Authority for Health (HAS) routinely collects for each hospital located in France, a set of mandatory HPIs. Five HPIs were selected among the process indicators collected by the HAS in 2009. They were measured using random samples of 60 to 80 medical records from inpatients admitted between January 1st, 2009 and December 31, 2009 in respect with some selection criteria. HSMRs were estimated at 30, 60 and 90 days post-admission (dpa) using administrative health data extracted from the national health insurance information system (SNIIR-AM) which covers 77% of the French population. Associations between HPIs and HSMRs were assessed by Poisson regression models corrected for measurement errors with a simulation-extrapolation (SIMEX) method. Most associations studied were not statistically significant. Only two process indicators were found associated with HSMRs. Completeness and quality of anesthetic records was negatively associated with 30 dpa HSMR (0.72 [0.52-0.99]). Early detection of nutritional disorders was negatively associated with all HSMRs: 30 dpa HSMR (0.71 [0.54-0.95]), 60 dpa HSMR (0.51 [0.39-0.67]) and 90 dpa HSMR (0.52 [0.40-0.68]). In absence of gold standard of quality of care measurement, the limited number of associations suggested to drive in-depth improvements in order to better determine associations
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Long-Term Care in Small Rural Hospitals.
ERIC Educational Resources Information Center
Bowlyow, Joyce E.
1989-01-01
Compared small rural hospitals with long-term care units to those without units. Found both hospital and community differences. Hospitals with such units were smaller and differed in length of stay, personnel, and expenses. Their counties were smaller in population and less urban, but did not have proportionally more elderly or different…
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Ding, Yew Yoong; Sun, Yan; Tay, Jam Chin; Chong, Wai Fung
2014-10-01
Although acute geriatric units have improved the outcomes of hospitalized seniors, it is uncertain as to whether hospitalist care by geriatricians outside of these units confers similar benefit. To determine whether hospitalist care by geriatricians reduces short-term mortality and readmission, and length of stay (LOS) for seniors aged 80 years and older with acute medical illnesses compared with care by other internists. Retrospective cohort study using administrative and chart review data on demographic, admission-related, and clinical information of hospital episodes. General internal medicine department of an acute-care hospital in Singapore from 2005 to 2008. Seniors aged 80 years and older with specific focus on 2 subgroups with premorbid functional impairment and acute geriatric syndromes. Hospitalist care by geriatricians compared with care by other internists. Hospital mortality, 30-day mortality or readmission, and LOS. For 1944 hospital episodes (intervention: 968, control: 976), there was a nonsignificant trend toward lower hospital mortality (15.5% vs 16.9%) but not 30-day mortality or readmission, or LOS for care by geriatricians compared with care by other internists. A marginally stronger trend toward lower hospital mortality for care by geriatricians among those with acute geriatric syndromes (20.2% vs 23.1%) was observed. Similar treatment effects were found after adjustment for demographic, admission-related, and clinical factors. For seniors aged 80 years and over with acute medical illness, hospitalist care by geriatricians did not significantly reduce short-term mortality, readmission, or LOS, compared with care by other internists. © 2014 Society of Hospital Medicine.
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Desalu, Olufemi Olumuyiwa; Adeoti, Adekunle Olatayo; Ogunmola, Olarinde Jeffrey; Fadare, Joseph Olusesan; Kolawole, Tolutope Fasanmi
2016-01-01
To audit the quality of acute asthma care in two tertiary hospitals in a state in the southwestern region of Nigeria and to compare the clinical practice against the recommendations of the Global Initiative for Asthma (GINA) guideline. We carried out a retrospective analysis of 101 patients who presented with acute exacerbation of asthma to the hospital between November 2010 and October 2015. Majority of the cases were females (66.3%), <45 years of age (60.4%), and admitted in the wet season (64.4%). The median duration of hospital stay was 2 days (interquartile range; 1-3 days) and the mortality was 1.0%. At admission, 73 (72.3%) patients had their triggering factors documented and 33 (32.7%) had their severity assessed. Smoking status, medication adherence, serial oxygen saturation, and peak expiratory flow rate measurement were documented in less than half of the cases, respectively. Seventy-six (75.2%) patients had nebulized salbutamol, 89 (88.1%) had systemic corticosteroid, and 78 (77.2%) had within 1 h. On discharge, 68 (67.3%) patients were given follow-up appointment and 32 (31.7%) were reviewed within 30 days after discharge. Less than half were prescribed an inhaled corticosteroid (ICS), a self-management plan, or had their inhaler technique reviewed or controller medications adjusted. Overall, adherence to the GINA guideline was not satisfactory and was very poor among the medical officers. The quality of acute asthma care in our setting is not satisfactory, and there is a low level of compliance with most recommendations of asthma guidelines. This audit has implicated the need to address the non-performing areas and organizational issues to improve the quality of care.
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Implementing a Trauma-Informed Model of Care in a Community Acute Mental Health Team.
Moloney, Bill; Cameron, Ian; Baker, Ashley; Feeney, Johanna; Korner, Anthony; Kornhaber, Rachel; Cleary, Michelle; McLean, Loyola
2018-04-12
In this paper, we demonstrate the value of implementing a Trauma-Informed Model of Care in a Community Acute Mental Health Team by providing brief intensive treatment (comprising risk interventions, brief counselling, collaborative formulation and pharmacological treatment). The team utilised the Conversational Model (CM), a psychotherapeutic approach for complex trauma. Key features of the CM are described in this paper using a clinical case study. The addition of the Conversational Model approach to practice has enabled better understandings of consumers' capacities and ways to then engage, converse, and intervene. The implementation of this intervention has led to a greater sense of self-efficacy amongst clinicians, who can now articulate a clear counselling model of care.
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Chierici, Rose-Marie; Voltaire, Thony Michelet
2016-12-01
In 2003 Alyans Sante Borgne's (ASB) conducted the first week-long mobile hospital in Molas, a poor mountain community a 10-h walk from the main hospital in the town of Borgne in North Haiti. ASB is a partnership between Haiti Outreach-Pwoje Espwa (H.O.P.E.), a US-based NGO, and Haiti's Ministry of Health. The paper reflects on this first experience and the evolution of an indigenous model of health care delivery, Sante Nan Lakou (SNL)/Health at the Extended Family Level, a model that prioritizes the needs of patients over those of the institution. It highlights the challenges of providing quality care to a much neglected segment of our population and documents the impact of this event for the community and for ASB. Lessons learned during that week shaped ASB's response to the root causes of women and children's poor health in the commune of Borgne. The response is articulated in a holistic grassroots program called Sante/Health, Edikasyon/Education, Ekonomi/Economy for Fanm/Women (SEE Fanm). SEE Fanm is a constellation of programs and initiatives that together brings quality care to women and seeks to empower them to take charge of their health and wellbeing and, by extension, that of their families and communities.
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Variability in the organisation and management of hospital care for COPD exacerbations in the UK.
Hosker, Harold; Anstey, Katharine; Lowe, Derek; Pearson, Michael; Roberts, C Michael
2007-04-01
Previous smaller UK audits have demonstrated wide variation in organisation, resources, and process of care for acute chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) admissions. Smallest units appeared to do less well. UK acute hospitals supplied information on (1) resources and organisation of care, (2) clinical data on process of care and outcomes for up to 40 consecutive COPD admissions. Comparisons were made against national recommendations. Eight thousand and thirteen admissions involved 7529 patients from 233 units (93% of UK acute Trusts). Twenty-six percent of units had at most one whole-time equivalent respiratory consultant while 12% had at least four. Thirty percent patients were admitted under a respiratory specialist and 48% discharged under their care whilst 28% had no specialist input at all. Variation in care provision was wide across all hospitals but patients in smaller hospitals had less access to specialist respiratory or admission wards, pulmonary rehabilitation programs, specialty triage or an early discharge scheme. Six percent of units did not have access to NIV and 18% to invasive ventilatory support. There remains wide variation in all aspects of acute hospital COPD care in the UK, with smaller hospitals offering fewest services. Those receiving specialist input are more likely to be offered interventions of proven effect. Management guidelines alone are insufficient to address inequalities of care and a clear statement of minimum national standards for resource provision and organisation of COPD care are required. This study provides a unique insight into the current state of care for patients admitted with COPD exacerbations in the UK.
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Assessing Community Quality of Health Care.
Herrin, Jeph; Kenward, Kevin; Joshi, Maulik S; Audet, Anne-Marie J; Hines, Stephen J
2016-02-01
To determine the agreement of measures of care in different settings-hospitals, nursing homes (NHs), and home health agencies (HHAs)-and identify communities with high-quality care in all settings. Publicly available quality measures for hospitals, NHs, and HHAs, linked to hospital service areas (HSAs). We constructed composite quality measures for hospitals, HHAs, and nursing homes. We used these measures to identify HSAs with exceptionally high- or low-quality of care across all settings, or only high hospital quality, and compared these with respect to sociodemographic and health system factors. We identified three dimensions of hospital quality, four HHA dimensions, and two NH dimensions; these were poorly correlated across the three care settings. HSAs that ranked high on all dimensions had more general practitioners per capita, and fewer specialists per capita, than HSAs that ranked highly on only the hospital measures. Higher quality hospital, HHA, and NH care are not correlated at the regional level; regions where all dimensions of care are high differ systematically from regions which score well on only hospital measures and from those which score well on none. © Health Research and Educational Trust.
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Taşbakan, Mehmet Sezai; Bacakoğlu, Feza; Başoğlu, Ozen Kaçmaz; Gürgün, Alev; Başarik, Burcu; Citim Tuncel, Senay; Sayiner, Abdullah
2011-01-01
Health-care-associated pneumonia (HCAP) is defined as pneumonia that develops in patients with a history of recent hospitalization, hemodialysis as an outpatient, residence in a nursing home, outpatient intravenous therapy and home wound care. We aimed to compare the initial demographic characteristics, causative agents and prognosis between hospitalized HCAP and community-acquired pneumonia (CAP) patients. HCAP and CAP patients hospitalized between 01 September 2008-01 September 2009 were evaluated retrospectively. Out of 187 patients (131 males, mean age 66.3 ± 14.3 years) who were hospitalized during one-year period, 98 were diagnosed as HCAP and 89 as CAP. Among HCAP patients, 64 (65.3%) had a history of hospitalization in the last 90 days, 26 (26.5%) received outpatient intravenous therapy, 17 (17.3%) had home wound care, 6 (6.1%) were on hemodialysis program in the last 30 days and 4 (4.1%) lived in a nursing home. The causative pathogen was detected in 39 (39.8%) HCAP and 8 (9.0%) CAP patients. The most frequently isolated microorganisms were Pseudomonas aeruginosa and Acinetobacter baumannii in HCAP, and Streptococcus pneumoniae and Haemophilus influenzae in CAP patients. Inappropriate empiric antibiotic treatment was documented in 8 (25.8%) of 39 HCAP patients, in whom a causative agent was isolated whereas the antibiotic treatment was appropriate in all CAP patients. The duration of hospitalization (14.4 ± 11.4 vs. 10.7 ± 7.9 days, p= 0.011) and mortality rate (34.7% vs. 9.0%, p< 0.001) were higher in HCAP compared with CAP patients. As HCAP is different than CAP in terms of patients' characteristics, causative microorganisms and prognosis, it should be considered in all patients hospitalized as CAP. Potentially drug-resistant microorganisms should be taken into consideration in the empirical antibiotic treatment of these patients.
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Chang, Esther; Hancock, Karen; Hickman, Louise; Glasson, Janet; Davidson, Patricia
2007-09-01
There is a lack of research investigating models of nursing care for older hospitalised patients that address the nursing needs of this group. The objective of this study is to evaluate the efficacy of models of care for acutely older patients tailored to two contexts: an aged care specific ward and a medical ward. This is a repeated measures design. Efficacy of the models was evaluated in terms of: patient and nurses' satisfaction with care provided; increased activities of daily living; reduced unplanned hospital readmissions; and medication knowledge. An aged care specific ward and a medical ward in two Sydney teaching hospitals. There were two groups of patients aged 65 years or older who were admitted to hospital for an acute illness: those admitted prior to model implementation (n=232) and those admitted during model implementation (n=116). Patients with moderate or severe dementia were excluded. The two groups of nurses were the pre-model group (n=90) who were working on the medical and aged care wards for the study prior to model implementation, and the post-model group (n=22), who were the nurses working on the wards during model implementation. Action research was used to develop the models of care in two wards: one for an aged care specific ward and another for a general medical ward where older patients were admitted. The models developed were based on empirical data gathered in an earlier phase of this study. The models were successful in both wards in terms of increasing satisfaction levels in patients and nurses (p<0.001), increasing functional independence as measured by activities of daily living (p<0.01), and increasing medication knowledge (p<0.001). Findings indicate that models of care developed by nurses using an evidence-based action research strategy can enhance both satisfaction and health outcomes in older patients.
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Nam, Hyo Suk; Heo, JoonNyung; Kim, Jinkwon; Kim, Young Dae; Song, Tae Jin; Park, Eunjeong; Heo, Ji Hoe
2014-01-01
The benefits of thrombolytic treatment are time-dependent. We developed a smartphone application that aids stroke patient self-screening and hospital selection, and may also decrease hospital arrival time. The application was developed for iPhone and Android smartphones. Map data for the application were adopted from the open map. For hospital registration, a web page (http://stroke119.org) was developed using PHP and MySQL. The Stroke 119 application includes a stroke screening tool and real-time information on nearby hospitals that provide thrombolytic treatment. It also provides information on stroke symptoms, thrombolytic treatment, and prescribed actions when stroke is suspected. The stroke screening tool was adopted from the Cincinnati Prehospital Stroke Scale and is displayed in a cartoon format. If the user taps a cartoon image that represents abnormal findings, a pop-up window shows that the user may be having a stroke, informs the user what to do, and directs the user to call emergency services. Information on nearby hospitals is provided in map and list views, incorporating proximity to the user's location using a Global Positioning System (a built-in function of smartphones). Users can search for a hospital according to specialty and treatment levels. We also developed a web page for hospitals to register in the system. Neurology training hospitals and hospitals that provide acute stroke care in Korea were invited to register. Seventy-seven hospitals had completed registration. This application may be useful for reducing hospital arrival times for thrombolytic candidates.
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Lattanzio, Fabrizia; Pedone, Claudio; Garasto, Sabrina; Laino, Irma; Bustacchini, Silvia; Pranno, Luigi; Mazzei, Bruno; Passarino, Giuseppe; Incalzi, Raffaele Antonelli
2012-01-01
Abstract We investigated the prognostic role of the Short Physical Performance Battery (SPPB) in elderly patients discharged from the acute care hospital. Our series consisted of 506 patients aged 70 years or more enrolled in a multicenter collaborative observational study. We considered three main outcomes: 1-year survival after discharge, functional decline, and hospitalization during follow-up. Independent predictors/correlates of the outcomes were investigated by Cox regression or logistic regression analysis when appropriate. The diagnostic accuracy of SPPB in relation to study outcomes was investigated by receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve. SPPB score was associated with reduced mortality (hazard ratio [HR]=0.86, 95% confidence interval [CI] 0.78–0.95). When the analysis was adjusted for functional status at discharge, such an association was still near significant only for SPPB values >8 (HR=0.51; 95% CI 0.30–1.05). An SPPB score<5 could identify patients who died during follow-up with fair sensitivity (0.66), specificity (0.62), and area under the ROC curve (0.66). SPPB also qualified as independent correlate of functional decline (odds ratio [OR]=0.82; 95% CI 0.70–0.96), but not of rehospitalization or combined end-point death or rehospitalization. An SPPB score <5 could identify patients experiencing functional decline during follow-up with lower sensitivity (0.60), but higher specificity (0.69), and area under the ROC curve (0.69) with respect to mortality. In conclusion, SPPB can be considered a valid instrument to identify patients at major risk of functional decline and death after discharge from acute care hospital. However, it could more efficiently target patients at risk of functional decline than those at risk of death. PMID:22004280
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Case management in an acute-care hospital: collaborating for quality, cost-effective patient care.
Grootveld, Kim; Wen, Victoria; Bather, Michelle; Park, Joan
2014-01-01
Case management has recently been advanced as a valuable component in achieving quality patient care that is also cost-effective. At St. Michael's Hospital, in Toronto, Ontario, case managers from a variety of professional backgrounds are central to a new care initiative--Rapid Assessment and Planning to Inform Disposition (RAPID)--in the General Internal Medicine (GIM) Unit that is designed to improve patient care and reconcile high emergency department volumes through "smart bed spacing." Involved in both planning and RAPID, GIM's case managers are the link between patient care and utilization management. These stewards of finite resources strive to make the best use of dollars spent while maintaining a commitment to quality care. Collaborating closely with physicians and others across the hospital, GIM's case managers have been instrumental in bringing about significant improvements in care coordination, utilization management and process redesign. Copyright © 2014 Longwoods Publishing.
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Agarwal, Sunil K.; Wruck, Lisa; Quibrera, Miguel; Matsushita, Kunihiro; Loehr, Laura R.; Chang, Patricia P.; Rosamond, Wayne D.; Wright, Jacqueline; Heiss, Gerardo; Coresh, Josef
2016-01-01
Estimates of the numbers and rates of acute decompensated heart failure (ADHF) hospitalization are central to understanding health-care utilization and efforts to improve patient care. We comprehensively estimated the frequency, rate, and trends of ADHF hospitalization in the United States. Based on Atherosclerosis Risk in Communities (ARIC) Study surveillance adjudicating 12,450 eligible hospitalizations during 2005–2010, we developed prediction models for ADHF separately for 3 International Classification of Diseases, Ninth Revision, Clinical Modification (ICD-9-CM) code 428 discharge diagnosis groups: 428 primary, 428 nonprimary, or 428 absent. We applied the models to data from the National Inpatient Sample (11.5 million hospitalizations of persons aged ≥55 years with eligible ICD-9-CM codes), an all-payer, 20% probability sample of US community hospitals. The average estimated number of ADHF hospitalizations per year was 1.76 million (428 primary, 0.80 million; 428 nonprimary, 0.83 million; 428 absent, 0.13 million). During 1998–2004, the rate of ADHF hospitalization increased by 2.0%/year (95% confidence interval (CI): 1.8, 2.5) versus a 1.4%/year (95% CI: 0.8, 2.1) increase in code 428 primary hospitalizations (P < 0.001). In contrast, during 2005–2011, numbers of ADHF hospitalizations were stable (−0.5%/year; 95% CI: −1.4, 0.3), while the numbers of 428-primary hospitalizations decreased by −1.5%/year (95% CI: −2.2, −0.8) (P for contrast = 0.03). In conclusion, the estimated number of hospitalizations with ADHF is approximately 2 times higher than the number of hospitalizations with ICD-9-CM code 428 in the primary position. The trend increased more steeply prior to 2005 and was relatively flat after 2005. PMID:26895710
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Lamas, Daniela J; Owens, Robert L; Nace, R Nicholas; Massaro, Anthony F; Pertsch, Nathan J; Moore, Susan T; Bernacki, Rachelle E; Block, Susan D
2017-07-01
The chronically critically ill have survived acute critical illness but require prolonged mechanical ventilation. These patients are frequently transferred from acute care to long-term acute care hospitals (LTACHs) for prolonged recovery, yet many suffer setbacks requiring readmission to acute care. The patient's relatively improved condition while at the LTACH might be an opportunity for communication regarding care goals; however, there have been no prior studies of the feasibility of such conversations in the LTACH. To determine the feasibility, acceptability, and potential usefulness of conversations about serious illness with chronic critical illness patients or their surrogate decision makers after LTACH admission. We adapted an existing conversation guide for use in chronically critically ill (defined by tracheotomy for prolonged ventilation) LTACH patients or their surrogates to explore views about quality of life, understanding of medical conditions, expectations, and planning for setbacks. These conversations were conducted by one interviewer and summarized for the patients' clinicians. We surveyed patients, surrogates, and clinicians to assess acceptability. A total of 70 subjects were approached and 50 (71%) were enrolled, including 30 patients and 20 surrogates. The median duration of the conversation was 14 minutes 45 seconds [IQR 12:46, 19]. The presence of ongoing mechanical ventilation did not lead to longer conversations; in fact, conversations with patients were shorter than those with surrogates. The majority of subjects (81%) described the conversation as worthwhile. The majority of clinicians (73%) reported that the conversation offered a new and significant understanding of the patient's preferences if a setback were to occur. Conversations about serious illness care goals can be accomplished in a relatively short period of time, are acceptable to chronically critically ill patients and their surrogate decision makers in the LTACH, and are
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A qualitative study of why general practitioners admit to community hospitals.
Grant, James A; Dowell, Jon
2002-08-01
Intermediate care, which is provided by community hospitals, is increasingly seen as one way of reducing pressure on secondary care. However, despite evidence of wide variation, there is little literature describing how general practitioners (GPs) use these hospitals. Because of the control they have over decisions to admit, development of these units depends on the cooperation of GPs. To identify and understand the factors influencing the decision to admit to a community hospital. A qualitative interview study. Twenty-seven practitioners from ten practices supporting five community hospitals in one region of Tayside, Scotland Secondary support was identical for all sites. In-depth interviews were conducted with a purposive sample of GPs representing those who had the most and the least use of the five community hospitals. A qualitative anaysis was performed to determine thefactors that practitioners considered important when making decisions about admission. Results were presented to the study group for validation. All admissions required adequate capacity in the community hospital system. Primarily social admissions were straight forward requiring only adequate hospital nursing, and GP capacity. More typical admissions involving social and medical needs required consideration of the professional concerns and the personal influences on the doctor as well as the potential benefits to the patient. As medical complexity increased the doctor's comfort/discomfort became the deciding factor. Provided there was adequate capacity, the GPs perceived the level of comfort to be the prime determinant of which patients are admitted to community hospitals and which are referred to secondary care.
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A qualitative study of why general practitioners admit to community hospitals.
Grant, James A; Dowell, Jon
2002-01-01
BACKGROUND: Intermediate care, which is provided by community hospitals, is increasingly seen as one way of reducing pressure on secondary care. However, despite evidence of wide variation, there is little literature describing how general practitioners (GPs) use these hospitals. Because of the control they have over decisions to admit, development of these units depends on the cooperation of GPs. AIM: To identify and understand the factors influencing the decision to admit to a community hospital. DESIGN OF STUDY: A qualitative interview study. SETTING: Twenty-seven practitioners from ten practices supporting five community hospitals in one region of Tayside, Scotland Secondary support was identical for all sites. METHOD: In-depth interviews were conducted with a purposive sample of GPs representing those who had the most and the least use of the five community hospitals. A qualitative anaysis was performed to determine thefactors that practitioners considered important when making decisions about admission. Results were presented to the study group for validation. RESULTS: All admissions required adequate capacity in the community hospital system. Primarily social admissions were straight forward requiring only adequate hospital nursing, and GP capacity. More typical admissions involving social and medical needs required consideration of the professional concerns and the personal influences on the doctor as well as the potential benefits to the patient. As medical complexity increased the doctor's comfort/discomfort became the deciding factor. CONCLUSION: Provided there was adequate capacity, the GPs perceived the level of comfort to be the prime determinant of which patients are admitted to community hospitals and which are referred to secondary care. PMID:12171220
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Predicting Risk Factors for 30-Day Readmissions Following Discharge From Post-Acute Care.
Flanagan, Nina M; Rizzo, Victoria M; James, Gary D; Spegman, Adele; Barnawi, Najla A
The specific aims of this descriptive study were to (1) examine the relationships between individual-level determinants of health using standard care admission assessments of residents admitted to a skilled nursing facility (SNF) and those residents readmitted to the hospital within 30 days from discharge from the same SNF; (2) identify and describe the risk factors of the residents readmitted to the hospital within 30 days; and (3) use the findings to inform and refine current practice to target the mutable risk factors correlated with 30-day hospital readmission. A 180-bed skilled nursing center in Northeastern Pennsylvania. A retrospective paper medical record review of patients discharged from an SNF to community living was conducted to examine the relationship between individual determinants of health behaviors and 30-day hospital readmissions. The study sample (N = 221) included adults 65 years and older who were admitted to the SNF from January to December 2014 for subacute physical rehabilitation following an acute care hospital stay with a discharge plan to community living. The 30-day readmission rate was 11%. The results of the logistic regression including diagnosis at readmission showed that the odds of readmission before 30 days were nearly three times greater in patients who had congestive heart failure (p < .02). Patients who were at "very high risk" on the Braden Scale were 20 times more likely to be readmitted before 30 days compared with those at low risk. Age and gender were not predictors. None of the other standard screening assessments for delirium, depression, functional status, and fall risk were predictive of 30-day readmission. (1) Care coordination and communication with residents, caregivers, and home health can have an impact on 30-day readmissions post-SNF discharge. (2) Chronic respiratory diseases continue to be a challenge in prevention of hospital readmissions.
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2014-01-01
Background Deaths during the neonatal period account for almost two-thirds of all deaths in the first year of life and 40 percent of deaths before the age of five. Most of these deaths could be prevented through proven cost-effective interventions. Although there are some recent data from sub-Saharan Africa, but there is paucity of qualitative data from Zanzibar and cord care practices data from most of East Africa. We undertook a qualitative study in Pemba Island as a pilot to explore the attitudes, beliefs and practices of the community and health workers related to delivery, newborn and cord care with the potential to inform the main chlorhexidine (CHX) trial. Methods 80 in-depth interviews (IDI) and 11 focus group discussions (FGD) involving mothers, grandmothers, fathers, traditional birth attendants and other health service providers from the community were undertaken. All IDIs and FGDs were audio taped, transcribed and analyzed using ATLAS ti 6.2. Results Poor transportation, cost of delivery at hospitals, overcrowding and ill treatment by hospital staff are some of the obstacles for achieving higher institutional delivery. TBAs and health professionals understand the need of using sterilized equipments to reduce risk of infection to both mothers and their babies during delivery. Despite this knowledge, use of gloves during delivery and hand washing before delivery were seldom reported. Early initiation of breastfeeding and feeding colostrum was almost universal. Hospital personnel and trained TBAs understood the importance of keeping babies warm after birth and delayed baby’s first bath. The importance of cord care was well recognized in the community. Nearly all TBAs counseled the mothers to protect the cord from dust, flies and mosquitoes or any other kind of infections by covering it with cloth. There was consensus among respondents that CHX liquid cord cleansing could be successfully implemented in the community with appropriate education and
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Tabit, Corey E; Coplan, Mitchell J; Spencer, Kirk T; Alcain, Charina F; Spiegel, Thomas; Vohra, Adam S; Adelman, Daniel; Liao, James K; Sanghani, Rupa Mehta
2017-09-01
Re-hospitalization after discharge for acute decompensated heart failure is a common problem. Low-socioeconomic urban patients suffer high rates of re-hospitalization and often over-utilize the emergency department (ED) for their care. We hypothesized that early consultation with a cardiologist in the ED can reduce re-hospitalization and health care costs for low-socioeconomic urban patients with acute decompensated heart failure. There were 392 patients treated at our center for acute decompensated heart failure who received standardized education and follow-up. Patients who returned to the ED received early consultation with a cardiologist; 392 patients who received usual care served as controls. Thirty- and 90-day re-hospitalization, ED re-visits, heart failure symptoms, mortality, and health care costs were recorded. Despite guideline-based education and follow-up, the rate of ED re-visits was not different between the groups. However, the rate of re-hospitalization was significantly lower in patients receiving the intervention compared with controls (odds ratio 0.592), driven by a reduction in the risk of readmission from the ED (0.56 vs 0.79, respectively). Patients receiving the intervention accumulated 14% fewer re-hospitalized days than controls and 57% lower 30-day total health care cost. Despite the reduction in health care resource consumption, mortality was unchanged. After accounting for the total cost of intervention delivery, the health care cost savings was substantially greater than the cost of intervention delivery. Early consultation with a cardiologist in the ED as an adjunct to guideline-based follow-up is associated with reduced re-hospitalization and health care cost for low-socioeconomic urban patients with acute decompensated heart failure. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.
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Rethinking transitions of care: An interprofessional transfer triage protocol in post-acute care.
Patel, Radha V; Wright, Lauri; Hay, Brittany
2017-09-01
Readmissions to hospitals from post-acute care (PAC) units within long-term care settings have been rapidly increasing over the past decade, and are drivers of increased healthcare costs. With an average of $11,000 per admission, there is a need for strategies to reduce 30-day preventable hospital readmission rates. In 2018, incentives and penalties will be instituted for long-term care facilities failing to meet all-cause, all-condition hospital readmission rate performance measures. An interprofessional team (IPT) developed and implemented a Transfer Triage Protocol used in conjunction with the INTERACT programme to enhance clinical decision-making and assess the potential to reduce the facility's 30-day preventable hospital readmission rates by 10% within 6 weeks of implementation. Results from quantitative analysis demonstrated an overall 35.2% reduction in the 30-day preventable hospital readmission rate. Qualitative analysis revealed the need for additional staff education, improved screening and communication upon admission and prior to hospital transfer, and the need for more IPT on-site availability. This pilot study demonstrates the benefits and implications for practice of an IPT to improve the quality of care within PAC and decrease 30-day preventable hospital readmissions.
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Surr, C A; Smith, S J; Crossland, J; Robins, J
2016-01-01
People with dementia occupy up to one quarter of acute hospital beds. However, the quality of care delivered to this patient group is of national concern. Staff working in acute hospitals report lack of knowledge, skills and confidence in caring for people with dementia. There is limited evidence about the most effective approaches to supporting acute hospital staff to deliver more person-centred care. This study aimed to evaluate the efficacy of a specialist training programme for acute hospital staff regarding improving attitudes, satisfaction and feelings of caring efficacy, in provision of care to people with dementia. A repeated measures design, with measures completed immediately prior to commencing training (T1), after completion of Foundation level training (T2: 4-6 weeks post-baseline), and following Intermediate level training (T3: 3-4 months post-baseline). One NHS Trust in the North of England, UK. 40 acute hospital staff working in clinical roles, the majority of whom (90%) were nurses. All participants received the 3.5 day Person-centred Care Training for Acute Hospitals (PCTAH) programme, comprised of two levels, Foundation (0.5 day) and Intermediate (3 days), delivered over a 3-4 months period. Staff demographics and previous exposure to dementia training were collected via a questionnaire. Staff attitudes were measured using the Approaches to Dementia Questionnaire (ADQ), satisfaction in caring for people with dementia was captured using the Staff Experiences of Working with Demented Residents questionnaire (SEWDR) and perceived caring efficacy was measured using the Caring Efficacy Scale (CES). The training programme was effective in producing a significant positive change on all three outcome measures following intermediate training compared to baseline. A significant positive effect was found on the ADQ between baseline and after completion of Foundation level training, but not for either of the other measures. Training acute hospital staff in
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Cluster Analysis of Acute Care Use Yields Insights for Tailored Pediatric Asthma Interventions.
Abir, Mahshid; Truchil, Aaron; Wiest, Dawn; Nelson, Daniel B; Goldstick, Jason E; Koegel, Paul; Lozon, Marie M; Choi, Hwajung; Brenner, Jeffrey
2017-09-01
We undertake this study to understand patterns of pediatric asthma-related acute care use to inform interventions aimed at reducing potentially avoidable hospitalizations. Hospital claims data from 3 Camden city facilities for 2010 to 2014 were used to perform cluster analysis classifying patients aged 0 to 17 years according to their asthma-related hospital use. Clusters were based on 2 variables: asthma-related ED visits and hospitalizations. Demographics and a number of sociobehavioral and use characteristics were compared across clusters. Children who met the criteria (3,170) were included in the analysis. An examination of a scree plot showing the decline in within-cluster heterogeneity as the number of clusters increased confirmed that clusters of pediatric asthma patients according to hospital use exist in the data. Five clusters of patients with distinct asthma-related acute care use patterns were observed. Cluster 1 (62% of patients) showed the lowest rates of acute care use. These patients were least likely to have a mental health-related diagnosis, were less likely to have visited multiple facilities, and had no hospitalizations for asthma. Cluster 2 (19% of patients) had a low number of asthma ED visits and onetime hospitalization. Cluster 3 (11% of patients) had a high number of ED visits and low hospitalization rates, and the highest rates of multiple facility use. Cluster 4 (7% of patients) had moderate ED use for both asthma and other illnesses, and high rates of asthma hospitalizations; nearly one quarter received care at all facilities, and 1 in 10 had a mental health diagnosis. Cluster 5 (1% of patients) had extreme rates of acute care use. Differences observed between groups across multiple sociobehavioral factors suggest these clusters may represent children who differ along multiple dimensions, in addition to patterns of service use, with implications for tailored interventions. Copyright © 2017 American College of Emergency Physicians
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Rivera-Hernandez, Maricruz; Rahman, Momotazur; Mukamel, Dana B; Mor, Vincent; Trivedi, Amal N
2018-04-25
Understanding and addressing racial and ethnic disparities in the quality of post-acute care in skilled nursing facilities is an important health policy issue, particularly as the Medicare program initiates value-based payments for these institutions. Our final cohort included 649,187 Medicare beneficiaries in either the fee-for-service or Medicare Advantage programs, who were 65 and older and were admitted to a skilled nursing facility following an acute hospital stay, from 8,375 skilled nursing facilities. We examined the quality of care in skilled nursing facilities that disproportionately serve minority patients compared to non-Hispanic whites. Three measures, all calculated at the level of the facility, were used to assess quality of care in skilled nursing facilities: 1) 30-day rehospitalization rate; 2) successful discharge from the facility to the community; and 3) Medicare five-star quality ratings. We found that African-American post-acute patients are highly concentrated in a small number of institutions, with 28% of facilities accounting for 80% of all post-acute admissions for African-American patients. Similarly, just 20% of facilities accounted for 80% of all admissions for Hispanics. Skilled nursing facilities with higher fractions of African-American patients had worse performance for three publicly-reported quality measures: rehospitalization, successful discharge to the community, and the star rating indicator. Efforts to address disparities should focus attention on institutions that disproportionately serve minority patients and monitor unintended consequences of value-based payments to skilled nursing facilities.
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Experiences of Physical Therapists Working in the Acute Hospital Setting: Systematic Review.
Lau, Bonnie; Skinner, Elizabeth H; Lo, Kristin; Bearman, Margaret
2016-09-01
Physical therapists working in acute care hospitals require unique skills to adapt to the challenging environment and short patient length of stay. Previous literature has reported burnout of clinicians and difficulty with staff retention; however, no systematic reviews have investigated qualitative literature in the area. The purpose of this study was to investigate the experiences of physical therapists working in acute hospitals. Six databases (MEDLINE, CINAHL Plus, EMBASE, AMED, PsycINFO, and Sociological Abstracts) were searched up to and including September 30, 2015, using relevant terms. Studies in English were selected if they included physical therapists working in an acute hospital setting, used qualitative methods, and contained themes or descriptive data relating to physical therapists' experiences. Data extraction included the study authors and year, settings, participant characteristics, aims, and methods. Key themes, explanatory models/theories, and implications for policy and practice were extracted, and quality assessment was conducted. Thematic analysis was used to conduct qualitative synthesis. Eight articles were included. Overall, study quality was high. Four main themes were identified describing factors that influence physical therapists' experience and clinical decision making: environmental/contextual factors, communication/relationships, the physical therapist as a person, and professional identity/role. Qualitative synthesis may be difficult to replicate. The majority of articles were from North America and Australia, limiting transferability of the findings. The identified factors, which interact to influence the experiences of acute care physical therapists, should be considered by therapists and their managers to optimize the physical therapy role in acute care. Potential strategies include promotion of interprofessional and collegial relationships, clear delineation of the physical therapy role, multidisciplinary team member education
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Snow, Richard; Granata, Jaymes; Ruhil, Anirudh V S; Vogel, Karen; McShane, Michael; Wasielewski, Ray
2014-10-01
Health-care costs following acute hospital care have been identified as a major contributor to regional variation in Medicare spending. This study investigated the associations of preoperative physical therapy and post-acute care resource use and its effect on the total cost of care during primary hip or knee arthroplasty. Historical claims data were analyzed using the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services Limited Data Set files for Diagnosis Related Group 470. Analysis included descriptive statistics of patient demographic characteristics, comorbidities, procedures, and post-acute care utilization patterns, which included skilled nursing facility, home health agency, or inpatient rehabilitation facility, during the ninety-day period after a surgical hospitalization. To evaluate the associations, we used bivariate and multivariate techniques focused on post-acute care use and total episode-of-care costs. The Limited Data Set provided 4733 index hip or knee replacement cases for analysis within the thirty-nine-county Medicare hospital referral cluster. Post-acute care utilization was a significant variable in the total cost of care for the ninety-day episode. Overall, 77.0% of patients used post-acute care services after surgery. Post-acute care utilization decreased if preoperative physical therapy was used, with only 54.2% of the preoperative physical therapy cohort using post-acute care services. However, 79.7% of the non-preoperative physical therapy cohort used post-acute care services. After adjusting for demographic characteristics and comorbidities, the use of preoperative physical therapy was associated with a significant 29% reduction in post-acute care use, including an $871 reduction of episode payment driven largely by a reduction in payments for skilled nursing facility ($1093), home health agency ($527), and inpatient rehabilitation ($172). The use of preoperative physical therapy was associated with a 29% decrease in the use of any post-acute care
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Maben, Jill; Adams, Mary; Peccei, Riccardo; Murrells, Trevor; Robert, Glenn
2012-06-01
Few empirical studies have directly examined the relationship between staff experiences of providing healthcare and patient experience. Present concerns over the care of older people in UK acute hospitals - and the reported attitudes of staff in such settings - highlight an important area of study. AIMS AND OBJECTIVES. To examine the links between staff experience of work and patient experience of care in a 'Medicine for Older People' (MfOP) service in England. A mixed methods case study undertaken over 8 months incorporating a 149-item staff survey (66/192 - 34% response rate), a 48-item patient survey (26/111 - 23%), 18 staff interviews, 18 patient and carer interviews and 41 hours of non-participant observation. Variation in patient experience is significantly influenced by staff work experiences. A high-demand/low-control work environment, poor staffing, ward leadership and co-worker relationships can each add to the inherent difficulties staff face when caring for acutely ill older people. Staff seek to alleviate the impact of such difficulties by finding personal satisfaction from caring for 'the poppets'; those patients they enjoy caring for and for whom they feel able to 'make a difference'. Other patients - noting dehumanising aspects of their care - felt like 'parcels'. Patients are aware of being seen by staff as 'difficult' or 'demanding' and seek to manage their relationships with nursing staff accordingly. The work experiences of staff in a MfOP service impacted directly on patient care experience. Poor ward and patient care climates often lead staff to seek job satisfaction through caring for 'poppets', leaving less favoured - and often more complex patients - to receive less personalised care. Implications for practice. Investment in staff well-being and ward climate is essential for the consistent delivery of high-quality care for older people in acute settings. © 2012 Blackwell Publishing Ltd.
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Topical nitroglycerin ointment for treatment of acute hypertension in hospitalized inpatients.
Brower, Kathryn A; Garcia, Nelson A Telles; Smith, Hayden L; Wall, Geoffrey C
2015-05-01
Hypertension in the hospital setting is common; however, guidelines provide limited guidance specific to the inpatient setting. Acute antihypertensive treatment options can be limited in this setting by monitoring requirements of intravenous medications and patients' inability to take oral medications. A possible treatment choice used to treat acute hypertension is nitroglycerin ointment. Nitroglycerin is not approved by the Food and Drug Administration for this condition, and limited evidence exists to support this indication. To evaluate the statistical and clinical effectiveness of nitroglycerin ointment as a treatment option for acute hypertension based on a 20 mm Hg or greater reduction in systolic blood pressure. A retrospective chart review at a large tertiary community teaching hospital was performed on all adult noncardiac inpatients with an episode of acute hypertension that resulted in the administration of nitroglycerin ointment. Seventy-two patients met inclusion criteria with a total of 112 applications of nitroglycerin ointment. Of the 112 applications, systolic blood pressure decreased 20 mm Hg or more in 42% of occurrences with a median decrease of 16 mm Hg. Study results suggest possible efficacy of nitroglycerin ointment for the treatment of acute hypertension in noncardiac hospitalized patients. © The Author(s) 2014.
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Hospital and Community Characteristics Associated With Pediatric Direct Admission to Hospital.
Leyenaar, JoAnna K; Shieh, Meng-Shiou; Lagu, Tara; Pekow, Penelope S; Lindenauer, Peter K
2017-10-27
One quarter of pediatric hospitalizations begin as direct admissions, defined as hospitalization without receiving care in the hospital's emergency department (ED). Direct admission rates are highly variable across hospitals, yet previous studies have not examined reasons for this variation. We aimed to determine the relationships between hospital and community factors and pediatric direct admission rates, and to evaluate the degree to which these characteristics explain variation in risk-adjusted direct admission rates. We conducted a cross-sectional study of the Healthcare Cost and Utilization Project's Kids Inpatient Database, American Hospital Association Database, and Area Health Resource File, including children <18 years of age who were admitted for a medical hospitalization in states contributing data to all data sets. Using hierarchical generalized linear modeling, we generated risk-adjusted direct admission rates and used generalized linear models to assess the association of hospital and community characteristics with these risk-adjusted rates. We included 211,458 children discharged from 933 hospitals and 26 states; 20.2% were admitted directly. One-fifth of the variance in risk-adjusted direct admission rates was attributed to observed hospital and community factors. The greatest proportion of this explained variance was related to ED volume (37%), volume of pediatric hospitalizations (27%), and size of the pediatrician workforce (12%). Direct admission rates were associated with several hospital and community characteristics, but the majority of variation in hospitals' direct admission rates was not explained by these factors. These findings suggest opportunities for diverse hospital types to develop the infrastructure and communication systems necessary to support pediatric direct admissions. Copyright © 2017 Academic Pediatric Association. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.
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Barriers for nutritional care in the transition from hospital to the community among older patients.
Ginzburg, Yulia; Shmilovitz, Inbar; Monastyrsky, Nechama; Endevelt, Ronit; Shahar, Danit R
2018-06-01
Data on the continuity of nutritional care in the transition from the hospital to the community is scarce although its impact on medical complications is highly significant. The aim of the current study is to determine level of adherence to dietary recommendations after hospitalization and identify barriers for adherence. A prospective study among patients age ≥65 who were treated with oral nutritional supplements (ONS) during their hospitalization and discharged with dietary recommendations. Data was obtained in the hospital and at a 3-month home-visit. Adherence was assessed monthly and barriers for non-adherence were determined. Adherence levels were summed for 3 months and then divided into: 1. Full adherence: complete consumption as prescribed; 2. Partial adherence: partial consumption of the prescription [at least half]; or 3. No adherence: not consumed or less than half. Health-status was obtained from medical records; nutritional-status using anthropometric measurements, depressive symptoms using GDS [Geriatric Depression Scale], and functional abilities using FIM [Functional Independence Measure] were determined. Dietary intake was assessed by 24-h recall. Eighty-six patients were recruited (56 women) and followed for 3-months after discharge; 47.7% were advised in their discharge letter to consume at least one liquid ONS daily, 29% daily powder ONS, and 23.3% were advised to consume both. Adherence with liquid ONS was significantly higher among both groups, p < 0.001. In the no-adherence group 26.7% were edentulous, BMI was lower (23.6 ± 4.2 vs. 26 ± 4.9), depression symptoms were less prevalent (45.3% vs. 61.3%), and protein intake was higher compared with the adherence group. Barriers for no-adherence were gastrointestinal symptoms, lack of knowledge of ONS purpose, and other including no prescription by the primary care physician; only 21% received a prescription for nutritional supplements. In a regression model patients who were edentulous
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Design characteristics of acute care units in china.
Lu, Yi; Wang, Yijia
2014-01-01
To describe the current state of design characteristics of acute care units in China's public hospitals and compare these with characteristics with acute care units in the United States. The healthcare construction industry in China is one of the fastest growing sectors in China and, arguably, in the world. Understanding the physical design of acute care units in China is of great importance because it will influence a large population. Descriptive study was performed of unit configuration, size, patient visibility, distance to nursing station and supplies, and lighting conditions in 25 units in 19 public hospitals built after 2003. Data and information were collected based on spatial and visibility analysis. The study identified major design characteristics of the recently built (from 2003 onward) acute care units in China, comparing them, where appropriate, with those in U.S. It found there are three dominant types of unit layout: single-corridor (52%), triangular (36%), and double-corridor (12%). The number of private rooms is very low (11%), compared with two- or three-bed rooms. Centralized nursing stations are the only type of nurses' working area. China also has a large unit size in terms of number of patient beds. The average number of patient beds in a unit is 40.6 in China (versus 32.9 in U.S.). The care units in China have longer walking distance from nursing station to patient bedside. The percentage of beds visible from a nursing station is lower in China than in the U.S. The access to natural light and direct sunlight in patient rooms is greater in China compared with those in U.S.-100% of patient rooms in China have natural lighting. A majority of them face south or southeast and thus receiving direct sunlight (91.4%). Because of the differences in economies and building codes, there are dramatic differences between the spatial characteristics of acute care units in China and the United States. © 2014 Vendome Group, LLC.
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Hospital financial condition and the quality of patient care.
Bazzoli, Gloria J; Chen, Hsueh-Fen; Zhao, Mei; Lindrooth, Richard C
2008-08-01
Concerns about deficiencies in the quality of care delivered in US hospitals grew during a time period when an increasing number of hospitals were experiencing financial problems. Our study examines a six-year longitudinal database of general acute care hospitals in 11 states to assess the relationship between hospital financial condition and quality of care. We evaluate two measures of financial performance: operating margin and a broader profitability measure that encompasses both operating and non-operating sources of income. Our model specification allows for gradual adjustments in quality-enhancing activities and recognizes that current realizations of patient quality may affect future financial performance. Empirical results suggest that there is a relationship between financial performance and quality of care, but not as strong as suggested in earlier research. Overall, our results suggest that deep financial problems that go beyond the patient care side of business may be important to prompting quality problems. Copyright (c) 2007 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
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Cai, Yiying; Venkatachalam, Indumathi; Tee, Nancy W; Tan, Thean Yen; Kurup, Asok; Wong, Sin Yew; Low, Chian Yong; Wang, Yang; Lee, Winnie; Liew, Yi Xin; Ang, Brenda; Lye, David C; Chow, Angela; Ling, Moi Lin; Oh, Helen M; Cuvin, Cassandra A; Ooi, Say Tat; Pada, Surinder K; Lim, Chong Hee; Tan, Jack Wei Chieh; Chew, Kean Lee; Nguyen, Van Hai; Fisher, Dale A; Goossens, Herman; Kwa, Andrea L; Tambyah, Paul A; Hsu, Li Yang; Marimuthu, Kalisvar
2017-05-15
We conducted a national point prevalence survey (PPS) to determine the prevalence of healthcare-associated infections (HAIs) and antimicrobial use (AMU) in Singapore acute-care hospitals. Trained personnel collected HAI, AMU, and baseline hospital- and patient-level data of adult inpatients from 13 private and public acute-care hospitals between July 2015 and February 2016, using the PPS methodology developed by the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control. Factors independently associated with HAIs were determined using multivariable regression. Of the 5415 patients surveyed, there were 646 patients (11.9%; 95% confidence interval [CI], 11.1%-12.8%) with 727 distinct HAIs, of which 331 (45.5%) were culture positive. The most common HAIs were unspecified clinical sepsis (25.5%) and pneumonia (24.8%). Staphylococcus aureus (12.9%) and Pseudomonas aeruginosa (11.5%) were the most common pathogens implicated in HAIs. Carbapenem nonsusceptibility rates were highest in Acinetobacter species (71.9%) and P. aeruginosa (23.6%). Male sex, increasing age, surgery during current hospitalization, and presence of central venous or urinary catheters were independently associated with HAIs. A total of 2762 (51.0%; 95% CI, 49.7%-52.3%) patients were on 3611 systemic antimicrobial agents; 462 (12.8%) were prescribed for surgical prophylaxis and 2997 (83.0%) were prescribed for treatment. Amoxicillin/clavulanate was the most frequently prescribed (24.6%) antimicrobial agent. This survey suggested a high prevalence of HAIs and AMU in Singapore's acute-care hospitals. While further research is necessary to understand the causes and costs of HAIs and AMU in Singapore, repeated PPSs over the next decade will be useful to gauge progress at controlling HAIs and AMU. © The Author 2017. Published by Oxford University Press for the Infectious Diseases Society of America. All rights reserved. For permissions, e-mail: journals.permissions@oup.com.
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Factors Contributing to Readmission of Seniors into Acute Care Hospitals
ERIC Educational Resources Information Center
DeCoster, Vaughn; Ehlman, Katie; Conners, Carolyn
2013-01-01
Medicare spending is expected to increase by 79% between the years 2010 and 2020, caused, in-part, by hospital readmissions within 30 days of discharge. This study identified factors contributing to hospital readmissions in a midwest heath service area (HSA), using Coleman's Transition Care Model as the theoretical framework. The researchers…
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Financing the future of independent community hospitals.
Richman, Alan P
2011-11-01
Effingham Hospital, a critical access hospital, undertook a modernization initiative to expand the limited scope of its inpatient services to improve financial performance and ability to build liquidity reserves. FHA Section 242 mortgage insurance was the only means for Effingham to credit enhance its debt and obtain a low-interest rate loan. Effingham needed to convince residents and county commissioners to pledge 27 years of additional tax support to offset its annual uncompensated care. The hospital won support from the community and the commissioners, in part because of the educational outreach of the CEO, CFO, and board in articulating the imperative for maintaining local hospital care and the present and future economic benefits for Effingham County.
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Buttigieg, Sandra C; Cassar, Vincent; Scully, Judy W
2013-01-01
The following case study aims to explore management's, health professionals' and patients' experiences on the extent to which there is visibility of management support in achieving effective interdisciplinary team working, which is explicitly declared in the mission statement of a 60-bed acute rehabilitative geriatric hospital in Malta. A total of 21 semi-structured interviews were conducted with the above-mentioned key stakeholders. Three main distinct yet interdependent themes emerged as a result of thematic analysis: "managing a team-friendly hospital", "interdisciplinary team components", and "interdisciplinary team processes". The findings show that visibility of management support and its alignment with the process and content levels of interdisciplinary teamwork are key to integrated care for acute rehabilitative geriatric patients. The emerging phenomena may not be reproducible in a different context; although many of the emerging themes could be comfortably matched with the existing literature. The implications are geared towards raising the consciousness and conscientiousness of good practice in interdisciplinary teamwork in hospitals, as well as in emphasizing organizational and management support as crucial factors for team-based organizations. Interdisciplinary teamwork in acute rehabilitative geriatrics provides optimal quality and integrated health care delivery with the aim that the older persons are successfully discharged back to the community. The authors draw on solid theoretical frameworks--the complexity theory, team effectiveness model and the social identity theory--to support their major finding, namely the alignment of organizational and management support with intra-team factors at the process and content level.
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Acute medical bed usage by nursing home residents.
Beringer, T R; Flanagan, P
1999-05-01
An increasing number of elderly patients in nursing home care appears to be presenting to hospital for acute medical admission. A survey of acute hospital care was undertaken to establish accurately the number and character of such admissions. A total of 1300 acute medical beds was surveyed in Northern Ireland in June 1996 and January 1997 on a single day using a standardised proforma. Demographic details, diagnosis and length of admission were recorded. A total of 84 patients over the age of 65 (mean 79.5 years) admitted from nursing home care was identified in June 1996 and a total of 125 (mean 83.3 years) in January 1997. A total of 88 (70%) of admissions in 1997 were accompanied by a general practitioner's letter. The assessing doctor judged that 12 (9.6%) of admissions in 1997 could have had investigations and or treatment reasonably instituted in a nursing home. The proportion of acute medical beds occupied by nursing home residents was 6% in June 1996 rising to 10% in January 1997. The study accurately identifies the significant contribution of nursing home patients to acute medical admissions and the low proportion in whom admission was unnecessary. Closure of long stay hospital facilities should be accompanied by investment in community medical services and also reinvestment in acute hospital care for elderly people.
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Marsden, Elizabeth; Craswell, Alison; Taylor, Andrea; Coates, Kaye; Crilly, Julia; Broadbent, Marc; Glenwright, Amanda; Johnston, Colleen; Wallis, Marianne
2018-04-03
This article describes the Care coordination through Emergency Department, Residential Aged Care and Primary Health Collaboration (CEDRiC) project. CEDRiC is designed to improve the health outcomes for older people with an acute illness. It attempts this via enhanced primary care in residential aged care facilities, focused and streamlined care in the emergency department and enhanced intersectoral communication and referral. Implementing this approach has the potential to decrease inappropriate hospital admissions while improving care for older people in residential aged care and community settings. This article discusses an innovative way of caring for older adults in an ageing population utilising the existing evidence. A formal evaluation is currently underway. © 2018 AJA Inc.
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Lin, Pei-Chao; Hsieh, Mei-Hui; Chen, Meng-Chin; Yang, Yung-Mei; Lin, Li-Chan
2018-02-01
The quality of dementia care in hospitals is typically substandard. Staff members are underprepared for providing care to older people with dementia. The objective of the present study was to examine dementia care knowledge, attitude and behavior regarding self-education about dementia care among nurses working in different wards. This was a descriptive cross-sectional study. The present study was carried out from July 2013 to December 2013. In total, 387 nurses working in different wards were recruited from two hospitals in Taiwan by using convenience sampling. The nurses completed a self-report questionnaire on demographic data, experience and learning behavior, and attitude towards dementia care, and a 16-item questionnaire on dementia care knowledge. Descriptive and inferential statistics were used to analyze the status and differences in dementia care knowledge among nurse in different wards. The average dementia care knowledge score was 10.46 (SD 2.13), with a 66.5% mean accuracy among all nurses. Dementia care knowledge was significantly associated with age, nursing experience, possession of a registered nurse license, holding a bachelor's degree, work unit, training courses and learning behavior towards dementia care. The dementia care knowledge of the emergency room nurses was significantly lower than that of the psychiatric and neurology ward nurses. A significantly lower percentage of emergency room nurses underwent dementia care training and actively searched for information on dementia care, compared with the psychiatric and neurology ward nurses. Hospital nurses show a knowledge gap regarding dementia care, especially emergency room nurses. Providing dementia care training to hospital nurses, particularly emergency room nurses, is crucial for improving the quality of care for patients with dementia. Geriatr Gerontol Int 2018; 18: 276-285. © 2017 Japan Geriatrics Society.
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Community benefit activities of private, nonprofit hospitals.
Bazzoli, Gloria J; Clement, Jan P; Hsieh, Hui-Min
2010-12-01
The definition of hospital community benefits has been intensely debated for many years. Recently, consensus has developed about one group of activities being central to community benefits because of its focus on care for the poor and on needed community services for which any payments received are low relative to costs. Disagreements continue, however, about the treatment of bad debt expense and Medicare shortfalls. A recent revision of the Internal Revenue Service's Form 990 Schedule H, which is required of all nonprofit hospitals, highlights the agreed-on set of activities but does not dismiss the disputed items. Our study is the first to apply definitions used in the new IRS form to assess how conclusions about the adequacy of nonprofit hospital community benefits could be affected if bad debt expenses and Medicare shortfalls are included or excluded. Specifically, we examine 2005 financial data for California and Florida hospitals. Overall, we find that conclusions about community benefit adequacy are very different depending on which definition of community benefits is used. We provide thoughts on new directions for the current policy debate about the treatment of bad debts and Medicare shortfalls in light of these findings.
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Determining level of care appropriateness in the patient journey from acute care to rehabilitation
2011-01-01
Background The selection of patients for rehabilitation, and the timing of transfer from acute care, are important clinical decisions that impact on care quality and patient flow. This paper reports utilization review data on inpatients in acute care with stroke, hip fracture or elective joint replacement, and other inpatients referred for rehabilitation. It examines reasons why acute level of care criteria are not met and explores differences in decision making between acute care and rehabilitation teams around patient appropriateness and readiness for transfer. Methods Cohort study of patients in a large acute referral hospital in Australia followed with the InterQual utilization review tool, modified to also include reasons why utilization criteria are not met. Additional data on team decision making about appropriateness for rehabilitation, and readiness for transfer, were collected on a subset of patients. Results There were 696 episodes of care (7189 bed days). Days meeting acute level of care criteria were 56% (stroke, hip fracture and joint replacement patients) and 33% (other patients, from the time of referral). Most inappropriate days in acute care were due to delays in processes/scheduling (45%) or being more appropriate for rehabilitation or lower level of care (30%). On the subset of patients, the acute care team and the utilization review tool deemed patients ready for rehabilitation transfer earlier than the rehabilitation team (means of 1.4, 1.3 and 4.0 days from the date of referral, respectively). From when deemed medically stable for transfer by the acute care team, 28% of patients became unstable. From when deemed stable by the rehabilitation team or utilization review, 9% and 11%, respectively, became unstable. Conclusions A high proportion of patient days did not meet acute level of care criteria, due predominantly to inefficiencies in care processes, or to patients being more appropriate for an alternative level of care, including
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van Dorp, Sofie M; Kinross, Pete; Gastmeier, Petra; Behnke, Michael; Kola, Axel; Delmée, Michel; Pavelkovich, Anastasia; Mentula, Silja; Barbut, Frédéric; Hajdu, Agnes; Ingebretsen, André; Pituch, Hanna; Macovei, Ioana S; Jovanović, Milica; Wiuff, Camilla; Schmid, Daniela; Olsen, Katharina Ep; Wilcox, Mark H; Suetens, Carl; Kuijper, Ed J
2016-07-21
Clostridium difficile infection (CDI) remains poorly controlled in many European countries, of which several have not yet implemented national CDI surveillance. In 2013, experts from the European CDI Surveillance Network project and from the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control developed a protocol with three options of CDI surveillance for acute care hospitals: a 'minimal' option (aggregated hospital data), a 'light' option (including patient data for CDI cases) and an 'enhanced' option (including microbiological data on the first 10 CDI episodes per hospital). A total of 37 hospitals in 14 European countries tested these options for a three-month period (between 13 May and 1 November 2013). All 37 hospitals successfully completed the minimal surveillance option (for 1,152 patients). Clinical data were submitted for 94% (1,078/1,152) of the patients in the light option; information on CDI origin and outcome was complete for 94% (1,016/1,078) and 98% (294/300) of the patients in the light and enhanced options, respectively. The workload of the options was 1.1, 2.0 and 3.0 person-days per 10,000 hospital discharges, respectively. Enhanced surveillance was tested and was successful in 32 of the hospitals, showing that C. difficile PCR ribotype 027 was predominant (30% (79/267)). This study showed that standardised multicountry surveillance, with the option of integrating clinical and molecular data, is a feasible strategy for monitoring CDI in Europe. This article is copyright of The Authors, 2016.
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Gross, Kennen; Brenner, Jeffrey C; Truchil, Aaron; Post, Ernest M; Riley, Amy Henderson
2013-01-01
Developing data-driven local solutions to address rising health care costs requires valid and reliable local data. Traditionally, local public health agencies have relied on birth, death, and specific disease registry data to guide health care planning, but these data sets provide neither health information across the lifespan nor information on local health care utilization patterns and costs. Insurance claims data collected by local hospitals for administrative purposes can be used to create valuable population health data sets. The Camden Coalition of Healthcare Providers partnered with the 3 health systems providing emergency and inpatient care within Camden, New Jersey, to create a local population all-payer hospital claims data set. The combined claims data provide unique insights into the health status, health care utilization patterns, and hospital costs on the population level. The cross-systems data set allows for a better understanding of the impact of high utilizers on a community-level health care system. This article presents an introduction to the methods used to develop Camden's hospital claims data set, as well as results showing the population health insights obtained from this unique data set.
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Counting the costs of accreditation in acute care: an activity-based costing approach
Mumford, Virginia; Greenfield, David; Hogden, Anne; Forde, Kevin; Westbrook, Johanna; Braithwaite, Jeffrey
2015-01-01
Objectives To assess the costs of hospital accreditation in Australia. Design Mixed methods design incorporating: stakeholder analysis; survey design and implementation; activity-based costs analysis; and expert panel review. Setting Acute care hospitals accredited by the Australian Council for Health Care Standards. Participants Six acute public hospitals across four States. Results Accreditation costs varied from 0.03% to 0.60% of total hospital operating costs per year, averaged across the 4-year accreditation cycle. Relatively higher costs were associated with the surveys years and with smaller facilities. At a national level these costs translate to $A36.83 million, equivalent to 0.1% of acute public hospital recurrent expenditure in the 2012 fiscal year. Conclusions This is the first time accreditation costs have been independently evaluated across a wide range of hospitals and highlights the additional cost burden for smaller facilities. A better understanding of the costs allows policymakers to assess alternative accreditation and other quality improvement strategies, and understand their impact across a range of facilities. This methodology can be adapted to assess international accreditation programmes. PMID:26351190
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Patients' Care Needs: Documentation Analysis in General Hospitals.
Paans, Wolter; Müller-Staub, Maria
2015-10-01
The purpose of the study is (a) to describe care needs derived from records of patients in Dutch hospitals, and (b) to evaluate whether nurses employed the NANDA-I classification to formulate patients' care needs. A stratified cross-sectional random-sampling nursing documentation audit was conducted employing the D-Catch instrument in 10 hospitals comprising 37 wards. The most prevalent nursing diagnoses were acute pain, nausea, fatigue, and risk for impaired skin integrity. Most care needs were determined in physiological health patterns and few in psychosocial patterns. To perform effective interventions leading to high-quality nursing-sensitive outcomes, nurses should also diagnose patients' care needs in the health management, value-belief, and coping stress patterns. © 2014 NANDA International, Inc.
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Ouslander, Joseph G; Bonner, Alice; Herndon, Laurie; Shutes, Jill
2014-03-01
Interventions to Reduce Acute Care Transfers (INTERACT) is a publicly available quality improvement program that focuses on improving the identification, evaluation, and management of acute changes in condition of nursing home residents. Effective implementation has been associated with substantial reductions in hospitalization of nursing home residents. Familiarity with and support of program implementation by medical directors and primary care clinicians in the nursing home setting are essential to effectiveness and sustainability of the program over time. In addition to helping nursing homes prevent unnecessary hospitalizations and their related complications and costs, and thereby continuing to be or becoming attractive partners for hospitals, health care systems, managed care plans, and accountable care organizations, effective INTERACT implementation will assist nursing homes in meeting the new requirement for a robust quality assurance performance improvement program, which is being rolled out by the federal government over the next year. Copyright © 2014 American Medical Directors Association, Inc. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.
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Severe Idiopathic Dysphagia in an Acute Hospital Setting: Assessment, Management, and Outcome
Simning, Inga; Simning, Adam
2014-01-01
This case describes the course of a patient who was admitted to an acute care hospital with pneumonia and odynophagia and found to have severe, idiopathic oropharyngeal dysphagia. The assessment, treatment, and outcome are reported alongside suggestions for best practice in the treatment of dysphagia in hospital settings. Timely instrumental assessment, interdisciplinary management, and post-discharge follow-up were needed to provide optimum care and to achieve a positive outcome for this patient with life-threatening dysphagia. PMID:25705102
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Rasekaba, T M; Williams, E; Hsu-Hage, B
2009-01-01
Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) imposes a costly burden on healthcare. Pulmonary rehabilitation (PR) is the best practice to better manage COPD to improve patient outcomes and reduce acute hospital care utilization. To evaluate the impact of a once-weekly, eight-week multidisciplinary PR program as an integral part of the COPD chronic disease management (CDM) Program at Kyabram District Health Services. The study compared two cohorts of COPD patients: CDM-PR Cohort (4-8 weeks) and Opt-out Cohort (0-3 weeks) between February 2006 and March 2007. The CDM-PR Program involved multidisciplinary patient education and group exercise training. Nonparametric statistical tests were used to compare acute hospital care utilization 12 months before and after the introduction of CDM-PR. The number of patients involved in the CDM-PR Cohort was 29 (n = 29), and that in the Opt-out Cohort was 24 (n = 24). The CDM-PR Cohort showed significant reductions in cumulative acute hospital care utilization indicators (95% emergency department presentations, 95% inpatient admissions, 99% length of stay; effect sizes = 0.62-0.66, P < 0.001) 12 months after the introduction of the CDM Program; in contrast, changes in the cumulative indicators were statistically insignificant for the Opt-out Cohort (emergency department presentations decreased by 5%, inpatient admissions decreased by 12%, length of stay increased by 30%; effect size = 0.14-0.40, P > 0.05). Total costs associated with the hospital care utilization decreased from $130,000 to $7,500 for the CDM-PR Cohort and increased from $77,700 to $101,200 for the Opt-out Cohort. Participation in the CDM-PR for COPD patients can significantly reduce acute hospital care utilization and associated costs in a small rural health service.
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Sonke, G. S.; Beaglehole, R.; Stewart, A. W.; Jackson, R.; Stewart, F. M.
1996-01-01
OBJECTIVE: To determine whether the reported higher case fatality in hospital after an acute cardiac event in women can be explained by sex differences in mortality before admission and in baseline risk factors. DESIGN: Analyses of data from a community based coronary heart disease register. SETTING: Auckland region, New Zealand. SUBJECTS: 5106 patients aged 25-64 years with an acute cardiac event leading to coronary death or definite myocardial infarction within 28 days of onset, occurring between 1986 and 1992. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Case fatality before admission, 28 day case fatality for patients in hospital, and total case fatality after an acute cardiac event. RESULTS: Despite a more unfavourable risk profile women tended to have lower case fatality before admission than men (crude odds ratio 0.88; 95% confidence interval 0.77 to 1.02). Adjustment for age, living arrangements, smoking, medical history, and treatment increased the effect of sex (0.72; 0.60 to 0.86). After admission to hospital, women had a higher case fatality than men (1.76; 1.43 to 2.17), but after adjustment for confounders this was reduced to 1.18 (0.89 to 1.58). Total case fatality 28 days after an acute cardiac event showed no significant difference between men and women (0.85; 0.70 to 1.02) CONCLUSIONS: The higher case fatality after an acute cardiac event in women admitted to hospital is largely explained by differences in living status, history, and medical treatment and is balanced by a lower case fatality before admission. PMID:8870571
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Praptiningsih, Catharina Y.; Lafond, Kathryn E.; Wahyuningrum, Yunita; Storms, Aaron D.; Mangiri, Amalya; Iuliano, Angela D.; Samaan, Gina; Titaley, Christiana R.; Yelda, Fitra; Kreslake, Jennifer; Storey, Douglas; Uyeki, Timothy M.
2017-01-01
Understanding healthcare-seeking patterns for respiratory illness can help improve estimations of disease burden and inform public health interventions to control acute respiratory disease in Indonesia. The objectives of this study were to describe healthcare-seeking behaviors for respiratory illnesses in one rural and one urban community in Western Java, and to explore the factors that affect care seeking. From February 8, 2012 to March 1, 2012, a survey was conducted in 2520 households in the East Jakarta and Bogor districts to identify reported recent respiratory illnesses, as well as all hospitalizations from the previous 12-month period. We found that 4% (10% of those less than 5 years) of people had respiratory disease resulting in a visit to a healthcare provider in the past 2 weeks; these episodes were most commonly treated at government (33%) or private (44%) clinics. Forty-five people (0.4% of those surveyed) had respiratory hospitalizations in the past year, and just over half of these (24/45, 53%) occurred at a public hospital. Public health programs targeting respiratory disease in this region should account for care at private hospitals and clinics, as well as illnesses that are treated at home, in order to capture the true burden of illness in these communities. PMID:26930154
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Praptiningsih, Catharina Y; Lafond, Kathryn E; Wahyuningrum, Yunita; Storms, Aaron D; Mangiri, Amalya; Iuliano, Angela D; Samaan, Gina; Titaley, Christiana R; Yelda, Fitra; Kreslake, Jennifer; Storey, Douglas; Uyeki, Timothy M
2016-06-01
Understanding healthcare-seeking patterns for respiratory illness can help improve estimations of disease burden and inform public health interventions to control acute respiratory disease in Indonesia. The objectives of this study were to describe healthcare-seeking behaviors for respiratory illnesses in one rural and one urban community in Western Java, and to explore the factors that affect care seeking. From February 8, 2012 to March 1, 2012, a survey was conducted in 2520 households in the East Jakarta and Bogor districts to identify reported recent respiratory illnesses, as well as all hospitalizations from the previous 12-month period. We found that 4% (10% of those less than 5years) of people had respiratory disease resulting in a visit to a healthcare provider in the past 2weeks; these episodes were most commonly treated at government (33%) or private (44%) clinics. Forty-five people (0.4% of those surveyed) had respiratory hospitalizations in the past year, and just over half of these (24/45, 53%) occurred at a public hospital. Public health programs targeting respiratory disease in this region should account for care at private hospitals and clinics, as well as illnesses that are treated at home, in order to capture the true burden of illness in these communities. Published by Elsevier Ltd.
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Hospital compliance with a state unfunded mandate: the case of California's Earthquake Safety Law.
McCue, Michael J; Thompson, Jon M
2012-01-01
Abstract In recent years, community hospitals have experienced heightened regulation with many unfunded mandates. The authors assessed the market, organizational, operational, and financial characteristics of general acute care hospitals in California that have a main acute care hospital building that is noncompliant with state requirements and at risk of major structural collapse from earthquakes. Using California hospital data from 2007 to 2009, and employing logistic regression analysis, the authors found that hospitals having buildings that are at the highest risk of collapse are located in larger population markets, possess smaller market share, have a higher percentage of Medicaid patients, and have less liquidity.
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Hesselink, Gijs; Vernooij-Dassen, Myrra; Pijnenborg, Loes; Barach, Paul; Gademan, Petra; Dudzik-Urbaniak, Ewa; Flink, Maria; Orrego, Carola; Toccafondi, Giulio; Johnson, Julie K; Schoonhoven, Lisette; Wollersheim, Hub
2013-01-01
Organizational culture is seen as having a growing impact on quality and safety of health care, but its impact on hospital to community patient discharge is relatively unknown. To explore aspects of organizational culture to develop a deeper understanding of the discharge process. A qualitative study of stakeholders in the discharge process. Grounded Theory was used to analyze the data. In 5 European Union countries, 192 individual and 25 focus group interviews were conducted with patients and relatives, hospital physicians, hospital nurses, general practitioners, and community nurses. Three themes emerged representing aspects of organizational culture: a fragmented hospital to primary care interface, undervaluing administrative tasks relative to clinical tasks in the discharge process, and lack of reflection on the discharge process or process improvement. Nine categories were identified: inward focus of hospital care providers, lack of awareness to needs, skills, and work patterns of the professional counterpart, lack of a collaborative attitude, relationship between hospital and primary care providers, providing care in a "here and now" situation, administrative work considered to be burdensome, negative attitude toward feedback, handovers at discharge ruled by habits, and appreciating and integrating new practices. On the basis of the data, we hypothesize that the extent to which hospital care providers value handovers and the outreach to community care providers is critical to effective hospital discharge. Community care providers often are insufficiently informed about patient outcomes. Ongoing challenges with patient discharge often remain unspoken with opportunities for improvement overlooked. Interventions that address organizational culture as a key factor in discharge improvement efforts are needed.
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Sarcopenia and malnutrition in acutely ill hospitalized elderly: Prevalence and outcomes.
Cerri, Anna Paola; Bellelli, Giuseppe; Mazzone, Andrea; Pittella, Francesca; Landi, Francesco; Zambon, Antonella; Annoni, Giorgio
2015-08-01
Data about the prevalence of sarcopenia among hospitalized patients is lacking and it is unclear whether the diagnostic criteria commonly used in community-dwellers is applicable in acutely ill subjects. The aims of this report are: (i) to assess the prevalence of sarcopenia among hospitalized patients; (ii) to assess whether the European Working Group on Sarcopenia in Older People (EWGSOP) criteria are applicable in an acute care setting; and (iii) to assess the mortality rate at 3 months. 103 patients admitted to the Acute Geriatric Clinic were enrolled. Inclusion criteria were: age ≥65 years and malnutrition or risk of malnutrition, according to the Mini Nutritional Assessment Short Form. Sarcopenia was diagnosed using the EWGSOP criteria by means of bioimpedance analysis, handgrip strength and gait speed, within 72 h of admission. Information on deaths was obtained by telephone interview at 3 months following discharge. Sarcopenia was diagnosed in 22 patients (21.4%). Twenty-three patients (22.3%) were not able to perform the gait speed and/or the handgrip strength because bedridden or requiring intensive treatments. In this group, a definite diagnosis of sarcopenia was not possible, lacking at least one EWGSOP criteria. Eleven (10.7%) patients died within the 3 months post-discharge period. Kaplan-Meier survival curves showed that sarcopenic patients died significantly more frequently than others (log-rank p ≤ 0.001). In a population of hospitalized elderly malnourished or at risk of malnutrition, sarcopenia is highly prevalent and associated with an increased risk to die in the short-term. Furthermore, the EWGSOP criteria cannot be satisfactorily applied in a relevant proportion of patients. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ltd and European Society for Clinical Nutrition and Metabolism. All rights reserved.
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Catholic health care's community-benefit role.
Keehan, Carol
2005-06-16
"While contemporary Catholic health care and other not-for-profit health care institutions excel in quality, innovation and technology, they remain community-benefit organizations, founded and sustained because of community need," Sister Carol Keehan, a Daughter of Charity who chairs the board of trustees of the Catholic Health Association of the United States, said in May 26 testimony in Washington before the House Ways and Means Committee, which conducted a hearing on the tax-exempt hospital sector. Keehan chairs the board of Sacred Heart Health System in Pensacola, Fla. She spoke the day after Sen. Chuck Grassley, R-Iowa, announced that the Senate Finance Committee, which he chairs, had asked 10 nonprofit hospitals or health systems to account for their charitable activities in light of their tax-exempt status. Rep. Bill Thomas, R-Calif., chairman of the Ways and Means Committee, said at the House hearing that "the standards for tax exemption are not just an academic debate." In reviewing the broad ways Catholic hospitals benefit local communities, Keehan stressed that the services of Catholic hospitals are not provided "to justify continued tax exemption" but because serving communities in this way is integral to their identity and mission. Keehan's text follows.
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Acute clinical care and care coordination for traumatic brain injury within Department of Defense.
Jaffee, Michael S; Helmick, Kathy M; Girard, Philip D; Meyer, Kim S; Dinegar, Kathy; George, Karyn
2009-01-01
The nature of current combat situations that U.S. military forces encounter and the use of unconventional weaponry have dramatically increased service personnel's risks of sustaining a traumatic brain injury (TBI). Although the true incidence and prevalence of combat-related TBI are unknown, service personnel returning from deployment have reported rates of concussion between 10% and 20%. The Department of Defense has recently released statistics on TBI dating back to before the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan to better elucidate the impact and burden of TBI on America's warriors and veterans. Patients with severe TBI move through a well-established trauma system of care, beginning with triage of initial injury by first-responders in the war zone to acute care to rehabilitation and then returning home and to the community. Mild and moderate TBIs may pose different clinical challenges, especially when initially undetected or if treatment is delayed because more serious injuries are present. To ensure identification and prompt treatment of mild and moderate TBI, the U.S. Congress has mandated that military and Department of Veterans Affairs hospitals screen all service personnel returning from combat. Military health professionals must evaluate them for concussion and then treat the physical, emotional, and cognitive problems that may surface. A new approach to health management and care coordination is needed that will allow medical transitions between networks of care to become more centralized and allow for optimal recovery at all severity levels. This article summarizes the care systems available for the acute management of TBI from point of injury to stateside military treatment facilities. We describe TBI assessment, treatment, and overall coordination of care, including innovative clinical initiatives now used.
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Medicare's post-acute care payment: a review of the issues and policy proposals.
Linehan, Kathryn
2012-12-07
Medicare spending on post-acute care provided by skilled nursing facility providers, home health providers, inpatient rehabilitation facility providers, and long-term care hospitals has grown rapidly in the past several years. The Medicare Payment Advisory Commission and others have noted several long-standing problems with the payment systems for post-acute care and have suggested refinements to Medicare's post-acute care payment systems that are intended to encourage the delivery of appropriate care in the right setting for a patient's condition. The Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act of 2010 contained several provisions that affect the Medicare program's post-acute care payment systems and also includes broader payment reforms, such as bundled payment models. This issue brief describes Medicare's payment systems for post-acute care providers, evidence of problems that have been identified with the payment systems, and policies that have been proposed or enacted to remedy those problems.
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Factors affecting Polish nurses' willingness to recommend the hospital as a place of care.
Kózka, Maria; Brzostek, Tomasz; Cisek, Maria; Brzyski, Piotr; Przewoźniak, Lucyna; Gabryś, Teresa; Ogarek, Maria; Gajda, Krzysztof; Ksykiewicz-Dorota, Anna
Nurses constitute the major professional group offering constant hospital patients' care. Willingness to recommend their hospital reflects confidence in the offered care, satisfaction and identification with the work place. The aim of the present study has been to investigate which elements of hospital environment and nurse personal related factors predict recommendation of the hospital as a place of care by employed nurses. Cross-sectional, correlation study was, based on 1723 self-reported, anonymous questionnaires of nurses working in 30 acute hospitals. Data was analyzed using the logistic regression model, with general estimation equations. About 25% of nurses were unwilling to recommend their hospital as the place of care. The odds ratio (OR) of the lack of willingness to recommend the hospital was related to assessment of patients' safety (OR = 0.28, 95% confidence interval (CI): 0.18-0.46, p = 0.00), decrease in the quality of patient care during the preceding year (OR = 0.62, 95% CI: 0.41-0.93, p = 0.02), overall work conditions (OR = 0.35, 95% CI: 0.22-0.57, p = 0.00), weak cooperation between nurses and physicians (OR = 0.37, 95% CI: 0.25-0.54, p = 0.00), poor work schedule flexibility (OR = 0.74, 95% CI: 0.55- 0.99, p = 0.04) and educational opportunities (OR = 0.71, 95% CI: 0.54-0.95, p = 0.02) and the level of nurses depersonalization (OR = 1.78, 95% CI: 1.18-1.68, p = 0.00). The hospital manager should consider strategies which improve patients' safety and the staff working conditions. Thanks to that they will also achieve better and more competitive image of the hospital in the local community. Med Pr 2016;67(4):447-454. This work is available in Open Access model and licensed under a CC BY-NC 3.0 PL license.
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Changes in Post-acute Care in the Medicare Shared Savings Program
McWilliams, J. Michael; Gilstrap, Lauren G.; Stevenson, David G.; Chernew, Michael E.; Huskamp, Haiden A.; Grabowski, David C.
2017-01-01
Importance Post-acute care is thought to be a major source of wasteful spending. The extent to which accountable care organizations (ACOs) can limit post-acute spending has implications for the importance and design of other payment models that include post-acute care. Objective To assess changes in post-acute spending and utilization associated with provider participation as ACOs in the Medicare Shared Savings Program (MSSP) and the pathways by which they occurred. Design and Setting Using fee-for-service Medicare claims from 2009–2014, we conducted difference-in-difference comparisons of beneficiaries served by ACOs with beneficiaries served by local non-ACO providers (control group) before vs. after entry into the MSSP. We estimated differential changes separately for cohorts of ACOs entering the MSSP in 2012, 2013, and 2014. Participants Random 20% sample of beneficiaries with 25,544,650 patient-years, 8,395,426 hospital admissions, and 1,595,352 SNF stays from 2009–2014. Exposure Patient attribution to an ACO in the MSSP. Main Outcomes and Measures Post-acute spending, discharge to a facility, length of SNF stays, readmissions, use of highly-rated SNFs, and mortality, adjusted for patient characteristics. Results For the 2012 cohort of ACOs, MSSP participation was associated with an overall reduction in post-acute spending (differential change in 2014 for ACOs vs. control group: −$106/beneficiary or −9.0%; P=0.003) that was driven by differential reductions in inpatient utilization, discharges to facilities rather than home (−0.6 percentage points or −2.7%; P=0.03), and length of SNF stays (−0.60 days/stay or −2.2%; P=0.002). Reductions in SNF use and length of stay were due largely to within-hospital or within-SNF changes in care specifically for ACO patients. MSSP participation was associated with smaller significant reductions in SNF spending in 2014 for the 2013 ACO cohort but not in the 2013 or 2014 cohort’s first year of participation
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7 CFR 1956.143 - Debt restructuring-hospitals and health care facilities.
Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR
2011-01-01
... 103-354 will consider the following criteria for selection: past experience in health care facility... 7 Agriculture 14 2011-01-01 2011-01-01 false Debt restructuring-hospitals and health care... Settlement-Community and Business Programs § 1956.143 Debt restructuring—hospitals and health care facilities...
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Mobile integrated health to reduce post-discharge acute care visits: A pilot study.
Siddle, Jennica; Pang, Peter S; Weaver, Christopher; Weinstein, Elizabeth; O'Donnell, Daniel; Arkins, Thomas P; Miramonti, Charles
2018-05-01
Mobile Integrated Health (MIH) leverages specially trained paramedics outside of emergency response to bridge gaps in local health care delivery. To evaluate the efficacy of a MIH led transitional care strategy to reduce acute care utilization. This was a retrospective cohort analysis of a quality improvement pilot of patients from an urban, single county EMS, MIH transitional care initiative. We utilized a paramedic/social worker (or social care coordinator) dyad to provide in home assessments, medication review, care coordination, and improve access to care. The primary outcome compared acute care utilization (ED visits, observation stays, inpatient visits) 90days before MIH intervention to 90days after. Of the 203 patients seen by MIH teams, inpatient utilization decreased significantly from 140 hospitalizations pre-MIH to 26 post-MIH (83% reduction, p=0.00). ED and observation stays, however, increased numerically, but neither was significant. (ED 18 to 19 stays, p=0.98; observation stays 95 to 106, p=0.30) Primary care visits increased 15% (p=0.11). In this pilot before/after study, MIH significantly reduces acute care hospitalizations. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.
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Bartiaux, M; Mols, P
2017-01-01
patient management in the acute and sub-acute setting of an Emergency Department is challenging. An assessment of the quality of provided care enables an evaluation of failings. It contributes to the identification of areas for improvement. to obtain an analysis, by hospital-ward physicians, of adult patient care management quality, as well as of the correctness of diagnosis made during emergency admissions. To evaluate the consequences of inadequate patient care management on morbidity, mortality and cost and duration of hospitalization. prospective data analysis obtained between the 1/12/2009 and the 21/12/2009 from physicians using a questionnaire on adult-patient emergency admissions and subsequent hospitalization. questionnaires were completed for 332 patients. Inadequate management of patient care were reported for 73/332 (22 %) cases. Incorrect diagnoses were reported for 20/332 (6 %) cases. 35 cases of inadequate care management (10.5 % overall) were associated with morbidity (34 cases) or mortality (1 case), including 4 cases (1.2 % ) that required emergency intensive-care or surgical interventions. this quality study analyzed the percentage of patient management cases and incorrect diagnoses in the emergency department. The data for serious outcome and wrong diagnosis are comparable with current literature. To improve performance, we consider the process for establishing a diagnosis and therapeutic care.
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End-of-Life Care and Quality of Dying in 23 Acute Geriatric Hospital Wards in Flanders, Belgium.
Verhofstede, Rebecca; Smets, Tinne; Cohen, Joachim; Eecloo, Kim; Costantini, Massimo; Van Den Noortgate, Nele; Deliens, Luc
2017-04-01
To describe the nursing and medical interventions performed in the last 48 hours of life and the quality of dying of patients dying in acute geriatric hospital wards. Cross-sectional descriptive study between October 1, 2012 and September 30, 2013. Twenty-three acute geriatric wards in 13 hospitals in Flanders, Belgium. Patients hospitalized for more than 48 hours before dying in the participating wards. Structured after-death questionnaires, filled out by the nurse, the physician, and the family carer most involved in end-of-life care. Main outcome measures were several nursing and medical interventions reported to be performed in the last 48 hours of life and the quality of dying. Of 993 patients, we included 338 (mean age 85.7 years; 173 women). Almost 58% had dementia and nearly half were unable to communicate in the last 48 hours of their life. The most frequently continued or started nursing and medical interventions in the last 48 hours of life were measuring temperature (91.6%), repositioning (83.3%), washing (89.5%), oxygen therapy (49.7%), and intravenous fluids and nutrition (30%). Shortness of breath, lack of serenity, lack of peace, and lack of calm were symptoms reported most frequently by nurses and family carers. Many nursing and medical interventions are continued or started in the last hours of a patient's life, which may not always be in their best interests. Furthermore, patients dying in acute geriatric wards are often affected by several symptoms. Copyright © 2017 American Academy of Hospice and Palliative Medicine. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.
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Hogan, Pamela; Moxham, Lorna; Dwyer, Trudy
2007-04-01
It is paramount that there is an adequate nursing workforce supply for now and in the future, to achieve equitable and quality health outcomes and consumer access to healthcare, regardless of geographic location. Nursing forms the largest body of employees in the health care system, spanning all segments of care. A shortage of nurses, particularly in the acute care settings in hospitals, jeopardizes the provision of quality health care to consumers. This article provides a literature review of Australian State and Federal Government reports into nurse retention. All reports discuss staff turnover rates; the average age of nurses; enrolment numbers in nursing courses; workloads; nursing workforce shortfalls and the effect on the work environment; leadership and management styles; organizational culture; change management; the mobility of nursing qualifications both locally and internationally and the critical need to value nurses. Then why has the situation of nurse retention not improved? Possible reasons for the continued nurse shortage and the promise of strategic HRM in addressing nurse retention are discussed.
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Blumenthal, Daniel M; Orav, E John; Jena, Anupam B; Dudzinski, David M; Le, Sidney T; Jha, Ashish K
2015-09-02
To compare physician owned hospitals (POHs) with non-POHs on metrics around patient populations, quality of care, costs, and payments. Observational study. Acute care hospitals in 95 hospital referral regions in the United States, 2010. 2186 US acute care hospitals (219 POHs and 1967 non-POHs). Proportions of patients using Medicaid and those from ethnic and racial minority groups; hospital performance on patient experience metrics, care processes, risk adjusted 30 day mortality, and readmission rates; costs of care; care payments; and Medicare market share. The 219 POHs were more often small (<100 beds), for profit, and in urban areas. 120 of these POHs were general (non-specialty) hospitals. Compared with patients from non-POHs, those from POHs were younger (77.4 v 78.4 years, P<0.001), less likely to be admitted through an emergency department (23.2% v. 29.0%, P<0.001), equally likely to be black (5.1% v 5.5%, P=0.85) or to use Medicaid (14.9% v 15.4%, P=0.75), and had similar numbers of chronic diseases and predicted mortality scores. POHs and non-POHs performed similarly on patient experience scores, processes of care, risk adjusted 30 day mortality, 30 day readmission rates, costs, and payments for acute myocardial infarction, congestive heart failure, and pneumonia. Although POHs may treat slightly healthier patients, they do not seem to systematically select more profitable or less disadvantaged patients or to provide lower value care. © Blumenthal et al 2015.
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Goodwin, N
2001-01-01
This article reviews the impact of successive experiments in the development of primary care organisations in England and assesses the long-term importance of English primary care groups for the integration of health and community and health and social care and the deinstitutionalisation of hospital care. Governments in a number of Western countries are attempting to improve the efficiency, appropriateness and equity of their health systems. One of the main ways of doing this is to devolve provision and commissioning responsibility from national and regional organisations to more local agencies based in primary care. Such primary care organisations are allocated budgets that span both primary and secondary (hospital) services and also, potentially, social care. This article is based on a systematic review of the literature forthcoming from the UK Government's Department of Health-funded evaluations of successive primary care organisational developments. These include total purchasing pilots, GP commissioning group pilots, personal medical services pilots and primary care groups and trusts. Primary care organisations in England have proved to be a catalyst in facilitating the development of integrated care working between primary and community health services. Conversely, primary care organisations have proved less effective in promoting integration between health and social care agencies where most progress has been made at the strategic commissioning level. The development of primary care trusts in England is heralding an end to traditional community hospitals. The development of primary care groups in England are but an intermediate step of a policy progression towards future primary care-based organisations that will functionally integrate primary and community health services with local authority services under a single management umbrella.
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When a community hospital becomes an academic health centre.
Topps, Maureen; Strasser, Roger
2010-01-01
With the burgeoning role of distributed medical education and the increasing use of community hospitals for training purposes, challenges arise for undergraduate and postgraduate programs expanding beyond traditional tertiary care models. It is of vital importance to encourage community hospitals and clinical faculty to embrace their roles in medical education for the 21st century. With no university hospitals in northern Ontario, the Northern Ontario School of Medicine and its educational partner hospitals identified questions of concern and collaborated to implement changes. Several themes emerged that are of relevance to any medical educational program expanding beyond its present location. Critical areas for attention include the institutional culture; human, physical and financial resources; and support for educational activities. It is important to establish and maintain the groundwork necessary for the development of thriving integrated community-engaged medical education. Done in tandem with advocacy for change in funding models, this will allow movement beyond the current educational environment. The ultimate goal is successful integration of university and accreditation ideals with practical hands-on medical care and education in new environments.
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Thinking outside the box: moving the respiratory care profession beyond the hospital walls.
Myers, Timothy R
2013-08-01
For centuries, hospitals have served as the cornerstone of the United States healthcare system. Just like the majority of the general population, the respiratory care profession was born inside the hospital walls, just over 6 decades ago. While the knowledge, skills, and attributes of the respiratory therapist are critically necessary in acute care settings, the profession must move itself to a stronger position across the entire continuum of care of patients with acute and chronic cardiopulmonary diseases within the next several years to stay ahead of the curve of healthcare reform. In this paper, based on the 28th annual Philip Kittredge Memorial Lecture, I will examine the necessary strategies and values that the profession of respiratory care will need to successfully embrace to "think outside the box" and move the profession beyond the hospital walls for patient- and outcomes-focused, sustainable impact in the future healthcare delivery system.
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Barnett, Paul G; Hong, Juliette S; Carey, Evan; Grunwald, Gary K; Joynt Maddox, Karen; Maddox, Thomas M
2018-02-01
The Veterans Affairs (VA) Community Care (CC) Program supplements VA care with community-based medical services. However, access gains and value provided by CC have not been well described. To compare the access, cost, and quality of elective coronary revascularization procedures between VA and CC hospitals and to evaluate if procedural volume or publicly reported quality data can be used to identify high-value care. Observational cohort study of veterans younger than 65 years undergoing an elective coronary revascularization, controlling for differences in risk factors using propensity adjustment. The setting was VA and CC hospitals. Participants were veterans undergoing elective percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) and veterans undergoing coronary artery bypass graft (CABG) procedures between October 1, 2008, and September 30, 2011. The analysis was conducted between July 2014 and July 2017. Receipt of an elective coronary revascularization at a VA vs CC facility. Access to care as measured by travel distance, 30-day mortality, and costs. In the 3 years ending on September 30, 2011, a total of 13 237 elective PCIs (79.1% at the VA) and 5818 elective CABG procedures (83.6% at the VA) were performed in VA or CC hospitals among veterans meeting study inclusion criteria. On average, use of CC was associated with reduced net travel by 53.6 miles for PCI and by 73.3 miles for CABG surgery compared with VA-only care. Adjusted 30-day mortality after PCI was higher in CC compared with VA (1.54% for CC vs 0.65% for VA, P < .001) but was similar after CABG surgery (1.33% for CC vs 1.51% for VA, P = .74). There were no differences in adjusted 30-day readmission rates for PCI (7.04% for CC vs 7.73% for VA, P = .66) or CABG surgery (8.13% for CC vs 7.00% for VA, P = .28). The mean adjusted PCI cost was higher in CC ($22 025 for CC vs $15 683 for VA, P < .001). The mean adjusted CABG cost was lower in CC ($55 526 for CC vs $63 144 for VA, P
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Hall, John
2012-01-01
The appearance in England from the 1850s of 'cottage hospitals' in considerable numbers constituted a new and distinctive form of hospital provision. The historiography of hospital care has emphasised the role of the large teaching hospitals, to the neglect of the smaller and general practitioner hospitals. This article inverts that attention, by examining their history and shift in function to 'community hospitals'within their regional setting in the period up to 2000. As the planning of hospitals on a regional basis began from the 1920s, the impact of NHS organisational and planning mechanisms on smaller hospitals is explored through case studies at two levels. The strategy for community hospitals of the Oxford NHS Region--one of the first Regions to formulate such a strategy--and the impact of that strategy on one hospital, Watlington Cottage Hospital, is critically examined through its existence from 1874 to 2000.
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Improving patients' and staff's experiences of acute care.
Chaplin, Rob; Crawshaw, Jacob; Hood, Chloe
2015-03-01
The aim of this audit was to assess the effect of the Quality Mark programme on the quality of acute care received by older patients by comparing the experiences of staff and older adults before and after the programme. Data from 31 wards in 12 acute hospitals were collected over two stages. Patients and staff completed questionnaires on the perceived quality of care on the ward. Patients rated improved experiences of nutrition, staff availability and dignity. Staff received an increase in training and reported better access to support, increased time and skill to deliver care and improved morale, leadership and teamwork. Problems remained with ward comfort and mealtimes. Overall, results indicated an improvement in ratings of care quality in most domains during Quality Mark data collection. Further audits need to explore ways of improving ward comfort and mealtime experience.
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Pollack, Lori A; van Santen, Katharina L; Weiner, Lindsey M; Dudeck, Margaret A; Edwards, Jonathan R; Srinivasan, Arjun
2016-08-15
The National Action Plan to Combat Antibiotic Resistant Bacteria calls for all US hospitals to improve antibiotic prescribing as a key prevention strategy for resistance and Clostridium difficile Antibiotic stewardship programs (ASPs) will be important in this effort but implementation is not well understood. We analyzed the 2014 National Healthcare Safety Network Annual Hospital Survey to describe ASPs in US acute care hospitals as defined by the Center for Disease Control and Prevention's (CDC) Core Elements for Hospital ASPs. Univariate analyses were used to assess stewardship infrastructure and practices by facility characteristics and a multivariate model determined factors associated with meeting all ASP core elements. Among 4184 US hospitals, 39% reported having an ASP that met all 7 core elements. Although hospitals with greater than 200 beds (59%) were more likely to have ASPs, 1 in 4 (25%) of hospitals with less than 50 beds reported achieving all 7 CDC-defined core elements of a comprehensive ASP. The percent of hospitals in each state that reported all seven elements ranged from 7% to 58%. In the multivariate model, written support (adjusted relative risk [RR] 7.2 [95% confidence interval [CI], 6.2-8.4]; P < .0001) or salary support (adjusted RR 1.5 [95% CI, 1.4-1.6]; P < .0001) were significantly associated with having a comprehensive ASP. Our findings show that ASP implementation varies across the United States and provide a baseline to monitor progress toward national goals. Comprehensive ASPs can be established in facilities of any size and hospital leadership support for antibiotic stewardship appears to drive the establishment of ASPs. Published by Oxford University Press for the Infectious Diseases Society of America 2016. This work is written by (a) US Government employee(s) and is in the public domain in the US.
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Quanjel, Tessa C C; Struijs, Jeroen N; Spreeuwenberg, Marieke D; Baan, Caroline A; Ruwaard, Dirk
2018-05-09
In an attempt to deal with the pressures on the healthcare system and to guarantee sustainability, changes are needed. This study is focused on a cardiology Primary Care Plus intervention in which cardiologists provide consultations with patients in a primary care setting in order to prevent unnecessary referrals to the hospital. This study explores which patients with non-acute and low-complexity cardiology-related health complaints should be excluded from Primary Care Plus and referred directly to specialist care in the hospital. This is a retrospective observational study based on quantitative data. Data collected between January 1 and December 31, 2015 were extracted from the electronic medical record system. Logistic regression analyses were used to select patient groups that should be excluded from referral to Primary Care Plus. In total, 1525 patients were included in the analyses. Results showed that male patients, older patients, those with the referral indication 'Stable Angina Pectoris' or 'Dyspnoea' and patients whose reason for referral was 'To confirm disease' or 'Screening of unclear pathology' had a significantly higher probability of being referred to hospital care after Primary Care Plus. To achieve efficiency one should exclude patient groups with a significantly higher probability of being referred to hospital care after Primary Care Plus. NTR6629 (Data registered: 25-08-2017) (registered retrospectively).
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Laulajainen-Hongisto, Anu; Saat, Riste; Lempinen, Laura; Aarnisalo, Antti A; Jero, Jussi
2015-09-01
To evaluate the clinical picture and microbiological findings of children hospitalized due to acute otitis media and to analyze how it differs from acute mastoiditis. A retrospective review of the medical records of all children (0-16 years) hospitalized due to acute otitis media in the Department of Otorhinolaryngology at the Helsinki University Hospital, between 2003 and 2012. Comparison with previously published data of children with acute mastoiditis (n=56) from the same institute and period of time. The most common pathogens in the children hospitalized due to acute otitis media (n=44) were Streptococcus pneumoniae (18%), Pseudomonas aeruginosa (16%), Streptococcus pyogenes (14%), and Staphylococcus aureus (14%). One of the most common pathogens of out-patient acute otitis media, Haemophilus influenzae, was absent. Otorrhea was common in infections caused by S. pyogenes and otorrhea via tympanostomy tube in infections caused by P. aeruginosa. In children under 2 years-of-age, the most common pathogens were S. pneumoniae (43%), Moraxella catarrhalis (14%), and S. aureus (7%). S. pyogenes and P. aeruginosa were only found in children over 2 years-of-age. Previous health problems, bilateral infections, and facial nerve paresis were more common in children hospitalized due to acute otitis media, compared with acute mastoiditis, but they also demonstrated lower CRP values and shorter duration of hospital stay. The number of performed tympanostomies and mastoidectomies was also comparatively smaller in the children hospitalized due to acute otitis media. S. aureus was more common and S. pneumoniae, especially its resistant strains, was less common in the children hospitalized due to acute otitis media than acute mastoiditis. Acute otitis media requiring hospitalization and acute mastoiditis compose a continuum of complicated acute otitis media that differs from common out-patient acute otitis media. The bacteriology of children hospitalized due to acute otitis media
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Post-resuscitation care following out-of-hospital and in-hospital cardiac arrest
Girotra, Saket; Chan, Paul S; Bradley, Steven M
2016-01-01
Cardiac arrest is a leading cause of death in developed countries. Although a majority of cardiac arrest patients die during the acute event, a substantial proportion of cardiac arrest deaths occur in patients following successful resuscitation and can be attributed to the development of post-cardiac arrest syndrome. There is growing recognition that integrated post-resuscitation care, which encompasses targeted temperature management (TTM), early coronary angiography and comprehensive critical care, can improve patient outcomes. TTM has been shown to improve survival and neurological outcome in patients who remain comatose especially following out-of-hospital cardiac arrest due to ventricular arrhythmias. Early coronary angiography and revascularisation if needed may also be beneficial during the post-resuscitation phase, based on data from observational studies. In addition, resuscitated patients usually require intensive care, which includes mechanical ventilator, haemodynamic support and close monitoring of blood gases, glucose, electrolytes, seizures and other disease-specific intervention. Efforts should be taken to avoid premature withdrawal of life-supporting treatment, especially in patients treated with TTM. Given that resources and personnel needed to provide high-quality post-resuscitation care may not exist at all hospitals, professional societies have recommended regionalisation of post-resuscitation care in specialised ‘cardiac arrest centres’ as a strategy to improve cardiac arrest outcomes. Finally, evidence for post-resuscitation care following in-hospital cardiac arrest is largely extrapolated from studies in patients with out-of-hospital cardiac arrest. Future studies need to examine the effectiveness of different post-resuscitation strategies, such as TTM, in patients with in-hospital cardiac arrest. PMID:26385451
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The US emergency care system: meeting everyday acute care needs while being ready for disasters.
Lurie, Nicole; Margolis, Gregg S; Rising, Kristin L
2013-12-01
The emergency care system is an essential part of the US health care system. In addition to providing acute resuscitation and life- and limb-saving care, the emergency care system provides considerable support to physicians outside the emergency department and serves as an important safety-net provider. In times of disaster, the emergency care system must be able to surge rapidly to accommodate a massive influx of patients, sometimes with little or no notice. Extreme daily demands on the system can promote innovations and adaptations that are invaluable in responding to disasters. However, excessive and inappropriate utilization is wasteful and can diminish "surge capacity" when it is most needed. Certain features of the US health care system have imposed strains on the emergency care system. We explore policy issues related to moving toward an emergency care system that can more effectively meet both individuals' needs for acute care and the broader needs of the community in times of disaster. Strategies for the redesign of the emergency care system must include the active engagement of both patients and the community and a close look at how to align incentives to reward quality and efficiency throughout the health care system.
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Tweeting and Treating: How Hospitals Use Twitter to Improve Care.
Gomes, Christian; Coustasse, Alberto
2015-01-01
Hospitals that have adopted Twitter primarily use it to share organizational news, provide general health care information, advertise upcoming community events, and foster networking. The purpose of this study was to explore the benefits that Twitter utilization has had in improving quality of care, access to care, patient satisfaction, and community footprint while assessing the barriers to its implementation. The methodology used was a qualitative study with a semistructured interview combined with a literature review, which followed the basic principles of a systematic review. The utilization of Twitter by hospitals suggest that it leads to savings of resources, enhanced employee and patient communication, and expanded patient reach in the community. Savings opportunities are generated by preventing unnecessary office visits, producing billable patient encounters, and eliminating high recruiting costs. Communication is enhanced using Twitter by sharing organizational content, news, and health promotions and can be also a useful tool during crises. The utilization of Twitter in the hospital setting has been more beneficial than detrimental in its ability to generate opportunities for cost savings, recruiting, communication with employees and patients, and community reach.
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A comparison of two patient classification instruments in an acute care hospital.
Seago, Jean Ann
2002-05-01
Patient classification systems are alternately praised and vilified by staff nurses, nurse managers, and nurse executives. Most nurses agree that substantial resources are used to create or find, implement, manage, and maintain the systems, and that the predictive ability of the instruments is intermittent. The purpose of this study is to compare the predictive validity of two types of patient classification instruments commonly used in acute care hospitals in California. Acute care hospitals in California are required by both the Joint Commission on Accreditation of Healthcare Organizations and California Title 22 to have a reliable and valid patient classification system (PCS). The two general types of systems commonly used are the summative task type PCS and the critical incident or criterion type PCS. There is little to assist nurse executives in deciding which type of PCS to choose. There is modest research demonstrating the validity and reliability of different PCSs but no published data comparing the predictive validity of the different types of systems. The unit of analysis is one patient shift called the study shift. The study shift is defined as the first day shift after the patient has been in the hospital for a full 24 hours. Data were collected using medical record review only. Both types, criterion and summative, of PCS data collection instruments were completed for all patients at both collection points. Each patient had a before and after score for each type of instrument. Three hundred forty-nine medical records for inpatients meeting the inclusion criteria were examined. The average patient age was 76 years, the average length of stay was 6.6 days with an average of 6.7 secondary diagnoses recorded. Fifty-five percent of the sample was female and the most common primary diagnosis was CHF, followed by COPD, CVA, and pneumonia. There was a difference in mean summative predictor score and the mean summative actual score of 1.57 points with the
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Lundgren, Daniel K; Courtney, Paul M; Lopez, Joshua A; Kamath, Atul F
2016-09-01
The Affordable Care Act placed a moratorium on physician-owned hospital (POH) expansion. Concern exists that POHs increase costs and target healthier patients. However, limited historical data support these claims and are not weighed against contemporary measures of quality and patient satisfaction. The purpose of this study was to investigate the quality, costs, and efficiency across hospital types. One hundred forty-five hospitals in a single state were analyzed: 8 POHs; 16 proprietary hospitals (PHs); and 121 general, full-service acute care hospitals (ACHs). Multiyear data from the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services Medicare Cost Report and the statewide Health Care Cost Containment Council were analyzed. ACHs had a higher percentage of Medicare patients as a share of net patient revenue, with similar Medicare volume. POHs garnered significantly higher patient satisfaction: mean Hospital Consumer Assessment of Healthcare Providers and Systems summary rating was 4.86 (vs PHs: 2.88, ACHs: 3.10; P = .002). POHs had higher average total episode spending ($22,799 vs PHs: $18,284, ACHs: $18,856), with only $1435 of total spending on post-acute care (vs PHs: $3867, ACHs: $3378). Medicare spending per beneficiary and Medicare spending per beneficiary performance rates were similar across all hospital types, as were complication and readmission rates related to hip or knee surgery. POHs had better patient satisfaction, with higher total costs compared to PHs and ACHs. A focus on efficiency, patient satisfaction, and ratio of inpatient-to-post-acute care spending should be weighted carefully in policy decisions that might impact access to quality health care. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.
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Morrison, Judith
2004-02-01
There is mounting concern about the impact of health care restructuring on the provision of infection prevention services across the health care continuum. In response to this, Health Canada hosted two meetings of Canadian infection control experts to develop a model upon which the resources required to support an effective, integrated infection prevention and control program across the health care continuum could be based. The final models project the IPCP needs as three full time equivalent infection control professionals/500 beds in acute care hospitals and one full time equivalent infection control professional/150-250 beds in long term care facilities. Non human resource requirements are also described for acute, long term, community, and home care settings.
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[Transferring palliative-care patients from hospital to community care: A qualitative study].
Correa-Casado, Matías; Granero-Molina, José; Hernández-Padilla, José Manuel; Fernández-Sola, Cayetano
To know the experience of case-manager nurses with regard to transferring palliative-care patients from the hospital to their homes. Qualitative phenomenological study carried out in 2014-2015. Poniente and Almería health districts, which referral hospitals are Poniente Hospital and Torrecárdenas Hospital, respectively. A purposive sample comprised of 12 case-manager nurses was recruited from the aforementioned setting. Theoretical data saturation was achieved after performing 7 in-depth individual interviews and 1 focus group. Data analysis was performed following Colaizzi's method. Three themes emerged: (1) 'Case-management nursing as a quality, patient-centred service' (2) 'Failures of the information systems', with the subthemes "patients" insufficient and inadequate previous information" and "ineffective between-levels communication channels for advanced nursing"; (3) 'Deficiencies in discharge planning', with the subthemes "deficient management of resources on admission", "uncertainty about discharge" and "insufficient human resources to coordinate the transfer". Case-manager nurses consider themselves a good-quality service. However, they think there are issues with coordination, information and discharge planning of palliative patients from hospital. It would be useful to review the communication pathways of both care and discharge reports, so that resources needed by palliative patients are effectively managed at the point of being transferred home. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier España, S.L.U. All rights reserved.
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Economic Evaluation of Hospital and Community Pharmacy Services.
Gammie, Todd; Vogler, Sabine; Babar, Zaheer-Ud-Din
2017-01-01
To review the international body of literature from 2010 to 2015 concerning methods of economic evaluations used in hospital- and community-based studies of pharmacy services in publicly funded health systems worldwide, their clinical outcomes, and economic effectiveness. The literature search was undertaken between May 2, 2015, and September 4, 2015. Keywords included "health economics" and "evaluation" "assessment" or "appraisal," "methods," "hospital" or "community" or "residential care," "pharmacy" or "pharmacy services" and "cost minimisation analysis" or "cost utility analysis" or "cost effectiveness analysis" or "cost benefit analysis." The databases searched included MEDLINE, PubMed, Google Scholar, Science Direct, Springer Links, and Scopus, and journals searched included PLoS One, PLoS Medicine, Nature, Health Policy, Pharmacoeconomics, The European Journal of Health Economics, Expert Review of Pharmacoeconomics and Outcomes Research, and Journal of Health Economics. Studies were selected on the basis of study inclusion criteria. These criteria included full-text original research articles undertaking an economic evaluation of hospital- or community-based pharmacy services in peer-reviewed scientific journals and in English, in countries with a publicly funded health system published between 2010 and 2015. 14 articles were included in this review. Cost-utility analysis (CUA) was the most utilized measure. Cost-minimization analysis (CMA) was not used by any studies. The limited use of cost-benefit analyses (CBAs) is likely a result of technical challenges in quantifying the cost of clinical benefits, risks, and outcomes. Hospital pharmacy services provided clinical benefits including improvements in patient health outcomes and reductions in adverse medication use, and all studies were considered cost-effective due to meeting a cost-utility (per quality-adjusted life year) threshold or were cost saving. Community pharmacy services were considered cost
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Bakken, Marit Stordal; Ranhoff, Anette Hylen; Engeland, Anders; Ruths, Sabine
2012-09-01
To identify inappropriate prescribing among older patients on admission to and discharge from an intermediate-care nursing home unit and hospital wards, and to compare changes during stay within and between these groups. Observational study. Altogether 400 community-dwelling people aged ≥ 70 years, on consecutive emergency admittance to hospital wards of internal medicine and orthopaedic surgery, were randomized to an intermediate-care nursing home unit or hospital wards; 290 (157 at the intermediate-care nursing home unit and 133 in hospital wards) were eligible for this sub-study. Prevalence on admission and discharge of potentially inappropriate medications (Norwegian general practice [NORGEP] criteria) and drug-drug interactions; changes during stay. The mean (SD) age was 84.7 (6.2) years; 71% were women. From admission to discharge, the mean numbers of drugs prescribed per person increased from 6.0 (3.3) to 9.3 (3.8), p < 0.01. The prevalence of potentially inappropriate medications increased from 24% to 35%, p < 0.01; concomitant use of ≥ 3 psychotropic/opioid drugs and drug combinations including non-steroid anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) increased significantly. Serious drug-drug interactions were scarce both on admission and discharge (0.7%). Inappropriate prescribing was prevalent among older people acutely admitted to hospital, and the prevalence was not reduced during stay at an intermediate-care nursing home unit specially designed for these patients.
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The skilled nursing care alternative. Interview by Amanda G. Watlington.
Garrick, R S
1985-08-01
With inpatient utilization declining, hospitals today must examine alternative means of serving their communities beyond the provision of inpatient care or face the consequences of idle capacity. Health administrators, in their search for a profitable and needed service to offer their community, are increasingly examining strategies for successfully vertically integrating along the continuum of care. For some, this has meant an expansion into walk-in treatment and diagnostic centers; for others, the strategy of choice is subacute and long-term care. Medicare reimbursement policies are encouraging physicians to rapidly discharge patients from the acute care hospital and utilize other appropriate levels of care. The development of subacute units is, therefore, an important industry response to cost effectively meeting the health needs of the elderly. This month HCSM discusses the skilled nursing alternative with Roger S. Garrick, the president of Merrick, Young & Company, a firm specializing in assisting acute care hospitals in this type of diversification.
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Sustainability and scalability of the hospital elder life program at a community hospital.
Rubin, Fred H; Neal, Kelly; Fenlon, Kerry; Hassan, Shuja; Inouye, Sharon K
2011-02-01
The Hospital Elder Life Program (HELP), an effective intervention to prevent delirium in older hospitalized adults, has been successfully replicated in a community teaching hospital as a quality improvement project. This article reports on successfully sustaining the program over 7 years and expanding its scale from one to six inpatient units at the same hospital. The program currently serves more than 7,000 older patients annually and is accepted as the standard of care throughout the hospital. Innovations that enhanced scalability and widespread implementation included ensuring dedicated staffing for the program, local adaptations to streamline protocols, continuous recruitment of volunteers, and more-efficient data collection. Outcomes include a lower rate of incident delirium; shorter length of stay (LOS); greater satisfaction of patients, families, and nursing staff; and significantly lower costs for the hospital. The financial return of the program, estimated at more than $7.3 million per year during 2008, comprises cost savings from delirium prevention and revenue generated from freeing up hospital beds (shorter LOS of HELP patients with and without delirium). Delirium poses a major challenge for hospital quality of care, patient safety, Medicare no-pay conditions, and costs of hospital care for older persons. Faced with rising numbers of elderly patients, hospitals can use HELP to improve the quality and cost-effectiveness of care. © 2011, Copyright the Authors. Journal compilation © 2011, The American Geriatrics Society.
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Cardiac acute care nurse practitioner and 30-day readmission.
David, Daniel; Britting, Lorraine; Dalton, Joanne
2015-01-01
The utilization outcomes of nurse practitioners (NPs) in the acute care setting have not been widely studied. The purpose of this study was to determine the impact on utilization outcomes of NPs on medical teams who take care of patients admitted to a cardiovascular intensive care unit. A retrospective 2-group comparative design was used to evaluate the outcomes of 185 patients with ST- or non ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction or heart failure who were admitted to a cardiovascular intensive care unit in an urban medical center. Patients received care from a medical team that included a cardiac acute care NP (n = 109) or medical team alone (n = 76). Patient history, cardiac assessment, medical interventions, discharge disposition, discharge time, and 3 utilization outcomes (ie, length of stay, 30-day readmission, and time of discharge) were compared between the 2 treatment groups. Logistic regression was used to identify predictors of 30-day readmission. Patients receiving care from a medical team that included an NP were rehospitalized approximately 50% less often compared with those receiving care from a medical team without an NP. Thirty-day hospital readmission (P = .011) and 30-day return rates to the emergency department (P = .021) were significantly lower in the intervention group. Significant predictors for rehospitalization included diagnosis of heart failure versus myocardial infarction (odds ratio [OR], 3.153, P = 0.005), treatment by a medical team without NP involvement (OR, 2.905, P = 0.008), and history of diabetes (OR, 2.310, P = 0.032). The addition of a cardiac acute care NP to medical teams caring for myocardial infarction and heart failure patients had a positive impact on 30-day emergency department return and hospital readmission rates.
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Sjoding, Michael W; Valley, Thomas S; Prescott, Hallie C; Wunsch, Hannah; Iwashyna, Theodore J; Cooke, Colin R
2016-01-15
Intermediate care (i.e., step-down or progressive care) is an alternative to the intensive care unit (ICU) for patients with moderate severity of illness. The adoption and current use of intermediate care is unknown. To characterize trends in intermediate care use among U.S. hospitals. We examined 135 million acute care hospitalizations among elderly individuals (≥65 yr) enrolled in fee-for-service Medicare (U.S. federal health insurance program) from 1996 to 2010. We identified patients receiving intermediate care as those with intensive care or coronary care room and board charges labeled intermediate ICU. In 1996, a total of 960 of the 3,425 hospitals providing critical care billed for intermediate care (28%), and this increased to 1,643 of 2,783 hospitals (59%) in 2010 (P < 0.01). Only 8.2% of Medicare hospitalizations in 1996 were billed for intermediate care, but billing steadily increased to 22.8% by 2010 (P < 0.01), whereas the percentage billed for ICU care and ward-only care declined. Patients billed for intermediate care had more acute organ failures diagnoses codes compared with general ward patients (22.4% vs. 15.8%). When compared with patients billed for ICU care, those billed for intermediate care had fewer organ failures (22.4% vs. 43.4%), less mechanical ventilation (0.9% vs. 16.7%), lower mean Medicare spending ($8,514 vs. $18,150), and lower 30-day mortality (5.6% vs. 16.5%) (P < 0.01 for all comparisons). Intermediate care billing increased markedly between 1996 and 2010. These findings highlight the need to better define the value, specific practices, and effective use of intermediate care for patients and hospitals.
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Readmission rates are associated with differences in the process of care in acute asthma.
Slack, R; Bucknall, C E
1997-01-01
OBJECTIVE: To test the hypothesis that sustained differences in readmission rate for acute asthma were associated with variations in clinical practice. DESIGN: Data were collected by retrospective review of case notes, using the criteria recommended by the British Thoracic Society. SETTING: Two city National Health Service (NHS) hospitals that had recorded a sustained difference in readmission rate for acute asthma. SUBJECTS: A random sample of 50 from each hospital, selected from all 16-44 year old patients discharged in 1992 with acute asthma (ninth revision of the international classification of diseases (ICD-9) 493). RESULTS: Hospital A had a lower readmission rate than hospital B. The sample groups were similar for age, sex, deprivation of area of residence, and severity of episode. Systemic corticosteroids were given early more often (p = 0.02) and oral corticosteroids were prescribed at discharge more often (p = 0.04) in hospital A. When a short course of oral corticosteroids was prescribed the duration stated was longer (p = 0.02) and inhaled corticosteroids were started or the dose increased more often (p = 0.02) in hospital A. CONCLUSIONS: These results support the hypothesis that differences in readmission rates for acute asthma are associated with variations in clinical practice. Sustained variation in readmission rates is an outcome of health care, for acute asthma. The findings also support audit of the process of hospital asthma care as a proxy for outcome. PMID:10177034
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Comparison of Clostridium difficile Ribotypes Circulating in Australian Hospitals and Communities.
Furuya-Kanamori, Luis; Riley, Thomas V; Paterson, David L; Foster, Niki F; Huber, Charlotte A; Hong, Stacey; Harris-Brown, Tiffany; Robson, Jenny; Clements, Archie C A
2017-01-01
Clostridium difficile infection (CDI) is becoming less exclusively a health care-associated CDI (HA-CDI). The incidence of community-associated CDI (CA-CDI) has increased over the past few decades. It has been postulated that asymptomatic toxigenic C. difficile (TCD)-colonized patients may play a role in the transfer of C. difficile between the hospital setting and the community. Thus, to investigate the relatedness of C. difficile across the hospital and community settings, we compared the characteristics of symptomatic and asymptomatic host patients and the pathogens from these patients in these two settings over a 3-year period. Two studies were simultaneously conducted; the first study enrolled symptomatic CDI patients from two tertiary care hospitals and the community in two Australian states, while the second study enrolled asymptomatic TCD-colonized patients from the same tertiary care hospitals. A total of 324 patients (96 with HA-CDI, 152 with CA-CDI, and 76 colonized with TCD) were enrolled. The predominant C. difficile ribotypes isolated in the hospital setting corresponded with those isolated in the community, as it was found that for 79% of the C. difficile isolates from hospitals, an isolate with a matching ribotype was isolated in the community, suggesting that transmission between these two settings is occurring. The toxigenic C. difficile strains causing symptomatic infection were similar to those causing asymptomatic infection, and patients exposed to antimicrobials prior to admission were more likely to develop a symptomatic infection (odds ratio, 2.94; 95% confidence interval, 1.20 to 7.14). Our findings suggest that the development of CDI symptoms in a setting without establishment of hospital epidemics with binary toxin-producing C. difficile strains may be driven mainly by host susceptibility and exposure to antimicrobials, rather than by C. difficile strain characteristics. Copyright © 2016 American Society for Microbiology.
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ERIC Educational Resources Information Center
Thorpe, Joshua M.; Van Houtven, Courtney H.; Sleath, Betsy L.; Thorpe, Carolyn T.
2010-01-01
Context: Alzheimer's patients living in rural communities may face significant barriers to effective outpatient medical care. Purpose: We sought to examine rural-urban differences in risk for ambulatory care sensitive hospitalizations (ACSH), an indicator of access to outpatient care, in community-dwelling veterans with dementia. Methods: Medicare…
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van Iersel, Margriet; Latour, Corine H M; de Vos, Rien; Kirschner, Paul A; Scholte Op Reimer, Wilma J M
2016-09-01
To review recent literature on student nurses' perceptions of different areas of nursing practice, in particular community care. Healthcare is changing from care delivery in institutional settings to care to patients in their own homes. Problematic is that nursing students do not see community care as an attractive line of work, and their perceptions of community care do not reflect the realities of the profession. Understanding the factors influencing the perception of the professional field is important to positively influence students' willingness to see community nursing as a future profession. Literature search with accompanying narrative synthesis of primary research. ERIC(®), PsycInfo(®), Pubmed(®), and CINAHL(®) (2004-2014) databases using the search terms: 'nursing student', 'student nurse', 'community care', 'community nurse', 'image', 'attitude', and 'perception'. After screening 522 retrieved article titles with abstracts, the number of articles was reduced based upon specified inclusion/exclusion criteria leading to inclusion of 34. Evaluation of the references in those articles yielded an additional 5 articles. A narrative synthesis of those articles was created to uncover students' perception of community care, other areas of professional practice, and the factors influencing those perceptions. 39 articles were selected. Results show that many nursing students begin their education with a lay person's conception of the profession, shaped by media representations. Work placements in different settings offer clinical experience that helps students orient themselves towards a future profession. Students prefer hospitals as a place of work, because of the acute nature and technologically advanced level of care offered there. Few students perceive mental health and elderly care as appealing. Perceptions of community care can vary widely, the most prevalent view being that it is unattractive because of its chronic care profile, with little technical
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Behnia, Mehrdad; Logan, Sharon C; Fallen, Linda; Catalano, Philip
2014-04-11
Nosocomial and ventilator-associated pneumonia (VAP) are causes of significant morbidity and mortality in hospitalized patients. We analyzed a) the incidence and the outcome of pneumonias caused by different pathogens in the intensive care unit (ICU) of a medium-sized twenty-four bed community hospital and b) the incidence of complications of such pneumonias requiring surgical intervention such as thoracotomy and decortication. We retrospectively reviewed the charts of patients diagnosed with nosocomial and ventilator-associated pneumonia in our ICU. Their bronchoalveolar lavage (BAL) and sputum cultures, antibiograms, and other clinical characteristics, including complications and need for tracheostomy, thoracotomy and decortication were studied. In a span of one year (2011-12), 43 patients were diagnosed with nosocomial pneumonia in our ICU. The median simplified acute physiology score (SAPS II) was 39. One or more gram negative organisms as the causative agents were present in 85% of microbiologic samples. The three most prevalent gram negatives were Stenotrophomonas maltophilia (34%), Pseudomonas aeurginosa (40%), and Acinetobacter baumannii (32%). Twenty eight percent of bronchoalveolar samples contained Staphylococcus aureus. Eight three percent of patients required mechanical ventilation postoperatively and 37% underwent tracheostony. Thirty five percent underwent thoracotomy and decortication because of further complications such as empyema and non-resolving parapneumonic effusions. A. baumannii, Klebsiella pneumonia extended spectrum beta lactam (ESBL) and P. aeurginosa had the highest prevalence of multi drug resistance (MDR). Fifteen patients required surgical intervention. Mortality from pneumonia was 37% and from surgery was 2%. Nosocomial pneumonias, in particular the ones that were caused by gram negative drug resistant organisms and their ensuing complications which required thoracotomy and decortication, were the cause of significant morbidity in
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Horwitz, Leora I; Wang, Yongfei; Altaf, Faseeha K; Wang, Changqin; Lin, Zhenqiu; Liu, Shuling; Grady, Jacqueline; Bernheim, Susannah M; Desai, Nihar R; Venkatesh, Arjun K; Herrin, Jeph
2018-04-01
Whether types of hospitals with high readmission rates also have high overall postdischarge acute care utilization (including emergency department and observation care) is unknown. Cross-sectional analysis. Nonfederal United States acute care hospitals. Using methodology established by the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, we calculated each hospital's "excess days in acute care" for fee-for-service (FFS) Medicare beneficiaries aged over 65 years discharged after hospitalization for acute myocardial infarction, heart failure (HF), or pneumonia, representing the mean difference between predicted and expected total days of acute care utilization in the 30 days following hospital discharge, per 100 discharges. We assessed the multivariable association of 8 hospital characteristics with excess days in acute care and the proportion of hospitals with each characteristic that were statistical outliers (95% credible interval estimate does not include 0). We included 2184 hospitals for acute myocardial infarction [228 (10.4%) better than expected, 549 (25.1%) worse than expected], 3720 hospitals for HF [484 (13.0%) better and 840 (22.6%) worse], and 4195 hospitals for pneumonia [673 (16.0%) better, 1005 (24.0%) worse]. Results for all conditions were similar. Worse than expected outliers for pneumonia included: 18.8% of safety net hospitals versus 26.1% of nonsafety net hospitals; 16.7% of public hospitals versus 33.1% of for-profit hospitals; 19.5% of nonteaching hospitals versus 52.2% of major teaching hospitals; 7.9% of rural hospitals versus 42.1% of large urban hospitals; 5.9% of hospitals with 24-<50 beds versus 58% of hospitals with >500 beds; and 29.0% of hospitals with nurse-to-bed ratios >1.0-1.5 versus 21.7% of hospitals with ratios >2.0. Including emergency department and observation stays in measures of postdischarge utilization produces similar results as measuring only readmissions in that major teaching, urban and for-profit hospitals still perform
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An economic comparison of hospital-based and community-based glaucoma clinics
Sharma, A; Jofre-Bonet, M; Panca, M; Lawrenson, J G; Murdoch, I
2012-01-01
Introduction We have established one model for community care of glaucoma clinic patients. Community optometrists received training and accreditation in glaucoma care. Once qualified they alternated between running half day glaucoma clinics in their own High Street practices and assisting in a hospital-based glaucoma clinic session. This paper reports the cost of this model. Methods Micro-costing was undertaken for the hospital clinic. A consensus meeting was held to agree costs for community clinics involving all optometrists in the project along with representatives of the multiple chain optometry practices who had participated. Costs to patients both indirect and direct were calculated following structured interviews of 197 patients attending hospital clinics and 194 attending community clinics. Results The estimated cost per patient attendance to the hospital clinic was £63.91 and the estimated cost per attendance to the community clinic was £145.62. For patients the combined direct and indirect cost to attend the hospital clinic was £6.15 and the cost to attend the community clinic £5.91. Discussion The principal reason for the higher cost in the community clinic was higher overhead costs in the community. Re-referral to the hospital system only occurred for 9% of patients and was not a large contribution to the increased cost. Time requested to next appointment was similar for the two clinics. Sensitivity analysis shows a strong effect of increasing patients seen per clinic. It would, however, require 25 patients to be seen per clinician per day in the community in order to make the costs comparable. PMID:22562188
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Connell, Alistair; Montgomery, Hugh; Morris, Stephen; Nightingale, Claire; Stanley, Sarah; Emerson, Mary; Jones, Gareth; Sadeghi-Alavijeh, Omid; Merrick, Charles; King, Dominic; Karthikesalingam, Alan; Hughes, Cian; Ledsam, Joseph; Back, Trevor; Rees, Geraint; Raine, Rosalind; Laing, Christopher
2017-01-01
Acute Kidney Injury (AKI), an abrupt deterioration in kidney function, is defined by changes in urine output or serum creatinine. AKI is common (affecting up to 20% of acute hospital admissions in the United Kingdom), associated with significant morbidity and mortality, and expensive (excess costs to the National Health Service in England alone may exceed £1 billion per year). NHS England has mandated the implementation of an automated algorithm to detect AKI based on changes in serum creatinine, and to alert clinicians. It is uncertain, however, whether 'alerting' alone improves care quality. We have thus developed a digitally-enabled care pathway as a clinical service to inpatients in the Royal Free Hospital (RFH), a large London hospital. This pathway incorporates a mobile software application - the "Streams-AKI" app, developed by DeepMind Health - that applies the NHS AKI algorithm to routinely collected serum creatinine data in hospital inpatients. Streams-AKI alerts clinicians to potential AKI cases, furnishing them with a trend view of kidney function alongside other relevant data, in real-time, on a mobile device. A clinical response team comprising nephrologists and critical care nurses responds to these AKI alerts by reviewing individual patients and administering interventions according to existing clinical practice guidelines. We propose a mixed methods service evaluation of the implementation of this care pathway. This evaluation will assess how the care pathway meets the health and care needs of service users (RFH inpatients), in terms of clinical outcome, processes of care, and NHS costs. It will also seek to assess acceptance of the pathway by members of the response team and wider hospital community. All analyses will be undertaken by the service evaluation team from UCL (Department of Applied Health Research) and St George's, University of London (Population Health Research Institute).
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The Hospital Community Benefit Program: Implications for Food and Nutrition Professionals.
Fleischhacker, Sheila; Ramachandran, Gowri
2016-01-01
This article briefly explains the food and nutrition implications of the new standards, tax penalties and reporting requirements for non-profit hospitals and healthcare systems to maintain a tax-exempt or charitable status under section 501(c)(3) of the Federal Internal Revenue Code set forth in The Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (P.L. 111-148, Sec. 9007). The newly created 501(r) of the Internal Revenue Code requires, beginning with the first tax year on or after March 23, 2012, that such hospitals demonstrate community benefit by conducting a community health needs assessment (CHNA) at least once every three years and annually file information by means of a Schedule H (Form 990) regarding progress towards addressing identified needs. As hospitals conduct their CHNA and work further and collaboratively with community stakeholders on developing and monitoring their proposed action plans, the breadth and depth of food and nutrition activities occurring as a result of the Affordable Care Act Hospital Community Benefit Program will likely increase. The CHNA requirement, along with other emerging initiatives focused on improving the food environments and nutrition-related activities of hospitals and healthcare systems offer fruitful opportunities for food and nutrition professionals to partner on innovative ways to leverage hospital infrastructure and capacity to influence those residing, working or visiting the hospital campus, as well as the surrounding community.
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Readmission to Acute Care Hospital during Inpatient Rehabilitation for Traumatic Brain Injury
Hammond, Flora M.; Horn, Susan D.; Smout, Randall J.; Beaulieu, Cynthia L.; Barrett, Ryan S.; Ryser, David K.; Sommerfeld, Teri
2015-01-01
Objective To investigate frequency, reasons, and factors associated with readmission to acute care (RTAC) during inpatient rehabilitation for traumatic brain injury (TBI). Design Prospective observational cohort. Setting Inpatient rehabilitation. Participants 2,130 consecutive admissions for TBI rehabilitation. Interventions Not applicable. Main Outcome Measure(s) RTAC incidence, RTAC causes, rehabilitation length of stay (RLOS), and rehabilitation discharge location. Results 183 participants (9%) experienced RTAC for a total 210 episodes. 161 patients experienced 1 RTAC episode, 17 had 2, and 5 had 3. Mean days from rehabilitation admission to first RTAC was 22 days (SD 22). Mean duration in acute care during RTAC was 7 days (SD 8). 84 participants (46%) had >1 RTAC episode for medical reasons, 102 (56%) had >1 RTAC for surgical reasons, and RTAC reason was unknown for 6 (3%) participants. Most common surgical RTAC reasons were: neurosurgical (65%), pulmonary (9%), infection (5%), and orthopedic (5%); most common medical reasons were infection (26%), neurologic (23%), and cardiac (12%). Older age, history of coronary artery disease, history of congestive heart failure, acute care diagnosis of depression, craniotomy or craniectomy during acute care, and presence of dysphagia at rehabilitation admission predicted patients with RTAC. RTAC was less likely for patients with higher admission Functional Independence Measure Motor scores and education less than high school diploma. RTAC occurrence during rehabilitation was significantly associated with longer RLOS and smaller likelihood of discharge home. Conclusion(s) Approximately 9% of patients with TBI experience RTAC during inpatient rehabilitation for various medical and surgical reasons. This information may help inform interventions aimed at reducing interruptions in rehabilitation due to RTAC. RTACs were associated with longer RLOS and discharge to an institutional setting. PMID:26212405
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Socio-economic disadvantage, quality of medical care and admission for acute severe asthma.
Kolbe, J; Vamos, M; Fergusson, W
1997-06-01
In asthma, socio-economic and health care factors may operate by a number of mechanisms to influence asthma morbidity and mortality. To determine the quality of medical care including the patient perception of the doctor-patient relationship, and the level of socio-economic disadvantage in patients admitted to hospital with acute severe asthma. One hundred and thirty-eight patients (15-50 years) admitted to hospital (general ward or intensive care unit) with acute asthma were prospectively assessed using a number of previously validated instruments. The initial subjects had severe asthma on admission (pH = 7.3 +/- 0.2, PaCO2 = 7.1 +/- 5.0 kPa, n = 90) but short hospital stay (3.7 +/- 2.6 days). Although having high morbidity (40% had hospital admission in the last year and 60% had moderate/severe interference with sleep and/or ability to exercise), they had indicators of good ongoing medical care (96% had a regular GP, 80% were prescribed inhaled steroids, 84% had a peak flow meter, GP measured peak flow routinely in 80%, 52% had a written crisis plan and 44% had a supply of steroids at home). However, they were severely economically disadvantaged (53% had experienced financial difficulties in the last year, and for 35% of households the only income was a social security benefit). In the last year 39% had delayed or put off GP visit because of cost. Management of the index attack was compromised by concern about medical costs in 16% and time off work in 20%. Patients admitted to hospital with acute asthma have evidence of good quality on-going medical care, but are economically disadvantaged. If issues such as financial barriers to health care are not acknowledged and addressed, the health care services for asthmatics will not be effectively utilised and the current reductions in morbidity and mortality may not be maintained.
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Brannan, Grace D; Russ, Ronald; Winemiller, Terry R; Mast, Eric
2016-01-01
Quality improvement (QI) continues to be a health care challenge, and the literature indicates that osteopathic medical students need more training. To qualify for portions of managed care reimbursement, hospitals are required to meet measures intended to improve quality of care and patient satisfaction, which may be challenging for small community hospitals with limited resources. Because osteopathic medical training is grounded on community hospital experiences, an opportunity exists to align the outcomes needs of hospitals and QI training needs of students. In this pilot program, 3 sponsoring hospitals recruited and mentored 1 osteopathic medical student each through a QI project. A mentor at each hospital identified a project that was important to the hospital's patient care QI goals. This pilot program provided osteopathic medical students with hands-on QI training, created opportunities for interprofessional collaboration, and contributed to hospital initiatives to improve patient outcomes.
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Community-onset candidemia at a university hospital, 1995-2005.
Kung, Hsiang-Chi; Wang, Jiun-Ling; Chang, Shan-Chwen; Wang, Jann-Tay; Sun, Hsin-Yun; Hsueh, Po-Ren; Chen, Yee-Chun
2007-08-01
Although not all candidemias are hospital-acquired, data on clinical epidemiology for the community-onset candidemia are limited. This retrospective study was conducted to describe predisposing factors and outcomes of community-onset candidemias. Medical records of patients who were admitted to the National Taiwan University Hospital between January 1, 1995 and May 31, 2005 and had Candida isolated from their blood in the outpatient setting and/or within 48 h of hospitalization (community-onset) were reviewed. A total of 56 episodes of candidemia were reviewed, which included 8 episodes (14.3%) of true community-acquired candidemia occurring in patients with no record of hospitalization within the previous 30 days and without histories of invasive procedures either just before or at the time of admission, and 48 episodes (85.7%) that were health care-associated. The latter included 24 episodes (42.9%) in patients recently discharged from hospitals (within 2-30 days of current admission), 23 episodes (41.1%) associated with invasive procedures and/or central intravascular lines placed for outpatient therapy, and 1 episode (1.8%) in patients admitted from nursing homes. Gastrointestinal bleeding (46.4%), immunosuppressive therapy (42.9%) and previous antibiotics use (37.5%) were the most common predisposing factors. Diabetes was the single most important predisposing factor in true community-acquired candidemia (62.5%) and had a significantly higher prevalence among these patients than in those with health care-associated candidemias (p=0.035). Candida albicans was the most common isolate (39.7%), followed by Candida tropicalis (22.4%) and Candida glabrata (17.2%). The overall case fatality rate was 55.4% (31/56), and 58.1% (18/31) of this was attributable to candidemia. Multivariate analysis identified higher severity score and lack of antifungal therapy as having an independent and adverse influence on outcome. Up to 85.7% of community-onset candidemias are health
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ERIC Educational Resources Information Center
Muus, Kyle J.; Knudson, Alana D.; Klug, Marilyn G.; Wynne, Joshua
2011-01-01
Context/Purpose: Most rural hospitals can provide medical care to acute myocardial infarction (AMI) patients, but a need for advanced cardiac care requires timely transfer to a tertiary hospital. There is little information on AMI in-hospital mortality predictors among rural transfer patients. Methods: Cross-sectional retrospective analyses on…
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Ritter, Anne C; Wagner, Amy K; Szaflarski, Jerzy P; Brooks, Maria M; Zafonte, Ross D; Pugh, Mary Jo V; Fabio, Anthony; Hammond, Flora M; Dreer, Laura E; Bushnik, Tamara; Walker, William C; Brown, Allen W; Johnson-Greene, Doug; Shea, Timothy; Krellman, Jason W; Rosenthal, Joseph A
2016-09-01
Posttraumatic seizures (PTS) are well-recognized acute and chronic complications of traumatic brain injury (TBI). Risk factors have been identified, but considerable variability in who develops PTS remains. Existing PTS prognostic models are not widely adopted for clinical use and do not reflect current trends in injury, diagnosis, or care. We aimed to develop and internally validate preliminary prognostic regression models to predict PTS during acute care hospitalization, and at year 1 and year 2 postinjury. Prognostic models predicting PTS during acute care hospitalization and year 1 and year 2 post-injury were developed using a recent (2011-2014) cohort from the TBI Model Systems National Database. Potential PTS predictors were selected based on previous literature and biologic plausibility. Bivariable logistic regression identified variables with a p-value < 0.20 that were used to fit initial prognostic models. Multivariable logistic regression modeling with backward-stepwise elimination was used to determine reduced prognostic models and to internally validate using 1,000 bootstrap samples. Fit statistics were calculated, correcting for overfitting (optimism). The prognostic models identified sex, craniotomy, contusion load, and pre-injury limitation in learning/remembering/concentrating as significant PTS predictors during acute hospitalization. Significant predictors of PTS at year 1 were subdural hematoma (SDH), contusion load, craniotomy, craniectomy, seizure during acute hospitalization, duration of posttraumatic amnesia, preinjury mental health treatment/psychiatric hospitalization, and preinjury incarceration. Year 2 significant predictors were similar to those of year 1: SDH, intraparenchymal fragment, craniotomy, craniectomy, seizure during acute hospitalization, and preinjury incarceration. Corrected concordance (C) statistics were 0.599, 0.747, and 0.716 for acute hospitalization, year 1, and year 2 models, respectively. The prognostic model for PTS
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Weeks, William B; Schoellkopf, William J; Ballard, David J; Kaplan, Gary S; James, Brent; Weinstein, James N
2017-06-01
To inform consumers and restrain health care cost growth, efforts to promote transparency and to reimburse for care episodes are accelerating in the United States. To compare characteristics and costs of 30-day episode of care for hip and knee replacement occurring in High Value Healthcare Collaborative (HVHC)-member hospitals to those occurring in like non-HVHC-member hospitals in the same 15 health care markets before interventions by HVHC members to improve health care value for those interventions. This is a retrospective analysis of fee-for-service Medicare data from 2012 and 2013. For hip arthroplasty, 4030 HVHC-member and 7572 non-HVHC-member, and for knee arthroplasty, 6542 HVHC-member and 13,900 non-HVHC-member fee-for-service Medicare patients aged 65 and older. Volumes, patient demographics, hospital stay characteristics, and acute and postacute care standardized costs for a 30-day episode of care. HVHC-member hospitals differed from similar non-HVHC-member hospitals in the same health care markets when considering volumes of surgeries, patient demographics, Charlson scores, and patient distance to care during the index admission. There was little variation in acute care costs of hip or knee replacement surgery across health care markets; however, there was substantial variation in postacute care costs across those same markets. We saw less variation in postacute care costs within markets than across markets. Regression analyses showed that HVHC-member status was not associated with shorter lengths of stay, different complication rates, or lower total or postacute care costs for hip or knee replacement. Health care regions appear to be a more important predictor of episode costs of care than HVHC status.
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Fu, Jack B; Lee, Jay; Shin, Ben C; Silver, Julie K; Smith, Dennis W; Shah, Jatin J; Bruera, Eduardo
2017-06-01
Pancytopenia, immunosuppression, and other factors may place patients with multiple myeloma at risk for medical complications. These patients often require inpatient rehabilitation. No previous studies have looked at risk factors for return to the primary acute care service of this patient population. To determine the percentage of and factors associated with return to the primary acute care service of multiple myeloma rehabilitation inpatients. Retrospective review. Acute inpatient rehabilitation unit within a National Cancer Institute Comprehensive Cancer Center. All patients with multiple myeloma admitted to the inpatient rehabilitation unit between March 1, 2004, and February 28, 2015. Return to the primary acute care service was analyzed with demographic information, multiple myeloma characteristics, medications, laboratory values, and hospital admission characteristics. One hundred forty-three inpatient rehabilitation admissions were found during the study period. After we removed multiple admissions of the same patients and planned transfers to the primary acute care service, 122 admissions were analyzed. Thirty-two (26%) patients transferred back to the primary acute care service for unplanned reasons. Multivariate analysis revealed male gender and thrombocytopenia as significantly associated with return to the primary acute care service. The median survival of patients who transferred back to the inpatient primary acute care service was 180 days versus 550 days for those who did not (P < .001). Because of their medical fragility, clinicians caring for rehabilitation inpatients with multiple myeloma should maintain close contact with the primary oncology service. Factors associated with an increased risk of transfer back to the primary acute care service include male gender and thrombocytopenia. IV. Copyright © 2017 American Academy of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.
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Murata, Kyoko; Hinotsu, Shiro; Sadamasa, Nobutake; Yoshida, Kazumichi; Yamagata, Sen; Asari, Shoji; Miyamoto, Susumu; Kawakami, Koji
2017-02-01
To investigate healthcare resource utilization and changes in functional status in stroke patients during hospitalization in an acute hospital and a rehabilitation hospital. Retrospective cohort study. One acute and one rehabilitation hospital in Japan. Patients who were admitted to the acute hospital due to stroke onset and then transferred to the rehabilitation hospital (n = 263, 56% male, age 70 ± 12 years). Hospitalization costs and functional independence measure (FIM) were evaluated according to stroke subtype and severity of disability at discharge from the acute hospital. Median (IQR) costs at the acute hospital were dependent on the length of stay (LOS) and implementation of neurosurgery, which resulted in higher costs in subarachnoid hemorrhage [$52 413 ($49 166-$72 606) vs $14 129 ($11 169-$19 459) in cerebral infarction; and vs $15 035 ($10 920-$21 864) in intracerebral hemorrhage]. The costs at the rehabilitation hospital were dependent on LOS, and higher in patients with moderate disability than in those with mild disability [$30 026 ($18 419-$39 911) vs $18 052 ($10 631-$24 384)], while those with severe disability spent $25 476 ($13 340-$43 032). Patients with moderate disability gained the most benefits during hospitalization in the rehabilitation hospital, with a median (IQR) total FIM gain of 16 (5-24) points, compared with a modest improvement in patients with mild (6, 2-14) or severe disability (0, 0-5). The costs for in-hospital stroke care were substantial and the improvement in functional status varied by severity of disability. Our findings would be valuable to organize efficient post-acute stroke care. © The Author 2016. Published by Oxford University Press in association with the International Society for Quality in Health Care. All rights reserved. For permissions, please e-mail: journals.permissions@oup.com
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Antibiotic use among older adults on an acute care general surgery service
Pollmann, André S.; Bailey, Jon G.; Davis, Philip J.B.; Johnson, Paul M.
2017-01-01
Background Antibiotics play an important role in the treatment of many surgical diseases that affect older adults, and the potential for inappropriate use of these drugs is high. Our objective was to describe antibiotic use among older adults admitted to an acute care surgery service at a tertiary care teaching hospital. Methods Detailed data regarding diagnosis, comorbidities, surgery and antibiotic use were retrospectively collected for patients 70 years and older admitted to an acute care surgery service. We evaluated antibiotic use (perioperative prophylaxis and treatment) for appropriateness based on published guidelines. Results During the study period 453 patients were admitted to the acute care surgery service, and 229 underwent surgery. The most common diagnoses were small bowel obstruction (27.2%) and acute cholecystitis (11.0%). In total 251 nonelective abdominal operations were performed, and perioperative antibiotic prophylaxis was appropriate in 49.5% of cases. The most common prophylaxis errors were incorrect timing (15.5%) and incorrect dose (12.4%). Overall 206 patients received treatment with antibiotics for their underlying disease process, and 44.2% received appropriate first-line drug therapy. The most common therapeutic errors were administration of second- or third-line antibiotics without indication (37.9%) and use of antibiotics when not indicated (12.1%). There was considerable variation in the duration of treatment for patients with the same diagnoses. Conclusion Inappropriate antibiotic use was common among older patients admitted to an acute care surgery service. Quality improvement initiatives are needed to ensure patients receive optimal care in this complex hospital environment. PMID:28930045
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A palliative care needs assessment of rural hospitals.
Fink, Regina M; Oman, Kathleen S; Youngwerth, Jeanie; Bryant, Lucinda L
2013-06-01
Palliative care services are lacking in rural hospitals. Implementing palliative care services in rural and remote areas requires knowledge of available resources, specific barriers, and a commitment from the hospital and community. The purpose of the study was to determine awareness, knowledge, barriers, and resources regarding palliative care services in rural hospitals. A descriptive survey design used an investigator-developed needs assessment to survey 374 (40% response rate) health care providers (chief executive officers, chiefs of medical staff, chief nursing officers, and social worker directors) at 236 rural hospitals (<100 beds) in seven Rocky Mountain states. Significant barriers to integrating palliative care exist: lack of administrative support, mentorship, and access to palliative care resources; inadequate basic knowledge about palliative care strategies; and limited training/skills in palliative care. Having contractual relationships with local hospices is a key facilitator. Respondents (56%) want to learn more about palliative care, specifically focusing on pain management, communication techniques, and end-of-life care issues. Webinar and online courses were suggested as strategies to promote long distance learning. It is imperative for quality of care that rural hospitals have practitioners who are up to date on current evidence and practice within a palliative care framework. Unique challenges exist to implementing palliative care services in rural hospitals. Opportunities for informing rural areas focus around utilizing existing hospice resources and relationships, and favoring Web-based classes and online courses. The development of a multifaceted intervention to facilitate education about palliative care and cultivate palliative care services in rural settings is indicated.
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Casemix classification payment for sub-acute and non-acute inpatient care, Thailand.
Khiaocharoen, Orathai; Pannarunothai, Supasit; Zungsontiporn, Chairoj; Riewpaiboon, Wachara
2010-07-01
There is a need to develop other casemix classifications, apart from DRG for sub-acute and non-acute inpatient care payment mechanism in Thailand. To develop a casemix classification for sub-acute and non-acute inpatient service. The study began with developing a classification system, analyzing cost, assigning payment weights, and ended with testing the validity of this new casemix system. Coefficient of variation, reduction in variance, linear regression, and split-half cross-validation were employed. The casemix for sub-acute and non-acute inpatient services contained 98 groups. Two percent of them had a coefficient of variation of the cost of higher than 1.5. The reduction in variance of cost after the classification was 32%. Two classification variables (physical function and the rehabilitation impairment categories) were key determinants of the cost (adjusted R2 = 0.749, p = .001). Validity results of split-half cross-validation of sub-acute and non-acute inpatient service were high. The present study indicated that the casemix for sub-acute and non-acute inpatient services closely predicted the hospital resource use and should be further developed for payment of the inpatients sub-acute and non-acute phase.
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PAs and NPs in an emergency room-linked acute care clinic.
Currey, C J
1984-12-01
The use of hospital emergency rooms for nonurgent care during evenings hours often strains medical resources and may affect the quality of emergency care. One facility's effective use of an after-hours acute care clinic staffed by PAs and NPs to divert nonurgent problems away from its emergency room is outlined. PAs and NPs work during peak demand hours (evenings and weekends) under the supervision of an emergency room physician, and receive supplementary support from other emergency room personnel. Incoming patients are referred to the emergency room or acute care clinic, depending on the nature of their problems. Acute care clinic patients are then treated by the PA or NP and either released or referred to an emergency room physician, if their conditions warrant additional treatment. As a result, use of the acute care clinic has greatly reduced the amount of non-urgent medical treatment in the emergency room and has provided other advantages to both patients and staff as well. These advantages and the encouraging statistics following six months of the clinic's operation are discussed.
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Neurologic continuum of care: Evidence-based model of a post-hospital system of care.
Lewis, Frank D; Horn, Gordon J
2015-01-01
There is increasing need for a well-organized continuum of post-hospital rehabilitative care to reduce long term disability resulting from acquired brain injury. This study examined the effectiveness of four levels of post-hospital care (active neurorehabilitation, neurobehavioral intensive, day treatment, and supported living) and the functional variables most important to their success. Participants were 1276 adults with acquired brain injury who were being treated in one of the four program levels. A Repeated Measures MANOVA was used to evaluate change from admission to discharge on the Mayo Portland Adaptability Inventory-4 T-scores. Regression analyses were used to identify predictors of outcome. Statistical improvement on the MPAI-4 was observed at each program level. Self-care and Initiation were the strongest predictors of outcome. The results support the effectiveness of a continuum of care for acquired brain injury individuals beyond hospitalization and acute in-hospital rehabilitation. It is particularly noteworthy that reduction in disability was achieved for all levels of programming even with participants whose onset to admission exceeded 7 years post-injury.
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2015-01-01
Between 2.2% and 17% of all strokes have symptom onset during hospitalization in a patient originally admitted for another diagnosis or procedure. These in-hospital strokes represent a unique population with different risk factors, more mimics, and substantially worsened outcomes compared to community-onset strokes. The fact that these strokes manifest during the acute care hospitalization, in patients with higher rates of thrombolytic contraindications, creates distinct challenges for treatment. However, the best evidence suggests benefit to treating appropriately selected in-hospital ischemic strokes with thrombolysis. Evidence points toward a “quality gap” for in-hospital stroke with longer in-hospital delays to evaluation and treatment, lower rates of evaluation for etiology, and decreased adherence to consensus quality process measures of care. This quality gap for in-hospital stroke represents a focused opportunity for quality improvement. PMID:26288675
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Palmer, William L; Bottle, Alex; Davie, Charlie; Vincent, Charles A; Aylin, Paul
2013-09-01
To examine the potential for using routinely collected administrative data to compare the quality and safety of stroke care at a hospital level, including evaluating any bias due to variations in coding practice. A retrospective cohort study of English hospitals' performance against six process and outcome indicators covering the acute care pathway. We used logistic regression to adjust the outcome measures for case mix. Hospitals in England. Stroke patients (ICD-10 I60-I64) admitted to English National Health Service public acute hospitals between April 2009 and March 2010, accounting for 91 936 admissions. The quality and safety were measured using six indicators spanning the hospital care pathway, from timely access to brain scans to emergency readmissions following discharge after stroke. There were 182 occurrences of hospitals performing statistically differently from the national average at the 99.8% significance level across the six indicators. Differences in coding practice appeared to only partially explain the variation. Hospital administrative data provide a practical and achievable method for evaluating aspects of stroke care across the acute pathway. However, without improvements in coding and further validation, it is unclear whether the cause of the variation is the quality of care or the result of different local care pathways and data coding accuracy.
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Grau, Santiago; Fondevilla, Esther; Freixas, Núria; Mojal, Sergi; Sopena, Nieves; Bella, Feliu; Gudiol, Francesc
2015-04-01
To analyse the possible relationship between consumption of old and new MRSA-active antibiotics and burden of MRSA in acute care hospitals in Catalonia during the period 2007-12. Fifty-four hospitals participating in the VINCat Programme were included. Proportion of MRSA (resistant isolates of Staphylococcus aureus per 100 isolates of S. aureus tested), incidence of new cases of infection [new cases of MRSA per 1000 occupied bed-days (OBD)] and incidence of cases of bacteraemia (MRSA bacteraemia cases per 1000 OBD) were determined to estimate the annual MRSA burden. Antibiotic consumption was calculated in DDD/100 OBD. Cost was expressed in euros/100 OBD. MRSA rates remained stable over the study period, with the proportion of MRSA ranging from 20% to 22.82% in 2007 and 2012, respectively (P=0.864). Consumption of old MRSA-active antibiotics (vancomycin and teicoplanin) did not change significantly, with values from 1.51 to 2.07 DDD/100 OBD (P=0.693). Consumption of new MRSA-active antibiotics (linezolid and daptomycin) increased significantly, with values rising from 0.24 to 1.49 DDD/100 OBD (P<0.001). Cost increased by almost 200%. A widespread and steady increase in consumption of new MRSA-active antibiotics was observed among acute care hospitals in Catalonia, in spite of a stable MRSA burden. At the same time, consumption of old drugs remained stable. Such trends resulted in a significant increase in cost. Our findings suggest that factors other than the proportion of methicillin resistance among S. aureus may influence the use of old and new MRSA-active antibiotics in the clinical setting. © The Author 2014. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the British Society for Antimicrobial Chemotherapy. All rights reserved. For Permissions, please e-mail: journals.permissions@oup.com.
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McElhinny, Mary Louise; Hooper, Christine
2008-01-01
A nurse-driven performance improvement project designed to reduce the incidence of hospital-acquired ulcers of the heel in an acute care setting was evaluated. This was a descriptive evaluative study using secondary data analysis. Data were collected in 2004, prior to implementation of the prevention project and compared to results obtained in 2006, after the project was implemented. Data were collected in a 172-bed, not-for-profit inpatient acute care facility in North Central California. All medical-surgical inpatients aged 18 years and older were included in the samples. Data were collected on 113 inpatients prior to implementation of the project in 2004. Data were also collected on a sample of 124 inpatients in 2006. The prevalence and incidence of heel pressure ulcers were obtained through skin surveys prior to implementation of the prevention program and following its implementation. Results from 2004 were compared to data collected in 2006 after introduction of the Braden Scale for Predicting Pressure Sore Risk. Heel pressure ulcers were staged using the National Pressure Ulcer Advisory Panel (NPUAP) staging system and recommendations provided by the Agency for Health Care Quality Research (AHRQ) clinical practice guidelines. The incidence of hospital-acquired heel pressure ulcers in 2004 was 13.5% (4 of 37 patients). After implementation of the program in 2006, the incidence of hospital-acquired heel pressure ulcers was 13.8% (5 of 36 patients). The intervention did not appear to receive adequate staff nurse support needed to make the project successful. Factors that influenced the lack of support may have included: (1) educational method used, (2) lack of organization approved, evidenced-based standardized protocols for prevention and treatment of heel ulcers, and (3) failure of facility management to convey the importance as well as their support for the project.