Sample records for care transition patterns

  1. Site of Death, Place of Care, and Health Care Transitions Among US Medicare Beneficiaries, 2000-2015.

    PubMed

    Teno, Joan M; Gozalo, Pedro; Trivedi, Amal N; Bunker, Jennifer; Lima, Julie; Ogarek, Jessica; Mor, Vincent

    2018-06-25

    End-of-life care costs are high and decedents often experience poor quality of care. Numerous factors influence changes in site of death, health care transitions, and burdensome patterns of care. To describe changes in site of death and patterns of care among Medicare decedents. Retrospective cohort study among a 20% random sample of 1 361 870 decedents who had Medicare fee-for-service (2000, 2005, 2009, 2011, and 2015) and a 100% sample of 871 845 decedents who had Medicare Advantage (2011 and 2015) and received care at an acute care hospital, at home or in the community, at a hospice inpatient care unit, or at a nursing home. Secular changes between 2000 and 2015. Medicare administrative data were used to determine site of death, place of care, health care transitions, which are changes in location of care, and burdensome patterns of care. Burdensome patterns of care were based on health care transitions during the last 3 days of life and multiple hospitalizations for infections or dehydration during the last 120 days of life. The site of death and patterns of care were studied among 1 361 870 decedents who had Medicare fee-for-service (mean [SD] age, 82.8 [8.4] years; 58.7% female) and 871 845 decedents who had Medicare Advantage (mean [SD] age, 82.1 [8.5] years; 54.0% female). Among Medicare fee-for-service decedents, the proportion of deaths that occurred in an acute care hospital decreased from 32.6% (95% CI, 32.4%-32.8%) in 2000 to 19.8% (95% CI, 19.6%-20.0%) in 2015, and deaths in a home or community setting that included assisted living facilities increased from 30.7% (95% CI, 30.6%-30.9%) in 2000 to 40.1% (95% CI, 39.9%-30.3% ) in 2015. Use of the intensive care unit during the last 30 days of life among Medicare fee-for-service decedents increased from 24.3% (95% CI, 24.1%-24.4%) in 2000 and then stabilized between 2009 and 2015 at 29.0% (95% CI, 28.8%-29.2%). Among Medicare fee-for-service decedents, health care transitions during the last 3 days of life increased from 10.3% (95% CI, 10.1%-10.4%) in 2000 to a high of 14.2% (95% CI, 14.0%-14.3%) in 2009 and then decreased to 10.8% (95% CI, 10.6%-10.9%) in 2015. The number of decedents enrolled in Medicare Advantage during the last 90 days of life increased from 358 600 in 2011 to 513 245 in 2015. Among decedents with Medicare Advantage, similar patterns in the rates for site of death, place of care, and health care transitions were observed. Among Medicare fee-for-service beneficiaries who died in 2015 compared with 2000, there was a lower likelihood of dying in an acute care hospital, an increase and then stabilization of intensive care unit use during the last month of life, and an increase and then decline in health care transitions during the last 3 days of life.

  2. Role tuning between caregiver and care receiver during discharge transition: an illustration of role function mode in Roy's adaptation theory.

    PubMed

    Shyu, Y I

    2000-10-01

    The purpose of this study was to develop a conceptual framework to explain the interaction between the caregiver and the care receiver during the discharge transition. Data from face-to-face interviews with 12 care receivers and 16 caregivers were subjected to constant comparative analysis. Findings revealed that role tuning was the process used by caregivers and care receivers to achieve a harmonious pattern of caregiving and care receiving during the transition from hospital to home. This empirical finding can illustrate the concept of role function mode in the Roy adaptation theory and sensitize healthcare providers to the needs of the families during the discharge transition.

  3. Transition Readiness in Adolescents and Emerging Adults with Diabetes: The Role of Patient-Provider Communication

    PubMed Central

    Hilliard, Marisa; Sweenie, Rachel; Riekert, Kristin

    2013-01-01

    Transition from pediatric to adult care represents a high risk period for adolescents and emerging adults with diabetes. Fundamental differences between pediatric and adult care delivery models may contribute to increased risk for poor health outcomes. This review provides a brief overview of models of care in pediatric and adult settings and focuses on patient-provider communication content and quality as potential points of intervention to improve transition-related outcomes. This review also highlights disparities in transition and communication for adolescents and emerging adults from racial/ethnic minority groups and discusses recent changes in health care legislation that have significant implications for the transition process. Intervention opportunities include programs to enhance developmentally-appropriate patient-provider interactions and increased attention to promoting transition readiness skills. Improving patient-provider communication may hasten the development of vital self-advocacy skills needed in adult health care systems and, thus, help establish a lasting pattern of positive diabetes self-care. PMID:24014075

  4. Older adults' home- and community-based care service use and residential transitions: a longitudinal study.

    PubMed

    Chen, Ya-Mei; Berkowitz, Bobbie

    2012-08-10

    As Home-and Community-Based Services (HCBS), such as skilled nursing services or personal care services, have become increasingly available, it has become clear that older adults transit through different residential statuses over time. Older adults may transit through different residential statuses as the various services meet their needs. The purpose of this exploratory study was to better understand the interplay between community-dwelling older adults' use of home- and community-based services and their residential transitions. The study compared HCBS service-use patterns and residential transitions of 3,085 older adults from the Second Longitudinal Study of Aging. Based on older adults' residential status at the three follow-up interviews, four residential transitions were tracked: (1) Community-Community-Community (CCC: Resided in community during the entire study period); (2) Community-Institution-Community (CIC: Resided in community at T1, had lived in an institution at some time between T1 and T2, then had returned to community by T3); (3) Community-Community-Institution (CCI: Resided in community between at T1, and betweenT1 and T2, including at T2, but had used institutional services between T2 and T3); (4) Community-Institution-Institution (CII: Resided in community at T1 but in an institution at some time between T1 and T2, and at some time between T2 and T3.). Older adults' use of nondiscretionary and discretionary services differed significantly among the four groups, and the patterns of HCBS use among these groups were also different. Older adults' use of nondiscretionary services, such as skilled nursing care, may help them to return to communities from institutions. Personal care services (PCS) and senior center services may be the key to either support elders to stay in communities longer or help elders to return to their communities from institutions. Different combinations of PCS with other services, such as senior center services or meal services, were associated with different directions in residential transition, such as CIC and CII respectively. Older adults' differing HCBS use patterns may be the key to explaining older adults' transitions. Attention to older adults' HCBS use patterns is recommended for future practice. However, this was an exploratory study and the analyses cannot establish causal relationships.

  5. Older adults’ home- and community-based care service use and residential transitions: a longitudinal study

    PubMed Central

    2012-01-01

    Background As Home-and Community-Based Services (HCBS), such as skilled nursing services or personal care services, have become increasingly available, it has become clear that older adults transit through different residential statuses over time. Older adults may transit through different residential statuses as the various services meet their needs. The purpose of this exploratory study was to better understand the interplay between community-dwelling older adults’ use of home- and community-based services and their residential transitions. Methods The study compared HCBS service-use patterns and residential transitions of 3,085 older adults from the Second Longitudinal Study of Aging. Based on older adults’ residential status at the three follow-up interviews, four residential transitions were tracked: (1) Community-Community-Community (CCC: Resided in community during the entire study period); (2) Community-Institution-Community (CIC: Resided in community at T1, had lived in an institution at some time between T1 and T2, then had returned to community by T3); (3) Community-Community-Institution (CCI: Resided in community between at T1, and betweenT1 and T2, including at T2, but had used institutional services between T2 and T3); (4) Community-Institution-Institution (CII: Resided in community at T1 but in an institution at some time between T1 and T2, and at some time between T2 and T3.). Results Older adults’ use of nondiscretionary and discretionary services differed significantly among the four groups, and the patterns of HCBS use among these groups were also different. Older adults’ use of nondiscretionary services, such as skilled nursing care, may help them to return to communities from institutions. Personal care services (PCS) and senior center services may be the key to either support elders to stay in communities longer or help elders to return to their communities from institutions. Different combinations of PCS with other services, such as senior center services or meal services, were associated with different directions in residential transition, such as CIC and CII respectively. Conclusions Older adults’ differing HCBS use patterns may be the key to explaining older adults’ transitions. Attention to older adults’ HCBS use patterns is recommended for future practice. However, this was an exploratory study and the analyses cannot establish causal relationships. PMID:22877416

  6. Modern medical practice: a profession in transition.

    PubMed

    Merry, M D

    1984-05-01

    Modern medical practice is in a state of transition. The solo practitioner is slowly giving way to the large organized groups of health care providers. Driving this force of change is a change in payment for health care services from cost plus to preestablished pricing. For the first time, medical practice patterns are having a direct impact on the financial viability of the health care institution. To maintain quality of patient care and contain costs, more and more physicians are becoming involved in the administrative side of running a hospital. This article describes the forces of change, the change itself, and the future of medicine.

  7. Health care in adults with Down syndrome: a longitudinal cohort study.

    PubMed

    Jensen, K M; Davis, M M

    2013-10-01

    Individuals with Down syndrome increasingly survive into adulthood, yet little is known about their healthcare patterns as adults. Our study sought to characterise patterns of health care among adults with Down syndrome based on whether they had fully transitioned to adult-oriented providers by their inception in this cohort. In this retrospective observational cohort study, healthcare utilisation and annualised patient charges were evaluated in patients with Down syndrome aged 18-45 years who received care in a single academic health centre from 2000 to 2008. Comparisons were made based on patients' provider mix (only adult-focused or 'mixed' child- and adult-focused providers). The cohort included 205 patients with median index age = 28 years; 52% of these adult patients had incompletely transitioned to adult providers and received components of their care from child-focused providers. A higher proportion of these 'mixed' patients were seen exclusively by subspecialty providers (mixed = 81%, adult = 46%, P < 0.001), suggesting a need for higher intensity specialised services. Patients in the mixed provider group incurred higher annualised charges in analyses adjusted for age, mortality, total annualised encounters, and number of subspecialty disciplines accessed. These differences were most pronounced when stratified by whether patients were hospitalised during the study period (e.g., difference in adjusted means between mixed versus adult provider groups: $571 without hospitalisation, $19,061 with hospitalisation). In this unique longitudinal cohort of over 200 adults aged 18-45 years with Down syndrome, over half demonstrated incomplete transition to adult care. Persistent use of child-focused care, often with a subspecialty emphasis, has implications for healthcare charges. Future studies must identify reasons for distinct care patterns, examine their relationship with clinical outcomes, and evaluate which provider types deliver the highest quality care for adults with Down syndrome and a wide variety of comorbidities. © 2012 The Authors. Journal of Intellectual Disability Research © 2012 John Wiley & Sons Ltd, MENCAP & IASSID.

  8. Private Long-Term Care Insurance: Value to Claimants and Implications for Long-Term Care Financing

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Doty, Pamela; Cohen, Marc A.; Miller, Jessica; Shi, Xiaomei

    2010-01-01

    Purpose: The purpose of this study was to obtain a profile of individuals with private long-term care (LTC) insurance as they begin using paid LTC services and track their patterns of service use, satisfaction with services and insurance, claims denial rates, and transitions over a 28-month period. Design and Methods: Ten LTC insurance companies…

  9. Private long-term care insurance: value to claimants and implications for long-term care financing.

    PubMed

    Doty, Pamela; Cohen, Marc A; Miller, Jessica; Shi, Xiaomei

    2010-10-01

    The purpose of this study was to obtain a profile of individuals with private long-term care (LTC) insurance as they begin using paid LTC services and track their patterns of service use, satisfaction with services and insurance, claims denial rates, and transitions over a 28-month period. Ten LTC insurance companies contributed a random sample of 1,474 qualified individuals who were interviewed in-person by a trained nurse and then interviewed telephonically every 4 month for a 28-month period. Used in the analysis were descriptive statistics and techniques for analyzing longitudinal panel data. About 96% of those filing claims were approved for payment. At baseline, 37% received home care, 23% assisted living care, 14% were in a nursing home, and 26% had not yet begun using paid care. Few claimants reported that their policies restricted their choice of providers and most care costs were covered. The average number of care transitions was 1, typically occurring within 4 month of baseline. The less impaired and those in home care settings were most likely to transition between service settings. Having private LTC coverage enabled claimants to exercise their preference for alternatives to nursing home care.

  10. Children’s Early Child Care and their Mothers’ Later Involvement with Schools

    PubMed Central

    Crosnoe, Robert; Augustine, Jennifer March; Huston, Aletha C.

    2011-01-01

    Theory and policy highlight the role of child care in preparing children for the transition into school. Approaching this issue in a different way, this study investigated whether children’s care experiences before this transition promoted their mothers’ school involvement after it, with the hypothesized mechanism for this link being the cultivation of children’s social and academic skills. Analyses of 1,352 children (1 month-6 years) and parents in the NICHD Study of Early Child Care and Youth Development revealed that mothers were more involved at their children’s schools when children had prior histories of high quality non-parental care. This pattern, which was fairly stable across levels of maternal education and employment, was mediated by children’s academic skills and home environments. PMID:22313134

  11. Adolescent Maltreatment in the Child Welfare System and Developmental Patterns of Sexual Risk Behaviors

    PubMed Central

    Fowler, Patrick J.; Motley, Darnell; Zhang, Jinjin; Rolls-Reutz, Jennifer; Landsverk, John

    2018-01-01

    In this longitudinal study, we tested whether adolescent maltreatment and out-of-home placement as a response to maltreatment altered developmental patterns of sexual risk behaviors in a nationally representative sample of youth involved in the child welfare system. Participants included adolescents aged 13 to 17 (M=15.5, SD=1.49) at baseline (n=714), followed over 18 months. Computer-assisted interviews were used to collect self-reported sexual practices and experiences of physical and psychological abuse at both time points. Latent transition analyses were used to identify three patterns of sexual risk behaviors: abstainers, safe sex with multiple partners, and unsafe sex with multiple partners. Most adolescents transitioned to safer sexual behavior patterns over time. Adolescents exhibiting the riskiest sexual practices at baseline were most likely to report subsequent abuse and less likely to be placed into out-of-home care. Findings provide a more nuanced understanding of sexual risk among child welfare–involved adolescents and inform practices to promote positive transitions within the system. PMID:25155702

  12. A multi-state model examining patterns of transitioning among states of engagement in care in HIV-positive individuals initiating combination antiretroviral therapy

    PubMed Central

    Gillis, Jennifer; Loutfy, Mona; Bayoumi, Ahmed M; Antoniou, Tony; Burchell, Ann N; Walmsley, Sharon; Cooper, Curtis; Klein, Marina B.; Machouf, Nima; Montaner, Julio SG; Rourke, Sean B.; Tsoukas, Christos; Hogg, Robert; Raboud, Janet

    2016-01-01

    Background Common measures of engagement in care fail to acknowledge that infrequent follow-up may occur either intentionally among patients with sustained virologic suppression or unintentionally among patients with poor clinical outcomes. Methods Five states of HIV care were defined within the Canadian Observational Cohort (CANOC) Collaboration following combination antiretroviral therapy (cART) initiation: (1) guidelines HIV care (suppressed viral load (VL) and CD4 >200 cells/mm3, no gaps in cART >3 months, no gaps in CD4 or VL measurement >6 months), (2) successful care with decreased frequency of follow-up (as above except no gaps in CD4 or VL measurement >12 months), (3) suboptimal care (unsuppressed VL, CD4<200 cells/mm3 on 2 consecutive visits, ≥1 gap in cART >3 months, or ≥1 gap in CD4 or VL measurement >12 months), (4) loss to follow-up (no contact for 18 months), and (5) death. Multi-state models were used to determine factors associated with transitioning among states. Results 7810 participants were included. Younger age, female gender, Indigenous ethnicity and people who have injected drugs (PWID) were associated with increased likelihoods of transitioning from guidelines to suboptimal care and decreased likelihoods of transitioning from suboptimal to guidelines care. One-fifth of individuals in successful, decreased follow-up after cART initiation (mean sojourn time 0.72 years) were in suboptimal care in subsequent years. Conclusions Using routinely collected data, we have developed a flexible framework that characterizes patient transitions among states of HIV clinical care. We have demonstrated that multi-state models provide a useful approach to supplement ‘cascade of care’ work. PMID:27851713

  13. Children's early child care and their mothers' later involvement with schools.

    PubMed

    Crosnoe, Robert; Augustine, Jennifer March; Huston, Aletha C

    2012-01-01

    Theory and policy highlight the role of child care in preparing children for the transition into school. Approaching this issue in a different way, this study investigated whether children's care experiences before this transition promoted their mothers' school involvement after it, with the hypothesized mechanism for this link being the cultivation of children's social and academic skills. Analyses of 1,352 children (1 month-6 years) and parents in the NICHD Study of Early Child Care and Youth Development revealed that mothers were more involved at their children's schools when children had prior histories of high-quality nonparental care. This pattern, which was fairly stable across levels of maternal education and employment, was mediated by children's academic skills and home environments. © 2012 The Authors. Child Development © 2012 Society for Research in Child Development, Inc.

  14. Mobility for care workers: job changes and wages for nurse aides.

    PubMed

    Ribas, Vanesa; Dill, Janette S; Cohen, Philip N

    2012-12-01

    The long-term care industry in the United States faces serious recruitment and retention problems among nurse aides. At the same time, these low-wage workers may feel trapped in poorly-paid jobs from which they would do well to leave. Despite this tension, not enough is known about how workers fare when they leave (or stay in) such care work. Using longitudinal data from the Survey of Income and Program Participation for the years 1996-2003, we examine the relationship between different job and occupational mobility patterns and wage outcomes for nurse aides, focusing on which job transitions offer better opportunities to earn higher wages and on whether job transition patterns differ by race. Our results confirm high turnover among nurse aides, with 73 percent of the sample working in occupations other than nurse aide at some point during the survey time frame. About half of respondents that transition out of nurse aide work move into higher-paying occupations, although the percentage of transitions to higher paying occupations drops to 35 percent when nurse aides that become RNs are excluded. Among black workers especially, wage penalties for moving into other jobs in the low-wage labor market appear to be rather small, likely a factor in high turnover among nurse aides. The findings illustrate the importance of occupation-specific mobility trajectories and their outcomes for different groups of workers, and for understanding the constrained decisions these workers make. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  15. ‘Talking a different language’: an exploration of the influence of organizational cultures and working practices on transition from child to adult mental health services

    PubMed Central

    2013-01-01

    Background Organizational culture is manifest in patterns of behaviour underpinned by beliefs, values, attitudes and assumptions, which can influence working practices. Cultural factors and working practices have been suggested to influence the transition of young people moving from child to adult mental health services. Failure to manage and integrate transitional care effectively can lead to young people losing contact with health and social care systems, resulting in adverse effects on health, well-being and potential. Methods The study aim was to identify the organisational factors which facilitate or impede transition of young people from child and adolescent mental health services (CAMHS) to adult mental health services (AMHS) from the perspective of health professionals and representatives of voluntary organisations. Specific objectives were (i) to explore organizational cultures, structures, processes and resources which influence transition from child to adult mental health services; (ii) identify factors which constitute barriers and facilitators to transition and continuity of care and (iii) make recommendations for service improvements. Within an exploratory, qualitative design thirty four semi-structured interviews were conducted with health and social care professionals working in CAMHS and AMHS in four NHS Mental Health Trusts and four voluntary organizations, in England. Results A cultural divide appears to exist between CAMHS and AMHS, characterized by different beliefs, attitudes, mutual misperceptions and a lack of understanding of different service structures. This is exacerbated by working practices relating to communication and information transfer which could impact negatively on transition, relational, informational and cross boundary continuity of care. There is also evidence of a cultural shift, with some positive approaches to collaborative working across services and agencies, involving joint posts, parallel working, shared clinics and joint meetings. Conclusions Cultural factors embodied in mutual misperceptions, attitudes, beliefs exist between CAMHS and AMHS. Working practices can exert either positive or negative effects on transition and continuity of care. Implementation of shared education and training, standardised approaches to record keeping and information transfer, supported by compatible IT resources are recommended, alongside management strategies which evaluate the achievement of outcomes related to transition and continuity of care. PMID:23822089

  16. 'Talking a different language': an exploration of the influence of organizational cultures and working practices on transition from child to adult mental health services.

    PubMed

    McLaren, Susan; Belling, Ruth; Paul, Moli; Ford, Tamsin; Kramer, Tami; Weaver, Tim; Hovish, Kimberly; Islam, Zoebia; White, Sarah; Singh, Swaran P

    2013-07-03

    Organizational culture is manifest in patterns of behaviour underpinned by beliefs, values, attitudes and assumptions, which can influence working practices. Cultural factors and working practices have been suggested to influence the transition of young people moving from child to adult mental health services. Failure to manage and integrate transitional care effectively can lead to young people losing contact with health and social care systems, resulting in adverse effects on health, well-being and potential. The study aim was to identify the organisational factors which facilitate or impede transition of young people from child and adolescent mental health services (CAMHS) to adult mental health services (AMHS) from the perspective of health professionals and representatives of voluntary organisations. Specific objectives were (i) to explore organizational cultures, structures, processes and resources which influence transition from child to adult mental health services; (ii) identify factors which constitute barriers and facilitators to transition and continuity of care and (iii) make recommendations for service improvements. Within an exploratory, qualitative design thirty four semi-structured interviews were conducted with health and social care professionals working in CAMHS and AMHS in four NHS Mental Health Trusts and four voluntary organizations, in England. A cultural divide appears to exist between CAMHS and AMHS, characterized by different beliefs, attitudes, mutual misperceptions and a lack of understanding of different service structures. This is exacerbated by working practices relating to communication and information transfer which could impact negatively on transition, relational, informational and cross boundary continuity of care. There is also evidence of a cultural shift, with some positive approaches to collaborative working across services and agencies, involving joint posts, parallel working, shared clinics and joint meetings. Cultural factors embodied in mutual misperceptions, attitudes, beliefs exist between CAMHS and AMHS. Working practices can exert either positive or negative effects on transition and continuity of care. Implementation of shared education and training, standardised approaches to record keeping and information transfer, supported by compatible IT resources are recommended, alongside management strategies which evaluate the achievement of outcomes related to transition and continuity of care.

  17. Adolescent maltreatment in the child welfare system and developmental patterns of sexual risk behaviors.

    PubMed

    Fowler, Patrick J; Motley, Darnell; Zhang, Jinjin; Rolls-Reutz, Jennifer; Landsverk, John

    2015-02-01

    In this longitudinal study, we tested whether adolescent maltreatment and out-of-home placement as a response to maltreatment altered developmental patterns of sexual risk behaviors in a nationally representative sample of youth involved in the child welfare system. Participants included adolescents aged 13 to 17 (M = 15.5, SD = 1.49) at baseline (n = 714), followed over 18 months. Computer-assisted interviews were used to collect self-reported sexual practices and experiences of physical and psychological abuse at both time points. Latent transition analyses were used to identify three patterns of sexual risk behaviors: abstainers, safe sex with multiple partners, and unsafe sex with multiple partners. Most adolescents transitioned to safer sexual behavior patterns over time. Adolescents exhibiting the riskiest sexual practices at baseline were most likely to report subsequent abuse and less likely to be placed into out-of-home care. Findings provide a more nuanced understanding of sexual risk among child welfare-involved adolescents and inform practices to promote positive transitions within the system. © The Author(s) 2014.

  18. Vigilance as a caring expression and Leininger's theory of cultural care diversity and universality.

    PubMed

    Carr, J M

    1998-01-01

    Vigilance, or the close, protective involvement of families caring for hospitalized relatives, was explored in this study using holistic ethnography. Leininger's theory of cultural care diversity and universality provided direction for the researcher to generate substantive data about the meanings, patterns, and day-to-day experience of vigilance. Five categories of meaning were derived from the data: commitment to care, emotional upheaval, dynamic nexus, transition, and resilience. The research findings expand understanding of vigilance as a caring expression, suggest direction for nursing practice, and contribute to Leininger's theory of cultural care diversity and universality and the development of nursing science.

  19. Challenging graduate nurses' transition: Care of the deteriorating patient.

    PubMed

    Della Ratta, Carol

    2016-10-01

    To explore graduate nurses' experiences of caring for deteriorating patients during the first year of practice. Hospital-based transition programmes have been established to ease graduate nurse transition. Despite this, novice nurses persistently cite caring for deteriorating patients as a clinical challenge. Few studies have explored the unique needs of novice nurses during such encounters, even less research has been undertaken from their perspective. Qualitative interpretive phenomenological analysis. One-on-one, semi-structured, in-depth, audio-recorded interviews were conducted between July-November 2014. A purposive sample of eight novice nurses working in acute care, ICU and the ED was recruited through the use of flyers. Three major patterns with related themes illuminate the experience of caring for deteriorating patients as it is lived by graduate nurses. Dwelling with uncertainty occurred during initial encounters with deteriorating patients with its deeply felt impact upon these novices causing them to question their capability of becoming a nurse. 'Success' or 'failure' of their performance during these encounters extended to their view of themselves as nurses and impacted transition. Building me up was influenced by participants' expressed need for and importance of trusted relationships with preceptors, nurse colleagues and/or educators as they learned to care for deteriorating patients. A new lifeline: Salient being emerged as change in participants' identity and increased self-understanding as professional nurses. Caring for deteriorating patients impacted graduate nurses because they viewed such encounters to be 'high stakes' not only for their patient but also for themselves. Crucial to their development were trusted relationships with preceptors, nurse colleagues and/or educators. The findings identify needs of graduate nurses' during a high-stakes patient encounter and shed light upon one aspect of transition. Clinical leaders may use the findings from this study to improve preceptor development and transition programme curricula. © 2016 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

  20. Lessons Learned from Testing the Quality Cost Model of Advanced Practice Nursing (APN) Transitional Care

    PubMed Central

    Brooten, Dorothy; Naylor, Mary D.; York, Ruth; Brown, Linda P.; Munro, Barbara Hazard; Hollingsworth, Andrea O.; Cohen, Susan M.; Finkler, Steven; Deatrick, Janet; Youngblut, JoAnne M.

    2013-01-01

    Purpose To describe the development, testing, modification, and results of the Quality Cost Model of Advanced Practice Nurses (APNs) Transitional Care on patient outcomes and health care costs in the United States over 22 years, and to delineate what has been learned for nursing education, practice, and further research. Organizing Construct The Quality Cost Model of APN Transitional Care. Methods Review of published results of seven randomized clinical trials with very low birth-weight (VLBW) infants; women with unplanned cesarean births, high risk pregnancies, and hysterectomy surgery; elders with cardiac medical and surgical diagnoses and common diagnostic related groups (DRGs); and women with high risk pregnancies in which half of physician prenatal care was substituted with APN care. Ongoing work with the model is linking the process of APN care with the outcomes and costs of care. Findings APN intervention has consistently resulted in improved patient outcomes and reduced health care costs across groups. Groups with APN providers were rehospitalized for less time at less cost, reflecting early detection and intervention. Optimal number and timing of postdischarge home visits and telephone contacts by the APNs and patterns of rehospitalizations and acute care visits varied by group. Conclusions To keep people well over time, APNs must have depth of knowledge and excellent clinical and interpersonal skills that are the hallmark of specialist practice, an in-depth understanding of systems and how to work within them, and sufficient patient contact to effect positive outcomes at low cost. PMID:12501741

  1. Environmental factors associated with primary care access among urban older adults.

    PubMed

    Ryvicker, Miriam; Gallo, William T; Fahs, Marianne C

    2012-09-01

    Disparities in primary care access and quality impede optimal chronic illness prevention and management for older adults. Although research has shown associations between neighborhood attributes and health, little is known about how these factors - in particular, the primary care infrastructure - inform older adults' primary care use. Using geographic data on primary care physician supply and surveys from 1260 senior center attendees in New York City, we examined factors that facilitate and hinder primary care use for individuals living in service areas with different supply levels. Supply quartiles varied in primary care use (visit within the past 12 months), racial and socio-economic composition, and perceived neighborhood safety and social cohesion. Primary care use did not differ significantly after controlling for compositional factors. Individuals who used a community clinic or hospital outpatient department for most of their care were less likely to have had a primary care visit than those who used a private doctor's office. Stratified multivariate models showed that within the lowest-supply quartile, public transit users had a higher odds of primary care use than non-transit users. Moreover, a higher score on the perceived neighborhood social cohesion scale was associated with a higher odds of primary care use. Within the second-lowest quartile, nonwhites had a lower odds of primary care use compared to whites. Different patterns of disadvantage in primary care access exist that may be associated with - but not fully explained by - local primary care supply. In lower-supply areas, racial disparities and inadequate primary care infrastructure hinder access to care. However, accessibility and elder-friendliness of public transit, as well as efforts to improve social cohesion and support, may facilitate primary care access for individuals living in low-supply areas. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  2. Care Transitions and Adult Day Services Moderate the Longitudinal Links between Stress Biomarkers and Family Caregivers' Functional Health.

    PubMed

    Liu, Yin; Almeida, David M; Rovine, Michael J; Zarit, Steven H

    2017-01-01

    Stress biomarkers have been linked to health and well-being. There are, however, few studies on how dysregulation in the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis and sympathetic nervous system actually affects functional health of family caregivers of persons with dementia. Further, it is not clear whether and how factors affecting caregiving stressor exposures such as care transitions and adult day services (ADS) use may affect such association. First, to examine the association of daily stress biomarkers and functional health over time among family caregivers of persons with dementia. Second, to examine effects of care transitions and ADS use on the association between baseline stress biomarkers and functional health over time. At baseline, caregivers provided 5 saliva samples each day during an 8-day diary study, where all caregivers were having a varying number of ADS days per week. There were 2 longitudinal follow-ups at 6 and 12 months on ADS use, care transitions, and caregivers' functional health. The average daily total output across days was computed at baseline for salivary cortisol, the sulfated form of dehydroepiandrosterone (DHEA-s), and salivary alpha amylase (sAA), which were used as predictors of caregivers' longitudinal functional limitation trajectories. Care transitions and total number of ADS days per week at baseline were considered as moderators of the associations between stress biomarkers and health over time. The associations between functional limitation trajectories and daily total outputs of cortisol and sAA were modified by ADS use and care transitions. Among caregivers who experienced a transition, and who used less than average ADS days per week, lower daily cortisol total output and lower daily sAA total output were associated with increasing functional limitations. Caregivers who experienced a transition but used greater than average ADS days per week did not show such patterns of association. No significant effect was found for DHEA-s. The study contributes to an important but largely unanswered question regarding implications of stress biomarkers on functional health. Assessments of the association between stress biomarkers and health among family caregivers of persons with dementia need to consider changes in stressor exposures over time, such as care transitions and ADS use. © 2017 S. Karger AG, Basel.

  3. Urban adolescents with intellectual disability and challenging behaviour: costs and characteristics during transition to adult services.

    PubMed

    Barron, Diana A; Molosankwe, Iris; Romeo, Renee; Hassiotis, Angela

    2013-05-01

    Young persons with intellectual disabilities and challenging behaviour in transition usually have complex needs, which may not be served well within existing resources. In this article, we present a survey of all the young people, between 16 and 18 years of age with intellectual disabilities and challenging behaviour identified in one inner London borough. They were in transition to adult services at the time of the study (between 2006 and 2008). The objective was to examine their socio-demographic and clinical characteristics, pattern of service use and associated costs of care. An assessment toolkit was devised to measure the mental and physical health, challenging behaviour and service use of the sample. Instruments within the toolkit included the Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire, challenging behaviour scale, Client Service Receipt Inventory (CSRI) and socio-demographic data form. Twenty-seven individuals in transition to adult services had challenging behaviour, 23 of whom had mental health diagnoses and 18 of whom had physical diagnoses. Severity of challenging behaviour did not correlate with cost of care. Informal care accounted for the highest proportion of the total cost of care (66%) with education being the second largest contributor at 22%. Evidence on transition outcomes for young people with complex needs and intellectual disabilities and associated costs is lacking. This article illustrates some of the relevant issues in this area. Further research is required to investigate these aspects and guide commissioning of appropriate services. © 2013 Blackwell Publishing Ltd.

  4. Possible oriented transition of multiple-emulsion globules with asymmetric internal structures in a microfluidic constriction

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Wang, Jingtao; Li, Xiaoduan; Wang, Xiaoyong; Guan, Jing

    2014-05-01

    When a globule with a complete symmetry (such as simple spherical droplets and concentric double emulsions) is transiting in a constriction tube, there is only one pattern of the transition. However, for a multiple-emulsion globule with asymmetric internal structures, there are many possible patterns with different pressure drops Δp due to various initial orientations of the inner droplets. In this paper, a boundary integral method developed recently is employed to investigate numerically the possible oriented transition of a globule with two unequal inner droplets in an axisymmetric microfluidic constriction. The transition is driven by an axisymmetric Poiseuille flow with a fixed volume flow rate, and the rheological behaviors of the globule are observed carefully. When the big inner droplet is initially located in the front of the globule, the maximum pressure drop during the transition is always lower than that when it is initially placed in the rear. Thus, a tropism—whereby a globule more easily gets through the constriction when its bigger inner droplet locates in its front initially—might exist, in which the orientating stimulus is the required pressure drops. The physical explanation of this phenomenon has also been analyzed in this paper.

  5. Coordinating patient care within radiology and across the enterprise.

    PubMed

    McEnery, Kevin W

    2014-12-01

    For the practice of radiology, the transition to filmless imaging operations has resulted in a fundamental transition to more efficient clinical operations. In addition, the electronic delivery of diagnostic studies to the bedside has had a great impact on the care process throughout the health care enterprise. The radiology information system (RIS) has been at the core of the transition to filmless patient care. In a similar manner, the electronic medical record (EMR) is fundamentally and rapidly transforming the clinical enterprise into paperless/digital coordination of care. The widespread availability of EMR systems can be predicted to continue to increase the level of coordination of clinical care within the EMR framework. For the radiologist, readily available clinical information at the point of interpretation will continue to drive the evolution of the interpretation process, leading to improved patient outcomes. Regardless of practice size, efficient workflow processes are required to best leverage the functionality of IT systems. The radiologist should be aware of the scope of the RIS capabilities that allow for maximizing clinical benefit, and of the EMR system capabilities for improving = clinical imaging practice and care coordination across the enterprise. Radiology departments should be actively involved in forming practice patterns that allow efficient EMR-based clinical practice. This summary article is intended to assist radiologists in becoming active participants in the evolving role of both the RIS and EMR systems in coordinating efficient and effective delivery across the clinical enterprise. Copyright © 2014 American College of Radiology. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  6. Glass transition in ferroic glass K x (ND4)1-x D2PO4: a complete x-ray diffraction line shape analysis

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Ranjan Choudhury, Rajul; Chitra, R.; Jayakrishnan, V. B.

    2016-03-01

    Quenching of dynamic disorder in glassy systems is termed as the glass transition. Ferroic glasses belong to the class of paracrystalline materials having crystallographic order in-between that of a perfect crystal and amorphous material, a classic example of ferroic glass is the solid solution of ferroelectric deuterated potassium dihydrogen phosphate and antiferroelectric deuterated ammonium dihydrogen phosphate. Lowering temperature of this ferroic glass can lead to a glass transition to a quenched disordered state. The subtle atomic rearrangement that takes place at such a glass transition can be revealed by careful examination of the temperature induced changes occurring in the x-ray powder diffraction (XRD) patterns of these materials. Hence we report here results of a complete diffraction line shape analysis of the XRD patterns recorded at different temperatures from deuterated mixed crystals DK x A1-x DP with mixing concentration x ranging as 0 < x < 1. Changes observed in diffraction peak shapes have been explained on the basis of structural rearrangements induced by changing O-D-O hydrogen bond dynamics in these paracrystals.

  7. One-year trajectories of care and resource utilization for recipients of prolonged mechanical ventilation: a cohort study.

    PubMed

    Unroe, Mark; Kahn, Jeremy M; Carson, Shannon S; Govert, Joseph A; Martinu, Tereza; Sathy, Shailaja J; Clay, Alison S; Chia, Jessica; Gray, Alice; Tulsky, James A; Cox, Christopher E

    2010-08-03

    Growing numbers of critically ill patients receive prolonged mechanical ventilation. Little is known about the patterns of care as patients transition from acute care hospitals to postacute care facilities or about the associated resource utilization. To describe 1-year trajectories of care and resource utilization for patients receiving prolonged mechanical ventilation. 1-year prospective cohort study. 5 intensive care units at Duke University Medical Center, Durham, North Carolina. 126 patients receiving prolonged mechanical ventilation (defined as ventilation for >or=4 days with tracheostomy placement or ventilation for >or=21 days without tracheostomy), as well as their 126 surrogates and 54 intensive care unit physicians, enrolled consecutively over 1 year. Patients and surrogates were interviewed in the hospital, as well as 3 and 12 months after discharge, to determine patient survival, functional status, and facility type and duration of postdischarge care. Physicians were interviewed in the hospital to elicit prognoses. Institutional billing records were used to assign costs for acute care, outpatient care, and interfacility transportation. Medicare claims data were used to assign costs for postacute care. 103 (82%) hospital survivors had 457 separate transitions in postdischarge care location (median, 4 transitions [interquartile range, 3 to 5 transitions]), including 68 patients (67%) who were readmitted at least once. Patients spent an average of 74% (95% CI, 68% to 80%) of all days alive in a hospital or postacute care facility or receiving home health care. At 1 year, 11 patients (9%) had a good outcome (alive with no functional dependency), 33 (26%) had a fair outcome (alive with moderate dependency), and 82 (65%) had a poor outcome (either alive with complete functional dependency [4 patients; 21%] or dead [56 patients; 44%]). Patients with poor outcomes were older, had more comorbid conditions, and were more frequently discharged to a postacute care facility than patients with either fair or good outcomes (P < 0.05 for all). The mean cost per patient was $306,135 (SD, $285,467), and total cohort cost was $38.1 million, for an estimated $3.5 million per independently functioning survivor at 1 year. The results of this single-center study may not be applicable to other centers. Patients receiving prolonged mechanical ventilation have multiple transitions of care, resulting in substantial health care costs and persistent, profound disability. The optimism of surrogate decision makers should be balanced by discussions of these outcomes when considering a course of prolonged life support. None.

  8. Identifying the needs of critical and acute cardiac care nurses within the first two years of practice in Egypt using a nominal group technique.

    PubMed

    Gorman, Linda L; McDowell, Joan R S

    2018-01-01

    Nursing in Egypt faces many challenges and working conditions in health care settings are generally poor. Little is known about the needs of new nurses transitioning in Egypt. The literature focuses on the first year of practice and only a small body of research has explored the transition needs within acute care speciality settings. This paper reports on the important professional needs of new graduate nurses working in an acute cardiac setting in Egypt during the first two years of practice and differences between their perceived most important needs. The total population participated and two group interviews were conducted (n = 5; n = 6) using the nominal group technique. Needs were identified and prioritised using both rankings and ratings to attain consensus. Content analysis was conducted to produce themes and enable cross-group comparison. Rating scores were standardised for comparison within and between groups. Both groups ranked and rated items as important: 1) education, training and continued professional development; 2) professional standards; 3) supportive clinical practice environment; 4) manageable work patterns, and 5) organisational structure. It is important that health care organisations are responsive to these needs to ensure support strategies reflect the priorities of new nurses transitioning in acute care hospitals within Egypt. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  9. Negotiated risk and resident autonomy: Frontline care staff perspectives on culture change in long term care in Nova Scotia, Canada.

    PubMed

    Roberts, Emily

    2016-08-12

    Regulating risk, freedom of action, and autonomy in decision making are problems shared by both caregivers and residents in long term care settings, and may become the subject of tension and constant negotiation. This study focuses on long term care staff and management perceptions of day to day life in a care community which has gone through a culture change transition, where small residentially scaled households replace large instutional models of care. In each household, the setting is considered to be home for the 8-12 residents, creating a major shift of roles for the caregivers; they are, in essence, coming into a home rather than institutional environment as a place of work. This potentially changes the dynamics of both patterns of work for caregivers and patterns of daily living for residents. Participant observations and care staff interviews. Several key themes emrged which include: teamwork; the culture of care; regulating risk; the physical environment and care staff empowerment. An unexpected outcome was the consensus among care staff that it is they who feel at home while working in the care households, leading to empowerment in their work roles and a deeper understanding of the importance of their role in the lives of the residents.

  10. Janus at the Crossroads: Perspectives on Long-term Care Trajectories for Older Women With Dementia in a Canadian Context.

    PubMed

    Cloutier, Denise S; Penning, Margaret J

    2017-02-01

    Janus, the two-faced, Roman god of beginnings and transitions, is used as a metaphor to explore our personal narratives and our quantitative research on the experiences of older women with dementia in long-term care (LTC). Two research questions are addressed: (a) How do our quantitative data map onto our mothers' experiences? (b) What lessons do our mothers' experiences offer for the care of older women with dementia? Informed by a life-course perspective, we triangulate administrative data on 3,717 women with dementia receiving LTC in British Columbia, Canada, with personal narratives-the stories of our mothers who made the transition from home care into residential (nursing home) care. Our quantitative data reveal that the home care to residential care transition is the most common LTC trajectory for women with dementia who are most likely to be widowed and living alone in suburban areas. On entry into residential care, they exhibit greater frailty in terms of activities of daily living, cognition, aggression, and incontinence. Our personal narrative data on our mothers reveals that the relatively straightforward pathways through LTC for women with dementia, are often considerably more complex in a real-world context. Attention is drawn to the public and private services, hospitalization patterns, and substantial communication gaps experienced by our moms and families. A life-course perspective, and qualitative and quantitative data facilitate understanding the care journeys-health and service trajectories of older women with dementia. © The Author 2016. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of The Gerontological Society of America. All rights reserved. For permissions, please e-mail: journals.permissions@oup.com.

  11. Effective process or dangerous precipice: qualitative comparative embedded case study with young people with epilepsy and their parents during transition from children’s to adult services

    PubMed Central

    2013-01-01

    Background Transition from children’s to adult epilepsy services is known to be challenging. Some young people partially or completely disengage from contact with services, thereby risking their health and wellbeing. We conducted a mixed-method systematic review that showed current epilepsy transition models enabling information exchange and developing self-care skills were not working well. We used synthesised evidence to develop a theoretical framework to inform this qualitative study. The aim was to address a critical research gap by exploring communication, information needs, and experiences of knowledge exchange in clinical settings by young people and their parents, during transition from children’s to adult epilepsy services. Method Qualitative comparative embedded Case study with 2 'transition’ cases (epilepsy services) in two hospitals. Fifty-eight participants: 30 young people (13–19 years) and 28 parents were interviewed in-depth (individual or focus group). Clinical documents/guidelines were collated. 'Framework’ thematic analysis was used. The theoretical framework was tested using themes, pattern matching and replication logic. Theory-based evaluation methods were used to understand how and why different models of service delivery worked. Results A joint epilepsy clinic for young people 14–17 years coordinated by children’s and adult services was more likely to influence young people’s behaviour by facilitating more positive engagement with adult healthcare professionals and retention of epilepsy-related self-care information. Critical success factors were continuity of care, on-going and consistent age-appropriate and person centred communication and repeated information exchange. Three young people who experienced a single handover clinic disengaged from services. Psychosocial care was generally inadequate and healthcare professionals lacked awareness of memory impairment. Parents lacked knowledge, skills and support to enable their child to independently self-care. Translation of transition policies/guidelines into practice was weak. Conclusion Findings make a significant contribution to understanding why young people disengage from epilepsy services, why some parents prevent independent self-care, and what constitutes good communication and transition from the perspective of young people and parents. The type of service configuration, delivery and organisation influenced the behaviours of young people at transition to adult services. The novel theoretical framework was substantially supported, underwent further post-hoc development and can be used in future practice/intervention development and research. PMID:24131769

  12. Defects and spatiotemporal disorder in a pattern of falling liquid columns

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Brunet, Philippe; Limat, Laurent

    2004-10-01

    Disordered regimes of a one-dimensional pattern of liquid columns hanging below an overflowing circular dish are investigated experimentally. The interaction of two basic dynamical modes (oscillations and drift) combined with the occurrence of defects (birth of new columns, disappearances by coalescences of two columns) leads to spatiotemporal chaos. When the flow rate is progressively increased, a continuous transition between transient and permanent chaos is pointed into evidence. We introduce the rate of defects as the sole relevant quantity to quantify this “turbulence” without ambiguity. Statistics on both transient and endlessly chaotic regimes enable to define a critical flow rate around which exponents are extracted. Comparisons are drawn with other interfacial pattern-forming systems, where transition towards chaos follows similar steps. Qualitatively, careful examinations of the global dynamics show that the contamination processes are nonlocal and involve the propagation of blocks of elementary laminar states (such as propagative domains or local oscillations), emitted near the defects, which turn out to be essential ingredients of this self-sustained disorder.

  13. Medical care transition planning and dental care use for youth with special health care needs during the transition from adolescence to young adulthood: a preliminary explanatory model

    PubMed Central

    Chi, Donald L.

    2013-01-01

    Objectives To test the hypotheses that youth with special health care needs (YSHCN) with a medical care transition plan are more likely to use dental care during the transition from adolescence to young adulthood and that different factors are associated with dental utilization for YSHCN with and YSHCN without functional limitations. Methods National Survey of CSHCN (2001) and Survey of Adult Transition and Health (2007) data were analyzed (N=1,746). The main predictor variable was having a medical care transition plan, defined as having discussed with a doctor how health care needs might change with age and having developed a transition plan. The outcome variable was dental care use in 2001 (adolescence) and 2007 (young adulthood). Multiple variable Poisson regression models with robust standard errors were used to estimate covariate-adjusted relative risks (RR). Results About 63% of YSHCN had a medical care transition plan and 73.5% utilized dental care. YSHCN with a medical care transition plan had a 9% greater relative risk (RR) of utilizing dental care than YSHCN without a medical care transition plan (RR:1.09; 95% CI:1.03–1.16). In the models stratified by functional limitation status, having a medical care transition plan was significantly associated with dental care use, but only for YSHCN without functional limitations (RR:1.11; 95% CI:1.04–1.18). Conclusions Having a medical care transition plan is significantly associated with dental care use, but only for YSHCN with no functional limitation. Dental care should be an integral part of the comprehensive health care transition planning process for all YSHCN. PMID:23812799

  14. Gulf Arab women's transition to motherhood.

    PubMed

    Missal, Bernita

    2013-01-01

    This paper is a report of the findings of a study of Gulf Arab women's perspectives of the transition to motherhood. Transition to motherhood is a universal phenomenon in which every culture has its own expectations and varying supports for women moving through this transition. International studies have provided models or categories of maternal responses related to cultural aspects of transition to motherhood. However, no known research has focused on transition to motherhood among Gulf Arab women. In the initial cohort seventeen first time Gulf Arab mothers in the United Arab Emirates were interviewed during the following three times: before childbirth, two-four weeks after childbirth, and forty-days after childbirth. A second cohort of seventeen first time new mothers was interviewed after childbirth in Sultanate of Oman. Four patterns were identified as indicators of change as women transitioned into motherhood: 1) Women's personal transition: women changed from feeling of freedom to feeling of dependency to self-confidence. 2) Mother/baby relationships: women changed from fear, anxiety, and uncertainty to feelings of care and confidence. 3) Family influences: women experienced family support to being integrated and feeling respected by family. 4) Cultural/religious beliefs and practices: women felt they were initially observers of culture, to experiencing cultural/religious beliefs and practices. This was followed by accomplishment in childbearing and childrearing practices. As Gulf Arab new mothers made the transition to motherhood, four implications for international nursing practice emerged: 1) patient teaching to help relieve anxiety, fears, and uncertainty, 2) facilitation of mother/baby relationships, 3) family-centered care, and 4) the importance of cultural/religious beliefs and practices to new mothers.

  15. Study protocol: improving the transition of care from a non-network hospital back to the patient's medical home.

    PubMed

    Ayele, Roman A; Lawrence, Emily; McCreight, Marina; Fehling, Kelty; Peterson, Jamie; Glasgow, Russell E; Rabin, Borsika A; Burke, Robert; Battaglia, Catherine

    2017-02-10

    The process of transitioning Veterans to primary care following a non-Veterans Affairs (VA) hospitalization can be challenging. Poor transitions result in medical complications and increased hospital readmissions. The goal of this transition of care quality improvement (QI) project is to identify gaps in the current transition process and implement an intervention that bridges the gap and improves the current transition of care process within the Eastern Colorado Health Care System (ECHCS). We will employ qualitative methods to understand the current transition of care process back to VA primary care for Veterans who received care in a non-VA hospital in ECHCS. We will conduct in-depth semi-structured interviews with Veterans hospitalized in 2015 in non-VA hospitals as well as both VA and non-VA providers, staff, and administrators involved in the current care transition process. Participants will be recruited using convenience and snowball sampling. Qualitative data analysis will be guided by conventional content analysis and Lean Six Sigma process improvement tools. We will use VA claim data to identify the top ten non-VA hospitals serving rural and urban Veterans by volume and Veterans that received inpatient services at non-VA hospitals. Informed by both qualitative and quantitative data, we will then develop a transitions care coordinator led intervention to improve the transitions process. We will test the transition of care coordinator intervention using repeated improvement cycles incorporating salient factors in value stream mapping that are important for an efficient and effective transition process. Furthermore, we will complete a value stream map of the transition process at two other VA Medical Centers and test whether an implementation strategy of audit and feedback (the value stream map of the current transition process with the Transition of Care Dashboard) versus audit and feedback with Transition Nurse facilitation of the process using the Resource Guide and Transition of Care Dashboard improves the transition process, continuity of care, patient satisfaction and clinical outcomes. Our current transition of care process has shortcomings. An intervention utilizing a transition care coordinator has the potential to improve this process. Transitioning Veterans to primary care following a non-VA hospitalization is a crucial step for improving care coordination for Veterans.

  16. [The quality of sibling relation who have experienced family transitions and those who have not].

    PubMed

    Simard, Marie; Beaudry, Madeleine; Drapeau, Sylvie; Nadeau, France; Charbonneau, Cécile

    2002-01-01

    In this study, similarities and differences in sibling relationships between children who have experienced family transitions and those who have not are examined. Comparisons are made between children who live in intact families, those whose parents have separated, and those who live in substitute care regarding the quality of their relationships with one of their siblings. More specifically, 4 dimensions describing the quality of sibling relationships are compared: Warmth/Closeness, Conflict, Relative Status/Power, and Rivalry (Furman & Buhrmester, 1985). The sample is made up of 3 groups of children (N = 158) aged between 8 and 12 years old: children living in intact families (n = 101), children who have experienced parental separation (n = 35), and children living in substitute care (n = 22). Results indicate differences on dimensions of Warmth/Closeness, Conflict, and Relative Status/Power. Different patterns of responses between the children who have experienced family transitions and those who have not are observed for the dimensions of Conflict and Power. The significant difference observed between the groups for the dimension of Warmth appears difficult to explain. Discussion of these results emphasizes the importance of the relationship between brothers and sisters experiencing family transition.

  17. Exploring Thailand's mortality transition with the aid of life tables

    PubMed Central

    Carmichael, Gordon A

    2011-01-01

    The project Thai Health-Risk Transition: A National Cohort Study seeks to better understand the health implications of modernisation and globalisation forces impacting on Thailand. As part of its ‘look-back’ component this paper seeks, using available life tables, to document the country's post-war mortality transition. The onset of transition through mass campaigns of the late 1940s and 1950s is first discussed before attention turns to the life tables. They are predictably far from flawless, but careful analysis does permit trends that have seen around 30 years added to life expectancy to be traced, and age patterns of improved survivorship and their relation to initiatives to improve health to be examined. The broad benefits generated by mass campaigns, ongoing improvements in infant and early childhood mortality, and a phased impact of the expansion of primary health care in rural areas on adult survival prospects after the mid-1970s are demonstrated. The paper also investigates the consequences for mortality of a motorcycle-focused rapid increase in road fatalities in the late 1980s and early 1990s and the HIV/AIDS epidemic that developed after 1984. PMID:21847831

  18. Communicatively Constructing the Bright and Dark Sides of Hope: Family Caregivers’ Experiences during End of Life Cancer Care

    PubMed Central

    Koenig Kellas, Jody; Castle, Katherine M.; Johnson, Alexis; Cohen, Marlene Z.

    2017-01-01

    (1) Background: The communication of hope is complicated, particularly for family caregivers in the context of cancer who struggle to maintain hope for themselves and their loved ones in the face of terminality. In order to understand these complexities, the current study examines the bright and dark sides of how hope is communicated across the cancer journey from the vantage point of bereaved family caregivers; (2) Methods: We analyzed interviews with bereaved family caregivers using qualitative thematic and case oriented strategies to identify patterns in the positive and negative lived experiences when communicating about hope at the end of life; (3) Results: Two overarching patterns of hope emerged. Those who experienced hope as particularized (focused on cure) cited communication about false hope, performing (faking it), and avoidance. Those who transitioned from particularized to generalized hope (hope for a good death) reported acceptance, the communication of hope as social support, prioritizing family, and balancing hope and honesty; (4) Conclusion: Family caregivers face myriad complexities in managing the bright and dark sides of hope. Interventions should encourage concurrent oncological and palliative care, increased perspective-taking among family members, and encourage the transition from particularized to generalized hope. PMID:28505118

  19. Antecedents of transition patterns of depressive symptom trajectories from adolescence to young adulthood.

    PubMed

    Lee, Tae Kyoung; Wickrama, Kandauda A S; Kwon, Josephine A; Lorenz, Frederick O; Oshri, Assaf

    2017-11-01

    This study examined (a) transition patterns from adolescent-specific depressive symptom trajectory classes to young adult-specific trajectory classes (N = 537; 15-26 years) and (b) identified risk factors associated with these transition patterns. The latent classes and transition analyses identified three transitional patterns of depressive symptom trajectories, including a deteriorating pattern (8.2%), a recovering pattern (22.5%), and a consistently low pattern (69.3%). Additionally, the results showed that contextual risk factors (i.e., negative economic events, negative romantic relationships, and low college enrolment rates) in the transition period to young adulthood were more positively associated with deteriorated or recovered transition patterns of depressive symptom trajectories than with the consistently low transition patterns even after taking into account the effects of adolescent risk factors. The identification of dynamic transition patterns in depressive symptom trajectories from adolescence to young adulthood and risk factors provide useful tools for preventive and intervention efforts. Statement of contribution What is already known on this subject? Heterogeneous trajectories of depressive symptoms across adolescence and young adulthood have been reported. Psychosocial characteristics differentiate trajectories of depressive symptoms from adolescence to young adulthood. What does this study add? Dynamic transition patterns of depressive symptom trajectories are found between adolescence and young adulthood. Life experiences in the transition period are uniquely associated with the transition patterns of depressive symptom trajectories even after adjusting the effects of adolescent characteristics. © 2017 The British Psychological Society.

  20. Exposing Baccalaureate Nursing Students to Transitional Care.

    PubMed

    OʼConnor, Melissa; Arcamone, Angelina; Amorim, Frances; Hoban, Mary Beth; Boyd, Regina M; Fowler, Lauren; Marcelli, Theresa; Smith, Jacalyn; Nassar, Kathleen; Fitzpatrick, M Louise

    2016-10-01

    Management and facilitation of care transitions from hospital to alternative settings requires skill and attention to avoid adverse events. Several interprofessional organizations and nurse leaders have called for the expansion and redesign of undergraduate nursing curricula to include care transitions. Yet there is little evidence describing how undergraduate baccalaureate nursing students are educated on this critical topic or how successful they are in improving student knowledge about care transitions. To address this gap, an in-classroom and clinical experience was implemented to prepare students to manage and facilitate care transitions from the hospital to alternative settings-including the home. Perceptions of undergraduate nursing students and home healthcare nurse preceptors were assessed via an electronic survey that was emailed to participants. Forty-eight responses to the survey were received. Students agreed this experience contributed to their understanding of caring for adults and older adults who are experiencing a care transition and they had a good understanding of care transitions to apply to their future nursing courses. Home healthcare nurse preceptors agreed they were able to demonstrate transitional care and that students were engaged. Future work should include expanding transitional care immersion to other care settings as well as the inclusion of additional healthcare disciplines in care transition education.

  1. Transitions in Care for Infants with Trisomy 13 or 18.

    PubMed

    Patterson, Jacquelyn; Taylor, Genevieve; Smith, Melissa; Dotters-Katz, Sarah; Davis, Arlene M; Price, Wayne

    2017-07-01

    Background and Objectives  The scope of interventions offered to infants with trisomy 13 (T13) or trisomy 18 (T18) is increasing. We describe the spectrum of care provided, highlighting transitions in care for individual patients. Patients and Methods  This is a single-center, retrospective cohort of infants with T13 or T18 born between 2004 and 2015. Initial care was classified as comfort care or intervention using prenatal counseling notes. Transitions in care were identified in the medical record. Results  In this study, 25 infants were divided into two groups based on their care: neonates who experienced no transition in care and neonates who experienced at least one transition. Eleven neonates experienced no transition in care with 10 receiving comfort care. Fourteen neonates experienced at least one transition: three transitioned from comfort care to intervention and 11 from intervention to comfort care. The three initially provided comfort care were discharged home with hospice and readmitted. Among the 11 cases who transitioned from intervention to comfort care, 9 transitioned during the birth hospitalization, 6 had no prenatal suspicion for T13 or T18, and 5 experienced elective withdrawal of intensive care. Conclusion  The spectrum of care for infants with T13 or T18 illustrates the need for individualized counseling that is on-going, goal directed, collaborative, and responsive. Thieme Medical Publishers 333 Seventh Avenue, New York, NY 10001, USA.

  2. Safety threats and opportunities to improve interfacility care transitions: insights from patients and family members.

    PubMed

    Jeffs, Lianne; Kitto, Simon; Merkley, Jane; Lyons, Renee F; Bell, Chaim M

    2012-01-01

    To explore patients' and family members' perspectives on how safety threats are detected and managed across care transitions and strategies that improve care transitions from acute care hospitals to complex continuing care and rehabilitation health care organizations. Poorly executed care transitions can result in additional health care spending due to adverse outcomes and delays as patients wait to transfer from acute care to facilities providing different levels of care. Patients and their families play an integral role in ensuring they receive safe care, as they are the one constant in care transitions processes. However, patients' and family members' perspectives on how safety threats are detected and managed across care transitions from health care facility to health care facility remain poorly understood. This qualitative study used semistructured interviews with patients (15) and family members (seven) who were transferred from an acute care hospital to a complex continuing care/rehabilitation care facility. Data were analyzed using a directed content analytical approach. OUR RESULTS REVEALED THREE KEY OVERARCHING THEMES IN THE PERCEPTIONS: lacking information, getting "funneled through" too soon, and difficulty adjusting to the shift from total care to almost self-care. Several patients and families described their expectations and experiences associated with their interfacility care transitions as being uninformed about their transfer or that transfer happened too early. In addition, study participants identified the need for having a coordinated approach to care transitions that engages patients and family members. Study findings provide patients' and family members' perspectives on key safety threats and how to improve care transitions. Of particular importance is the need for patients and family members to play a more active role in their care transition planning and self-care management.

  3. Identification of alcohol abuse and transition from long-term unemployment to disability pension.

    PubMed

    Nurmela, Kirsti; Heikkinen, Virpi; Hokkanen, Risto; Ylinen, Aarne; Uitti, Jukka; Mattila, Aino; Joukamaa, Matti; Virtanen, Pekka

    2015-07-01

    The aim of the study was to reveal potential gaps and inconsistencies in the identification of alcohol abuse in health care and in employment services and to analyse the granting of disability pensions with respect to the alcohol abuse identification pattern. The material consisted of documentary information on 505 long-term unemployed subjects with low employability sent to the development project entitled 'Eligibility for a Disability Pension' in 2001-2006 in Finland. The dichotomous variables 'Alcohol abuse identified in employment services' and 'Alcohol abuse identified in health care' were cross-tabulated to obtain a four-class variable 'Alcohol abuse identification pattern'. Logistic regression analyses were conducted to ascertain the association of alcohol abuse identification pattern with the granting of disability pensions. Alcohol abuse was detected by both health care and employment services in 47% of those identified as abusers (41% of examinees). Each service systems also identified cases that the other did not. When alcohol abuse was identified in health care only, the OR for a disability pension being granted was 2.8 (95% CI 1.5-5.2) compared with applicants without identified alcohol abuse. The result remained the same and statistically significant after adjusting for confounders. Alcohol abuse identified in health care was positively associated with the granting of a disability pension. Closer co-operation between employment services and health care could help to identify those long-term unemployed individuals with impaired work ability in need of thorough medical examination. © 2015 the Nordic Societies of Public Health.

  4. Transitional Care for Older Adults with Chronic Illnesses as a Vulnerable Population: Theoretical Framework and Future Directions in Nursing.

    PubMed

    Son, Youn Jung; You, Mi Ae

    2015-12-01

    Effective transitional care is needed to improve the quality of life in older adult patients with chronic illness and avoid discontinuity of care and adverse events. The aim of this article is to provide an overview of the key features, broader implications, and the utility of Meleis' transition theory intended for the transitional care of older adults with chronic illnesses. We present the role of nurse in the context of transitional care and propose future directions to increase the quality of nursing care. The online databases Cumulative Index of Nursing and Allied Health Literature, MEDLINE, and Science Direct were searched for relevant literature published since 1970 along with textbooks regarding nursing theory. An evaluation of the usefulness of transition theory based on transitional care in older adult patients with chronic illnesses is provided. Healthy transition should be the expected standard of nursing care for older adults across all healthcare settings. Nurses need to contribute to the development of transitional care for vulnerable populations; however, transition theory needs to be enhanced through additional theoretical work and repeated evaluations of the applicability in areas of transitional care.

  5. Evolutionary transitions in parental care and live bearing in vertebrates.

    PubMed Central

    Reynolds, John D; Goodwin, Nicholas B; Freckleton, Robert P

    2002-01-01

    We provide the first review of phylogenetic transitions in parental care and live bearing for a wide variety of vertebrates. This includes new analyses of both numbers of transitions and transition probabilities. These reveal numerous transitions by shorebirds and anurans toward uniparental care by either sex. Whereas most or all of the shorebird transitions were from biparental care, nearly all of the anuran transitions have been from no care, reflecting the prevalence of each form of care in basal lineages in each group. Teleost (bony) fishes are similar to anurans in displaying numerous transitions toward uniparental contributions by each sex. Whereas cichlid fishes have often evolved from biparental care to female care, other teleosts have usually switched from no care to male care. Taxa that have evolved exclusive male care without courtship-role reversal are characterized by male territoriality and low costs of care per brood. Males may therefore benefit from care through female preference of parental ability in these species. Primates show a high frequency of transitions from female care to biparental care, reflecting the prevalence of female care in basal lineages. In the numerous taxa that display live bearing by females, including teleosts, elasmobranchs, squamate reptiles and invertebrates, we find that live bearing has always evolved from a lack of care. Although the transition counts and probabilities will undoubtedly be refined as phylogenetic information and methodologies improve, the overall biases in these taxa should help to place adaptive hypotheses for the evolution of care into a stronger setting for understanding directions of change. PMID:11958696

  6. Development and Preliminary Evaluation of the Resident Coordinated-Transitional Care (RC-TraC) Program: A Sustainable Option for Transitional Care Education

    PubMed Central

    Chapman, E.; Eastman, A.; Gilmore-Bykovskyi, A.; Vogelman, B.; Kind, A. J.

    2016-01-01

    Older adults often face poor outcomes when transitioning from hospital to home. Although physicians play a key role in overseeing transitions, there is a lack of practice-based educational programs that prepare resident physicians to manage care transitions of older adults. An educational intervention to provide residents with real-life transitional care practice was therefore developed – Resident-coordinated Transitional Care (RC-TraC). RC-TraC adapted the evidence-based Coordinated-Transitional Care (C-TraC) nurse role for residents, providing opportunities to follow patients during the peri-hospital period without additional costs to the residency program. Between July 2010 and June 2013, thirty-one Internal Medicine residents participated in RC-TraC, caring for 721 patients. RC-TraC has been a sustainable, low-cost, practice-based education experience that is recognized as transitional care education by residents and continues in operation to this day. RC-TraC is a promising option for geriatric-based transitional care education of resident physicians and could also be adapted for non-physician learners. PMID:27749162

  7. Incorporating the Six Core Elements of Health Care Transition Into a Medicaid Managed Care Plan: Lessons Learned From a Pilot Project.

    PubMed

    McManus, Margaret; White, Patience; Pirtle, Robin; Hancock, Catina; Ablan, Michael; Corona-Parra, Raquel

    2015-01-01

    This pediatric-to-adult health care transition pilot project describes the process and results of incorporating the "Six Core Elements of Health Care Transition (2.0)" into a Medicaid managed care plan with a group of 35 18-23 year olds who have chronic mental health, developmental, and complex medical conditions. The pilot project demonstrated an effective approach for customizing and delivering recommended transition services. At the start of the 18-month project, the Medicaid plan was at the basic level (1) of transition implementation of the Six Core Elements with no transition policy, member transition readiness assessment results, health care transition plans of care, updated medical summaries, transfer package for the adult-focused provider, and assurance of transfer completion and consumer feedback. At the conclusion of the pilot project, the plan scored at level 3 on each core element. The primary reason for not scoring at the highest level (4) was because the transition elements have not been incorporated into services for all enrollees within the plan. Future efforts in managed care will benefit from starting the transition process much earlier (ages 12-14), expanding the role of nurse care managers and participating pediatric and adult-focused clinicians in transition, and offering payment incentives to clinicians to implement the Six Core Elements of Health Care Transition. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  8. Transition Care for Children With Special Health Care Needs

    PubMed Central

    Davis, Alaina M.; Brown, Rebekah F.; Taylor, Julie Lounds; Epstein, Richard A.

    2014-01-01

    BACKGROUND: Approximately 750 000 children in the United States with special health care needs will transition from pediatric to adult care annually. Fewer than half receive adequate transition care. METHODS: We had conversations with key informants representing clinicians who provide transition care, pediatric and adult providers of services for individuals with special health care needs, policy experts, and researchers; searched online sources for information about currently available programs and resources; and conducted a literature search to identify research on the effectiveness of transition programs. RESULTS: We identified 25 studies evaluating transition care programs. Most (n = 8) were conducted in populations with diabetes, with a smaller literature (n = 5) on transplant patients. We identified an additional 12 studies on a range of conditions, with no more than 2 studies on the same condition. Common components of care included use of a transition coordinator, a special clinic for young adults in transition, and provision of educational materials. CONCLUSIONS: The issue of how to provide transition care for children with special health care needs warrants further attention. Research needs are wide ranging, including both substantive and methodologic concerns. Although there is widespread agreement on the need for adequate transition programs, there is no accepted way to measure transition success. It will be essential to establish consistent goals to build an adequate body of literature to affect practice. PMID:25287460

  9. Adolescent to Adult HIV Health Care Transition From the Perspective of Adult Providers in the United States.

    PubMed

    Tanner, Amanda E; Philbin, Morgan M; Ma, Alice; Chambers, Brittany D; Nichols, Sharon; Lee, Sonia; Fortenberry, J Dennis

    2017-10-01

    The HIV Care Continuum highlights the need for HIV-infected youth to be tested, linked, and maintained in lifelong care. Care engagement is important for HIV-infected youth in order for them to stay healthy, maintain a low viral load, and reduce further transmission. One point of potential interruption in the care continuum is during health care transition from adolescent- to adult-centered HIV care. HIV-related health care transition research focuses mainly on youth and on adolescent clinic providers; missing is adult clinic providers' perspectives. We examined health care transition processes through semi-structured interviews with 28 adult clinic staff across Adolescent Trials Network sites. We also collected quantitative data related to clinical characteristics and transition-specific strategies. Overall, participants described health care transition as a "warm handoff" and a collaborative effort across adolescent and adult clinics. Emergent transition themes included adult clinical care culture (e.g., patient responsibility), strategies for connecting youth to adult care (e.g., adolescent clinic staff attending youth's first appointment at adult clinic), and approaches to evaluating transition outcomes (e.g., data sharing). Participants provided transition improvement recommendations (e.g., formalized protocols). Using evidence-based research and a quality improvement framework to inform comprehensive and streamlined transition protocols can help enhance the capacity of adult clinics to collaborate with adolescent clinics to provide coordinated and uninterrupted HIV-related care and to improve continuum of care outcomes. Copyright © 2017 Society for Adolescent Health and Medicine. All rights reserved.

  10. Epileptic encephalopathy with continuous spike-waves during sleep: the need for transition from childhood to adulthood medical care appears to be related to etiology.

    PubMed

    de Saint-Martin, Anne; Rudolf, Gabrielle; Seegmuller, Caroline; Valenti-Hirsch, Maria Paola; Hirsch, Edouard

    2014-08-01

    Epileptic encephalopathy with continuous diffuse spike-waves during slow-wave sleep (ECSWS) presents clinically with infrequent nocturnal focal seizures, atypical absences related to secondary bilateral synchrony, negative myoclonia, and atonic and rare generalized tonic-clonic seizures. The unique electroencephalography (EEG) pattern found in ECSWS consists of continuous, diffuse, bilateral spike-waves during slow-wave sleep. Despite the eventual disappearance of clinical seizures and EEG abnormalities by adolescence, the prognosis is guarded in most cases because of neuropsychological and behavioral deficits. ECSWS has a heterogeneous etiology (genetic, structural, and unknown). Because epilepsy and electroencephalography (EEG) abnormalities in epileptic encephalopathy with continuous diffuse spike-waves during slow-wave sleep (ECSWS) are self-limited and age related, the need for ongoing medical care and transition to adult care might be questioned. For adolescents in whom etiology remains unknown (possibly genetic) and who experience the disappearance of seizures and EEG abnormalities, there is rarely need for long-term neurologic follow-up, because often a relatively normal cognitive and social evolution follows. However, the majority of patients with structural and possibly "genetic syndromic" etiologies will have persistent cognitive deficits and will need suitable socioeducative care. Therefore, the transition process in ECSWS will depend mainly on etiology and its related features (epileptic active phase duration, and cognitive and behavioral evolution) and revolve around neuropsychological and social support rather than medical and pharmacologic follow-up. Wiley Periodicals, Inc. © 2014 International League Against Epilepsy.

  11. New to care: demands on a health system when homeless veterans are enrolled in a medical home model.

    PubMed

    O'Toole, Thomas P; Bourgault, Claire; Johnson, Erin E; Redihan, Stephen G; Borgia, Matthew; Aiello, Riccardo; Kane, Vincent

    2013-12-01

    We compared service use among homeless and nonhomeless veterans newly enrolled in a medical home model and identified patterns of use among homeless veterans associated with reductions in emergency department (ED) use. We used case-control matching with a nested cohort analysis to measure 6-month health services use, new diagnoses, and care use patterns in veterans at the Providence, Rhode Island, Veterans Affairs Medical Center from 2008 to 2011. We followed 127 homeless and 106 nonhomeless veterans. Both groups had similar rates of chronic medical and mental health diagnoses; 25.4% of the homeless and 18.1% of the nonhomeless group reported active substance abuse. Homeless veterans used significantly more primary, mental health, substance abuse, and ED care during the first 6 months. Homeless veterans who accessed primary care at higher rates (relative risk ratio [RRR] = 1.46; 95% confidence interval [CI] = 1.11, 1.92) or who used specialty and primary care (RRR = 10.95; 95% CI = 1.58, 75.78) had reduced ED usage. Homeless veterans in transitional housing or doubled-up at baseline (RRR = 3.41; 95% CI = 1.24, 9.42) had similar reductions in ED usage. Homeless adults had substantial health needs when presenting for care. High-intensity primary care and access to specialty care services could reduce ED use.

  12. Morbidity Patterns and Health Care Seeking Behavior among Older Widows in India

    PubMed Central

    Agrawal, Gopal; Keshri, Kunal

    2014-01-01

    In the process of health transition, India is facing rapid pace of demographic aging. Rapid increase in older adult population posed serious concerns regarding health and health care utilization for them. However, very limited research documented resultant implications of demographic aging for health and health care use in the nexus of marital status and gender. With this perspective, the present study examined patterns in morbidity prevalence and health seeking behaviour among older widows in India. Multivariate logistic regression models were estimated to examine the effects of socio-demographic conditions on morbidity prevalence among older widows and their health care seeking behavior. Data from the latest 60th round of National Sample Survey (NSS), 2004 was used. Overall, morbidity prevalence was 13% greater among older widows compared to older widowers. Adjusted prevalence of communicable and non-communicable diseases was found 74 and 192 per 1000 older widows respectively. At the same time, likelihood of seeking health care services for reported morbidities was substantially lower among older widows. The findings of this study are important to support policy makers and health care providers in identifying individuals ‘at risk’ and could be integrated into the current programs of social, economic and health security for the older persons. PMID:24718291

  13. The Effect of Commuting Patterns on HIV Care Attendance Among Men Who Have Sex With Men (MSM) in Atlanta, Georgia

    PubMed Central

    Kramer, Michael R; Rosenberg, Eli S; Sanchez, Travis H; Reed, Landon; Sullivan, Patrick S

    2015-01-01

    Background Travel-related barriers to human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) care, such as commute time and mode of transportation, have been reported in the United States. Objective The objective of the study was to investigate the association between public transportation use and HIV care attendance among a convenience sample of Atlanta-based, HIV-positive men who have sex with men (MSM), evaluate differences across regions of residence, and estimate the relationship between travel distance and time by mode of transportation taken to attend appointments. Methods We used Poisson regression to estimate the association between use of public transportation to attend HIV-related medical visits and frequency of care attendance over the previous 12 months. The relationship between travel distance and commute time was estimated using linear regression. Kriging was used to interpolate commute time to visually examine geographic differences in commuting patterns in relation to access to public transportation and population-based estimates of household vehicle ownership. Results Using public transportation was associated with lower rates of HIV care attendance compared to using private transportation, but only in south Atlanta (south: aRR: 0.75, 95% CI 0.56, 1.0, north: aRR: 0.90, 95% CI 0.71, 1.1). Participants living in south Atlanta were more likely to have longer commute times associated with attending HIV visits, have greater access to public transportation, and may live in areas with low vehicle ownership. A majority of attended HIV providers were located in north and central Atlanta, despite there being participants living all across the city. Estimated commute times per mile traveled were three times as high among public transit users compared to private transportation users. Conclusions Improving local public transit and implementing use of mobile clinics could help address travel-related barriers to HIV care. PMID:27227128

  14. Adult care providers' perspectives on the transition to adult care for emerging adults with Type 1 diabetes: a cross-sectional survey.

    PubMed

    Michaud, S; Dasgupta, K; Bell, L; Yale, J-F; Anjachak, N; Wafa, S; Nakhla, M

    2018-03-25

    To assess adult diabetes care providers' current transition practices, knowledge about transition care, and perceived barriers to implementation of best practices in transition care for emerging adults with Type 1 diabetes mellitus. We administered a 38-item web-based survey to adult diabetes care providers identified through the Québec Endocrinologist Medical Association and Diabetes Québec. Fifty-three physicians responded (35%). Fewer than half of all respondents (46%) were familiar with the American Diabetes Association's transition care position statement. Approximately one-third of respondents reported a gap of >6 months between paediatric and adult diabetes care. Most (83%) believed communication with the paediatric team was adequate; however, only 56% reported receiving a medical summary and 2% a psychosocial summary from the paediatric provider. Respondents believed that the paediatric team should improve emerging adults' preparation for transition care by developing their self-management skills and improve teaching about the differences between paediatric and adult-oriented care. Only 31% had a system for identifying emerging adults lost to follow-up in adult care. Perceived barriers included difficulty accessing psychosocial services, emerging adults' lack of motivation, and inadequate transition preparation. Most (87%) were interested in having additional resources, including a self-care management tool and a registry to track those lost to follow-up. Our findings highlight the need to better engage adult care providers into transition care practices. Despite adult physicians' interest in transition care, implementation of transition care recommendations and resources in clinical care remains limited. Enhanced efforts are needed to improve access to mental health services within the adult healthcare setting. © 2018 Diabetes UK.

  15. Transitional care for rheumatic conditions in Europe: current clinical practice and available resources.

    PubMed

    Clemente, Daniel; Leon, Leticia; Foster, Helen; Carmona, Loreto; Minden, Kirsten

    2017-06-09

    To assess European pediatric rheumatology providers' current clinical practices and resources used in the transition from child-centered to adult-oriented care. European pediatric rheumatologists were invited to complete a 17-item anonymized e-survey assessing current transition practices, transition policy awareness, and needs in advance of the publication of EULAR/PReS recommendations on transition. The response rate was 121/276 (44%), including responses from 115 centers in 22 European Union countries. Although 32/121 (26%) responded that their centers did not offer transition services, the majority (99%) agreed that a formalized process in transitioning patients to adult care is necessary. A minority (<30%) of respondents stated that they have a written transition policy although 46% have an informal transition process. Designated staff to support transitional care were available in a minority of centers: nurse (35%), physiotherapist (15%), psychologist (15%), social worker (8%), and occupational therapist (2%). The existence of a designated team member to coordinate transition was acknowledged in many centers (64% of respondents) although just 36% use a checklist for young people as part of individualized transitional care. This survey of European pediatric rheumatology providers regarding transitional care practices demonstrates agreement that transitional care is important, and wide variation in current provision of transition services exists.

  16. Care Coordination and Transitions of Care.

    PubMed

    Choi, Youngjee

    2017-11-01

    Care coordination and effective transitions of care are essential for high-quality care in cancer survivors. Aspects of care that require coordination include cancer surveillance, managing the effects of cancer and its treatment, and preventive care, including screening for new cancers, with the clinician responsible for each aspect of care clearly defined. There are many barriers to transitioning and coordinating care across cancer specialists and primary care physicians; possible solutions include survivorship care plans and certain care models. Improving these areas, along with survivorship care training and education, may lead to more effective care coordination and transitions in the future. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  17. Transitioning from pediatric care to adult care for adolescents with special health care needs: dentist perspectives (part 2)

    PubMed Central

    Bayarsaikhan, Zoljargal; Cruz, Stephanie; Neff, John; Chi, Donald L.

    2015-01-01

    Purpose To understand dental care transitions for adolescents with special health care needs (ASHCN) from the dentist perspective. Methods We conducted semi-structured interviews with 13 dentists (seven pediatric dentists and six general dentists) to learn about the dental transition process for ASHCN. Results Most dentists believed transitions from child-centered to adult-centered dental care were important for ASHCN. Dentists reported two main barriers to transitions: low dental reimbursements by Medicaid and a shortage of general dentists qualified or willing to treat ASHCN. Pediatric and general dentists reported playing complimentary roles in facilitating transitions for ASHCN and their families. Conclusions Dentists acknowledged the challenges that ASHCN and their families face in transitioning to adult-centered care and believed in the importance of ASHCN maintaining a dental home. Pediatric dentists and general dentists play a key role in working together to implement dental transition plans for the ASHCN and to ensure successful dental transitions. PMID:26531088

  18. Transitioning from Pediatric to Adult Dental Care for Adolescents with Special Health Care Needs: Dentist Perspectives--Part Two.

    PubMed

    Bayarsaikhan, Zoljargal; Cruz, Stephanie; Neff, John; Chi, Donald L

    2015-01-01

    The purpose of this study was to understand dental care transitions for adolescents with special health care needs (ASHCNs) from the dentist perspective. We conducted semi-structured interviews with 13 dentists (seven pediatric dentists and six general dentists) to learn about the dental transition process for ASHCNs. Most dentists believed transitions from child-centered to adult-centered dental care were important for ASHCNs. Dentists reported two main barriers to transitions: (1) low dental reimbursements by Medicaid; and (2) a shortage of general dentists qualified or willing to treat ASHCNs. Pediatric and general dentists reported playing complimentary roles in facilitating transitions for ASHCNs and their families. Dentists acknowledged the challenges that adolescents with special health care needs and their families face in transitioning to adult-centered care and believed in the importance of ASHCNs maintaining a dental home. Pediatric dentists and general dentists play a key role in working together to implement dental transition plans for ASHCNs and to ensure successful dental transitions.

  19. Health care providers' attitudes towards transfer and transition in young persons with long term illness- a web-based survey.

    PubMed

    Sparud-Lundin, Carina; Berghammer, Malin; Moons, Philip; Bratt, Ewa-Lena

    2017-04-11

    Transition programs in health care for young persons with special health care needs aim to maximize lifelong functioning. Exploring health care professionals' perspective may increase the possibility of successful implementation of transition programs. The aim was to survey health care professionals' attitudes towards components and barriers on transition and transfer in young people with long-term medical conditions with special health care needs. A cross-sectional web-based survey was sent by e-mail to 529 physicians and nurses in Swedish pediatric and adult outpatient clinics. Response rate was 38% (n = 201). The survey consisted of 59 questions regarding different aspects of components and barriers on transition and transfer. Descriptive statistics were computed to summarize demographic data and categorized responses. The Chi square test was used for comparison between proportions of categories. Most respondents agreed on the destinations of care for adolescents within their specialty. Age and psychosocial aspects such as maturity and family situations were considered the most important initiators for transfer. Joint meeting with the patient (82%); presence of a transition coordinator (76%) and a written individualized transfer plan (55%) were reported as important transition components. Pediatric care professionals found the absence of a transition coordinator to be more of a transition barrier than adult care professionals (p = 0.018) and also a more important transfer component (p = 0.017). Other barriers were lack of funding (45%) and limited clinical space (19%). Transition programs were more common in university hospitals than in regional hospitals (12% vs 2%, p = <0.001) as well as having a transition coordinator (12% vs 3%, p = 0.004). The findings highlight a willingness to work on new transition strategies and provide direction for improvement, taking local transition components as well as potential barriers into consideration when implementing future transition programs. Some differences in attitudes towards transitional care remain among pediatric and adult care professionals.

  20. Transition to adult care in pediatric solid-organ transplant: development of a practice guideline.

    PubMed

    Gold, Anna; Martin, Kathy; Breckbill, Katie; Avitzur, Yaron; Kaufman, Miriam

    2015-06-01

    Transition to adult-centered care is becoming an increasingly important area of practice in pediatric organ transplant. Standardized, best-practice guidelines are needed to assist transplant practitioners in providing optimal transitional care for this population of patients. To describe the development and implementation of a practice guideline for the transitional care of pediatric transplant recipients. A quality improvement project was undertaken in a pediatric multiorgan transplant program setting. Strategies employed included (1) creation of an interdisciplinary working group, (2) survey of transition-related practices and learning needs of transplant practitioners, (3) review of the literature and existing transition-related materials, and (4) creation of transition guidelines. An interdisciplinary survey of transplant practitioners at our institution identified practice strengths related to transitional care and learning needs. Review of relevant literature and other materials revealed limited but emerging research related to the transition of pediatric transplant recipients from pediatric to adult care. Existing transition tools were examined and applicable items identified. A practice guideline for use with pediatric transplant recipients transitioning to adult care was developed. Strategies to educate staff about the guideline and promote ongoing guideline use were implemented. Preparing pediatric transplant recipients and their families for transition to adult-centered care is an emerging challenge for transplant teams. These guidelines provide practitioners with a developmentally sensitive overview of important transition-related domains and strategies directed toward patients and their caregivers, who may experience the process of transition differently. Dissemination of the pediatric transplant transition guideline will make transition information more widely available to transplant practitioners.

  1. Transitioning Adolescents and Young Adults With HIV Infection to Adult Care: Pilot Testing the "Movin' Out" Transitioning Protocol.

    PubMed

    Maturo, Donna; Powell, Alexis; Major-Wilson, Hannah; Sanchez, Kenia; De Santis, Joseph P; Friedman, Lawrence B

    2015-01-01

    Advances in care and treatment of adolescents/young adults with HIV infection have made survival into adulthood possible, requiring transition to adult care. Researchers have documented that the transition process is challenging for adolescents/young adults. To ensure successful transition, a formal transition protocol is needed. Despite existing research, little quantitative evaluation of the transition process has been conducted. The purpose of the study was to pilot test the "Movin' Out" Transitioning Protocol, a formalized protocol developed to assist transition to adult care. A retrospective medical/nursing record review was conducted with 38 clients enrolled in the "Movin' Out" Transitioning Protocol at a university-based adolescent medicine clinic providing care to adolescents/young adults with HIV infection. Almost half of the participants were able to successfully transition to adult care. Reasons for failure to transition included relocation, attrition, lost to follow-up, and transfer to another adult service. Failure to transition to adult care was not related to adherence issues, X(2) (1, N=38)=2.49, p=.288; substance use, X(2) (1, N=38)=1.71, p=.474; mental health issues, X(2) (1, N=38)=2.23, p=.322; or pregnancy/childrearing, X(2) (1, N=38)=0.00, p=.627). Despite the small sample size, the "Movin' Out" Transitioning Protocol appears to be useful in guiding the transition process of adolescents/young adults with HIV infection to adult care. More research is needed with a larger sample to fully evaluate the "Movin' Out" Transitioning Protocol. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  2. Psychologists and the Transition From Pediatrics to Adult Health Care.

    PubMed

    Gray, Wendy N; Monaghan, Maureen C; Gilleland Marchak, Jordan; Driscoll, Kimberly A; Hilliard, Marisa E

    2015-11-01

    Guidelines for optimal transition call for multidisciplinary teams, including psychologists, to address youth and young adults' multifactorial needs. This study aimed to characterize psychologists' roles in and barriers to involvement in transition from pediatric to adult health care. Psychologists were invited via professional listservs to complete an online survey about practice settings, roles in transition programming, barriers to involvement, and funding sources. Participants also responded to open-ended questions about their experiences in transition programs. One hundred participants responded to the survey. Involvement in transition was reported at multiple levels from individual patient care to institutional transition programming, and 65% reported more than one level of involvement. Direct clinical care (88%), transition-related research (50%), and/or leadership (44%) involvement were reported, with 59% reporting more than one role. Respondents often described advocating for their involvement on transition teams. Various sources of funding were reported, yet, 23% reported no funding for their work. Barriers to work in transition were common and included health care systems issues such as poor coordination among providers or lack of a clear transition plan within the clinic/institution. Psychologists assume numerous roles in the transition of adolescents from pediatric to adult health care. With training in health care transition-related issues, psychologists are ideally positioned to partner with other health professionals to develop and implement transition programs in multidisciplinary settings, provided health care system barriers can be overcome. Copyright © 2015 Society for Adolescent Health and Medicine. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  3. Improving the quality of transition and transfer of care in young adults with congenital heart disease.

    PubMed

    Everitt, Ian K; Gerardin, Jennifer F; Rodriguez, Fred H; Book, Wendy M

    2017-05-01

    The transition and transfer from pediatric to adult care is becoming increasingly important as improvements in the diagnosis and management of congenital heart disease allow patients to live longer. Transition is a complex and continuous process that requires careful planning. Inadequate transition has adverse effects on patients, their families and healthcare delivery systems. Currently, significant gaps exist in patient care as adolescents transfer to adult care and there are little data to drive the informed management of transition and transfer of care in adolescent congenital heart disease patients. Appropriate congenital heart disease care has been shown to decrease mortality in the adult population. This paper reviews the transition and transfer of care processes and outlines current congenital heart disease specific guidelines in the United States and compares these recommendations to Canadian and European guidelines. It then reviews perceived and real barriers to successful transition and identifies predictors of success during transfer to adult congenital heart disease care. Lastly, it explores how disease-specific markers of outcomes and quality indicators are being utilized to guide transition and transfer of care in other chronic childhood illnesses, and identifies existing knowledge gaps and structural impediments to improving the management of transition and transfer among congenital heart disease patients. © 2017 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

  4. Know Your Client and Know Your Team: A Complexity Inspired Approach to Understanding Safe Transitions in Care

    PubMed Central

    2013-01-01

    Background. Transitions in care are one of the most important and challenging client safety issues in healthcare. This project was undertaken to gain insight into the practice setting realities for nurses and other health care providers as they manage increasingly complex care transitions across multiple settings. Methods. The Appreciative Inquiry approach was used to guide interviews with sixty-six healthcare providers from a variety of practice settings. Data was collected on participants' experience of exceptional care transitions and opportunities for improving care transitions. Results. Nurses and other healthcare providers need to know three things to ensure safe care transitions: (1) know your client; (2) know your team on both sides of the transfer; and (3) know the resources your client needs and how to get them. Three themes describe successful care transitions, including flexible structures; independence and teamwork; and client and provider focus. Conclusion. Nurses often operate at the margins of acceptable performance, and flexibility with regulation and standards is often required in complex sociotechnical work like care transitions. Priority needs to be given to creating conditions where nurses and other healthcare providers are free to creatively engage and respond in ways that will optimize safe care transitions. PMID:24349770

  5. Next of kin's experiences of information and responsibility during their older relatives' care transitions from hospital to municipal health care.

    PubMed

    Rustad, Else Cathrine; Seiger Cronfalk, Berit; Furnes, Bodil; Dysvik, Elin

    2017-04-01

    To gain an understanding of how next of kin experience the transition of their older relatives from hospital to municipal health care. During the care transition of their older relatives, next of kin experience a period of ill-defined roles and expectations. Successful transition lays the ground for postdischarge treatment and care, in which next of kin have important roles. A descriptive, exploratory design was used to gain a greater understanding of the experiences of next of kin during their older relatives' care transitions. We conducted qualitative interviews of 13 next of kin of patients aged ≥80 years who had been discharged from the hospital to municipal care. Qualitative content analysis was used to analyse interviews. The main theme, 'Next of kin balance multiple tasks during older relatives' care transitions', emerged from two subthemes: 'Next of kin strive to fulfil informational needs during care transition' and 'Next of kin take responsibility for the older relative during care transition'. Next of kin have the challenging role of letting their older relative manage self-care during transition, when able, while being prepared to act on behalf of their relative as needed. Insufficient information and significant responsibilities contribute to unnecessary concerns and worries among next of kin. Nurses in both hospitals and municipal health care will benefit from knowing more about the experiences of next of kin; this may ensure continuity of care during transitions and diminish unnecessary worries and concerns. Clinical nurses should be sensitive to the next of kin's need for support so the next of kin can better manage their older relatives' care after homecoming. © 2016 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

  6. Transitioning from acute to primary health care nursing: an integrative review of the literature.

    PubMed

    Ashley, Christine; Halcomb, Elizabeth; Brown, Angela

    2016-08-01

    This paper seeks to explore the transition experiences of acute care nurses entering employment in primary health care settings. Internationally the provision of care in primary health care settings is increasing. Nurses are moving from acute care settings to meet the growing demand for a primary health care workforce. While there is significant research relating to new graduate transition experiences, little is known about the transition experience from acute care into primary health care employment. An integrative review, guided by Whittemore and Knafl's (2005) approach, was undertaken. Following a systematic literature search eight studies met the inclusion criteria. Papers which met the study criteria were identified and assessed against the inclusion and exclusion criteria. Papers were then subjected to methodological quality appraisal. Thematic analysis was undertaken to identify key themes within the data. Eight papers met the selection criteria. All described nurses transitioning to either community or home nursing settings. Three themes were identified: (1) a conceptual understanding of transition, (2) role losses and gains and (3) barriers and enablers. There is a lack of research specifically exploring the transitioning of acute care nurses to primary health care settings. To better understand this process, and to support the growth of the primary health care workforce there is an urgent need for further well-designed research. There is an increasing demand for the employment of nurses in primary health care settings. To recruit experienced nurses it is logical that many nurses will transition into primary health care from employment in the acute sector. To optimise retention and enhance the transition experience of these nurses it is important to understand the transition experience. © 2016 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

  7. “Just another fish in the pond”: the transitional care experience of a hip fracture patient

    PubMed Central

    Toscan, Justine; Manderson, Brooke; Santi, Selena M; Stolee, Paul

    2013-01-01

    Introduction Miscommunication and lack of coordination can compromise care quality and patient safety during transitions in care, especially for medically complex older adults. Little research has been done to investigate care transitions from the perspective of those receiving and providing care. Methods This study explored multiple care transitions for an elderly hip fracture patient, post-surgery. Interviews and observations were conducted with the patient, their family caregivers, and health care providers, at each point of transition between four different care settings. Results Four key themes were identified over the patients care trajectory: ‘Missing Crucial Coversations’—Patient and family caregivers did not feel involved or informed about decisions in care; ‘Who’s Who’—Confusion about the role of health care providers; ‘Ready or Not’—Not knowing what to expect or what is expected; and, ‘Playing by the Rules’—Health system policies and procedures hinder individualized care. Conclusion Study findings point to the need for the health care system to engage patients and family caregivers more fully and consistently in the process of care transitions as well as the importance of understanding these processes from multiple perspectives. Recommendations for system integration are proposed with a focus on transitional care. PMID:23882170

  8. Validity and reliability of the Palliative Care Transition Measure for Caregivers (PCTM-C).

    PubMed

    D'Angelo, Daniela; Mastroianni, Chiara; Artico, Marco; Biagioli, Valentina; Latina, Roberto; Guarda, Michela; Piredda, Michela; De Marinis, Maria Grazia

    2018-01-21

    Patients suffering from advanced disease face different care transitions. The transition from acute to palliative care is challenging and may lead to the discontinuity of care. Family caregivers become important sources of information, as patients begin to experience difficulties in coping with emotional transition events. The Care Transition Measure was developed to evaluate care transitions as experienced by the elderly. It has never been used in palliative care. The aim of this study was to test the validity and reliability of a modified version of the Palliative Care Transition Measure, specifically the Palliative Care Transition Measure for Caregivers (PCTM-C). The study included two main phases. Phase I focused on the construction of a modified version of the Palliative Care Transition Measure through two focus groups and by computing the content validity index. Phase II focused on testing the psychometric properties of the PCTM-C on 272 family caregivers through confirmatory factor analysis. Result The content validity index for each of the items was higher than 0.80, whereas that for the scale was 0.95. The model tested with confirmatory factor analysis fitted the data well and confirmed that the transition measures referred to communication, integrated care and a trusting-relationship, and therefore the core dimensions of continuity according to existing conceptual models. The internal consistency was high (Cronbach's alpha = 0.94). Significance of results The PCTM-C proved to be a suitable measure of the quality of such transitions. It may be used in clinical practice as a continuity quality indicator and has the potential to guide interventions to enhance family caregivers' experience of care continuity.

  9. The Social Work Role in Reducing 30-Day Readmissions: The Effectiveness of the Bridge Model of Transitional Care.

    PubMed

    Alvarez, Renae; Ginsburg, Jacob; Grabowski, Jessica; Post, Sharon; Rosenberg, Walter

    2016-04-01

    The hospital experience is taxing and confusing for patients and their families, particularly those with limited economic and social resources. This complexity often leads to disengagement, poor adherence to the plan of care, and high readmission rates. Novel approaches to addressing the complexities of transitional care are emerging as possible solutions. The Bridge Model is a person-centered, social work-led, interdisciplinary transitional care intervention that helps older adults safely transition from the hospital back to their homes and communities. The Bridge Model combines 3 key components-care coordination, case management, and patient engagement-which provide a seamless transition during this stressful time and improve the overall quality of transitional care for older adults, including reducing hospital readmissions. The post Affordable Care Act (ACA) and managed care environment's emphasis on value and quality support further development and expansion of transitional care strategies, such as the Bridge Model, which offer promising avenues to fulfil the triple aim by improving the quality of individual patient care while also impacting population health and controlling per capita costs.

  10. Patterns of mental health, substance abuse, and justice system involvement among youth aging out of child welfare.

    PubMed

    Shook, Jeffrey; Goodkind, Sara; Pohlig, Ryan T; Schelbe, Lisa; Herring, David; Kim, Kevin H

    2011-07-01

    Although research on youth aging out of the child welfare system has increased, there has been limited focus on how their experiences vary. In particular, there is a need to examine patterns in the involvement of these youth in other systems, which indicate constellations of challenges facing these young people as they transition out of care and into adulthood. Using administrative data from a large birth cohort of individuals born between 1985 and 1994 whose families have been involved in the child welfare system, this article presents an analysis of the mental health, substance abuse, juvenile justice, and criminal justice system involvement of youth who have aged out of child welfare. Using a 2-step cluster analysis, we identify 5 subgroups of youth. Two of these groups, accounting for almost half of the youth, have little other system involvement and have child welfare care careers of relative stability. The other 3 groups, consisting of just over half of the youth, have much more extensive other system involvement, as well as care careers marked by instability and a greater proportion of time spent in congregate care. © 2011 American Orthopsychiatric Association.

  11. Formation mechanisms and characteristics of transition patterns in oblique detonations

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Miao, Shikun; Zhou, Jin; Liu, Shijie; Cai, Xiaodong

    2018-01-01

    The transition structures of wedge-induced oblique detonation waves (ODWs) in high-enthalpy supersonic combustible mixtures are studied with two-dimensional reactive Euler simulations based on the open-source program AMROC (Adaptive Mesh Refinement in Object-oriented C++). The formation mechanisms of different transition patterns are investigated through theoretical analysis and numerical simulations. Results show that transition patterns of ODWs depend on the pressure ratio Pd/Ps, (Pd, Ps are the pressure behind the ODW and the pressure behind the induced shock, respectively). When Pd/Ps > 1.3, an abrupt transition occurs, while when Pd/Ps < 1.3, a smooth transition appears. A parameter ε is introduced to describe the transition patterns quantitatively. Besides, a criterion based on the velocity ratio Φ=U0/UCJ is proposed to predict the transition patterns based on the inflow conditions. It is concluded that an abrupt transition appears when Φ < 0.98Φ*, while a smooth transition occurs when Φ > 1.02Φ∗ (Φ∗ is the critical velocity ratio calculated with an empirical formula).

  12. 75 FR 67751 - Medicare Program: Community-Based Care Transitions Program (CCTP) Meeting

    Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

    2010-11-03

    ...] Medicare Program: Community-Based Care Transitions Program (CCTP) Meeting AGENCY: Centers for Medicare... guidance and ask questions about the upcoming Community-based Care Transitions Program. The meeting is open... registration information will be posted on the CMS Care Transitions Web site at http://www.cms.gov/DemoProjects...

  13. User experience and care for older people transitioning from hospital to home: Patients' and carers' perspectives.

    PubMed

    Allen, Jacqueline; Hutchinson, Alison M; Brown, Rhonda; Livingston, Patricia M

    2018-04-01

    Transitioning from hospital to home is challenging for many older people living with chronic health conditions. Transitional care facilitates safe and timely transfer of patients between levels of care and across care settings and includes communication between practitioners, assessment and planning, preparation, medication reconciliation, follow-up care and self-management education. To date, there is limited understanding of how to actively involve care recipient service users in transitional care. This study was part of a larger research project. The objective of this article was to report the first study phase, in which we aimed to describe user experience pertaining to patients and carers. The study design was qualitative descriptive using interviews. Patients (n = 19) and carers (n = 7) participated in semi-structured interviews about their experience of transition from hospital to home in an urban Australian health-care setting. Interview data were analysed using thematic analysis. All participants reported that they needed to become independent in transition. Participants perceived a range of social processes supported their independence at home: supportive relationships with carers, caring relationships with health-care practitioners, seeking information, discussing and negotiating the transitional care plan and learning to self-care. Findings contribute to our understanding that quality transitional care should focus on patients' need to regain independence. Social processes supporting the capacities of patients and carers should be emphasized in future initiatives. Future transitional care interventions should emphasize strategies to enable negotiation for suitable supports and assist care recipients to overcome barriers identified in this study. © 2017 The Authors Health Expectations Published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

  14. Will China’s nutrition overwhelm its health care system and sloe economic growth?

    PubMed Central

    Popkin, Barry M.

    2008-01-01

    Rapid social and economic change is transforming China with enormous implications for its population and economy. China is a huge transition toward a country with over a fifth of adults being overweight with related dietary and physical activity patterns. Overweight and poor diets are shifting to be a greater burden for the poor with subsequent large increases in hypertension, stroke and adult onset diabetes. The related economic costs represent 4–8% of the economy. Public investments in China are needed to head off a huge increase in the morbidity, disability, absenteeism and medical care costs linked with this nutritional shift. PMID:18607042

  15. Health Changes in Low Income Men Transitioning from a State Funded Prostate Cancer Program to Comprehensive Insurance.

    PubMed

    Nabhani, Jamal A; Kuang, Ruby; Liu, Hui; Kwan, Lorna; Litwin, Mark S

    2018-07-01

    We evaluated the effect of transitioning from a prostate cancer specific treatment program to comprehensive insurance under the ACA (Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act) on the physical, mental and prostate cancer related health of poor, previously uninsured men. We assessed general and prostate cancer specific health related quality of life using the RAND SF-12v2™ (12-Item Short Form Survey, version 2) and the UCLA PCI (Prostate Cancer Index) at 3 time points in 24 men who transitioned to comprehensive insurance as the insured group relative to 39 who remained in the prostate cancer program as the control group. We used mixed effects models controlling for treatment and patient factors to measure health differences between the groups during the transition period. Demographics, prostate cancer treatment patterns, and mental, physical and general health were similar before transition in the control and insured groups. After transition men who gained insurance coverage reported significantly worse physical health than men who remained in the prostate cancer program (p = 0.0038). After adjustment in the mixed effects model physical health remained worse in men who gained insurance (p = 0.0036). Mental health and prostate cancer related quality of life did not differ with time between the groups. Compared to controls who remained in the state funded prostate cancer treatment program for poor, uninsured men, newly insured men reported worse physical health after transitioning to ACA coverage. Providers and policy makers may draw important lessons from understanding the mechanisms of this paradoxical worsening in physical health after gaining insurance. These results inform the development of disease specific models of care in the broader health insurance context. Copyright © 2018 American Urological Association Education and Research, Inc. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  16. Getting Out of Silos: An Innovative Transitional Care Curriculum for Internal Medicine Residents Through Experiential Interdisciplinary Learning

    PubMed Central

    Schoenborn, Nancy L.; Christmas, Colleen

    2013-01-01

    Background Care transitions are common and highly vulnerable times during illness. Physicians need better training to improve care transitions. Existing transitional care curricula infrequently involve settings outside of the hospital or other health care disciplines. Intervention We created a curriculum to teach internal medicine residents how to provide better transitional care at hospital discharge through experiential, interdisciplinary learning in different care settings outside of the acute hospital, and we engaged other health care disciplines frequently involved in care transitions. Setting/Participants Nineteen postgraduate year-1 internal medicine trainees at an academic medical center in an urban location completed experiences in a postacute care facility, home health care, and outpatient clinics. Program Description The 2-week required curriculum involved teachers from geriatric medicine; physical, occupational, and speech therapy; and home health care, with both didactic and experiential components and self-reflective exercises. Program Evaluation The curriculum was highly rated (6.86 on a 9-point scale) and was associated with a significant increase in the rating of the overall quality of transitional care education (from 4.09 on a 5-point scale in 2011 to 4.53 in 2012) on the annual residency program survey. Learners reported improved knowledge in key curricular areas and that they would change practice as a result of the curriculum. Conclusions Our transitional care curriculum for internal medicine residents provides exposure to care settings and health care disciplines that patients frequently encounter. The curriculum has shown positive, short-term effects on learners' perceived knowledge and behavior. PMID:24455024

  17. Resident Dyads Providing Transition Care to Adolescents and Young Adults With Chronic Illnesses and Neurodevelopmental Disabilities

    PubMed Central

    Jasien, Joan; Maslow, Gary R.

    2017-01-01

    Background Youth with special health care needs often experience difficulty transitioning from pediatric to adult care. These difficulties may derive in part from lack of physician training in transition care and the challenges health care providers experience establishing interdisciplinary partnerships to support these patients. Objective This educational innovation sought to improve pediatrics and adult medicine residents' interdisciplinary communication and collaboration. Methods Residents from pediatrics, medicine-pediatrics, and internal medicine training programs participated in a transitions clinic for patients with chronic health conditions aged 16 to 26 years. Residents attended 1 to 4 half-day clinic sessions during 1-month ambulatory rotations. Pediatrics/adult medicine resident dyads collaboratively performed psychosocial and medical transition consultations that addressed health care navigation, self-care, and education and vocation topics. Two to 3 attending physicians supervised each clinic session (4 hours) while concurrently seeing patients. Residents completed a preclinic survey about baseline attitudes and experiences, and a postclinic survey about their transitions clinic experiences, changes in attitudes, and transition care preparedness. Results A total of 46 residents (100% of those eligible) participated in the clinic and completed the preclinic survey, and 25 (54%) completed the postclinic survey. A majority of respondents to the postclinic survey reported positive experiences. Residents in both pediatrics and internal medicine programs reported improved preparedness for providing transition care to patients with chronic health conditions and communicating effectively with colleagues in other disciplines. Conclusions A dyadic model of collaborative transition care training was positively received and yielded improvements in immediate self-assessed transition care preparedness. PMID:28439357

  18. Resident Dyads Providing Transition Care to Adolescents and Young Adults With Chronic Illnesses and Neurodevelopmental Disabilities.

    PubMed

    Chung, Richard J; Jasien, Joan; Maslow, Gary R

    2017-04-01

    Youth with special health care needs often experience difficulty transitioning from pediatric to adult care. These difficulties may derive in part from lack of physician training in transition care and the challenges health care providers experience establishing interdisciplinary partnerships to support these patients. This educational innovation sought to improve pediatrics and adult medicine residents' interdisciplinary communication and collaboration. Residents from pediatrics, medicine-pediatrics, and internal medicine training programs participated in a transitions clinic for patients with chronic health conditions aged 16 to 26 years. Residents attended 1 to 4 half-day clinic sessions during 1-month ambulatory rotations. Pediatrics/adult medicine resident dyads collaboratively performed psychosocial and medical transition consultations that addressed health care navigation, self-care, and education and vocation topics. Two to 3 attending physicians supervised each clinic session (4 hours) while concurrently seeing patients. Residents completed a preclinic survey about baseline attitudes and experiences, and a postclinic survey about their transitions clinic experiences, changes in attitudes, and transition care preparedness. A total of 46 residents (100% of those eligible) participated in the clinic and completed the preclinic survey, and 25 (54%) completed the postclinic survey. A majority of respondents to the postclinic survey reported positive experiences. Residents in both pediatrics and internal medicine programs reported improved preparedness for providing transition care to patients with chronic health conditions and communicating effectively with colleagues in other disciplines. A dyadic model of collaborative transition care training was positively received and yielded improvements in immediate self-assessed transition care preparedness.

  19. Provider-to-Provider Communication during Transitions of Care from Outpatient to Acute Care: A Systematic Review.

    PubMed

    Luu, Ngoc-Phuong; Pitts, Samantha; Petty, Brent; Sawyer, Melinda D; Dennison-Himmelfarb, Cheryl; Boonyasai, Romsai Tony; Maruthur, Nisa M

    2016-04-01

    Most research on transitions of care has focused on the transition from acute to outpatient care. Little is known about the transition from outpatient to acute care. We conducted a systematic review of the literature on the transition from outpatient to acute care, focusing on provider-to-provider communication and its impact on quality of care. We searched the MEDLINE, CINAHL, Scopus, EMBASE, and Cochrane databases for English-language articles describing direct communication between outpatient providers and acute care providers around patients presenting to the emergency department or admitted to the hospital. We conducted double, independent review of titles, abstracts, and full text articles. Conflicts were resolved by consensus. Included articles were abstracted using standardized forms. We maintained search results via Refworks (ProQuest, Bethesda, MD). Risk of bias was assessed using a modified version of the Downs' and Black's tool. Of 4009 citations, twenty articles evaluated direct provider-to-provider communication around the outpatient to acute care transition. Most studies were cross-sectional (65%), conducted in the US (55%), and studied communication between primary care and inpatient providers (62%). Of three studies reporting on the association between communication and 30-day readmissions, none found a significant association; of these studies, only one reported a measure of association (adjusted OR for communication vs. no communication, 1.08; 95% CI 0.92-1.26). The literature on provider-to-provider communication at the transition from outpatient to acute care is sparse and heterogeneous. Given the known importance of communication for other transitions of care, future studies are needed on provider-to-provider communication during this transition. Studies evaluating ideal methods for communication to reduce medical errors, utilization, and optimize patient satisfaction at this transition are especially needed.

  20. New to Care: Demands on a Health System When Homeless Veterans Are Enrolled in a Medical Home Model

    PubMed Central

    Bourgault, Claire; Johnson, Erin E.; Redihan, Stephen G.; Borgia, Matthew; Aiello, Riccardo; Kane, Vincent

    2013-01-01

    Objectives. We compared service use among homeless and nonhomeless veterans newly enrolled in a medical home model and identified patterns of use among homeless veterans associated with reductions in emergency department (ED) use. Methods. We used case–control matching with a nested cohort analysis to measure 6-month health services use, new diagnoses, and care use patterns in veterans at the Providence, Rhode Island, Veterans Affairs Medical Center from 2008 to 2011. Results. We followed 127 homeless and 106 nonhomeless veterans. Both groups had similar rates of chronic medical and mental health diagnoses; 25.4% of the homeless and 18.1% of the nonhomeless group reported active substance abuse. Homeless veterans used significantly more primary, mental health, substance abuse, and ED care during the first 6 months. Homeless veterans who accessed primary care at higher rates (relative risk ratio [RRR] = 1.46; 95% confidence interval [CI] = 1.11, 1.92) or who used specialty and primary care (RRR = 10.95; 95% CI = 1.58, 75.78) had reduced ED usage. Homeless veterans in transitional housing or doubled-up at baseline (RRR = 3.41; 95% CI = 1.24, 9.42) had similar reductions in ED usage. Conclusions. Homeless adults had substantial health needs when presenting for care. High-intensity primary care and access to specialty care services could reduce ED use. PMID:24148042

  1. From home to 'home': Mapping the caregiver journey in the transition from home care into residential care.

    PubMed

    Hainstock, Taylor; Cloutier, Denise; Penning, Margaret

    2017-12-01

    Family caregivers play a pivotal role in supporting the functional independence and quality of life of older relatives, often taking on a wide variety of care-related activities over the course of their caregiving journey. These activities help family members to remain in the community and age-in-place for as long as possible. However, when needs exceed family capacities to provide care, the older family member may need to transition from one care environment to another (e.g., home care to nursing home care), or one level of care to another (from less intense to more intensive services). Drawing upon qualitative interview data collected in a populous health region in British Columbia, Canada, this study explores the roles and responsibilities of family caregivers for family members making the care transition from home care to residential care. A thematic analysis of the interview transcripts resulted in the development of a conceptual framework to characterize the "Caregiver Journey" as a process that could be divided into at least three phases: 1) Precursors to transition - recognizing frailty in family members and caregivers prior to transition; 2) Preparing to transition into residential nursing home care (RC) and 3) Post-transition: Finding a new balance - where caregivers adjust and adapt to new caregiving responsibilities. Our analyses revealed that the second phase is the most complex involving a consideration of the various activities, and roles that family caregivers take on to prepare for the care transition including: information gathering, advocacy and system navigation. We conclude that there is a need for family caregivers to be better supported during care transitions; notably through ongoing and enhanced investments in strategies to support caregiver communication and education. Crown Copyright © 2017. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  2. Transitional Care

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Naylor, Mary; Keating, Stacen A.

    2008-01-01

    Transitional care encompasses a broad range of services and environments designed to promote the safe and timely passage of patients between levels of health care and across care settings. High-quality transitional care is especially important for older adults with multiple chronic conditions and complex therapeutic regimens, as well as for their…

  3. Rethinking Healthcare Transitions and Policies: Changing and Expanding Roles in Transitional Care

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Moreño, Patricienn K.

    2014-01-01

    The breakdown of care transitions between various healthcare facilities, providers, and services is a major issue in healthcare, and accounts for over US$15 billion in healthcare expenditures annually. The transition between inpatient care and home care is a very delicate period where, too often, chronically ill patients get worse and wind up back…

  4. Improving care coordination for community-dwelling older Australians: a longitudinal qualitative study.

    PubMed

    Harvey, Desley; Foster, Michele; Strivens, Edward; Quigley, Rachel

    2017-05-01

    Objective The aim of the present study was to describe the care transition experiences of older people who transfer between subacute and primary care, and to identify factors that influence these experiences. A further aim of the study was to identify ways to enhance the Geriatric Evaluation and Management (GEM) model of care and improve local coordination of services for older people. Methods The present study was an exploratory, longitudinal case study involving repeat interviews with 19 patients and carers, patient chart audits and three focus groups with service providers. Interview transcripts were coded and synthesised to identify recurring themes. Results Patients and carers experienced care transitions as dislocating and unpredictable within a complex and turbulent service context. The experience was characterised by precarious self-management in the community, floundering with unmet needs and holistic care within the GEM service. Patient and carer attitudes to seeking help, quality and timeliness of communication and information exchange, and system pressure affected care transition experiences. Conclusion Further policy and practice attention, including embedding early intervention and prevention, strengthening links between levels of care by building on existing programs and educative and self-help initiatives for patients and carers is recommended to improve care transition experiences and optimise the impact of the GEM model of care. What is known about the topic? Older people with complex care needs experience frequent care transitions because of fluctuating health and fragmentation of aged care services in Australia. The GEM model of care promotes multidisciplinary, coordinated care to improve care transitions and outcomes for older people with complex care needs. What does this paper add? The present study highlights the crucial role of the GEM service, but found there is a lack of systemised linkages within and across levels of care that disrupts coordinated care and affects care transition experiences. There are underutilised opportunities for early intervention and prevention across the system, including the emergency department and general practice. What are the implications for practitioners? Comprehensive screening, assessment and intervention in primary and acute care, formalised transition processes and enhanced support for patients and carers to access timely, appropriate care is required to achieve quality, coordinated care transitions for older people.

  5. A European study investigating patterns of transition from home care towards institutional dementia care: the protocol of a RightTimePlaceCare study

    PubMed Central

    2012-01-01

    Background Health care policies in many countries aim to enable people with dementia to live in their own homes as long as possible. However, at some point during the disease the needs of a significant number of people with dementia cannot be appropriately met at home and institutional care is required. Evidence as to best practice strategies enabling people with dementia to live at home as long as possible and also identifying the right time to trigger admission to a long-term nursing care facility is therefore urgently required. The current paper presents the rationale and methods of a study generating primary data for best-practice development in the transition from home towards institutional nursing care for people with dementia and their informal caregivers. The study has two main objectives: 1) investigate country-specific factors influencing institutionalization and 2) investigate the circumstances of people with dementia and their informal caregivers in eight European countries. Additionally, data for economic evaluation purposes are being collected. Methods/design This paper describes a prospective study, conducted in eight European countries (Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Netherlands, Sweden, Spain, United Kingdom). A baseline assessment and follow-up measurement after 3 months will be performed. Two groups of people with dementia and their informal caregivers will be included: 1) newly admitted to institutional long-term nursing care facilities; and 2) receiving professional long-term home care, and being at risk for institutionalization. Data will be collected on outcomes for people with dementia (e.g. quality of life, quality of care), informal caregivers (e.g. caregiver burden, quality of life) and costs (e.g. resource utilization). Statistical analyses consist of descriptive and multivariate regression techniques and cross-country comparisons. Discussion The current study, which is part of a large European project 'RightTimePlaceCare', generates primary data on outcomes and costs of long-term nursing care for people with dementia and their informal caregivers, specifically focusing on the transition from home towards institutional care. Together with data collected in three other work packages, knowledge gathered in this study will be used to inform and empower patients, professionals, policy and related decision makers to manage and improve health and social dementia care services. PMID:22269343

  6. Transition to adult-oriented health care: perspectives of youth and adults with complex physical disabilities.

    PubMed

    Young, Nancy L; Barden, Wendy S; Mills, Wendy A; Burke, Tricia A; Law, Mary; Boydell, Katherine

    2009-01-01

    The transition to adulthood is extremely difficult for individuals with disabilities. We sought to explore the specific issue of transition to adult-oriented health care in a Canadian context. We conducted semi-structured individual interviews with 15 youth and 15 adults with cerebral palsy, spina bifida, and acquired brain injuries of childhood, and their parents (n = 30). Respondents discussed their health care services, their experience with clinical transition, and contributing factors. We analyzed the transcripts using qualitative methods. All participants identified challenges in transition, including: lack of access to health care; lack of professionals' knowledge; lack of information and uncertainty regarding the transition process. Two solutions were identified: early provision of detailed information and more extensive support throughout the clinical transition process. The challenges of clinical transition were universal. More extensive information and support is needed during transition to ensure an efficient move to appropriate adult-oriented health care.

  7. A Qualitative Study of Patient and Provider Experiences during Preoperative Care Transitions

    PubMed Central

    MALLEY, ANN; YOUNG, GARY J.

    2017-01-01

    Aims To explore the issues and challenges of care transitions in the preoperative environment. Background Ineffective transitions play a role in a majority of serious medical errors. There is a paucity of research related to the preoperative arena and the multiple inherent transitions in care that occur there. Design Qualitative descriptive design was used. Methods Semi-structured interviews were conducted in a 975 bed academic medical center. Results 30 providers and 10 preoperative patients participated. Themes that arose were: (1) Need for clarity of purpose of preoperative care (2) Care coordination (3) Inter-professional boundaries of care (4) Inadequate time and resources. Conclusion Effective transitions in the preoperative environment require that providers bridge scope of practice barriers to promote good teamwork. Preoperative care that is a product of well-informed providers and patients can improve the entire perioperative care process and potentially influence post-operative patient outcomes. Relevance to Clinical Practice Nurses are well positioned to bridge the gaps within transitions of care and accordingly affect health outcomes. PMID:27706872

  8. Transitioning adolescent and young adults with chronic disease and/or disabilities from paediatric to adult care services - an integrative review.

    PubMed

    Zhou, Huaqiong; Roberts, Pamela; Dhaliwal, Satvinder; Della, Phillip

    2016-11-01

    This paper aims to provide an updated comprehensive review of the research-based evidence related to the transitions of care process for adolescents and young adults with chronic illness/disabilities since 2010. Transitioning adolescent and young adults with chronic disease and/or disabilities to adult care services is a complex process, which requires coordination and continuity of health care. The quality of the transition process not only impacts on special health care needs of the patients, but also their psychosocial development. Inconsistent evidence was found regarding the process of transitioning adolescent and young adults. An integrative review was conducted using a five-stage process: problem identification, literature search, data evaluation, data analysis and presentation. A search was carried out using the EBSCOhost, Embase, MEDLINE, PsycINFO, and AustHealth, from 2010 to 31 October 2014. The key search terms were (adolescent or young adult) AND (chronic disease or long-term illness/conditions or disability) AND (transition to adult care or continuity of patient care or transfer or transition). A total of 5719 records were initially identified. After applying the inclusion criteria a final 61 studies were included. Six main categories derived from the data synthesis process are Timing of transition; Perceptions of the transition; Preparation for the transition; Patients' outcomes post-transition; Barriers to the transition; and Facilitating factors to the transition. A further 15 subcategories also surfaced. In the last five years, there has been improvement in health outcomes of adolescent and young adults post-transition by applying a structured multidisciplinary transition programme, especially for patients with cystic fibrosis and diabetes. However, overall patients' outcomes after being transited to adult health care services, if recorded, have remained poor both physically and psychosocially. An accurate tracking mechanism needs to be established by stakeholders as a formal channel to monitor patients' outcomes post- transition. © 2016 The Authors. Journal of Clinical Nursing Published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

  9. Barriers and facilitators to successful transition from pediatric to adult inflammatory bowel disease care from the perspectives of providers.

    PubMed

    Paine, Christine W; Stollon, Natalie B; Lucas, Matthew S; Brumley, Lauren D; Poole, Erika S; Peyton, Tamara; Grant, Anne W; Jan, Sophia; Trachtenberg, Symme; Zander, Miriam; Mamula, Petar; Bonafide, Christopher P; Schwartz, Lisa A

    2014-11-01

    For adolescents and young adults (AYA) with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), the transition from pediatric to adult care is often challenging and associated with gaps in care. Our study objectives were to (1) identify outcomes for evaluating transition success and (2) elicit the major barriers and facilitators of successful transition. We interviewed pediatric and adult IBD providers from across the United States with experience caring for AYAs with IBD until thematic saturation was reached after 12 interviews. We elicited the participants' backgrounds, examples of successful and unsuccessful transition of AYAs for whom they cared, and recommendations for improving transition using the Social-Ecological Model of Adolescent and Young Adult Readiness to Transition framework. We coded interview transcripts using the constant comparative method and identified major themes. Participants reported evaluating transition success and failure using health care utilization outcomes (e.g., maintaining continuity with adult providers), health outcomes (e.g., stable symptoms), and quality of life outcomes (e.g., attending school). The patients' level of developmental maturity (i.e., ownership of care) was the most prominent determinant of transition outcomes. The style of parental involvement (i.e., helicopter parent versus optimally involved parent) and the degree of support by providers (e.g., care coordination) also influenced outcomes. IBD transition success is influenced by a complex interplay of patient developmental maturity, parenting style, and provider support. Multidisciplinary IBD care teams should aim to optimize these factors for each patient to increase the likelihood of a smooth transfer to adult care.

  10. Health care services and the transition to young adulthood: challenges and opportunities.

    PubMed

    Park, M Jane; Adams, Sally H; Irwin, Charles E

    2011-01-01

    The aim of this study was to examine the potential role of the health care system in the successful transition to young adulthood for all adolescents, with emphasis on adolescents with special health care needs (ASHCN), and to evaluate the system's status in filling that role. Research and conceptual frameworks addressing successful transitions and functioning were reviewed. A framework describing a role for health care services in the transition was presented. The health care system's status in promoting healthy transitions was evaluated, including National Survey of Children with Special Health Care Needs 2005-2006 analyses of key outcomes for ASHCN. Although most national efforts to define skills needed for the transition have focused on career/vocational skills, a few frameworks integrate broader issues such as health, psychosocial development, and civic engagement. Adolescent transitional issues have generally received little attention; however, these have been articulated for ASHCN. Nevertheless, only 2 in 5 ASHCN receive transitional care, and ASHCN fare poorly on other core outcomes. ASHCN with mental health conditions fare worse on outcomes than those with physical health conditions. Our framework for healthy transitions includes the following: 1) adolescents can access a comprehensive health care system, 2) preventable problems are avoided, and 3) chronic problems are managed. The present health care system falls short of accomplishing these. Health care services can potentially play a role in facilitating a healthy transition to young adulthood; however, many gaps exist. Although the health care reform act addresses some gaps, efforts that integrate adolescents' developmental needs and address mental health issues are needed. Copyright © 2011 Academic Pediatric Association. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  11. Transitions: A Guide to Teens Getting Older and Changing Health Care Providers

    MedlinePlus

    ... Transitions: A Guide to Getting Older and Changing Health Care Providers (HCP’s) Posted under Health Guides . Updated 11 ... can help me plan my transition to adult health care? Your pediatrician or other health care provider Your ...

  12. Current practice and views of neurologists on the transition from pediatric to adult care.

    PubMed

    Oskoui, Maryam; Wolfson, Christina

    2012-12-01

    To describe the current practice and views of neurologists on transitioning patients from pediatric to adult care, a cross-sectional study of all pediatric and adult neurologists in the province of Quebec, Canada, was conducted. The response rate was 73% for pediatric and 49% for adult neurologists. Most pediatric neurologists do not have a patient transition program or policy in place. Although a transfer summary is commonly provided, critical information is often lacking. Nearly half of neurologists believed that patients experience a gap in care during the transition process, and most agreed that the transition process is often poorly coordinated, highlighting patient, family, and health care factors. Current practice does not follow existing consensus statements for transition of care with respect to timing, communication, and preparation, and many pediatric neurologists experience difficulty in finding an appropriate adult health care provider for their patients. Neurologists reported many challenges in the current transition of care process.

  13. Pattern transition between periodic Liesegang pattern and crystal growth regime in reaction-diffusion systems

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Lagzi, István; Ueyama, Daishin

    2009-01-01

    The pattern transition between periodic precipitation pattern formation (Liesegang phenomenon) and pure crystal growth regimes is investigated in silver nitrate and potassium dichromate system in mixed agarose-gelatin gel. Morphologically different patterns were found depending on the quality of the gel, and transition between these typical patterns can be controlled by the concentration of gelatin in mixed gel. Effect of temperature and hydrodynamic force on precipitation pattern structure was also investigated.

  14. Individual versus interprofessional team performance in formulating care transition plans: A randomised study of trainees from five professional groups.

    PubMed

    Farrell, Timothy W; Supiano, Katherine P; Wong, Bob; Luptak, Marilyn K; Luther, Brenda; Andersen, Troy C; Wilson, Rebecca; Wilby, Frances; Yang, Rumei; Pepper, Ginette A; Brunker, Cherie P

    2018-05-01

    Health professions trainees' performance in teams is rarely evaluated, but increasingly important as the healthcare delivery systems in which they will practice move towards team-based care. Effective management of care transitions is an important aspect of interprofessional teamwork. This mixed-methods study used a crossover design to randomise health professions trainees to work as individuals and as teams to formulate written care transition plans. Experienced external raters assessed the quality of the written care transition plans as well as both the quality of team process and overall team performance. Written care transition plan quality did not vary between individuals and teams (21.8 vs. 24.4, respectively, p = 0.42). The quality of team process did not correlate with the quality of the team-generated written care transition plans (r = -0.172, p = 0.659). However, there was a significant correlation between the quality of team process and overall team performance (r = 0.692, p = 0.039). Teams with highly engaged recorders, performing an internal team debrief, had higher-quality care transition plans. These results suggest that high-quality interprofessional care transition plans may require advance instruction as well as teamwork in finalising the plan.

  15. Transitioning youth with rheumatic conditions: perspectives of pediatric rheumatology providers in the United States and Canada.

    PubMed

    Chira, Peter; Ronis, Tova; Ardoin, Stacy; White, Patience

    2014-04-01

    To assess North American pediatric rheumatology providers' perspectives on practices, barriers, and opportunities concerning the transition from pediatric-centered to adult-centered care. Childhood Arthritis and Rheumatology Research Alliance (CARRA) members completed a 25-item survey assessing current transition practices, transition policy awareness, and transitional care barriers and needs. Results were compared to the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) 2008 survey on transitional care. Over half (158/288, 55%) of CARRA members completed the survey. Fewer than 10% are very familiar with AAP guidelines about transition care for youth with special healthcare needs. Eight percent have a formal written transition policy, but 42% use an informal approach. Patient request (75%) most frequently initiates transfer to adult care. Two major barriers to transition are fragmented adult medical care and lack of sufficient time to provide services. Compared with AAP survey participants, pediatric rheumatology providers are significantly more likely to help youth find an adult specialist (63% vs 45%) and discuss confidentiality and consent before age 18 (45% vs 33%), but are less likely to help with medical summary creation (16% vs 27%) or find a primary care provider (25% vs 47%). Outcomes ranked as "very important" in defining a successful transition are survival (76%), seeing an adult rheumatologist within 6 months of final pediatric rheumatology visit (66%), and maintaining insurance coverage (57%). This comprehensive survey of North American pediatric rheumatology providers regarding transitional care practices demonstrates deficiencies in education, resources, and a formalized process. Respondents support development of standardized rheumatology-specific transition practices.

  16. Facilitating the transition of patients with special health care needs from pediatric to adult oral health care.

    PubMed

    Nowak, Arthur J; Casamassimo, Paul S; Slayton, Rebecca L

    2010-11-01

    Without guidelines or policies in dentistry for transitioning adolescents with special heath care needs from pediatric to adult oral health care, little is known about traditional support services. The authors surveyed pediatric dentists about their transition of adolescent patients with and without special health care needs (SHCNs) to adult care. In 2009, the authors e-mailed a pilot-tested survey modified from a survey used for U.S. pediatricians to 4,000 pediatric dentists. The survey included demographic questions and questions regarding services and barriers associated with the transition of patients to adult care. Responses were obtained from 1,686 (42.2 percent response) pediatric dentists who were mostly in group or solo private practices and were younger, in that most had completed their education in the preceding 15 years. More than one-half practiced in suburban settings, and most worked with both dental hygienists and dental assistants. Most assisted patients with SHCNs with their transitions to adult care, and the predominant barrier to transitioning to adult care was availability of general dentists and specialists who were willing to accept these new patients. Pediatric dentists' answers paralleled those of pediatricians for the most part in terms of services provided and barriers to transition. Most responding dentists helped adolescents with and without SHCNs make the transition into adult care, but the major barrier was the availability of general dentists and specialists. With an office protocol in place that includes trained staff members, transitioning patients (especially those with SHCNs) to adult care can be facilitated to provide the appropriate oral health and support services.

  17. Clinicians’ views on improving inter-organizational care transitions

    PubMed Central

    2013-01-01

    Background Patients with complex health conditions frequently require care from multiple providers and are particularly vulnerable to poorly executed transitions from one healthcare setting to another. Poorly executed care transitions can result in negative patient outcomes (e.g. medication errors, delays in treatment) and increased healthcare spending due to re-hospitalization or emergency room visits by patients. Little is known about care transitions from acute care to complex continuing care and rehabilitation settings. Thus, a qualitative study was undertaken to explore clinicians’ perceptions of strategies aimed at improving patient care transitions from acute care hospitals to complex continuing care and rehabilitation healthcare organizations. Methods A qualitative study using semi-structured interviews was conducted with clinicians employed at two selected healthcare facilities: an acute care hospital and a complex continuing care/rehabilitation organization, respectively. Analysis of the transcripts involved the creation of a coding schema using the content analyses outlined by Ryan and Bernard. In total, 31 interviews were conducted with clinicians at the participating study sites. Results Three themes emerged from the data to delineate what study participants described as strategies to ensure quality inter-organizational transitions of patients transferred from acute care to the complex continuing care and rehabilitation hospital. These themes are: 1) communicating more effectively; 2) being vigilant around the patients’ readiness for transfer and care needs; and 3) documenting more accurately and completely in the patient transfer record. Conclusion Our study provides insights from the perspectives of multiple clinicians that have important implications for health care leaders and clinicians in their efforts to enhance inter-organizational care transitions. Of particular importance is the need to have a collective and collaborative approach amongst clinicians during the inter-organizational care transition process. Study findings also suggest that the written patient transfer record needs to be augmented with a verbal report whereby the receiving clinician has an opportunity to discuss with a clinician from the acute care hospital the patient’s status on discharge and plan of care. Integral to future research efforts is designing and testing out interventions to optimize inter-organizational care transitions and feedback loops for complex medical patients. PMID:23899326

  18. Multicentre randomized controlled trial of structured transition on diabetes care management compared to standard diabetes care in adolescents and young adults with type 1 diabetes (Transition Trial).

    PubMed

    Spaic, Tamara; Mahon, Jeff L; Hramiak, Irene; Byers, Nicole; Evans, Keira; Robinson, Tracy; Lawson, Margaret L; Malcolm, Janine; Goldbloom, Ellen B; Clarson, Cheril L

    2013-10-09

    Transition from pediatric to adult diabetes care is a high risk period during which there is an increased rate of disengagement from care. Suboptimal transition has been associated with higher risks for acute and chronic diabetes-related complications. The period of emerging adulthood challenges current systems of healthcare delivery as many young adults with type 1 diabetes (T1D) default from diabetes care and are at risk for diabetes complications which are undetected and therefore untreated. Despite the importance of minimizing loss to follow-up there are no randomized control trials evaluating models of transition from pediatric to adult diabetes care. This is a multicentre randomized controlled trial. A minimum of 188 subjects with T1D aged between 17 and 20 years will be evaluated. Eligible subjects will be recruited from three pediatric care centres and randomly assigned in a 1:1 ratio to a structured transition program that will span 18 months or to receive standard diabetes care. The structured transition program is a multidisciplinary, complex intervention aiming to provide additional support in the transition period. A Transition Coordinator will provide transition support and will provide the link between pediatric and adult diabetes care. The Transition Coordinator is central to the intervention to facilitate ongoing contact with the medical system as well as education and clinical support where appropriate. Subjects will be seen in the pediatric care setting for 6 months and will then be transferred to the adult care setting where they will be seen for one year. There will then be a one-year follow-up period for outcome assessment. The primary outcome is the proportion of subjects who fail to attend at least one outpatient adult diabetes specialist visit during the second year after transition to adult diabetes care. Secondary outcome measures include A1C frequency measurement and levels, diabetes related emergency room visits and hospital admissions, frequency of complication screening, and subject perception and satisfaction with care. This trial will determine if the support of a Transition Coordinator improves health outcomes for this at-risk population of young adults. NCT01351857.

  19. Barriers and facilitators to successful transition from pediatric to adult inflammatory bowel disease care from the perspectives of providers

    PubMed Central

    Paine, Christine Weirich; Stollon, Natalie B.; Lucas, Matthew S.; Brumley, Lauren D.; Poole, Erika S.; Peyton, Tamara; Grant, Anne W.; Jan, Sophia; Trachtenberg, Symme; Zander, Miriam; Mamula, Petar; Bonafide, Christopher P.; Schwartz, Lisa A.

    2014-01-01

    Background For adolescents and young adults (AYA) with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), the transition from pediatric to adult care is often challenging and associated with gaps in care. Our study objectives were to (1) identify outcomes for evaluating transition success and (2) elicit the major barriers and facilitators of successful transition. Methods We interviewed pediatric and adult IBD providers from across the United States with experience caring for AYAs with IBD until thematic saturation was reached after 12 interviews. We elicited the participants' backgrounds, examples of successful and unsuccessful transition of AYAs for whom they cared, and recommendations for improving transition using the Social-ecological Model of Adolescent and Young Adult Readiness to Transition framework. We coded interview transcripts using the constant comparative method and identified major themes. Results Participants reported evaluating transition success and failure using healthcare utilization outcomes (e.g. maintaining continuity with adult providers), health outcomes (e.g. stable symptoms), and quality of life outcomes (e.g. attending school). The patients' level of developmental maturity (i.e. ownership of care) was the most prominent determinant of transition outcomes. The style of parental involvement (i.e. helicopter parent vs. optimally-involved parent) also influenced outcomes as well as the degree of support by providers (e.g. care coordination). Conclusion IBD transition success is influenced by a complex interplay of patient developmental maturity, parenting style, and provider support. Multidisciplinary IBD care teams should aim to optimize these factors for each patient to increase the likelihood of a smooth transfer to adult care. PMID:25137417

  20. A Mixed Methods Investigation of Maternal Perspectives on Transition Experiences in Early Care and Education

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Swartz, Rebecca Anne; Speirs, Katherine Elizabeth; Encinger, Amy Johnson; McElwain, Nancy L.

    2016-01-01

    Research Findings: Strong relationships among children, families, and early care and education (ECE) providers are key to quality infant-toddler care. These relationships are shaped during the initial transition period to group care. We used a mixed methods approach to (a) assess maternal perspectives on the transition to group care, (b) explore…

  1. Improving Sickle Cell Transitions of Care Through Health Information Technology.

    PubMed

    Frost, Jennifer R; Cherry, Rebecca K; Oyeku, Suzette O; Faro, Elissa Z; Crosby, Lori E; Britto, Maria; Tuchman, Lisa K; Horn, Ivor B; Homer, Charles J; Jain, Anjali

    2016-07-01

    Transitions between inpatient and outpatient care and pediatric to adult care are associated with increased mortality for sickle cell disease (SCD) patients. As accurate and timely sharing of health information is essential during transitions, a health information technology (HIT)-enabled tool holds promise to improve care transitions. From 2012 through 2014, the team conducted and analyzed data from an environmental scan, key informant interviews, and focus groups to inform the development of an HIT-enabled tool for SCD patients' use during care transitions. The scan included searches of peer-reviewed and gray literature to understand SCD patient needs, transition concerns, and best practices in mobile health applications, and searches of websites and online stores to identify existing transition tools and their features. Eleven focus groups consisted of four groups of SCD patients of varying ages (≥9 years); three groups of parents/caregivers of SCD patients; three groups of providers; and one with IT developers. In focus groups, patients and caregivers reported that the transition from home to the emergency department (ED) was the most challenging; the ED was also where transitions from pediatric to adult care usually occurred. Patients felt they were not taken seriously by unfamiliar ED providers, and their inability to convey their diagnosis, pain regimen, and detailed medical history while in significant pain hindered care. The environmental scan did not reveal an existing suitable transition tool, but patients, parents, providers, and IT experts saw the potential and appeal of creating a tool to meet ED health information needs to improve care transitions. Copyright © 2016 American Journal of Preventive Medicine. All rights reserved.

  2. Stability and Instability of Subjective Well-Being in the Transition from Adolescence to Young Adulthood: Longitudinal Evidence from 20991 Young Australians

    PubMed Central

    Page, Andrew

    2016-01-01

    Purpose This study assessed the long-term stability and instability of subjective well-being during post-school transition (i.e., transition from adolescence to young adulthood) and evaluated the determinants of transition stability. Methods Using two cohorts from a national representative longitudinal study, the Longitudinal Study of Australian Youth (N = 20991), latent profile analysis and latent transition analysis were conducted to examine transition patterns among subjective well-being profiles for youth from age 17 to 25. Multinomial logistic regressions were conducted to evaluate whether key socio-demographic variables were associated with transition stability. Results We identified: (1) three subjective well-being profiles: Low (30%), Moderate (50%), and High (20%); and (2) three major transition patterns among these subjective well-being profiles: stable, partially-stable, and unstable. The majority of youth had stable transition patterns during the transition from adolescence to adulthood. A large percentage of youth (52%) started low in subjective well-being profile and remained in the low subjective-wellbeing profile. Our examination also revealed gender was the most pronounced indicator for transition stability during this time period, with males more likely to have unstable transition patterns than females. Conclusions Results suggest that different subjective well-being status and transition patterns can be identified in the post-high school transition to adulthood, including unstable transitions. By targeting those groups more vulnerable to transition, mental health promotion and interventions may be delivered more effectively. PMID:27232183

  3. Views of Young People With Chronic Conditions on Transition From Pediatric to Adult Health Services

    PubMed Central

    Hislop, Jenni; Mason, Helen; Parr, Jeremy R.; Vale, Luke; Colver, Allan

    2017-01-01

    Purpose This study sought to identify and describe the views of young people with chronic conditions about the transition from pediatric to adult services. Methods Q methodology was used to identify young people’s views on transition. A set of 39 statements about transition was developed from an existing literature review and refined in consultation with local groups of young people. Statements were printed onto cards and a purposive sample of 44 young people with chronic health conditions was recruited, 41 remaining in the study. The young people were asked to sort the statement cards onto a Q-sort grid, according to their opinions from “strongly disagree” to “strongly agree.” Factor analysis was used to identify shared points of view (patterns of similarity between individual’s Q-sorts). Results Four distinct views on transition were identified from young people: (1) “a laid-back view of transition;” (2) “anxiety about transition;” (3) “wanting independence and autonomy during transition;” and (4) “valuing social interaction with family, peers, and professionals to assist transition.” Conclusions Successful transition is likely to be influenced by how young people view the process. Discussing and understanding young people’s views and preferences about transition should help clinicians and young people develop personalized planning for transition as a whole, and more specifically the point of transfer, leading to effective and efficient engagement with adult care. PMID:27287962

  4. Views of Young People With Chronic Conditions on Transition From Pediatric to Adult Health Services.

    PubMed

    Hislop, Jenni; Mason, Helen; Parr, Jeremy R; Vale, Luke; Colver, Allan

    2016-09-01

    This study sought to identify and describe the views of young people with chronic conditions about the transition from pediatric to adult services. Q methodology was used to identify young people's views on transition. A set of 39 statements about transition was developed from an existing literature review and refined in consultation with local groups of young people. Statements were printed onto cards and a purposive sample of 44 young people with chronic health conditions was recruited, 41 remaining in the study. The young people were asked to sort the statement cards onto a Q-sort grid, according to their opinions from "strongly disagree" to "strongly agree." Factor analysis was used to identify shared points of view (patterns of similarity between individual's Q-sorts). Four distinct views on transition were identified from young people: (1) "a laid-back view of transition;" (2) "anxiety about transition;" (3) "wanting independence and autonomy during transition;" and (4) "valuing social interaction with family, peers, and professionals to assist transition." Successful transition is likely to be influenced by how young people view the process. Discussing and understanding young people's views and preferences about transition should help clinicians and young people develop personalized planning for transition as a whole, and more specifically the point of transfer, leading to effective and efficient engagement with adult care. Copyright © 2016 Society for Adolescent Health and Medicine. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  5. Managing the link and strengthening transition from child to adult mental health Care in Europe (MILESTONE): background, rationale and methodology.

    PubMed

    Tuomainen, H; Schulze, U; Warwick, J; Paul, M; Dieleman, G C; Franić, T; Madan, J; Maras, A; McNicholas, F; Purper-Ouakil, D; Santosh, P; Signorini, G; Street, C; Tremmery, S; Verhulst, F C; Wolke, D; Singh, S P

    2018-06-04

    Transition from distinct Child and Adolescent Mental Health (CAMHS) to Adult Mental Health Services (AMHS) is beset with multitude of problems affecting continuity of care for young people with mental health needs. Transition-related discontinuity of care is a major health, socioeconomic and societal challenge globally. The overall aim of the Managing the Link and Strengthening Transition from Child to Adult Mental Health Care in Europe (MILESTONE) project (2014-19) is to improve transition from CAMHS to AMHS in diverse healthcare settings across Europe. MILESTONE focuses on current service provision in Europe, new transition-related measures, long term outcomes of young people leaving CAMHS, improving transitional care through 'managed transition', ethics of transitioning and the training of health care professionals. Data will be collected via systematic literature reviews, pan-European surveys, and focus groups with service providers, users and carers, and members of youth advocacy and mental health advocacy groups. A prospective cohort study will be conducted with a nested cluster randomised controlled trial in eight European Union (EU) countries (Belgium, Croatia, France, Germany, Ireland, Italy, Netherlands, UK) involving over 1000 CAMHS users, their carers, and clinicians. Improving transitional care can facilitate not only recovery but also mental health promotion and mental illness prevention for young people. MILESTONE will provide evidence of the organisational structures and processes influencing transition at the service interface across differing healthcare models in Europe and longitudinal outcomes for young people leaving CAMHS, solutions for improving transitional care in a cost-effective manner, training modules for clinicians, and commissioning and policy guidelines for service providers and policy makers. "MILESTONE study" registration: ISRCTN ISRCTN83240263 Registered 23 July 2015; ClinicalTrials.gov NCT03013595 Registered 6 January 2017.

  6. Psychological factors impacting transition from paediatric to adult care by childhood cancer survivors.

    PubMed

    Granek, Leeat; Nathan, Paul C; Rosenberg-Yunger, Zahava R S; D'Agostino, Norma; Amin, Leila; Barr, Ronald D; Greenberg, Mark L; Hodgson, David; Boydell, Katherine; Klassen, Anne F

    2012-09-01

    Childhood cancer survivors require life-long care focused on the specific late effects that may arise from their cancer and its treatment. In many centers, survivors are required to transition from follow-up care in a paediatric cancer center, to care provided in an adult care setting. The purpose of this study was to identify the psychological factors involved in this transition to adult care long-term follow-up clinics. Qualitative interviews were conducted with ten paediatric survivors still in paediatric care, as well as 28 adult survivors of whom 11 had transitioned successfully to adult care (attended three long-term follow-up (LTFU) appointments consecutively); ten who failed to transition (attended at least one LTFU appointment as an adult, but were inconsistent with subsequent attendance); and seven who had never transitioned (did not attend any LTFU care as an adult). Line-by-line coding was used to establish categories and themes. Constant comparison was used to examine relationships within and across codes and categories. Two overall categories and four subthemes were identified: (1) Identification with being a cancer survivor included the subthemes of 'cancer identity' and 'cancer a thing of the past' and; (2) Emotional components included the subthemes of 'fear and anxiety' and 'gratitude and gaining perspective'. The analysis revealed that the same factor could act as either a motivator or a hindrance to successful transition in different survivors (e.g., fear of recurrence of cancer might be a barrier or a facilitator depending on the survivor's life experience). Psychological factors are an important consideration when preparing cancer survivors for transition to adult long-term follow-up care. Identifying and addressing the individual psychological needs of childhood cancer survivors may improve the likelihood of their successful transition to adult care.

  7. Heterogeneity and Change in the Patterning of Adolescents' Perceptions of the Legitimacy of Parental Authority: A Latent Transition Model

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Cumsille, Patricio; Darling, Nancy; Flaherty, Brian; Martinez, Maria Loreto

    2009-01-01

    Changes in the patterning of adolescents' beliefs about the legitimate domains of parental authority were modeled in 2,611 Chilean adolescents, 11-16 years old. Transitions in adolescents' belief patterns were studied over 3 years. Latent transition analysis (LTA) revealed 3 distinct patterns of beliefs--"parent control," "shared…

  8. Patterns of Transition Experience for Parents Going Home from Hospital with their Infant after First Stage Surgery for Complex Congenital Heart Disease.

    PubMed

    Gaskin, Kerry L

    2017-12-04

    The purpose of this study was to explore parents' experiences of one specific timepoint in their infant's journey: the transition from hospital to home, following the first stage of their infant's cardiac surgery for complex congenital heart disease. A prospective longitudinal mixed methods study, underpinned with Middle Range Transition Theory (Meleis, Sawyer, Im, Hilfinger Messias, & Schumacher, 2000). Face to face and telephone interviews were conducted and self-report forms completed by parents at four-time points: before discharge (T0), 2weeks after discharge (T1), 8weeks after discharge (T2) and after stage two surgery (T3). Interviews were transcribed verbatim before inductive thematic analysis. Parents were recruited over a 15-month period from 2013 to 2015. Twelve mothers and 4 fathers took part. The infants had functionally univentricular heart (left n=10, right n=1) and a systemic shunt dependent lesion, tetralogy of Fallot (n=1). Dynamic constructivist and constructionist social processes occurred for all parents, involving physical, physiological, psychological and cognitive elements within four 'patterns of experience', two of which 'safety and security' and 'love and support' are presented in this paper. Parental support is essential; parents need to be engaged in discharge planning process and given the opportunity to express their needs to ensure that discharge care is truly patient and family centered. Transition from hospital to home was complex and multi-faceted, with unanticipated physical and emotional transitions superimposed upon those that were expected. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  9. Transition support for new graduate and novice nurses in critical care settings: An integrative review of the literature.

    PubMed

    Innes, Tiana; Calleja, Pauline

    2018-05-01

    Transition into critical care areas for new graduate nurses may be more difficult than transitioning into other areas due to the specialised knowledge needed. It is unknown which aspects of transition programs best support new graduate nurses improve competence and confidence to transition into critical care nursing specialties. Identifying these aspects would assist to design and implement best practice transition programs for new graduates in critical care areas. Themes identified in the literature include; having a designated resource person, workplace culture, socialisation, knowledge and skill acquisition, orientation, and rotation. Allocation of a quality resource person/s, supportive workplace culture, positive socialisation experiences, knowledge and skill acquisition and structured orientation based on new graduates' learning needs all positively supported increased confidence, competence and transition into nursing practice. Rotations between areas within graduate programs can potentially have both positive and negative impacts on the transition process. Negative impacts of including a rotation component in a transition program should be carefully considered alongside perceived benefits when designing new graduate nurse transition programs. Copyright © 2018. Published by Elsevier Ltd.

  10. Implementation of Transition in Care and Relationship Based Care to Reduce Preventable Rehospitalizations.

    PubMed

    Burt, Susan; Berry, Donna; Quackenbush, Patricia

    2015-01-01

    Home healthcare agencies are accountable for preventing rehospitalization, yet many struggle to make progress with this metric. The purpose of this article is to share how our organization turned to two frameworks, Transitions in Care and Relationship-Based Care, to prevent unnecessary rehospitalizations. Appreciative inquiry, motivational interviewing, and action plans are used by our Transitional Care Nurses to engage and motivate patients to manage chronic diseases and achieve desirable health outcomes. Implementation of a Transitional Care Program has led our organization to improve the health of our patients and to decrease rehospitalization rates.

  11. Now where was I going? The challenge of care transitions for the cognitively impaired.

    PubMed

    Noel, Margaret A

    2012-01-01

    Transitions in care settings can be disconcerting to anyone, but they can be particularly difficult for people with cognitive impairment. MemoryCare's design of integrated clinical and care management services is well suited to minimizing the preventable morbidity that can accompany transitions in health care for cognitively impaired older adults at high risk for poor outcomes.

  12. Enablers and barriers of men with Duchenne muscular dystrophy transitioning from an adult clinic within a pediatric hospital.

    PubMed

    Lindsay, Sally; McAdam, Laura; Mahendiran, Tania

    2017-01-01

    Young men with Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD) live into adulthood and need specialized care. However, services for adults are fragmented. We know little about young men's experiences, their parents, and clinicians who support them as they transition to adult care. To explore the enablers and barriers of clinicians, young men, and parents as they transition from an adult DMD clinic within a pediatric hospital to an adult health facility. We conducted semi-structured, in-depth interviews with 16 participants (7 clinicians, 5 parents, 4 youth). We used an open-coding, thematic approach to analyze the data. Clinicians, youth and their parents experienced several enablers and barriers in transitioning to an adult health care center. Clinicians reported that structural factors including leadership and advocacy supported the transition. Clinicians and parents found that the availability and continuity of care both enabled and hindered the transition. Parents and youth conveyed the difficulties of adjusting to the different model of adult care and also accessing resources. All participants described how relational factors (i.e., effective communication and family involvement) enabled the transition. On an individual level, clinicians, parents and youth viewed transition readiness and other life skill supports as an enabler and a barrier to transitioning. All participants reported the difficulties of maintaining mental health for youth with DMD transitioning to adult health care. Clinicians, youth, and parents experienced several enablers and barriers in transitioning to adult health care. Further work is needed to understand the complex transition needs of youth with DMD. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  13. Resident and Staff Satisfaction of Pediatric Graduate Medical Education Training on Transition to Adult Care of Medically Complex Patients.

    PubMed

    Weeks, Matthew; Cole, Brandon; Flake, Eric; Roy, Daniel

    2018-04-11

    This study aims to describe the quantity and satisfaction current residents and experienced pediatricians have with graduate medical education on transitioning medically complex patients to adult care. There is an increasing need for transitioning medically complex adolescents to adult care. Over 90% now live into adulthood and require transition to adult healthcare providers. The 2010 National Survey of Children with Special Health Care Needs found that only 40% of youth 12-17 yr receive the necessary services to appropriately transition to adult care. Prospective, descriptive, anonymous, web-based survey of pediatric residents and staff pediatricians at Army pediatric residency training programs was sent in March 2017. Questions focused on assessing knowledge of transition of care, satisfaction with transition training, and amount of education on transition received during graduate medical education training. Of the 145 responders (310 potential responders, 47% response rate), transition was deemed important with a score of 4.3 out of 5. The comfort level with transition was rated 2.6/5 with only 4.2% of participants receiving formal education during residency. The most commonly perceived barriers to implementing a curriculum were time constraints and available resources. Of the five knowledge assessment questions, three had a correct response rate of less than 1/3. The findings show the disparity between the presence of and perceived need for a formal curriculum on transitioning complex pediatric patients to adult care. This study also highlighted the knowledge gap of the transition process for novice and experienced pediatricians alike.

  14. Transition from neonatal intensive care unit to special care nurseries: experiences of parents and nurses.

    PubMed

    Helder, Onno K; Verweij, Jos C M; van Staa, AnneLoes

    2012-05-01

    To explore parents' and nurses' experiences with the transition of infants from the neonatal intensive care unit to a special care nursery. Qualitative explorative study in two phases. Level IIID neonatal intensive care unit in a university hospital and special care nurseries (level II) in five community hospitals in the Netherlands. Twenty-one pairs of parents and 18 critical care nurses. Semistructured interviews were used. Thematic analysis and comparison of themes across participants were performed. Trust was a central theme for parents. Three subthemes, related to the chronological stages of transition, were identified: gaining trust; betrayal of trust; and rebuilding confidence. Trust was associated with five other themes: professional attitude; information management; coordination of transfer; different environments; and parent participation. Although nurses at an early stage repeatedly mentioned a possible transition to community hospitals, the actual announcement took many parents by surprise. Parents felt excluded during the actual transfer and most questioned its necessity. In the special care nursery, parents found it difficult to adjust to new routines and to gain trust in new caregivers, but eventually their worries dissolved. In contrast to neonatal intensive care unit nurses, special care nursery nurses quite understood the impact of transition on parents. Both parents and nurses considered present transitional arrangements to be inadequate. Nurses should provide more effective discharge planning and transitional care. A positive labeling of the transition as a first step to home discharge for the newborn seems appropriate. Parents need to be better-informed and should be involved in the planning process.

  15. Challenges of modern day transition care in inflammatory bowel disease: From inflammatory bowel disease to biosimilars.

    PubMed

    Hakizimana, Ali; Ahmed, Iftikhar; Russell, Rachel; Wright, Mark; Afzal, Nadeem A

    2017-07-07

    In this article we discuss the challenges of delivering a high quality Transition care. A good understanding of the adolescent needs with good communication between Transition care physicians and the patient is essential for good continuity of care. Despite availability of several guidelines, one model doesn't fit all and any transition service development should be determined by the local need and available healthcare facilities.

  16. A pragmatic randomized comparative effectiveness trial of transitional care for a socioeconomically diverse population: Design, rationale and baseline characteristics.

    PubMed

    Schaeffer, Christine; Teter, Caroline; Finch, Emily A; Hurt, Courtney; Keeter, Mary Kate; Liss, David T; Rogers, Angela; Sheth, Avani; Ackermann, Ronald

    2018-02-01

    Transitional care programs have been widely used to reduce readmissions and improve the quality and safety of the handoff process between hospital and outpatient providers. Very little is known about effective transitional care interventions among patients who are uninsured or with Medicaid. This paper describes the design and baseline characteristics of a pragmatic randomized comparative effectiveness trial of transitional care. Northwestern Medical Group- Transitional Care (NMG-TC) care model was developed to address the needs of patients with multiple medical problems that required lifestyle changes and were amenable to office-based management. We present the design, evaluation methods and baseline characteristics of NMG-TC trial patients. Baseline demographic characteristics indicate that our patient population is predominantly male, Medicaid insured and non-white. This study will evaluate two methods for implementing an effective transitional care model in a medically complex and socioeconomically diverse population. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  17. [Prevention of medication errors in healthcare transition of patients treated with apomorphine].

    PubMed

    Ucha Sanmartin, M; Martín Vila, A; López Vidal, C; Caaamaño Barreiro, M; Piñeiro Corrales, G

    2014-05-01

    The transition of patients between different levels of care process is a particular risk in the production of medication errors. The aim of this paper is to analyze the role of the pharmacist in preventing errors transition care to ensure a safe and cross pharmacotherapy of patients.Transversal, observational and descriptive study in a University Hospital that has a pharmacy service that integrates specialized inpatient care and health centers. Transition of care a patient treated with Apormorfina was analyzed to determine the keypoints of action of the pharmacist. Demographics, disease and medication history, and care transition episodes were collected through the pharmacy program and electronics history.The pharmacist did tasks adapting, reconciliation, management and reporting of medication to the health care team to prevent medication errors in care transition of patients treated with drugs requiring special handling .In conclusion, this work represents perfectly the key role of the pharmacist as coordinator of safe and transverse pharmacotherapy of patients. Copyright AULA MEDICA EDICIONES 2014. Published by AULA MEDICA. All rights reserved.

  18. Pattern transitions in spatial epidemics: Mechanisms and emergent properties.

    PubMed

    Sun, Gui-Quan; Jusup, Marko; Jin, Zhen; Wang, Yi; Wang, Zhen

    2016-12-01

    Infectious diseases are a threat to human health and a hindrance to societal development. Consequently, the spread of diseases in both time and space has been widely studied, revealing the different types of spatial patterns. Transitions between patterns are an emergent property in spatial epidemics that can serve as a potential trend indicator of disease spread. Despite the usefulness of such an indicator, attempts to systematize the topic of pattern transitions have been few and far between. We present a mini-review on pattern transitions in spatial epidemics, describing the types of transitions and their underlying mechanisms. We show that pattern transitions relate to the complexity of spatial epidemics by, for example, being accompanied with phenomena such as coherence resonance and cyclic evolution. The results presented herein provide valuable insights into disease prevention and control, and may even be applicable outside epidemiology, including other branches of medical science, ecology, quantitative finance, and elsewhere. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  19. Invisible work of using and monitoring knowledge by parents (end-users) of children with chronic conditions.

    PubMed

    Lagosky, Stephanie; Bartlett, Doreen; Shaw, Lynn

    2016-01-01

    Parents who care for young children with chronic conditions are knowledge users. Their efforts, time, and energy to source, consider and monitor information add to the 'invisible' work of parents in making decisions about care, school transitions, and interventions. Little is known or understood about the work of parents as knowledge users. To understand the knowledge use patterns and how these patterns may be monitored in parents caring for their young children with cerebral palsy (CP). An embedded case study methodology was used. In-depth qualitative interviews and visual mapping were employed to collect and analyze data based on the experiences of three mothers of young children with CP. Knowledge use in parents caring for their young children with CP is multi-factorial, complex and temporal. Findings resulted in a provisional model elaborating on the ways knowledge is used by parents and how it may be monitored. The visual mapping of pathways and actions of parents as end users makes the processes of knowledge use more visible and open to be valued as well as appreciated by others. The provisional model has implications for knowledge mobilization as a strategy in childhood rehabilitation and the facilitation of knowledge use in the lives of families with children with chronic health conditions.

  20. On aging and aged care in Serbia.

    PubMed

    Sevo, G; Davidovic, M; Erceg, P; Despotovic, N; Milosevic, D P; Tasic, M

    2015-06-01

    Serbia is a demographically old nation, with 17.4 % of its residents being aged 65 years and older in 2011. The previous two decades of turbulent history have significantly affected the demographic picture of this country, and their ramifications remain visible in Serbia's economic, political, cultural, and health spheres. Major demographic forces behind population aging in Serbia can be attributed to lower fertility rates, migrations, and declining mortality (reflecting improvements in overall health leading to a longer life expectancy). In Serbia, low fertility and migrations appear to play major roles, although the relative contribution of recent migrations cannot be measured with accuracy. Patterns of demographic aging vary considerably across different geographic, socioeconomic, and cultural settings. The common denominator throughout present day Serbia is extensive political and economic transition. One would expect that, given sufficient time, this process will result in improved population health, and yet, at this stage outcomes of major health care reform in Serbia are somewhat perplexing. For the second consecutive year, Serbia's health care system has been ranked at the very bottom of the scale among 34 European countries. It is then no surprise that the elderly represent particularly vulnerable population segment. This paper discusses some of the issues relevant to these demographic patterns of aging and aged care in contemporary Serbia, focusing on the period after 2000.

  1. 76 FR 21372 - Medicare Program; Solicitation for Proposals for the Medicare Community-Based Care Transitions...

    Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

    2011-04-15

    ...] Medicare Program; Solicitation for Proposals for the Medicare Community-Based Care Transitions Program... interested parties of an opportunity to apply to participate in the Medicare Community-based Care Transitions Program, which was authorized by section 3026 of the Affordable Care Act. DATES: Proposals will be...

  2. 77 FR 14364 - Comment Sought on Funding Pilot Program Participants Transitioning Out of the Rural Health Care...

    Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

    2012-03-09

    ... Program Participants Transitioning Out of the Rural Health Care Pilot Program in Funding Year 2012 AGENCY..., the Wireline Competition Bureau seeks comment on whether to fund Rural Health Care Pilot Program... transition them into the permanent Rural Health Care support mechanism (RHC support mechanism). DATES...

  3. Changes of geriatric syndromes in older adults survived from Intensive Care Unit.

    PubMed

    Tang, Hsin-Ju; Tang, Hsin-Yi Jean; Hu, Fang-Wen; Chen, Ching-Huey

    Nearly 90% of the older adult patients discharged from hospital with a cluster of geriatric syndromes. The patterns of geriatric syndromes in older adult ICU survivors are to be further explored. The aim of this study was to examine the risk factors and patterns of geriatric syndromes among older adult patients before admitting to ICU and throughout their hospitalization. A total of 137 older adult patients (age 76.9 ± 6.6; 52.6% male) participated in the study. The results showed significant increase in the occurrence of geriatric syndromes from T0 (upon ICU admission) to T1 (transition to inpatient care unit), with improvement at T2 (hospital discharge), but did not return to the baseline. The three most prevalent geriatric syndromes were: functional decline, urination incontinence, and defecation incontinence. Polypharmacy was associated with functioning decline. Patients with delirium were six times more likely to be re-admitted to ICU. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  4. Health Care Transition Planning among Adolescents with Autism Spectrum Disorder

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Walsh, Casey; Jones, Barbara; Schonwald, Alison

    2017-01-01

    Improving the health care transition process for youth with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is critically important. This study was designed to examine the overall national transition core outcome among youth with ASD and each of the component measures of health care transition planning. Fewer than 10% of youth with ASD meet the national transition…

  5. Diabetes in Vietnam.

    PubMed

    Khue, Nguyen Thy

    2015-01-01

    The prevalence for diabetes, prediabetes, and gestational diabetes in Vietnam are low relative to other parts of the world, but they are increasing at alarming rates. These changes have occurred in the setting of economic and cultural transitions. The aim of this study was to provide relevant information depicting the diabetes burden in Vietnam. Literature was reviewed using PubMed and local Vietnamese sources, including papers published in the Vietnamese language. In 2012, the prevalence of diabetes was 5.4% and prediabetes 13.7%. In 2005, the prevalence of obesity was 1.7%. There is a dual burden of over- and undernutrition observed in Vietnam. Diabetes is associated with an increased waist-to-hip ratio despite normal body mass index. Nutritional transitions occurred with increased protein, fat, and fast foods, and with decreased fresh fruits and vegetables. Tobacco use is very high in Vietnam with 66% of adult men currently smoking. Challenges include endocrinology training, health care coverage, patient education, and lack of coordination among government and specialist agencies. Diabetes is a growing problem in Vietnam and is associated with obesity, changes in dietary patterns, and other cultural transitions. More research is needed to better understand this health care problem and to devise targeted interventions. Copyright © 2015 The Author. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  6. Comparison of geographic methods to assess travel patterns of persons diagnosed with HIV in Philadelphia: how close is close enough?

    PubMed

    Eberhart, Michael G; Share, Amanda M; Shpaner, Mark; Brady, Kathleen A

    2015-02-01

    Travel distance to medical care has been assessed using a variety of geographic methods. Network analyses are less common, but may generate more accurate estimates of travel costs. We compared straight-line distances and driving distance, as well as average drive time and travel time on a public transit network for 1789 persons diagnosed with HIV between 2010 and 2012 to identify differences overall, and by distinct geographic areas of Philadelphia. Paired t-tests were used to assess differences across methods, and analysis of variance was used to assess between-group differences. Driving distances were significantly longer than straight-line distances (p<0.001) and transit times were significantly longer than driving times (p<0.001). Persons living in the northeast section of the city traveled greater distances, and at greater cost of time and effort, than persons in all other areas of the city (p<0.001). Persons living in the northwest section of the city traveled farther and longer than all other areas except the northeast (p<0.0001). Network analyses that include public transit will likely produce a more realistic estimate of the travel costs, and may improve models to predict medical care outcomes. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  7. Perspectives of veterans with mild traumatic brain injury on community reintegration: Making sense of unplanned separation from service.

    PubMed

    Libin, Alexander V; Schladen, Manon Maitland; Danford, Ellen; Cichon, Samantha; Bruner, Dwan; Scholten, Joel; Llorente, Maria; Zapata, Slavomir; Dromerick, Alexander W; Blackman, Marc R; Magruder, Kathryn M

    2017-01-01

    For veterans separated from the military as a result of acquired mild traumatic brain injury (mTBI), the transition from a military identity to a civilian one is complicated by health, cognitive, and psychosocial factors. We conducted in-depth interviews with 8 veterans with mTBI to understand how they perceived the experience of departure from the military, rehabilitation services provided at a Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) Polytrauma Network Site, and reentry into civilian life. Two distinct patterns of thinking about community reintegration emerged. The first pattern was characterized by the perception of a need to fade one's military identity. The second pattern, conversely, advanced the perception of a need to maintain the integrity of one's military identity though living in a civilian world. These perceptions may be linked to individuals' roles while in the military and whether violent acts were committed in carrying out the mission of service, acts not consonant with positive self-appraisal in the civilian world. The crisis of unplanned, involuntary separation from the military was universally perceived as a crisis equal to that of the precipitating injury itself. The perception that civilians lacked understanding of veterans' military past and their current transition set up expectations for interactions with health care providers, as well as greatly impacting relationships with friend and family. Our veterans' shared perceptions support existing mandates for greater dissemination of military culture training to health care providers serving veterans both at VA and military facilities as well as in the civilian community at large. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2017 APA, all rights reserved).

  8. Mothers' Transition Back to Work and Infants' Transition to Child Care: Does Work-Based Child Care Make a Difference?

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Skouteris, Helen; McCaught, Simone; Dissanayake, Cheryl

    2007-01-01

    The overall aim in this study was twofold: to compare the use of work-based (WB) and non-work-based (NWB) child care on the transition back to the workplace for women after a period of maternity leave, and on the transition into child care for the infants of these women. Thirty-five mothers with infants in WB centres and 44 mothers with infants in…

  9. Transitions from hospital to community care: the role of patient-provider language concordance.

    PubMed

    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.

  10. Transitions from hospital to community care: the role of patient–provider language concordance

    PubMed Central

    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

  11. Self-management and Transition to Adult Health Care in Adolescents and Young Adults: A Team Process.

    PubMed

    Mahan, John D; Betz, Cecily L; Okumura, Megumi J; Ferris, Maria E

    2017-07-01

    As health care continues to evolve, the need for more effective health care transition (HCT) for all youth, but particularly children with chronic conditions and special health care needs, becomes even more important. With more than 90% of adolescents with chronic medical conditions now surviving into adulthood, suboptimal transition can lead to poorer quality of life and less successful adulthood.Through a series of clinical vignettes, the challenges of HCT are presented herein and accompanied by comments that underscore how these adolescents can best be helped to transition to successful adulthood. Several methods are presented to assess the readiness of adolescents and young adults (AYA) for transition. The process of transition can be divided into 3 stages: 1) setting the stage: initiation of HCT services and transition readiness assessment, 2) moving forward: ongoing provision of HCT services, and 3) reaching the goal: transfer of care and transition to adulthood.Several valuable suggestions for incorporating the HCT process into the health care system and improving HCT programs through a quality improvement (QI) approach are outlined. Future challenges in HCT include developing more precise assessments of transition status or transition readiness, better understanding the status and specific needs of AYA with chronic health care needs, continued program evaluation and QI efforts, and more reliance on patients and families to teach us about the challenges and methods in HCT that most effectively work for them. © American Academy of Pediatrics, 2017. All rights reserved.

  12. The interface between child/adolescent and adult mental health services: results from a European 28-country survey.

    PubMed

    Signorini, Giulia; Singh, Swaran P; Marsanic, Vlatka Boricevic; Dieleman, Gwen; Dodig-Ćurković, Katarina; Franic, Tomislav; Gerritsen, Suzanne E; Griffin, James; Maras, Athanasios; McNicholas, Fiona; O'Hara, Lesley; Purper-Ouakil, Diane; Paul, Moli; Russet, Frederick; Santosh, Paramala; Schulze, Ulrike; Street, Cathy; Tremmery, Sabine; Tuomainen, Helena; Verhulst, Frank; Warwick, Jane; de Girolamo, Giovanni

    2018-04-01

    Transition-related discontinuity of care is a major socioeconomic and societal challenge for the EU. The current service configuration, with distinct Child and Adolescent Mental Health (CAMHS) and Adult Mental Health Services (AMHS), is considered a weak link where the care pathway needs to be most robust. Our aim was to delineate transitional policies and care across Europe and to highlight current gaps in care provision at the service interface. An online mapping survey was conducted across all 28 European Countries using a bespoke instrument: The Standardized Assessment Tool for Mental Health Transition (SATMEHT). The survey was directed at expert(s) in each of the 28 EU countries. The response rate was 100%. Country experts commonly (12/28) reported that between 25 and 49% of CAMHS service users will need transitioning to AMHS. Estimates of the percentage of AMHS users aged under 30 years who had has previous contact with CAMHS were most commonly in the region 20-30% (33% on average).Written policies for managing the interface were available in only four countries and half (14/28) indicated that no transition support services were available. This is the first survey of CAMHS transitional policies and care carried out at a European level. Policymaking on transitional care clearly needs special attention and further elaboration. The Milestone Study on transition should provide much needed data on transition processes and outcomes that could form the basis for improving policy and practice in transitional care.

  13. The Changing Nature of Guilt in Family Caregivers: Living Through Care Transitions of Parents at the End of Life.

    PubMed

    Martz, Kim; Morse, Janice M

    2017-06-01

    Older adults cared for at home by family members at the end of life are at risk for care transitions to residential and institutional care settings. These transitions are emotionally distressing and fraught with suffering for both families and the older adult. A theoretical model titled "The Changing Nature of Guilt in Family Caregivers: Living Through Care Transitions of Parents at the End of Life" was developed using the method of grounded theory. When a dying parent cannot remain at home to die, family members experience guilt throughout the transition process. Findings indicated that guilt surrounding transfers escalated during the initial stages of the transfer but was mitigated by achieving what family members deemed as a "good" death when relatives were receiving hospice care. The findings of this interpretative approach provide new insights into family-focused perspectives in care transfers of the dying.

  14. Reducing bottlenecks: professionals’ and adolescents’ experiences with transitional care delivery

    PubMed Central

    2014-01-01

    Background The purpose of this study was to describe the interventions implemented in a quality improvement programme to improve transitional care and evaluate its effectiveness in reducing bottlenecks as perceived by professionals and improving chronically ill adolescents’ experiences with care delivery. Methods This longitudinal study was undertaken with adolescents and professionals who participated in the Dutch ‘On Your Own Feet Ahead!’ quality improvement programme. This programme followed the Breakthrough Series improvement and implementation strategy. A total of 102/128 (79.7%) professionals from 21 hospital teams filled out a questionnaire at the start of the programme (T0), and 79/123 (64.2%; five respondents had changed jobs) professionals completed the same questionnaire 1 year later (T1). Seventy-two (58.5%) professionals from 21 teams returned questionnaires at both time points. Of 389 and 430 participating adolescents, 36% and 41% returned questionnaires at T0 and T1, respectively. We used descriptive statistics and two-tailed, paired t-tests to investigate improvements in bottlenecks in transitional care (perceived by professionals) and care delivery (perceived by adolescents). Results Professionals observed improvement in all bottlenecks at T1 (vs. T0; p < 0.05), especially in the organisation of care, such as the presence of a joint mission between paediatric and adult care, coordination of care, and availability of more resources for joint care services. Within a 1-year period, the transition programme improved some aspects of patients’ experiences with care delivery, such as the provision of opportunities for adolescents to visit the clinic alone (p < 0.001) and to decide who should be present during consultations (p < 0.05). Conclusions This study demonstrated that transitional care interventions may improve the organisation and coordination of transitional care and better prepare adolescents for the transition to adult care within a 1-year period. By setting specific goals based on experiences with bottlenecks, the breakthrough approach helped to improve transitional care delivery for adolescents with chronic conditions. PMID:24485282

  15. Transitional Child Care: State Experiences and Emerging Policies under the Family Support Act.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Ebb, Nancy; And Others

    This guide is designed to provide information about transitional child care (TCC) program policies and operations and to offer recommendations to policymakers and advocates. Transitional child care is a new federal child care program that every state must implement by April 1, 1990. Established by the Family Support Act (FSA) of 1988, TCC is…

  16. Process of Transition for Congenital Heart Patients: Preventing Loss to Follow-up.

    PubMed

    Habibi, Hajar; Emmanuel, Yaso; Chung, Natali

    The aim of this article is to provide an overview of our nurse-led transition clinic provided to congenital heart disease patients moving from pediatric into adult care setting. Nurse-led transition clinic was analyzed at various stages of young adult care from an early stage of 12 to 14 years to entering adult setting at 16 years or older. Overview of current transition service for young adults being transferred from pediatric into adult services highlights the integral role of clinical nurse specialist as a coordinator of care. The result of the service overview indicates that nurse-led transition service enables patients to build on their knowledge. This is achieved by providing them time and the opportunities to develop an understanding of their condition and the attitudes required to engage with the adult care setting as indicated in the psychology questionnaire from transition day. A nurse-led transition clinic enhances long-term care of patients by supporting the young adults and their family/carer through the transition and transfer of the care to promote the young adult's understanding of their condition and to prevent any lost to follow-up.

  17. Transition of pediatric to adult care in inflammatory bowel disease: Is it as easy as 1, 2, 3?

    PubMed

    Afzali, Anita; Wahbeh, Ghassan

    2017-05-28

    Inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) is a heterogeneous group of chronic diseases with a rising prevalence in the pediatric population, and up to 25% of IBD patients are diagnosed before 18 years of age. Adolescents with IBD tend to have more severe and extensive disease and eventually require graduation from pediatric care toadult services. The transition of patients from pediatric to adult gastroenterologists requires careful preparation and coordination, with involvement of all key players to ensure proper collaboration of care and avoid interruption in care. This can be challenging and associated with gaps in delivery of care. The pediatric and adult health paradigms have inherent differences between health care models, as well as health care priorities in IBD. The readiness of the young adult also influences this transition of care, with often times other overlaps in life events, such as school, financial independence and moving away from home. These patients are therefore at higher risk for poorer clinical disease outcomes. The aim of this paper is to review concepts pertinent to transition of care of young adults with IBD to adult care, and provides resources appropriate for an IBD pediatric to adult transition of care model.

  18. Barriers to Gender Transition-Related Healthcare: Identifying Underserved Transgender Adults in Massachusetts

    PubMed Central

    White Hughto, Jaclyn M.; Rose, Adam J.; Pachankis, John E.; Reisner, Sari L.

    2017-01-01

    Abstract Purpose: The present study sought to examine whether individual (e.g., age, gender), interpersonal (e.g., healthcare provider discrimination), and structural (e.g., lack of insurance coverage) factors are associated with access to transition-related care in a statewide sample of transgender adults. Method: In 2013, 364 transgender residents of Massachusetts completed an electronic web-based survey online (87.1%) or in person (12.9%). A multivariable logistic regression model tested whether individual, interpersonal, and structural factors were associated with access to transition-related care. Results: Overall, 23.6% reported being unable to access transition-related care in the past 12 months. In a multivariable model, younger age, low income, low educational attainment, private insurance coverage, and healthcare discrimination were significantly associated with being unable to access transition-related care (all p<0.05). Discussion: Despite state nondiscrimination policies and universal access to healthcare, many of the Massachusetts transgender residents sampled were unable to access transition-related care. Multilevel interventions are needed, including supportive policies and policy enforcement, to ensure that underserved transgender adults can access medically necessary transition-related care. PMID:29082331

  19. Current Status and Issues Regarding Transitional Health Care for Adults and Young Adults with Special Health Care Needs in Japan.

    PubMed

    Ariyasu, Hiroyuki; Akamizu, Takashi

    2018-05-15

    With the progress of medical care in recent years, the prognosis of intractable diseases of childhood onset has markedly improved. Young adults with special health care needs require continuous medical support throughout their lifetimes. To provide them with optimal health care services, a smooth transition from the pediatric medical system to the adult one is essential. However, in Japan many adult health providers are not sufficiently prepared to care for these patients, due both to limited opportunities to gain up-to-date medical knowledge on transitional health care and a lack of familiarity with the medical treatment of childhood-onset chronic diseases. In this review, we discuss current issues in transitional health care in Japan from an internist's viewpoint.

  20. Handoffs: Transitions of Care for Children in the Emergency Department.

    PubMed

    2016-11-01

    Transitions of care (ToCs), also referred to as handoffs or sign-outs, occur when the responsibility for a patient's care transfers from 1 health care provider to another. Transitions are common in the acute care setting and have been noted to be vulnerable events with opportunities for error. Health care is taking ideas from other high-risk industries, such as aerospace and nuclear power, to create models of structured transition processes. Although little literature currently exists to establish 1 model as superior, multiorganizational consensus groups agree that standardization is warranted and that additional work is needed to establish characteristics of ToCs that are associated with clinical or practice outcomes. The rationale for structuring ToCs, specifically those related to the care of children in the emergency setting, and a description of identified strategies are presented, along with resources for educating health care providers on ToCs. Recommendations for development, education, and implementation of transition models are included. Copyright © 2016 by the American Academy of Pediatrics.

  1. A qualitative analysis of an advanced practice nurse-directed transitional care model intervention.

    PubMed

    Bradway, Christine; Trotta, Rebecca; Bixby, M Brian; McPartland, Ellen; Wollman, M Catherine; Kapustka, Heidi; McCauley, Kathleen; Naylor, Mary D

    2012-06-01

    The purpose of this study was to describe barriers and facilitators to implementing a transitional care intervention for cognitively impaired older adults and their caregivers lead by advanced practice nurses (APNs). APNs implemented an evidence-based protocol to optimize transitions from hospital to home. An exploratory, qualitative directed content analysis examined 15 narrative case summaries written by APNs and fieldnotes from biweekly case conferences. Three central themes emerged: patients and caregivers having the necessary information and knowledge, care coordination, and the caregiver experience. An additional category was also identified, APNs going above and beyond. APNs implemented individualized approaches and provided care that exceeds the type of care typically staffed and reimbursed in the American health care system by applying a Transitional Care Model, advanced clinical judgment, and doing whatever was necessary to prevent negative outcomes. Reimbursement reform as well as more formalized support systems and resources are necessary for APNs to consistently provide such care to patients and their caregivers during this vulnerable time of transition.

  2. Adapting The Joint Commission's Seven Foundations of Safe and Effective Transitions of Care to Home

    PubMed Central

    Labson, Margherita C.

    2015-01-01

    The purpose of this article is to describe The Joint Commission's 7 foundations of safe and effective transitions of care to home: (a) leadership support; (b) multidisciplinary collaboration; (c) early identification of patients/clients at risk; (d) transitional planning; (e) medication management; (f) patient and family action/engagement; and (g) transfer of information. These foundations were identified by The Joint Commission after a review of published research; focus groups with healthcare professionals involved in transitions of care; and visits to diverse healthcare organizations. The author, who is the executive director of The Joint Commission's Home Care Accreditation Program, illustrates how healthcare organizations are adapting the 7 foundations of safe and effective transitions of care to home. PMID:25742092

  3. DNS of Laminar-Turbulent Transition in Swept-Wing Boundary Layers

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Duan, L.; Choudhari, M.; Li, F.

    2014-01-01

    Direct numerical simulation (DNS) is performed to examine laminar to turbulent transition due to high-frequency secondary instability of stationary crossflow vortices in a subsonic swept-wing boundary layer for a realistic natural-laminar-flow airfoil configuration. The secondary instability is introduced via inflow forcing and the mode selected for forcing corresponds to the most amplified secondary instability mode that, in this case, derives a majority of its growth from energy production mechanisms associated with the wall-normal shear of the stationary basic state. An inlet boundary condition is carefully designed to allow for accurate injection of instability wave modes and minimize acoustic reflections at numerical boundaries. Nonlinear parabolized stability equation (PSE) predictions compare well with the DNS in terms of modal amplitudes and modal shape during the strongly nonlinear phase of the secondary instability mode. During the transition process, the skin friction coefficient rises rather rapidly and the wall-shear distribution shows a sawtooth pattern that is analogous to the previously documented surface flow visualizations of transition due to stationary crossflow instability. Fully turbulent features are observed in the downstream region of the flow.

  4. We Never Thought This Would Happen: Transitioning Care of Adolescents with Perinatally-Acquired HIV Infection from Pediatrics to Internal Medicine

    PubMed Central

    Vijayan, Tara; Benin, Andrea L.; Wagner, Krystn; Romano, Sostena; Andiman, Warren A.

    2009-01-01

    Purpose Transitioning the medical care of children with perinatally-acquired HIV from pediatric care to internal medicine practices has become increasingly important as newer therapies prolong survival. The study aims to describe challenges to caring for these adolescents and the potential barriers to transitioning them to internal medicine-based care. Methods Qualitative study in which data were gathered from open-ended interviews conducted from November 2005-April 2006 with 18 adolescents with HIV, 15 of their principal guardians, and 9 pediatric health care providers from the Yale Pediatric AIDS Care Program, New Haven, Connecticut. Results Issues of stigma played a prominent role in both the challenges to care and barriers to transitioning care. Challenges to care were: (1) poor adherence to medication regimens; (2) adolescent sexuality; and (3) disorganized social environments. Potential barriers to transitioning care were: (1) families’ negative perceptions of and experiences with stigma of HIV disease--which undermined the desire to meet new providers; (2) perceived and actual lack of autonomy-- pediatric providers feared that staff in adult clinics would demand a level of independence that adolescents did not have; and (3) difficulty letting-go of relationships-- adolescents, guardians, and providers described a familial relationship and expressed anxiety about terminating their relationships. Conclusion Understanding these challenges and barriers can inform both pediatric and adult HIV care providers and enable them to create successful transition programs, with the goal of improving retention and follow-up to care. PMID:20024697

  5. Examining the Role of Primary Care Physicians and Challenges Faced When Their Patients Transition to Home Hospice Care.

    PubMed

    Shalev, Ariel; Phongtankuel, Veerawat; Lampa, Katherine; Reid, M C; Eiss, Brian M; Bhatia, Sonica; Adelman, Ronald D

    2018-04-01

    The transition into home hospice care is often a critical time in a patient's medical care. Studies have shown patients and caregivers desire continuity with their physicians at the end of life (EoL). However, it is unclear what roles primary care physicians (PCPs) play and what challenges they face caring for patients transitioning into home hospice care. To understand PCPs' experiences, challenges, and preferences when their patients transition to home hospice care. Nineteen semi-structured phone interviews with PCPs were conducted. Study data were analyzed using standard qualitative methods. Participants included PCPs from 3 academic group practices in New York City. Measured: Physician recordings were transcribed and analyzed using content analysis. Most PCPs noted that there was a discrepancy between their actual role and ideal role when their patients transitioned to home hospice care. Primary care physicians expressed a desire to maintain continuity, provide psychosocial support, and collaborate actively with the hospice team. Better establishment of roles, more frequent communication with the hospice team, and use of technology to communicate with patients were mentioned as possible ways to help PCPs achieve their ideal role caring for their patients receiving home hospice care. Primary care physicians expressed varying degrees of involvement during a patient's transition to home hospice care, but many desired to be more involved in their patient's care. As with patients, physicians desire to maintain continuity with their patients at the EoL and solutions to improve communication between PCPs, hospice providers, and patients need to be explored.

  6. 42 CFR 460.52 - Transitional care during termination.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

    2010-10-01

    ... SERVICES (CONTINUED) PROGRAMS OF ALL-INCLUSIVE CARE FOR THE ELDERLY (PACE) PROGRAMS OF ALL-INCLUSIVE CARE FOR THE ELDERLY (PACE) Sanctions, Enforcement Actions, and Termination § 460.52 Transitional care...

  7. 42 CFR 460.52 - Transitional care during termination.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

    2011-10-01

    ... SERVICES (CONTINUED) PROGRAMS OF ALL-INCLUSIVE CARE FOR THE ELDERLY (PACE) PROGRAMS OF ALL-INCLUSIVE CARE FOR THE ELDERLY (PACE) Sanctions, Enforcement Actions, and Termination § 460.52 Transitional care...

  8. Cross-continuum Care Continuity: Achieving Seamless Care and Managing Comorbidities.

    PubMed

    Boston-Fleischhauer, Carol; Rose, Robert; Hartwig, Laurie

    As healthcare systems continue to design care models responsive to payment changes and the assumption of clinical and financial risk, the need exists for a comprehensive approach to address cross-continuum care transitions. This article will highlight key learnings from the Nurse Executive Center's research on achieving care continuity. The business case for developing a cross-continuum care transition strategy will be discussed, as well as systemic enablers for the achievement of seamless care. A case study example of 1 system's solution for supporting the multiple comorbid patient population as part of its cross-continuum care transition strategy will be examined.

  9. Health Care Transition in Patients With Type 1 Diabetes

    PubMed Central

    Garvey, Katharine C.; Wolpert, Howard A.; Rhodes, Erinn T.; Laffel, Lori M.; Kleinman, Ken; Beste, Margaret G.; Wolfsdorf, Joseph I.; Finkelstein, Jonathan A.

    2012-01-01

    OBJECTIVE To examine characteristics of the transition from pediatric to adult care in emerging adults with type 1 diabetes and evaluate associations between transition characteristics and glycemic control. RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS We developed and mailed a survey to evaluate the transition process in emerging adults with type 1 diabetes, aged 22 to 30 years, receiving adult diabetes care at a single center. Current A1C data were obtained from the medical record. RESULTS The response rate was 53% (258 of 484 eligible). The mean transition age was 19.5 ± 2.9 years, and 34% reported a gap >6 months in establishing adult care. Common reasons for transition included feeling too old (44%), pediatric provider suggestion (41%), and college (33%). Less than half received an adult provider recommendation and <15% reported having a transition preparation visit or receiving written transition materials. The most recent A1C was 8.1 ± 1.3%. Respondents who felt mostly/completely prepared for transition had lower likelihood of a gap >6 months between pediatric and adult care (adjusted odds ratio 0.47 [95% CI 0.25–0.88]). In multivariate analysis, pretransition A1C (β = 0.49, P < 0.0001), current age (β = −0.07, P = 0.03), and education (β = −0.55, P = 0.01) significantly influenced current posttransition A1C. There was no independent association of transition preparation with posttransition A1C (β = −0.17, P = 0.28). CONCLUSIONS Contemporary transition practices may help prevent gaps between pediatric and adult care but do not appear to promote improvements in A1C. More robust preparation strategies and handoffs between pediatric and adult care should be evaluated. PMID:22699289

  10. Improving mental health service users' with medical co-morbidity transition between tertiary medical hospital and primary care services: a qualitative study.

    PubMed

    Cranwell, Kate; Polacsek, Meg; McCann, Terence V

    2016-07-26

    Mental health service users have high rates of medical co-morbidity but frequently experience problems accessing and transitioning between tertiary medical and primary care services. The aim of this study was to identify ways to improve service users' with medical co-morbidity care and experience during their transition between tertiary medical hospitals and primary care services. Experience-based co-design (EBCD) qualitative study incorporating a focus group discussion. The study took place in a large tertiary medical service, incorporating three medical hospitals, and primary care services, in Melbourne, Australia. A purposive sample of service users and their caregivers and tertiary medical and primary care clinicians participated in the focus group discussion, in August 2014. A semi-structured interview guide was used to inform data collection. A thematic analysis of the data was undertaken. Thirteen participants took part in the focus group interview, comprising 5 service users, 2 caregivers and 6 clinicians. Five themes were abstracted from the data, illustrating participants' perspectives about factors that facilitated (clinicians' expertise, engagement and accessibility enhancing transition) and presented as barriers (improving access pathways; enhancing communication and continuity of care; improving clinicians' attitudes; and increasing caregiver participation) to service users' progress through tertiary medical and primary care services. A sixth theme, enhancing service users' transition, incorporated three strategies to enhance their transition through tertiary medical and primary care services. EBCD is a useful approach to collaboratively develop strategies to improve service users' with medical co-morbidity and their caregivers' transition between tertiary medical and primary care services. A whole-of-service approach, incorporating policy development and implementation, change of practice philosophy, professional development education and support for clinicians, and acceptance of the need for caregiver participation, is required to improve service users' transition.

  11. Personality and changes in comorbidity patterns among anxiety and depressive disorders.

    PubMed

    Spinhoven, Philip; de Rooij, Mark; Heiser, Willem; Smit, Jan H; Penninx, Brenda W J H

    2012-11-01

    This prospective study examined the prognostic value of the Big Five personality model for changes in comorbidity patterns of emotional disorders both from a person- and trait-centered perspective. Moreover, it is investigated whether the predictive effect of personality can be attributed to symptom severity at baseline. We followed a cohort of 2566 persons (18-65 years) recruited in primary and specialized mental health care during two years. Personality dimensions at baseline were assessed with the NEO-FFI. The Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (4th ed.)-based diagnostic interviews with the CIDI allowed assessment of changes in comorbidity patterns of anxiety and depressive disorders over two years. Data were analyzed with latent class analysis (LCA) and latent transition analysis (LTA). LCA identified a four-class latent comorbidity class solution (Few Disorders, Fear Disorders, Distress Disorders, and Comorbid Fear and Distress Disorders) and a five-class latent personality class solution (High Resilients, Medium Resilients, Low Overcontrollers, Medium Overcontrollers, and High Overcontrollers). LTA showed that the likelihood of remaining in the same latent class was larger than that of transitioning to a less severe comorbidity class. Also, after correcting for symptom severity, medium and high Overcontrollers as well as participants with lower levels of conscientiousness were less likely to transition to a less severe comorbidity class. In particular, the individual trait of conscientiousness may be less dependent on current levels of anxiety and depressive symptoms and be a key pathoplastic or even predisposing variable in anxiety and depression and needs more theoretical and empirical study. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2012 APA, all rights reserved).

  12. Transition of care for patients with type 1 diabetes mellitus from pediatric to adult health care systems

    PubMed Central

    Glick, Bethany; Kamboj, Manmohan K.

    2017-01-01

    Planning for the transition from pediatric to adult healthcare is broadly understood to be beneficial to the quality of care of patients with chronic illness. Due to the level of self-care that is necessary in the maintenance of most chronic diseases, it is important that pediatric settings can offer support during a time when adolescents are beginning to take more responsibility in all areas of their lives. Lack of supportive resources for adolescents with chronic conditions often results in both decreased access to care and impaired health and function likely leading to increased medical costs later. Additionally, fundamental differences in health care delivery exist between pediatric and adult care settings. There is limited empiric data and information on best practices in transition care. In this article we address the importance of bridging pediatric and adult care settings and highlight the challenges and successes of the implementation of the young adult transition clinic program for patients with type 1 diabetes at our facility. We provide recommendations for further research and program implementation with the transition population. PMID:29184818

  13. Transfers and transitions between child and adult mental health services.

    PubMed

    Paul, Moli; Ford, Tamsin; Kramer, Tami; Islam, Zoebia; Harley, Kath; Singh, Swaran P

    2013-01-01

    Transfer of care from one healthcare provider to another is often understood as a suboptimal version of the process of transition. To separate and evaluate concepts of transfer and transition between child and adolescent mental health services (CAMHS) and adult mental health services (AMHS). In a retrospective case-note survey of young people reaching the upper age boundary at six English CAMHS, optimal transition was evaluated using four criteria: continuity of care, parallel care, a transition planning meeting and information transfer. Of 154 cases, 76 transferred to AMHS. Failure to transfer resulted mainly from non-referral by CAMHS (n = 12) and refusal by service users (n = 12) rather than refusal by AMHS (n = 7). Four cases met all criteria for optimal transition, 13 met none; continuity of care (n = 63) was met most often. Transfer was common but good transition rare. Reasons for failure to transfer differ from barriers to transition. Transfer should be investigated alongside transition in research and service development.

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

    PubMed Central

    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

  15. Long-term Care Status in Centenarians and Younger Cohorts of Oldest Old in the Last 6 Years of Life: Trajectories and Potential Mechanisms.

    PubMed

    Gellert, Paul; Eggert, Simon; Zwillich, Christine; Hörter, Stefan; Kuhlmey, Adelheid; Dräger, Dagmar

    2018-06-01

    A large proportion of the oldest old and centenarians live in long-term care facilities. Although there may be distinct care patterns in centenarians compared with other cohorts of oldest old, the exact development concerning prevalence, length of stay, and factors that are associated with long-term care status in the last years before death is unknown. Longitudinal analyses of health insurance data across 6 years before death. In all, 1398 institutionalized and noninstitutionalized oldest old [deceased at 80-89 (octogenarians), 90-99 (nonagenarians), or over 100 years of age (centenarians)] from Germany were included. Long-term care status and transition from home care into long-term care over 6 years (34,740 person-quarters). Dementia, musculoskeletal diseases, multimorbidity, hospital admission, gender, and age at death were derived from administrative data and analyzed using binary generalized estimating equations. Although the initial level of long-term care (6 years before death) was higher among centenarians (65.1% vs 53.6% in nonagenarians; 36.2% in octogenarians), the rate of increase was stronger in the younger cohorts. Distinguishing between long-term care escapers, delayers, and survivors, the proportion of those who escaped, delayed, or survived the entire 6 years of observation in long-term care was 33.4%/40.4%/26.2% in centenarians, 45.0%/45.1%/9.9% in nonagenarians, and 62.7%/33.7%/3.6% in octogenarians. Age, hospital admissions, and dementia were positively associated with being in long-term care, whereas musculoskeletal disorders were negatively associated with long-term care. The association with dementia was significantly weaker in centenarians. For centenarians, although they are more often in long-term care, the transition rate to long-term care progressed more slowly than the rates of the younger comparison cohorts of oldest old. The high proportion of long stays of centenarians in long-term care facilities require different concepts of long-term care. Copyright © 2018 AMDA – The Society for Post-Acute and Long-Term Care Medicine. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  16. Interprofessional simulation to improve patient participation in transitional care.

    PubMed

    Dyrstad, Dagrunn Nåden; Storm, Marianne

    2017-06-01

    Educating and training healthcare professionals is known to improve the quality of transitional care for older adults. Arranging interprofessional meetings for healthcare professionals might be useful to improve patient participation skills in transitional care. To describe the learning activities used in The Meeting Point programme, focusing on patient participation in transitional care, and assess whether they increase healthcare professionals' awareness of and competencies relating to patient participation in the transitional care of older patients. Data were collected as part of an educational intervention programme, The Meeting Point, including three seminars on 'Patient participation in the transitional care of older patients' and four follow-up meetings. Participants were nurses, care assistants, doctors, physiotherapists, patient coordinators and administrative personnel from hospital, nursing homes and home-based care services. The Meeting Point was organised around four pillars: introduction, teaching session, group work activity and plenary discussion. Qualitative data included log reports, summaries of meetings, notes from group work activities, and reports from participants and from follow-up meetings. Feedback from participants shows that they were satisfied with meeting healthcare professionals from other units of care. A film scenario was perceived relevant for group work activity and useful in focusing participants' attention to patient participation. Follow-up meetings show that some nursing home wards, the emergency department and one medical ward at the hospital continued with ongoing work to improve quality of care. Efforts included implementation of an observational waiting room with comfortable chairs, planning for discharge in hospital admission, a daily patient flow registration system and motivational interviewing during admission to nursing home. The description of the learning activities used at The Meeting Point seminars shows that they were useful to increase awareness of and competencies on patient participation in transitional care. © 2016 Nordic College of Caring Science.

  17. A biopsychosocial model for the management of patients with sickle-cell disease transitioning to adult medical care.

    PubMed

    Crosby, Lori E; Quinn, Charles T; Kalinyak, Karen A

    2015-04-01

    The lifespan of patients with sickle-cell disease (SCD) continues to increase, and most affected individuals in high-resource countries now live into adulthood. This necessitates a successful transition from pediatric to adult health care. Care for transitioning patients with SCD often falls to primary care providers who may not be fully aware of the many challenges and issues faced by patients and the current management strategies for SCD. In this review, we aim to close the knowledge gap between primary care providers and specialists who treat transitioning patients with SCD. We describe the challenges and issues encountered by these patients, and we propose a biopsychosocial multidisciplinary approach to the management of the identified issues. Examples of this approach, such as transition-focused integrated care models and quality improvement collaboratives, with the potential to improve health outcomes in adulthood are also described.

  18. Planning the Transition to End-of-Life Care in Advanced Cancer (PDQ®)—Patient Version

    Cancer.gov

    Planning the transition to end-of-life care in advanced cancer involves talking about patient wishes and preferences. Learn more about common topics and how preparation for transition to end-of-life care can help ease the stress in patients and their families.

  19. Shared Care of Childhood Cancer Survivors: A Telemedicine Feasibility Study.

    PubMed

    Costello, Aimee G; Nugent, Bethany D; Conover, Noelle; Moore, Amanda; Dempsey, Kathleen; Tersak, Jean M

    2017-12-01

    With an increasing number of childhood cancer survivors (CCSs), determining the best model of survivorship transition care is becoming a growing priority. Shared care between pediatric oncology and adult primary care is often necessary, making survivorship a time of transition, but effective standard models are lacking. We sought to provide a more integrated approach to transition using telemedicine. Recruited primary care provider/CCS dyads were instructed to log-in to a password-protected virtual meeting room using telemedicine equipment at the time or a regularly scheduled office visit. Dyads were joined by a pediatric survivorship clinic team member who conducted the telemedicine portion of the transition visit, which consisted of the review of an individualized treatment summary and care plan. Postquestionnaires were developed to evaluate key points such as fund of knowledge, satisfaction with the visit, and effectiveness of this electronic tool. There were 19 transition visits conducted, 13 of which used the telemedicine equipment as planned. Those that did not use the equipment were primarily unable to due to technical difficulties. Postquestionnaires were overall positive, confirming increased knowledge, comfort and abilities, and patient satisfaction in survivorship care. Negative comments were primarily related to equipment difficulties. A gap still remains in helping CCSs transition from oncology to primary care and this pilot study offered insights into how we might better bridge that gap through the use of telemedicine. Further research is needed to refine the transition process for CCSs, including evaluation and testing models for standard of care.

  20. Pediatric Provider's Perspectives on the Transition to Adult Health Care for Youth with Autism Spectrum Disorder: Current Strategies and Promising New Directions

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Kuhlthau, Karen A.; Warfield, Marji E.; Hurson, Jill; Delahaye, Jennifer; Crossman, Morgan K.

    2015-01-01

    Few youth with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) nationally report receiving services to help them transition from the pediatric health care system to the adult health care system. For example, only one-fifth (21.1%) of youth with ASD receive any transition planning services. To better understand why the transition from pediatric to adult health care…

  1. Diagnostic Transitions from Childhood to Adolescence to Early Adulthood

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Copeland, William E.; Adair, Carol E.; Smetanin, Paul; Stiff, David; Briante, Carla; Colman, Ian; Fergusson, David; Horwood, John; Poulton, Richie; Costello, E. Jane; Angold, Adrian

    2013-01-01

    Background: Quantifying diagnostic transitions across development is needed to estimate the long-term burden of mental illness. This study estimated patterns of diagnostic transitions from childhood to adolescence and from adolescence to early adulthood. Methods: Patterns of diagnostic transitions were estimated using data from three prospective,…

  2. Parents' perceptions during the transition to home for their child with a congenital heart defect: How can we support families of children with hypoplastic left heart syndrome?

    PubMed

    March, Sarita

    2017-07-01

    The aim of the study was to explore the literature related to transitions in healthcare between the hospital and home that caregivers experience with a child who has a congenital heart defect (CHD), specifically related to hypoplastic left heart syndrome (HLHS). A systematic literature review was conducted searching OVID Medline, CINAHL, and PubMed to discover the caregivers' perceptions on their transitions between hospital care and home care of their child with a CHD. Articles included those with focus on the transitions of caregivers between hospital and home care for children with CHD. Excluded articles were studies focused on adolescents, transition to adult healthcare, mortality results, other diseases associated with CHDs, comparison of CHD treatments, feasibility studies, differences in care between hospitals, home monitoring, and comparison of videoconference and telephone home communication. Ten articles were selected. Many parents voiced their concerns with feeding their child, learning medical skills and knowledge, reported a disrupted relationship between parents and their child, and identified stress and anxiety associated with taking care of a child with a CHD. There were limited studies on caregivers' transitions with a child with HLHS, but there also was limited focus on the caregivers' experiences with transitions between hospital and home care for their child with any CHD. Research on the transition experience between hospital care and home care for caregivers of children born with a CHD, and a specific focus on HLHS from the caregivers' viewpoint, would provide insight into the perspective of caregivers during the numerous transitions. © 2017 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

  3. Pharmacist Advancement of Transitions of Care to Home (PATCH) Service.

    PubMed

    Trang, Joseph; Martinez, Amanda; Aslam, Sadaf; Duong, Minh-Tri

    2015-11-01

    There is a paucity of literature on a well-defined role of a pharmacist in different aspects of transition of care service (TCS). Although health care institutions have specific details on the discharge process, there is a need for a sustainable TCS with a well-defined role of pharmacists. To describe the impact of a pharmacist-led TCS on acute health care utilization, clinic quality indicators, and identification and resolution of medication-related problems (MRPs). A pharmacist-managed TCS service, referred to as the Pharmacist Advancement of Transitions of Care to Home (PATCH) service, was established at an academic medical center, where high-risk patients received a postdischarge phone call from a pharmacist followed by a face-to-face meeting with the pharmacist and the patient's primary care provider (PCP). In a prospective transitions of care group (n = 74), outcomes of patients such as acute health care utilization (an emergency department visit or an inpatient readmission, within 30 days post discharge), clinic quality indicators, and identification and resolution of MRPs were compared to a retrospective control group (n = 87) who received the standard of care. Utilization of acute health care services was significantly lower in the prospective group compared to the retrospective control group (23% vs 41.4%; P = .013). A total of 49 MRPs were discovered in patients who received the TCS. Pharmacists play an integral role in improving the transitions of care to reduce acute health care utilization. In addition, they may improve care transitions by optimizing clinic quality indicators and by identifying and resolving MRPs.

  4. Transitional care programs improve outcomes for heart failure patients: an integrative review.

    PubMed

    Stamp, Kelly D; Machado, Monique A; Allen, Nancy A

    2014-01-01

    Individuals with heart failure are frequently rehospitalized owing to a lack of knowledge concerning how to perform their self-care and when to inform their healthcare provider of worsening symptoms. Because there are an overwhelming number of hospital readmissions for individuals with heart failure, efforts are underway to discover how they can be supported and educated during their hospitalization and subsequently followed by a nurse after discharge for continued education and support. The purpose of this integrative review was to critically examine the interventions, quality of life, and readmission rates of individuals with heart failure who are enrolled in a transitional care program. The second aim was to examine the cost-effectiveness of nurse-led transitional care programs. The results of this integrative review (n = 20) showed that transitional care programs for individuals with heart failure can increase a patient's quality of life and decrease the number of readmissions and the overall cost of care. The types of interventions that were most successful in decreasing readmissions used home visits alone or in combination with telephone calls. There is a need for nurse researchers to address gaps in transitional care for heart failure patients by performing studies with larger randomized clinical trials and measuring outcomes such as readmissions at regular intervals over the study period. The Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act will change reimbursement for heart failure readmissions and presents opportunities for healthcare teams to build transitional care programs for patients with conditions such as heart failure. This integrative review can be used to determine effective intervention strategies for transitional care programs and highlights the gaps in research. Healthcare teams that use these programs within their practice may increase continuity of care and quality of life and decrease readmissions and healthcare costs for individuals with heart failure.

  5. Transitional care for formerly incarcerated persons with HIV: protocol for a realist review.

    PubMed

    Tsang, Jenkin; Mishra, Sharmistha; Rowe, Janet; O'Campo, Patricia; Ziegler, Carolyn; Kouyoumdjian, Fiona G; Matheson, Flora I; Bayoumi, Ahmed M; Zahid, Shatabdy; Antoniou, Tony

    2017-02-13

    Little is known about the mechanisms that influence the success or failure of programs to facilitate re-engagement with health and social services for formerly incarcerated persons with HIV. This review aims to identify how interventions to address such transitions work, for whom and under what circumstances. We will use realist review methodology to conduct our analysis. We will systematically search electronic databases and grey literature for English language qualitative and quantitative studies of interventions. Two investigators will independently screen citations and full-text articles, abstract data, appraise study quality and synthesize the literature. Data analysis will include identifying context-mechanism-outcome configurations, exploring and comparing patterns in these configurations, making comparisons across contexts and developing explanatory frameworks. This review will identify mechanisms that influence the success or failure of transition interventions for formerly incarcerated individuals with HIV. The findings will be integrated with those from complementary qualitative and quantitative studies to inform future interventions. PROSPERO CRD42016040054.

  6. Health system strategies supporting transition to adult care.

    PubMed

    Hepburn, Charlotte Moore; Cohen, Eyal; Bhawra, Jasmin; Weiser, Natalie; Hayeems, Robin Z; Guttmann, Astrid

    2015-06-01

    The transition from paediatric to adult care is associated with poor clinical outcomes, increased costs and low patient and family satisfaction. However, little is known about health system strategies to streamline and safeguard care for youth transitioning to adult services. Moreover, the needs of children and youth are often excluded from broader health system reform discussions, leaving this population especially vulnerable to system 'disintegration'. (1) To explore the international policy profile of paediatric-to-adult care transitions, and (2) to document policy objectives, initiatives and outcomes for jurisdictions publicly committed to addressing transition issues. An international policy scoping review of all publicly available government documents detailing transition-related strategies was completed using a web-based search. Our analysis included a comparable cohort of nine wealthy Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) jurisdictions with Beveridge-style healthcare systems (deemed those most likely to benefit from system-level transition strategies). Few jurisdictions address transition of care issues in either health or broader social policy documents. While many jurisdictions refer to standardised practice guidelines, a few report the intention to use powerful policy levers (including physician remuneration and non-physician investments) to facilitate the uptake of best practice. Most jurisdictions do not address the policy infrastructure required to support successful transitions, and rigorous evaluations of transition strategies are rare. Despite the well-documented risks and costs associated with a poor transition from paediatric to adult care, little policy attention has been paid to this issue. We recommend that healthcare providers engage health system planners in the design and evaluation of system-level, policy-sensitive transition strategies. 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.

  7. The shift to early palliative care: a typology of illness journeys and the role of nursing.

    PubMed

    Wittenberg-Lyles, Elaine; Goldsmith, Joy; Ragan, Sandra

    2011-06-01

    For the current study, clinical observations of communication between patients, families, and clinicians during chronic, serious, or terminal illness in a cancer care trajectory were examined for patterns and trends. Five communication characteristics were concluded, which informed a typology of illness journeys experienced by patients with cancer and their families. The isolated journey characterizes an illness path in which communication about terminal prognosis and end-of-life care options are not present; communication is restricted by a curative-only approach to diagnosis as well as the structure of medical care. The rescued journey signifies a transition between curative care (hospital narrative) to noncurative care (hospice narrative), challenging patients and their families with an awareness of dying. The rescued journey allows communication about prognosis and care options, establishes productive experiences through open awareness, and affords patients and families opportunities to experience end-of-life care preferences. Finally, palliative care prior to hospice provides patients and families with an illness journey more readily characterized by open awareness and community, which facilitates a comforted journey. Nurses play a pivotal role in communicating about disease progression and plans of care. The typology presented can inform a structured communication curriculum for nurses and assist in the implementation of early palliative care.

  8. Health Care Transition Preparation and Experiences in a U.S. National Sample of Young Adults With Type 1 Diabetes.

    PubMed

    Garvey, Katharine C; Foster, Nicole C; Agarwal, Shivani; DiMeglio, Linda A; Anderson, Barbara J; Corathers, Sarah D; Desimone, Marisa E; Libman, Ingrid M; Lyons, Sarah K; Peters, Anne L; Raymond, Jennifer K; Laffel, Lori M

    2017-03-01

    Young adults with type 1 diabetes transitioning from pediatric to adult care are at risk for adverse outcomes. We developed a survey to evaluate transition experiences in two groups of young adults with type 1 diabetes, before (PEDS) and after (ADULT) transition to adult care. We fielded an electronic survey to young adults (18 to <30 years) at 60 T1D Exchange Clinic Registry centers. Surveys were completed by 602 young adults, 303 in the PEDS group (60% female, age 20 ± 2 years) and 299 in the ADULT group (62% female, age 24 ± 3 years). In the PEDS group, mean anticipated transition age was 22 ± 2 years; 64% remained in pediatric care because of emotional attachment to the provider. The ADULT group transitioned at age 19 ± 2 years, mainly after pediatric provider recommendation. More than 80% of respondents reported receiving counseling on type 1 diabetes self-management and screening tests from pediatric providers, but less than half (43% PEDS and 33% ADULT) reported discussing reproductive health. In the PEDS group, half had discussed transfer with pediatric providers. Of the ADULT participants, 63% received an adult provider referral, and 66% felt mostly/completely prepared to transition. ADULT participants with fewer pretransition pediatric visits or who felt unprepared for transition had increased odds of gaps >6 months between pediatric and adult care. Receipt of transition preparation counseling was not associated with self-reported hemoglobin A 1c <7.0% in either group. These results support the need for intensive efforts to integrate transition preparation counseling and care coordination into pediatric type 1 diabetes care. © 2017 by the American Diabetes Association.

  9. A role for social workers in improving care setting transitions: a case study.

    PubMed

    Barber, Ruth D; Coulourides Kogan, Alexis; Riffenburgh, Anne; Enguidanos, Susan

    2015-01-01

    High 30-day readmission rates are a major burden to the American medical system. Much attention is on transitional care to decrease financial costs and improve patient outcomes. Social workers may be uniquely qualified to improve care transitions and have not previously been used in this role. We present a case study of an older, dually eligible Latina woman who received a social work-driven transition intervention that included in-home and telephone contacts. The patient was not readmitted during the six-month study period, mitigated her high pain levels, and engaged in social outings once again. These findings suggest the value of a social worker in a transitional care role.

  10. Transitioning HIV-infected youth into adult health care.

    PubMed

    2013-07-01

    With advances in antiretroviral therapy, most HIV-infected children survive into adulthood. Optimal health care for these youth includes a formal plan for the transition of care from primary and/or subspecialty pediatric/adolescent/family medicine health care providers (medical home) to adult health care provider(s). Successful transition involves the early engagement and participation of the youth and his or her family with the pediatric medical home and adult health care teams in developing a formal plan. Referring providers should have a written policy for the transfer of HIV-infected youth to adult care, which will guide in the development of an individualized plan for each youth. The plan should be introduced to the youth in early adolescence and modified as the youth approaches transition. Assessment of developmental milestones is important to define the readiness of the youth in assuming responsibility for his or her own care before initiating the transfer. Communication among all providers is essential and should include both personal contact and a written medical summary. Progress toward the transition should be tracked and,once completed, should be documented and assessed.

  11. Perspectives of paediatric and adult gastroenterologists on transfer and transition care of adolescents with inflammatory bowel disease.

    PubMed

    Wright, E K; Williams, J; Andrews, J M; Day, A S; Gearry, R B; Bampton, P; Moore, D; Lemberg, D; Ravikumaran, R; Wilson, J; Lewindon, P; Radford-Smith, G; Rosenbaum, J; Catto-Smith, A; Desmond, P V; Connell, W R; Cameron, D; Alex, G; Bell, S J; De Cruz, P

    2014-05-01

    Programmes specific to inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) that facilitate transition from paediatric to adult care are currently lacking. We aimed to explore the perceived needs of adolescents with IBD among paediatric and adult gastroenterologists and to identify barriers to effective transition. A web-based survey of paediatric and adult gastroenterologists in Australia and New Zealand employed both ranked items (Likert scale; from 1 not important to 5 very important) and forced choice items regarding the importance of various factors in facilitating effective transition of adolescents from paediatric to adult care. Response rate among 178 clinicians was 41%. Only 23% of respondents felt that adolescents with IBD were adequately prepared for transition to adult care. Psychological maturity (Mean = 4.3, standard deviation (SD) = 0.70) and readiness as assessed by adult caregiver (Mean = 4, SD = 0.72) were prioritised as the most important factors in determining timing of transfer. Self-efficacy and readiness as assessed by adult caregiver were considered the two most important factors to determine timing of transition by both groups of gastroenterologists. Poor medical and surgical handover (Mean = 4.10, SD = 0.8) and patients' lack of responsibility for their own care (Mean= 4.10, SD = 0.82) were perceived as major barriers to successful transition by both paediatric and adult gastroenterologists. Deficiencies exist in current transition care of adolescents with IBD in Australia and New Zealand. Standardising transition care practices with strategies aimed at optimising communication, patient education, self-efficacy and adherence may improve outcomes. © 2014 The Authors; Internal Medicine Journal © 2014 Royal Australasian College of Physicians.

  12. Pediatricians Transitioning Practices, Youth With Special Health Care Needs in New York State.

    PubMed

    Davidson, Lynn F; Chhabra, Rosy; Cohen, Hillel W; Lechuga, Claudia; Diaz, Patricia; Racine, Andrew

    2015-10-01

    To assess current practices of New York State pediatricians as they transition youth with special health care needs to adult-oriented medical care. A survey of New York State pediatricians included 6 critical steps from 2002 consensus statement, 11 essential steps adapted from recent literature, and questions targeting age of starting transition and availability of transition policy. Of 181 respondents, only 11% have a transition policy. Most assist patients in transition process; identify an adult provider (92%); and create portable medical summary (57%). Only 3% start planning process at recommended age. No respondents are compliant with all 6 critical steps; subspecialists were more likely to report compliance to more than 4 steps. Participating pediatricians are making gains, yet effort is needed, to incorporate the essential steps into practice for transitioning youth with special health care needs. Recognition of barriers, use of electronic tools, and clarifying subspecialist's approach, may improve compliance with transition recommendations. © The Author(s) 2015.

  13. 77 FR 68744 - Department of Defense Task Force on the Care, Management, and Transition of Recovering Wounded...

    Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

    2012-11-16

    ... DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE Office of the Secretary Department of Defense Task Force on the Care, Management, and Transition of Recovering Wounded, Ill, and Injured Members of the Armed Forces; Federal... Committee meeting of the Department of Defense Task Force on the Care, Management, and Transition of...

  14. Emancipated Foster Youth's Transition from Care to Virginia Community Colleges

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Scott, Shylan E.

    2012-01-01

    The focus of this study was the experience of students who had successfully achieved the transition from foster care to enrollment in Virginia Community Colleges. The following questions guided the inquiry: How do students who are emancipating from foster care describe their transition to enrollment at one of the Virginia Community Colleges? What…

  15. Formative research to build mobile technologies that advance transitions of care for adolescents with congenital heart disease

    USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

    Congenital heart diseases (CHDs) are the most common type of birth defects. Improvements in CHD care have led to ~1.4 million survivors reaching adulthood. Thus, successful transition and transfer from pediatric to adult care is crucial. Unfortunately, <30% of adults with CHD successfully transition...

  16. Transition of care for acute stroke and myocardial infarction patients: from hospitalization to rehabilitation, recovery, and secondary prevention.

    PubMed

    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 inconsistency in the definition of what constituted a component of transition of care compared to "standard care." Standard care was poorly defined, and nearly all studies were underpowered to demonstrate a statistical benefit. The endpoints varied greatly from study to study. Nearly all the studies were single-site based, and most (26 of 44) were conducted in countries with national health care systems quite different from that of the U.S., therefore limiting their generalizability. Although a basis for the definition of transition of care exists, more consensus is needed on the definition of the interventions and the outcomes appropriate to those interventions. There was limited evidence that two components of hospital-initiated support for discharge (early supported discharge after stroke and specialty care followup after MI)were associated with beneficial effects. No other interventions had sufficient evidence of benefit based on the findings of this systematic review. The adoption of a standard set of definitions, a refinement in the methodology used to study transition of care, and appropriate selection of patient-centered and policy-relevant outcomes should be employed to draw valid conclusions pertaining to specific components of transition of care.

  17. Evaluation of a community transition to professional practice program for graduate registered nurses in Australia.

    PubMed

    Aggar, Christina; Gordon, Christopher J; Thomas, Tamsin H T; Wadsworth, Linda; Bloomfield, Jacqueline

    2018-03-26

    Australia has an increasing demand for a sustainable primary health care registered nursing workforce. Targeting graduate registered nurses who typically begin their nursing career in acute-care hospital settings is a potential workforce development strategy. We evaluated a graduate registered nurse Community Transition to Professional Practice Program which was designed specifically to develop and foster skills required for primary health care. The aims of this study were to evaluate graduates' intention to remain in the primary health care nursing workforce, and graduate competency, confidence and experiences of program support; these were compared with graduates undertaking the conventional acute-care transition program. Preceptor ratings of graduate competence were also measured. All of the 25 graduates (n = 12 community, n = 13 acute-care) who completed the questionnaire at 6 and 12 months intended to remain in nursing, and 55% (n = 6) of graduates in the Community Transition Program intended to remain in the primary health care nursing workforce. There were no differences in graduate experiences, including level of competence, or preceptors' perceptions of graduate competence, between acute-care and Community Transition Programs. The Community Transition to Professional Practice program represents a substantial step towards developing the primary health care health workforce by facilitating graduate nurse employment in this area. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  18. Effectiveness of person- and family-centered care transition interventions: a systematic review protocol.

    PubMed

    Backman, Chantal; Chartrand, Julie; Dingwall, Orvie; Shea, Beverley

    2017-08-08

    Care transitions from the hospital to home are critical to the sustainability of our health care system. Ineffective care transitions can be caused by high incidences of post-discharge adverse events, by poor communication with patients, and/or by inadequate information transfer between providers from the hospital to home. Any one of these can lead to fragmented care, high readmission rates, increased visits to the emergency department, and ultimately poor patient outcomes. Despite the ongoing improvement efforts of health care organizations, the efficacy of person- and family-centered care transition interventions on the quality of care and on the patient experience are not known. The aim of this systematic review is to critically analyze the body of evidence regarding the effectiveness of person- and family-centered care transition interventions on the quality of care, and the experience of patients. We will conduct a systematic review using the Cochrane Handbook's guidelines and will adhere to a standardized reporting format: Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA). A comprehensive search strategy will be conducted in the following databases: MEDLINE, EMBASE, CINAHL, Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials, and the Cochrane Consumers and Communication Group. Following a two-step screening process, data including the full reference, objectives, target population, description of the intervention and control intervention, outcome measures, design, length of post-intervention follow-up period, and the study results will be extracted, synthesized, and reported. Risk of bias and quality of the studies will also be assessed. This systematic review will summarize and present the evidence base for person- and family-centered care transition interventions. This review will also inform further research and will lay the groundwork for more empirical studies on person- and family-centered care transitions. Specifically, the results of this systematic review may inform the development of measures to monitor safe and effective person- and family-centered transitions from the hospital to home. These results may also be important for policy makers, decision-makers, clinicians, and patients/families who are involved in navigating the health care system. PROSPERO CRD42017067990.

  19. Transition in Dental Treatment Utilization in Jammu And Kashmir, India - A 10 Year Retrospective Study

    PubMed Central

    Batra, Manu; Ishrat, A.

    2016-01-01

    Background: Utilization of health services is the actual attendance by the members of the public at health care facilities to receive care. Utilization, serves as an important tool for oral health policy decision-making. The aim of the present study was to retrospectively gauge and assess the utilization pattern of the dental treatments which was given in hospital for last 10 years. Materials and Methods: This retrospective infirmary based study was carried out at Sheri Kashmir Institute of Medical Sciences (SKIMS), Srinagar, Jammu and Kashmir, India. The yearly outpatient department (OPD) records for the utilization of specific dental treatment of a total of 103963 patients were assessed retrospectively from 2014 to 2003. Trend analysis was used to assess the trend of utilization of each speciality with best fitted linear trend lines. Results: The pattern of new patients has also shown a constant rise during the study period except for 2008 and 2009. The utilization of oral surgery speciality has shown a tremendous fall from 2003 to 2014 whereas the number of patients coming to periodontics and conservative dentistry has shown an increasing pattern. Conclusion: Utilization of oral health care has long been used as an indicator of oral health related behaviour of a population. In the present study it can be conclude that the outlook of the population under study has changed from blood and vulcanite dentistry outlook and is moving towards restorative dentistry. . PMID:28804675

  20. Clinician roles and responsibilities during care transitions of older adults.

    PubMed

    Schoenborn, Nancy L; Arbaje, Alicia I; Eubank, Kathryn J; Maynor, Kenric; Carrese, Joseph A

    2013-02-01

    To identify the perceived roles and responsibilities of clinicians during care transitions of older adults. Qualitative study involving 1-hour in-depth semistructured interviews. Audiotapes of interviews were transcribed, coded, and analyzed, and themes and subthemes were generated. An acute care hospital, a skilled nursing facility, two community-based outpatient practices, and one home healthcare agency. Forty healthcare professionals directly involved in care transitions of older adults (18 physicians, 11 home healthcare administrative and field staff, four social workers, three nurse practitioners, three physician assistants, and one hospital case manager). Perspectives of healthcare professionals regarding clinicians' roles and responsibilities during care transitions were examined and described. Content analysis revealed several themes: components of clinicians' roles during care transitions; congruence between self- and others' perceived ideal roles but incongruence between ideal and routine roles; ambiguity in accountability in the postdischarge period; factors prompting clinicians to act closer to ideal roles; and barriers to performing ideal roles. A conceptual framework was created to summarize clinicians' roles during care transitions. This study reports differences between what healthcare professionals perceive as ideal roles of clinicians during care transitions and what clinicians actually do routinely. Certain patient and clinician factors prompt clinicians to act closer to the ideal roles. Multiple barriers interfere with consistent practice of ideal roles. Future investigations could evaluate interventions targeting various components of the conceptual framework and relevant outcomes. © 2013, Copyright the Authors Journal compilation © 2013, The American Geriatrics Society.

  1. Transitioning the Allergy/Immunology Patient from Childhood to Adulthood.

    PubMed

    Hoyte, Flavia C L

    2017-06-01

    Allergic disorders and immunodeficiencies are generally chronic and even lifelong conditions, often changing over time, making the cautious transition of care from childhood to adulthood particularly important. Many, but not all, patients can continue to receive their care from the same physician as they transition through adolescence and emerging adulthood, made possible because allergy/immunology training programs require cross-training in the care of both pediatric and adult patients. Although keeping the same physician makes the transition easier for many allergy/immunology patients, even these patients face psychosocial issues unique to adolescents and emerging adults, including increased autonomy, risk-taking behavior, and medical self-management. Successful transition for patients with chronic allergic and immunologic conditions involves an understanding of the natural history of these conditions by patients and physicians alike, a gradual increase in self-management depending on individual readiness, and careful communication between pediatric and adult specialists as care is transitioned. [Pediatr Ann. 2017;46(6):e229-e234.]. Copyright 2017, SLACK Incorporated.

  2. Complex transitions between spike, burst or chaos synchronization states in coupled neurons with coexisting bursting patterns

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Gu, Hua-Guang; Chen, Sheng-Gen; Li, Yu-Ye

    2015-05-01

    We investigated the synchronization dynamics of a coupled neuronal system composed of two identical Chay model neurons. The Chay model showed coexisting period-1 and period-2 bursting patterns as a parameter and initial values are varied. We simulated multiple periodic and chaotic bursting patterns with non-(NS), burst phase (BS), spike phase (SS), complete (CS), and lag synchronization states. When the coexisting behavior is near period-2 bursting, the transitions of synchronization states of the coupled system follows very complex transitions that begins with transitions between BS and SS, moves to transitions between CS and SS, and to CS. Most initial values lead to the CS state of period-2 bursting while only a few lead to the CS state of period-1 bursting. When the coexisting behavior is near period-1 bursting, the transitions begin with NS, move to transitions between SS and BS, to transitions between SS and CS, and then to CS. Most initial values lead to the CS state of period-1 bursting but a few lead to the CS state of period-2 bursting. The BS was identified as chaos synchronization. The patterns for NS and transitions between BS and SS are insensitive to initial values. The patterns for transitions between CS and SS and the CS state are sensitive to them. The number of spikes per burst of non-CS bursting increases with increasing coupling strength. These results not only reveal the initial value- and parameter-dependent synchronization transitions of coupled systems with coexisting behaviors, but also facilitate interpretation of various bursting patterns and synchronization transitions generated in the nervous system with weak coupling strength. Project supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (Grant Nos. 11372224 and 11402039) and the Fundamental Research Funds for Central Universities designated to Tongji University (Grant No. 1330219127).

  3. Not feeling ready to go home: a qualitative analysis of chronically ill patients' perceptions on care transitions.

    PubMed

    Verhaegh, Kim J; Jepma, Patricia; Geerlings, Suzanne E; de Rooij, Sophia E; Buurman, Bianca M

    2018-06-25

    Unplanned hospital readmissions frequently occur and have profound implications for patients. This study explores chronically ill patients' experiences and perceptions of being discharged to home and then acutely readmitted to the hospital to identify the potential impact on future care transition interventions. Twenty-three semistructured interviews were conducted with chronically ill patients who had an unplanned 30-day hospital readmission at a university teaching hospital in the Netherlands. A constructive grounded theory approach was used for data analysis. The core category identified was 'readiness for hospital discharge,' and the categories related to the core category are 'experiencing acute care settings' and 'outlook on the recovery period after hospital discharge.' Patients' readiness for hospital discharge was influenced by the organization of hospital care, patients' involvement in decision-making and preparation for discharge. The experienced difficulties during care transitions might have influenced patients' ability to cope with challenges of recovery and dependency on others. The results demonstrated the importance of assessing patients' readiness for hospital discharge. Health care professionals are recommended to recognize patients and guide them through transitions of care. In addition, employing specifically designated strategies that encourage patient-centered communication and shared decision-making can be vital in improving care transitions and reduce hospital readmissions. We suggest that health care professionals pay attention to the role and capacity of informal caregivers during care transitions and the recovery period after hospital discharge to prevent possible postdischarge problems.

  4. Gender and Transition From Pediatric to Adult Health Care Among Youth With Acquired Brain Injury: Experiences in a Transition Model.

    PubMed

    Lindsay, Sally; Proulx, Meghann; Maxwell, Joanne; Hamdani, Yani; Bayley, Mark; Macarthur, Colin; Colantonio, Angela

    2016-02-01

    To explore gender and sex differences in experiences of transitioning to adult health care among young adults with acquired brain injury (ABI) who take part in a coordinated model of transitional care. Descriptive design using in-depth semistructured qualitative interviews. Interviews over the phone and in person. Participants (N=18) included 10 young adults with a diagnosis of ABI (4 women, 6 men; age range, 19-21y) and 9 parents (8 women, 1 man) from the Greater Toronto Area, Ontario, Canada. Not applicable. Semistructured interviews with participants. Our findings highlight several commonalities and differences relative to sex and gender among young adults with ABI who are transitioning from pediatric to adult care. Both young adult men and women experienced a similar transition process and similar organization, continuity, and availability of care. Sex differences were found in relational factors (eg, communication, family involvement, social support). Young adult men, and parents of the men, differed in their transition regarding relational factors (eg, communication, family involvement). Our findings show that young adult men and women with ABI who have taken part in a transition preparation program experience similarities in organization, continuity, and availability of care, but they experience differences in relational factors (eg, communication, family involvement). Copyright © 2016 American Congress of Rehabilitation Medicine. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  5. The positioning of palliative care in acute care: A multiperspective qualitative study in the context of metastatic melanoma.

    PubMed

    Fox, Jennifer; Windsor, Carol; Connell, Shirley; Yates, Patsy

    2016-06-01

    The positioning and meaning of palliative care within the healthcare system lacks clarity which adds a level of complexity to the process of transition to palliative care. This study explores the transition to the palliative care process in the acute care context of metastatic melanoma. A theoretical framework drawing on interpretive and critical traditions informs this research. The pragmatism of symbolic interactionism and the critical theory of Habermas brought a broad orientation to the research. Integration of the theoretical framework and grounded-theory methods facilitated data generation and analysis of 29 interviews with patients, family carers, and healthcare professionals. The key analytical findings depict a scope of palliative care that was uncertain for users of the system and for those working within the system. Becoming "palliative" is not a defined event; nor is there unanimity around referral to a palliative care service. As such, ambiguity and tension contribute to the difficulties involved in negotiating the transition to palliative care. Our findings point to uncertainty around the scopes of practice in the transition to palliative care. The challenge in the transition process lies in achieving greater coherency of care within an increasingly specialized healthcare system. The findings may not only inform those within a metastatic melanoma context but may contribute more broadly to palliative practices within the acute care setting.

  6. 78 FR 7415 - Department of Defense Task Force on the Care, Management, and Transition of Recovering Wounded...

    Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

    2013-02-01

    ... DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE Office of the Secretary Department of Defense Task Force on the Care, Management, and Transition of Recovering Wounded, Ill, and Injured Members of the Armed Forces; Notice of... Committee meeting of the Department of Defense Task Force on the Care, Management, and Transition of...

  7. 77 FR 31337 - Department of Defense Task Force on the Care, Management, and Transition of Recovering Wounded...

    Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

    2012-05-25

    ... DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE Office of the Secretary Department of Defense Task Force on the Care, Management, and Transition of Recovering Wounded, Ill, and Injured Members of the Armed Forces; Notice of... Department of Defense Task Force on the Care, Management, and Transition of Recovering Wounded, Ill, and...

  8. 78 FR 38015 - Department of Defense Task Force on the Care, Management, and Transition of Recovering Wounded...

    Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

    2013-06-25

    ... DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE Office of the Secretary Department of Defense Task Force on the Care, Management, and Transition of Recovering Wounded, Ill, and Injured Members of the Armed Forces; Notice of... of the Department of Defense Task Force on the Care, Management, and Transition of Recovering Wounded...

  9. Transition Planning for Adolescents with Special Health Care Needs and Disabilities: Information for Families and Teens.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Porter, Stephanie; Freeman, Linda; Griffin, Lynne Reeves

    Designed for Massachusetts parents and adolescents with special health needs, this booklet provides information on the transition to adulthood. It covers four major areas of adulthood: health care, education, employment, and recreation. It includes: (1) a family fact sheet on health care transition that explains important issues and lists…

  10. Experimental investigation on the heat transfer characteristics and flow pattern in vertical narrow channels heated from one side

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Huang, Lihao; Li, Gang; Tao, Leren

    2016-07-01

    Experimental investigation for the flow boiling of water in a vertical rectangular channel was conducted to reveal the boiling heat transfer mechanism and flow patterns map aspects. The onset of nucleate boiling went upward with the increasing of the working fluid mass flow rate or the decreasing of the inlet working fluid temperature. As the vapour quality was increased, the local heat transfer coefficient increased first, then decreased, followed by various flow patterns. The test data from other researchers had a similar pattern transition for the bubble-slug flow and the slug-annular flow. Flow pattern transition model analysis was performed to make the comparison with current test data. The slug-annular and churn-annular transition models showed a close trend with current data except that the vapor phase superficial velocity of flow pattern transition was much higher than that of experimental data.

  11. Adolescent and Adult HIV Providers' Definitions of HIV-Infected Youths' Successful Transition to Adult Care in the United States.

    PubMed

    Philbin, Morgan M; Tanner, Amanda E; Ma, Alice; Chambers, Brittany D; Ware, Samuella; Kinnard, Elizabeth N; Hussen, Sophia A; Lee, Sonia; Fortenberry, J Dennis

    2017-10-01

    It is important for both individual- and population-level health that HIV-infected individuals progress through the Care Continuum. However, HIV-infected youth frequently disengage from care during transition from pediatric/adolescent to adult care; only 50% remain in adult care after 1 year. Understanding how providers define and approach a successful healthcare transition can improve the delivery of HIV-related services during critical years of HIV treatment. We conducted 58 staff interviews across 14 Adolescent Trials Network clinics (n = 30) and 20 adult clinics (n = 28). We used the constant comparative method to examine how providers defined and approached youths' successful transition. Providers identified four components critical to successful transition: (1) clinical outcomes (e.g., medication adherence and viral suppression); (2) youth knowing how to complete treatment-related activities (e.g., refilling prescriptions and making appointments); (3) youth taking responsibility for treatment-related activities and their overall health (e.g., "when they stop reaching out to the adolescent [clinic] to solve all their problems."); and (4) youth feeling a connection and trust toward the adult clinic (e.g., "they feel safe here"), with some providers even prioritizing connectedness over clinical outcomes (e.g., "Even if they're not taking meds but are connected [to care], …that's a success."). The identification of key components of successful transition can guide focused interventions and resources to improve youth maintenance in the HIV Care Continuum as they transition to adult care. Identifying what facilitates successful transitions, and the gaps that interventions can target, will help to ensure HIV-infected youth remain healthy across their lifespan.

  12. Negotiating futility, managing emotions: nursing the transition to palliative care.

    PubMed

    Broom, Alex; Kirby, Emma; Good, Phillip; Wootton, Julia; Yates, Patsy; Hardy, Janet

    2015-03-01

    Nurses play a pivotal role in caring for patients during the transition from life-prolonging care to palliative care. This is an area of nursing prone to emotional difficulty, interpersonal complexity, and interprofessional conflict. It is situated within complex social dynamics, including those related to establishing and accepting futility and reconciling the desire to maintain hope. Here, drawing on interviews with 20 Australian nurses, we unpack their accounts of nursing the transition to palliative care, focusing on the purpose of nursing at the point of transition; accounts of communication and strategies for representing palliative care; emotional engagement and burden; and key interprofessional challenges. We argue that in caring for patients approaching the end of life, nurses occupy precarious interpersonal and interprofessional spaces that involve a negotiated order around sentimental work, providing them with both capital (privileged access) and burden (emotional suffering) within their day-to-day work. © The Author(s) 2014.

  13. Virtual Simulated Care Coordination Rounds for Nursing Students.

    PubMed

    Badowski, Donna M

    Implementation of the Affordable Care Act has nursing education reflecting on paradigm shifts in order to prepare nursing students for the evolving health care environment. The traditional focus of nursing education on nursing care in acute care settings does not provide learning experiences in care coordination and transitional care management skills. Virtual simulated care coordination rounds, using the National League for Nursing Advancing Care Excellence resources, offer nursing students an innovative experience in care coordination and transition care management.

  14. Acute Care Utilization by Patients After Graduation of Their Resident Primary Care Physicians.

    PubMed

    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 before and after graduation. Interventions to decrease the need for acute care should be employed throughout the year.

  15. Partners at Care Transitions (PACT)—exploring older peoples’ experiences of transitioning from hospital to home in the UK: protocol for an observation and interview study of older people and their families to understand patient experience and involvement in care at transitions

    PubMed Central

    Birks, Yvonne; Murray, Jenni; Sheard, Laura; Hughes, Lesley; Heyhoe, Jane; Cracknell, Alison; Lawton, Rebecca

    2017-01-01

    Introduction Length of hospital inpatient stays have reduced. This benefits patients, who prefer to be at home, and hospitals, which can treat more people when stays are shorter. Patients may, however, leave hospital sicker, with ongoing care needs. The transition period from hospital to home can be risky, particularly for older patients with complex health and social needs. Improving patient experience, especially through greater patient involvement, may improve outcomes for patients and is a key indicator of care quality and safety. In this research, we aim to: capture the experiences of older patients and their families during the transition from hospital to home, and identify opportunities for greater patient involvement in care, particularly where this contributes to greater individual-level and organisational-level resilience. Methods and analysis A ‘focused ethnography’ comprising observations, ‘Go-Along’ and semistructured interviews will be used to capture patient and carer experiences during different points in the care transition from admission to 90 days after discharge. We will recruit 30 patients and their carers from six hospital departments across two National Health Service (NHS) Trusts. Analysis of observations and interviews will use a framework approach to identify themes to understand the experience of transitions and generate ideas about how patients could be more actively involved in their care. This will include exploring what ‘good’ care at transitions looks like and seeking out examples of success, as well as recommendations for improvement. Ethics and dissemination Ethical approval was received from the NHS Research Ethics Committee in Wales. The research findings will add to a growing body of knowledge about patient experience of transitions, in particular providing insight into the experiences of patients and carers throughout the transitions process, in ‘real time’. Importantly, the data will be used to inform the development of a patient-centred intervention to improve the quality and safety of transitions. PMID:29196483

  16. Barriers and Facilitators of Transition from Pediatric to Adult Long-Term Follow-Up Care in Childhood Cancer Survivors.

    PubMed

    Rosenberg-Yunger, Zahava R S; Klassen, Anne F; Amin, Leila; Granek, Leeat; D'Agostino, Norma M; Boydell, Katherine M; Greenberg, Mark; Barr, Ronald D; Nathan, Paul C

    2013-09-01

    Despite the risk for late effects in adult survivors of cancer in childhood or adolescence, many survivors fail to transition from pediatric to adult long-term follow-up (LTFU) care. The purpose of this study was to identify the barriers and facilitators of transition from pediatric to adult LTFU care. In this qualitative study, 38 Canadian survivors of cancer in childhood or adolescence, currently aged 15-26 years, were interviewed using semi-structured, open-ended questions. Participants belonged to one of four groups: pre-transition (n=10), successful transition (n=11), failed to transition (n=7), and transitioned to an adult center but then dropped out of adult care (n=10). A constructivist grounded theory approach was used to analyze the interview data. This approach consisted of coding transcripts line by line to develop categories and using constant comparison to examine relationships within and across codes and categories. Interviewing continued until saturation was reached. Three interrelated themes were identified that affected the transition process: micro-level patient factors (e.g., due diligence, anxiety), meso-level support factors (e.g., family, friends), and macro-level system factors (e.g., appointments, communication, healthcare providers). Factors could act as facilitators to transition (e.g., family support), barriers to transition (e.g., difficulty booking appointments), or as both a barrier and a facilitator (e.g., anxiety). This study illustrates the interaction between multiple factors that facilitate and/or prevent transition from pediatric to adult LTFU cancer care. A number of recommendations are presented to address potential macro-level system barriers to successful transition.

  17. Transitions of care and rehabilitation after fragility fractures.

    PubMed

    Eslami, Michelle; Tran, Hong-Phuc

    2014-05-01

    Transitions in care are a vulnerable time period for patients during which unintended errors may occur. This article discusses potential risks that could occur during care transitions, suggested improvements, and the transition from hospital to skilled nursing facilities for patients needing rehabilitation after their discharge from the hospital. Different rehabilitation settings and their reimbursement are reviewed. Common potential medical conditions arising in patients undergoing rehabilitation, rehabilitation goals, and secondary prevention also are discussed. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  18. Incremental Benefit of a Home Visit Following Discharge for Patients with Multiple Chronic Conditions Receiving Transitional Care

    PubMed Central

    Jackson, Carlos; Kasper, Elizabeth W.; Williams, Christianna

    2016-01-01

    Abstract Transitional care management is effective at reducing hospital readmissions among patients with multiple chronic conditions, but evidence is lacking on the relative benefit of the home visit as a component of transitional care. The sample included non-dual Medicaid recipients with multiple chronic conditions enrolled in Community Care of North Carolina (CCNC), with a hospital discharge between July 2010 and December 2012. Using claims data and care management records, this study retrospectively examined whether home visits reduced the odds of 30-day readmission compared to less intensive transitional care support, using multivariate logistic regression to control for demographic and clinical characteristics. Additionally, the researchers examined group differences within clinical risk strata on inpatient admissions and total cost of care in the 6 months following hospital discharge. Of 35,174 discharges receiving transitional care from a CCNC care manager, 21% (N = 7468) included a home visit. In multivariate analysis, home visits significantly reduced the odds of readmission within 30 days (odds ratio = 0.52, 95% confidence interval 0.48–0.57). At the 6-month follow-up, home visits were associated with fewer inpatient admissions within 4 of 6 clinical risk strata, and lower total costs of care for highest risk patients (average per member per month cost difference $970; P < 0.01). For complex chronic patients, home visits reduced the likelihood of a 30-day readmission by almost half compared to less intensive forms of nurse-led transitional care support. Higher risk patients experienced the greatest benefit in terms of number of inpatient admissions and total cost of care in the 6 months following discharge. (Population Health Management 2016;19:163–170) PMID:26431255

  19. [Transition - how adolescents with cystic fibrosis their parents experience the change from paediatric to adult care].

    PubMed

    Becher, Christine; Regamey, Nicolas; Spichiger, Elisabeth

    2014-12-01

    Cystic Fibrosis is the most common autosomal-recessive hereditary disease among white Europeans. The average survival of CF patients has increased to above 40 years and transition from paediatric to adult care has therefore become a significant issue. With this study, experiences of adolescents with CF and their parents with the transition from the paediatric to the adult care were explored. At a Swiss university CF centre, six adolescents and their mothers were recruited. Twelve narrative interviews were conducted on how the phase of transition was experienced. The transcribed interviews were analysed according to the method of hermeneutic phenomenology. Positive and negative experiences with long term routine care in the paediatric service, general themes of adolescence and the quality of the relationship with paediatric doctors influenced the families' experience during transition significantly. For mothers, insensitive information on the CF diagnosis might have influenced the transition experience. The adolescents welcomed an individualized and age appropriate care. Continuity in care, the announcement of, and involvement in the planning of the transfer were of great importance. The families particularly appreciated the timed adaptations of the transfer to individual needs. Flexibility and a strong collaboration between paediatric and adult CF teams are most relevant in the care of families.

  20. Transitions in Care from Pediatric to Adult Health Care Providers: Ongoing Challenges and Opportunities for Young Persons with Diabetes.

    PubMed

    Garvey, Katharine; Laffel, Lori

    2018-01-01

    Adolescence and young adulthood are times of multiple developmental changes, including physiological, social, emotional, cognitive, and behavioral transformations. The adolescent or young adult living with type 1 or type 2 diabetes must navigate the vicissitudes of these developmental stages while managing the rigors and self-care demands of these conditions. Diabetes in children is managed by adults, mainly by parents. As the child matures, diabetes management tasks transition from parents to the developing teen. This transition in care is a process that generally begins in early adolescence and culminates when the older teen successfully accepts and manages diabetes self-care tasks. Along with the transitions in diabetes management tasks, older teens and young adults must be prepared for transfer from the pediatric diabetes care team to an adult-focused health care team. Numerous publications have described the challenges associated with both the process of transition and the act of transfer. Lack of preparation during transition followed by unsuccessful transfer often results in gaps in diabetes care exceeding 6 months, deterioration in glycemic control, increase in emergency room use and hospitalization, and emergence of diabetes complications among older teens and young adults. There is need for ongoing research internationally to address these deficiencies in order to improve the short- and long-term health of young persons with diabetes. © 2018 S. Karger AG, Basel.

  1. Transition towards end of life in palliative care: an exploration of its meaning for advanced cancer patients in Europe.

    PubMed

    Larkin, Philip J; Dierckx de Casterlé, Bernadette; Schotsmans, Paul

    2007-01-01

    Transition as a concept in healthcare has been explored, but there is limited empirical work which considers transition in the context of palliative care, specifically from the patient perspective. This article reports findings from a qualitative study designed to explore transition experiences of 100 advanced cancer patients in six European countries. Data were analyzed using the ATLAS.ti program. Findings suggest that transition is a confusing time of mixed messages, poor communication, and uncertainty, but the physical environment of the hospice offers a place of ontological security from which to address this. Transition concepts fail to capture the palliative care experience fully. Transience, as an alternative concept, is reported, although further research is needed to explore this. In clinical practice, the value given to hospice by patients suggests that clinicians must carefully balance the benefit of mainstream integration with sensitive assimilation of hospice philosophy.

  2. Emergence and transitions of dynamic patterns of thickness oscillation of the plasmodium of the true slime mold Physarum polycephalum

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Takagi, Seiji; Ueda, Tetsuo

    2008-03-01

    The emergence and transitions of various spatiotemporal patterns of thickness oscillation were studied in the freshly isolated protoplasm of the Physarum plasmodium. New patterns, such as standing waves, and chaotic and rotating spirals, developed successively before the well-documented synchronous pattern appeared. There was also a spontaneous opposite transition from synchrony to chaotic and rotating spirals. Rotating spiral waves were observed in the large migrating plasmodium, where the vein structures were being destroyed. Thus, the Physarum plasmodium exhibits versatile patterns, which are generally expected in coupled oscillator systems. This paper discusses the physiological roles of spatiotemporal patterns, comparing them with other biological systems.

  3. Transition of care for acute stroke and myocardial infarction patients: from hospitalization to rehabilitation, recovery, and secondary prevention.

    PubMed Central

    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 components on clinical outcomes. There was inconsistency in the definition of what constituted a component of transition of care compared to "standard care." Standard care was poorly defined, and nearly all studies were underpowered to demonstrate a statistical benefit. The endpoints varied greatly from study to study. Nearly all the studies were single-site based, and most (26 of 44) were conducted in countries with national health care systems quite different from that of the U.S., therefore limiting their generalizability. CONCLUSIONS Although a basis for the definition of transition of care exists, more consensus is needed on the definition of the interventions and the outcomes appropriate to those interventions. There was limited evidence that two components of hospital-initiated support for discharge (early supported discharge after stroke and specialty care followup after MI)were associated with beneficial effects. No other interventions had sufficient evidence of benefit based on the findings of this systematic review. The adoption of a standard set of definitions, a refinement in the methodology used to study transition of care, and appropriate selection of patient-centered and policy-relevant outcomes should be employed to draw valid conclusions pertaining to specific components of transition of care. PMID:23126647

  4. Adolescents with Sickle Cell Disease: Self-Efficacy as a Factor in Readiness to Transition from Pediatric to Adult Medical Care

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Baum, Dabney

    2013-01-01

    Adolescents and young adults with sickle cell disease (SCD) must develop self-efficacy and disease-management skills to transition successfully to adult medical care. This quantitative study explored whether self-efficacy, age, and gender were predictive of transition readiness of adolescents with SCD from pediatric to adult medical care.…

  5. Concept Analysis of Health Care Transition in Adolescents with Chronic Conditions.

    PubMed

    Ladores, Sigrid

    2015-01-01

    Children with chronic conditions are living into adulthood and present with unique needs. One such need is their transition from pediatric to adult health care. This paper examined the literature to analyze and synthesize the concept of transition within two contexts, health care and adolescents with chronic conditions. Fifty multidisciplinary sources were included for analysis. A refined, working definition of the concept of health care transition in adolescents with chronic conditions is presented. Results will enable the scientific community to discuss salient issues using well-defined, uniform terminology. Nursing implications are delineated to ensure that these youths thrive into adulthood. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  6. The Medical Transition from Pediatric to Adult-Oriented Care: Considerations for Child and Adolescent Psychiatrists.

    PubMed

    Hart, Laura C; Maslow, Gary

    2018-01-01

    More adolescents and young adults are surviving previously fatal childhood illness and need support to transition from pediatric care to adult-oriented care. There are many barriers, but guidelines and tools assist providers with emphasis on gradually addressing transition with patients and families. Child and adolescent psychiatrists should be particularly attuned to the needs of adolescents with previously identified mental illness who are at high risk of falling out of regular care during transition. Providers are also uniquely suited to address the needs of adolescents and young adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  7. 'Practising under your own Pin'- a description of the transition experiences of newly qualified midwives.

    PubMed

    Avis, Mark; Mallik, Maggie; Fraser, Diane M

    2013-11-01

    Transition experiences of newly qualified midwives were examined in depth during the third phase of a UK evaluation study of midwifery education. The fitness to practise and the retention of newly qualified nursing and midwifery graduates are pressing concerns for health care managers. The advantages of preceptorship are reported in the literature but the content and timing of schemes remain unclear. A semi-structured diary was kept for up to 6 months by 35 newly qualified midwives in 18 work sites covering all countries in the UK. The preceptor and supervisor of midwives for each newly qualified midwife completed short questionnaires about their preceptee's performance, and a further sub-sample of newly qualified midwives and preceptors participated in a semi-structured interview. Data were analysed to elicit aspects of newly qualified midwives transition experiences. Findings confirm that structured preceptorship schemes are not widely available. Newly qualified midwives primarily obtained transition support from members of the midwifery team. Although perceived as competent, there is no demarcation point in becoming confident to practise as a registered practitioner. Implications for managers include the importance of a supportive culture within clinical teams for successful transition and the introduction of structured preceptorship schemes facilitated by appropriate rotation patterns. © 2012 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

  8. A latent transition model of the effects of a teen dating violence prevention initiative.

    PubMed

    Williams, Jason; Miller, Shari; Cutbush, Stacey; Gibbs, Deborah; Clinton-Sherrod, Monique; Jones, Sarah

    2015-02-01

    Patterns of physical and psychological teen dating violence (TDV) perpetration, victimization, and related behaviors were examined with data from the evaluation of the Start Strong: Building Healthy Teen Relationships initiative, a dating violence primary prevention program targeting middle school students. Latent class and latent transition models were used to estimate distinct patterns of TDV and related behaviors of bullying and sexual harassment in seventh grade students at baseline and to estimate transition probabilities from one pattern of behavior to another at the 1-year follow-up. Intervention effects were estimated by conditioning transitions on exposure to Start Strong. Latent class analyses suggested four classes best captured patterns of these interrelated behaviors. Classes were characterized by elevated perpetration and victimization on most behaviors (the multiproblem class), bullying perpetration/victimization and sexual harassment victimization (the bully-harassment victimization class), bullying perpetration/victimization and psychological TDV victimization (bully-psychological victimization), and experience of bully victimization (bully victimization). Latent transition models indicated greater stability of class membership in the comparison group. Intervention students were less likely to transition to the most problematic pattern and more likely to transition to the least problem class. Although Start Strong has not been found to significantly change TDV, alternative evaluation models may find important differences. Latent transition analysis models suggest positive intervention impact, especially for the transitions at the most and the least positive end of the spectrum. Copyright © 2015. Published by Elsevier Inc.

  9. Use of Transition Resources by Primary Care Providers for Youth with Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Dressler, Paul B.; Nguyen, Teresa K.; Moody, Eric J.; Friedman, Sandra L.; Pickler, Laura

    2018-01-01

    Youth with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD) often experience difficulties with successful transition from pediatric to adult healthcare. A consultative Transition Clinic for youth with IDD was piloted as a quality improvement project, and assessed the engagement of primary care providers (PCPs) for transition planning after…

  10. Graduation Day: Healthcare Transition From Pediatric to Adult.

    PubMed

    Green Corkins, Kelly; Miller, Michelle A; Whitworth, John R; McGinnis, Carol

    2018-02-01

    Because more patients with pediatric-onset chronic conditions are surviving into adulthood, they are graduating from pediatric healthcare to self-management and adult healthcare. This transfer of care needs to be a process of transitioning medical and nutrition care. Despite having position statements from professional organizations and several proposed models, issues in the transition process have been well described, and gaps in transition care persist. Healthcare providers need to be aware of special needs of emerging adults related to education on chronic condition and self-management skills, emotional support before and after transition, and legal rights for both the patient and the parent if the emerging adult is not developmentally appropriate to make his or her own healthcare decisions. Both pediatric and adult providers need to be in active communication with each other and the patient to develop trusting relationships and actively support the transition of care. This review of literature describes several models for transitioning, measureable outcomes, insurance provider issues, and legal issues pertaining to healthcare transition. © 2018 American Society for Parenteral and Enteral Nutrition.

  11. Impact of transitional care on endocrine and anthropometric parameters in Prader–Willi syndrome

    PubMed Central

    Paepegaey, A C; Coupaye, M; Jaziri, A; Ménesguen, F; Dubern, B; Polak, M; Oppert, J M; Tauber, M; Pinto, G; Poitou, C

    2018-01-01

    Context The transition of patients with Prader–Willi syndrome (PWS) to adult life for medical care is challenging because of multiple comorbidities, including hormone deficiencies, obesity and cognitive and behavioral disabilities. Objective To assess endocrine management, and metabolic and anthropometric parameters of PWS adults who received (n = 31) or not (n = 64) transitional care, defined as specialized pediatric care followed by a structured care pathway to a multidisciplinary adult team. Patients and study design Hormonal and metabolic parameters were retrospectively recorded in 95 adults with PWS (mean ± s.d. age 24.7 ± 8.2 years, BMI: 39.8 ± 12.1 kg/m²) referred to our Reference Center and compared according to transition. Results Among the entire cohort, 35.8% received growth hormone (GH) during childhood and 16.8% had a GH stimulation test after completion of growth. In adulthood, 14.7% were treated with GH, 56.8% received sex-hormone therapy, whereas 91.1% were hypogonadic and 37.9% had undergone valid screening of the corticotropic axis. The main reason for suboptimal endocrine management was marked behavioral disorders. Patients receiving transitional care were more likely to have had a GH stimulation test and hormonal substitutions in childhood. They also had a lower BMI, percentage of fat mass, improved metabolic parameters and fewer antidepressant treatments. Transitional care remained significantly associated with these parameters in multivariate analysis when adjusted on GH treatment. Conclusion A coordinated care pathway with specialized pediatric care and transition to a multidisciplinary adult team accustomed to managing complex disability including psychiatric troubles are associated with a better health status in adults with PWS. PMID:29666169

  12. Impact of transitional care on endocrine and anthropometric parameters in Prader-Willi syndrome.

    PubMed

    Paepegaey, A C; Coupaye, M; Jaziri, A; Ménesguen, F; Dubern, B; Polak, M; Oppert, J M; Tauber, M; Pinto, G; Poitou, C

    2018-05-01

    The transition of patients with Prader-Willi syndrome (PWS) to adult life for medical care is challenging because of multiple comorbidities, including hormone deficiencies, obesity and cognitive and behavioral disabilities. To assess endocrine management, and metabolic and anthropometric parameters of PWS adults who received ( n  = 31) or not ( n  = 64) transitional care, defined as specialized pediatric care followed by a structured care pathway to a multidisciplinary adult team. Hormonal and metabolic parameters were retrospectively recorded in 95 adults with PWS (mean ± s.d. age 24.7 ± 8.2 years, BMI: 39.8 ± 12.1 kg/m²) referred to our Reference Center and compared according to transition. Among the entire cohort, 35.8% received growth hormone (GH) during childhood and 16.8% had a GH stimulation test after completion of growth. In adulthood, 14.7% were treated with GH, 56.8% received sex-hormone therapy, whereas 91.1% were hypogonadic and 37.9% had undergone valid screening of the corticotropic axis. The main reason for suboptimal endocrine management was marked behavioral disorders. Patients receiving transitional care were more likely to have had a GH stimulation test and hormonal substitutions in childhood. They also had a lower BMI, percentage of fat mass, improved metabolic parameters and fewer antidepressant treatments. Transitional care remained significantly associated with these parameters in multivariate analysis when adjusted on GH treatment. A coordinated care pathway with specialized pediatric care and transition to a multidisciplinary adult team accustomed to managing complex disability including psychiatric troubles are associated with a better health status in adults with PWS. © 2018 The authors.

  13. The role and significance of nurses in managing transitions to palliative care: a qualitative study

    PubMed Central

    Kirby, Emma; Broom, Alex; Good, Phillip

    2014-01-01

    Objectives Nurses are generally present, and often influential, in supporting patient and family acceptance of medical futility and in assisting doctors in negotiating referral to palliative care. Yet the specificities of the nursing role and how nurses may contribute to timely and effective referrals is not well understood. This study aimed to systematically explore hospital-based nurses’ accounts of the transition to palliative care, and the potential role of nurses in facilitating more effective palliative care transitions. Design Qualitative study using semistructured interviews. Setting Two health services with public as well as private clinical environments in a major metropolitan area of Australia. Participants Hospital-based nurses (n=20) who regularly work with patients at the point of referral and in managing transitions to palliative care. Results Four significant themes emerged from thematic analysis. These include: (1) professional dynamics and the roles played by nurses in initiating the transition to palliative care; (2) the value of nurses’ informal interactions in timely and effective transitions; (3) the emerging challenge of managing task-oriented nursing versus intense emotional nursing work at the point of medical futility and (4) the emotional burden experienced by nurses within this clinical context. Nurses self-reported occupying critical albeit complex roles in the management of medical futility and the transition to palliative care. They reported experiencing significant emotional burden in balancing interpersonal and interprofessional relationships during this time. Conclusions The results suggest that nurses may be utilised in a more formalised and systematic fashion in the context of managing medical futility and the need to topicalise the transition, with the focus shifted away from medical referrals towards more team-based and patient-centred timely transitions. Further research focused on the experiences of doctors, allied health professionals, patients and families is required to provide a broader interdisciplinary understanding of futility and contributions to the negotiation of palliative care. PMID:25270859

  14. Perspectives on care for young adults with type 1 diabetes transitioning from pediatric to adult health systems: A national survey of pediatric endocrinologists.

    PubMed

    Agarwal, Shivani; Garvey, Katharine C; Raymond, Jennifer K; Schutta, Mark H

    2017-11-01

    Healthcare transition from pediatric to adult care for young adults (YA) with type 1 diabetes (T1D) is associated with risk of adverse outcomes. Consensus recommendations exist from US professional societies on transition care for YA with T1D, but it is not known whether they have been widely adopted. We describe experiences, barriers, and provider characteristics associated with transition care in a national sample of pediatric endocrinologists. US pediatric endocrinologists identified through the American Medical Association Physician Masterfile were sent an electronic survey. Response rate was 16% (164/1020) representing 32 states. The majority of pediatric endocrinologists (age 44 ± 10; years in practice 12 ± 11) were female (67%) and worked in academic centers (75%). Main reasons for transfer were age (49%) and glycemic control (18%). Barriers to transition included ending long-therapeutic relationships with patients (74%), lack of transition protocols (46%), and perceived deficiencies in adult care (42%). The majority of pediatric endocrinologists reported lack of transition training (68%); those who received training were less likely to have difficulty ending patient relationships [odds ratio (OR) = 0.39, P = .03], more likely to perform patient record transfer to adult systems (OR=1.27, P = .006), and less likely to report patient returns to pediatric care after transfer (OR=0.49, P = .01), independent of endocrinologist gender, years in practice, or practice type. There is wide variation in transition care for YA with T1D among US pediatric endocrinologists despite consensus recommendations. Dissemination of educational programming on transition care and provision of actionable solutions to overcome local health system and perceived barriers is needed. © 2016 John Wiley & Sons A/S. Published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

  15. Transitioning youth to adult healthcare: new tools from the Illinois Transition Care Project.

    PubMed

    Sanabria, K E; Ruch-Ross, H S; Bargeron, J L; Contri, D A; Kalichman, M A

    2015-01-01

    To improve youths' transition to adult healthcare, especially for youth with disabilities, The Illinois Transition Care Project created separate, yet complementary, curricula for pediatric and adult-oriented providers. Content from the curricula was tested by practicing physicians. The project created a library of skill worksheets with functional goals for patients. All methods included opportunities to teach life skills to patients to independently manage their conditions. The curricula used Maintenance of Certification (MOC) Part 4 credit as an incentive for physician participation. Pediatric pilot data indicate improvement across all sites and activities. Adult medicine results indicate increased perceived importance and feasibility of accepting young adult patients with childhood conditions. Patient/parent reviewers indicate the tools are understandable, interesting, and effective. Findings suggest the curricula, with MOC Part 4 credit for physicians, are effective in improving transition care. Project results provided new information on population management for transitioning youth and on the use of MOC Part 4 credit as an incentive. Findings have implications for primary care and specialty physicians, team-based care, teaching self-management skills to patients and methods for engaging adult-oriented physicians in the transition process.

  16. Transition to adult services for young people with mental health needs: A systematic review.

    PubMed

    Paul, Moli; Street, Cathy; Wheeler, Nicola; Singh, Swaran P

    2015-07-01

    Young people's transition from child and adolescent (CAMHS) to adult mental health services (AMHS). To systematically review evidence on the effectiveness of different models of CAMHS-AMHS transitional care, service user and staff perspectives, and facilitators of/barriers to effective CAMHS-AMHS transition. A systematic search in May 2012 of Medline, PsycINFO, CINAHL, EMBASE, AMED, Health Business Elite, HMIC, Cochrane Database, Web of Science and ASSIA; ancestral searches; and consultation with experts in the field. Qualitative, quantitative and mixed-methods primary research on the CAMHS-AMHS health-care transition of young people (aged 16-21 years) with mental health problems. Two reviewers independently completed a standardised data extraction form and critically evaluated identified documents using a validated appraisal tool for empirical studies with varied methodologies. A total of 19 studies of variable quality were identified. None were randomised or case-controlled trials. Studies incorporating service user/carer perspectives highlighted the need to tackle stigma and provide accessible, age-appropriate services. Parents/carers wanted more involvement with AMHS. Transitional care provision was considered patchy and often not prioritised within mental health services. There was no clear evidence of superior effectiveness of any particular model. High-quality evidence of transitional care models is lacking. Data broadly support the development of programmes that address the broader transitional care needs of 'emerging adults' and their mental health needs but further evaluation is necessary. Developing robust transitional mental health care will require the policy-practice gap to be addressed and development of accessible, acceptable, responsive, age-appropriate provision. © The Author(s) 2014.

  17. Lithuanian health care in transitional state: ethical problems

    PubMed Central

    Jakušovaitė, Irayda; Darulis, Žilvinas; Žekas, Romualdas

    2005-01-01

    Background Throughout the economic and political reforms in post-communist countries, significant changes have also occurred in public morality. One of the tasks of the Lithuanian health policy is to create mechanisms for strengthening the significance of ethical considerations in the decision-making processes concerning health care of individuals and groups of individuals, as well as considering the positions of physicians and the health care system itself in a general way. Thus, health care ethics could be analyzed at two levels: the micro level (the ethics of doctor-patient relationships) and the macro level (the ethics of health policy-making, which can be realized by applying the principles of equal access, reasonable quality, affordable care and shared responsibilities). To date, the first level remains dominant, but the need arises for our attention to refocus now from the micro level to the patterns of managing and delivering care, managing the health care resources, and conducting business practices. Discussion In attempting to increase the efficiency of health services in Lithuania, a common strategy has been in place for the last fifteen years. Decentralization and privatization have been implemented as part of its policy to achieve greater efficiency. Although decentralization in theory is supposed to improve efficiency, in practice the reform of decentralization has still to be completely implemented in Lithuania. Debates on health policy in Lithuania also include the issue of private versus public health care. Although the approach of private health care is changing in a positive way, it is obvious that reduced access to health services is the most vulnerable aspect. In the Lithuanian Health Program adopted in July 1998, the target of equity was stressed, stating that by 2010, differences in health and health care between various socio-economic groups should be reduced by 25%. Summary The restructuring of health care system in Lithuania should be based on a balance between decentralization and centralization, and between public and private health care sectors. Successful transition requires a balanced role of the government. Today it is obvious in Lithuania that continuous encouragement to make sacrifices was not enough to induce the system to function well, and in an ethical manner. PMID:16281969

  18. Lithuanian health care in transitional state: ethical problems.

    PubMed

    Jakusovaite, Irayda; Darulis, Zilvinas; Zekas, Romualdas

    2005-11-09

    Throughout the economic and political reforms in post-communist countries, significant changes have also occurred in public morality. One of the tasks of the Lithuanian health policy is to create mechanisms for strengthening the significance of ethical considerations in the decision-making processes concerning health care of individuals and groups of individuals, as well as considering the positions of physicians and the health care system itself in a general way. Thus, health care ethics could be analyzed at two levels: the micro level (the ethics of doctor-patient relationships) and the macro level (the ethics of health policy-making, which can be realized by applying the principles of equal access, reasonable quality, affordable care and shared responsibilities). To date, the first level remains dominant, but the need arises for our attention to refocus now from the micro level to the patterns of managing and delivering care, managing the health care resources, and conducting business practices. In attempting to increase the efficiency of health services in Lithuania, a common strategy has been in place for the last fifteen years. Decentralization and privatization have been implemented as part of its policy to achieve greater efficiency. Although decentralization in theory is supposed to improve efficiency, in practice the reform of decentralization has still to be completely implemented in Lithuania. Debates on health policy in Lithuania also include the issue of private versus public health care. Although the approach of private health care is changing in a positive way, it is obvious that reduced access to health services is the most vulnerable aspect. In the Lithuanian Health Program adopted in July 1998, the target of equity was stressed, stating that by 2010, differences in health and health care between various socio-economic groups should be reduced by 25%. The restructuring of health care system in Lithuania should be based on a balance between decentralization and centralization, and between public and private health care sectors. Successful transition requires a balanced role of the government. Today it is obvious in Lithuania that continuous encouragement to make sacrifices was not enough to induce the system to function well, and in an ethical manner.

  19. The impact of transitional care programs on health services utilization in community-dwelling older adults: a systematic review.

    PubMed

    Weeks, Lori E; Macdonald, Marilyn; Martin-Misener, Ruth; Helwig, Melissa; Bishop, Andrea; Iduye, Damilola F; Moody, Elaine

    2018-02-01

    The objective was to identify and synthesize the best available evidence on the impact of transitional care programs on various forms of health services utilization in community-dwelling older adults. There is growing evidence that transitional care programs can help address important challenges facing health care systems and our increasing older adult population in many countries by reducing unnecessary health service utilization. There is a need for a systematic review of the research evaluating the impact of transitional care programs on hospital and other health service usage. The review included studies on community-dwelling adults age 60 and over with at least one medical diagnosis, and which evaluated the outcomes of transitional care programs on health system utilization of older adults. The outcomes for this review were hospital usage including admissions and readmissions, emergency department usage, primary care/physician usage, nursing home usage, and home health care usage. The review considered experimental and epidemiological study designs including randomized controlled trials, non-randomized controlled trials, quasi-experimental studies, before and after studies, prospective and retrospective cohort studies, and case-control studies. A three-step search was utilized to find published and unpublished studies conducted in any country but reported in English. Six electronic databases were searched from inception of the database to May, 2016. A search for unpublished studies was also conducted. Methodological quality was assessed independently by two reviewers using the Joanna Briggs Institute critical appraisal checklist for systematic reviews and research synthesis. Quantitative data were extracted from included studies independently by the two reviewers using the standardized Joanna Briggs Institute data extraction tools. Due to the methodological heterogeneity of the included studies, a comprehensive meta-analysis for all outcomes was not possible. Meta-analysis was conducted for rehospitalization at 30, 90 and 180 days. A narrative summary of other quantitative findings was conducted. Twenty-three studies met the inclusion criteria and were included in the review. Nineteen of the studies were randomized controlled trials and four were case control studies, involving 20,997 participants in total with a mean age of 76. Meta-analysis found that transitional care significantly reduced hospital readmission rates at 30 days (odds ratio [OR] 0.75, 95% confidence intervals [CIs] 0.62-0.91, p < 0.01), 90 days (OR 0.77, 95% CIs 0.59-1.02, p = 0.04), and 180 days (OR 0.67, 95% CIs 0.46-0.99, p < 0.01). Narrative synthesis indicated little impact of transitional care on emergency department and nursing home usage, increased use of primary care/physician usage, and decreased home health care usage. Based on a review of 23 studies conducted in the USA, Hong Kong, Canada, Germany, the Netherlands, Sweden and Switzerland, we identified four major conclusions. First, transitional care reduces rehospitalization rates over time, with the largest effects seen at 30 days. Second, transitional care may increase the utilization of primary care services and thus have a favourable impact on preventative care. Third, transitional care may reduce home health usage. Fourth, transitional care interventions of one month or less appear to be as effective as longer interventions in reducing hospital usage.

  20. Cystic fibrosis: addressing the transition from pediatric to adult-oriented health care.

    PubMed

    Kreindler, James L; Miller, Victoria A

    2013-12-11

    Survival for patients with cystic fibrosis (CF) increased to nearly 40 years in 2012 from the early childhood years in the 1940s. Therefore, patients are living long enough to require transition from pediatric CF centers to adult CF centers. The goal of transition is for the young adult to be engaged in the adult health care system in ways that optimize health, maximize potential, and increase quality of life. A successful transition promotes autonomy and responsibility with respect to one's own health. Currently, there is an information gap in the literature with respect to psychological models that can help guide informed transition processes. In this review, we establish the framework in which transition exists in CF; we review some of the published literature from the last 20 years of experience with transition in CF centers around the world; and we discuss psychological models of pediatric illness that can help to explain the current state of transition to adult-oriented care from pediatric-oriented care and help to formulate new models of ascertaining readiness for transition. Finally, we look at our current knowledge gaps and opportunities for future research endeavors.

  1. Changing mortality patterns in East and West Germany and Poland. II: Short-term trends during transition and in the 1990s

    PubMed Central

    Nolte, E.; Shkolnikov, V.; McKee, M.

    2000-01-01

    OBJECTIVES—To examine trends in life expectancy at birth and age and cause specific patterns of mortality in the former German Democratic Republic (GDR) and Poland during political transition and throughout the 1990s in both parts of Germany and in Poland.
METHODS—Decomposition of life expectancy by age and cause of death. Changes in life expectancy during transition by cause of death were examined using data for 1988/89 and 1990/91 for the former GDR and Poland; examination of life expectancy changes after transition were based on 1992-97 data for Germany and 1991-96 data for Poland.
RESULTS—In both the former GDR and Poland male life expectancy at birth declined by almost one year during transition, mainly attributable to rising death rates from external causes and circulatory diseases. Female life expectancy in Poland deteriorated by 0.3 years, largely attributable to increasing circulatory mortality among the old, while in East German female rising death rates in children and young adults were nearly outbalanced by declining circulatory mortality among those over 70. Between 1991/92 and 1996/97, male life expectancy at birth increased by 2.4 years in the former GDR, 1.2 years in old Federal Republic, and 2.0 years in Poland (women: 2.3, 0.9, and 1.2 years). In East Germany and Poland, the overall improvement was largely attributable to falling mortality among men aged 40-64, while those over 65 contributed the largest proportion to life expectancy gains in women. The change in deaths among men aged 15-39 accounted for 0.4 of a year to life expectancy at birth in East Germany and Poland, attributable largely to greater decreases from external causes. Among those over 40, absolute contributions to changing life expectancy were greater in the former GDR than in the other two entities in both sexes, largely attributable to circulatory diseases. A persisting East-west life expectancy gap in Germany of 2.1 years in men in 1997 was largely attributable to external causes, diseases of the digestive system and circulatory diseases. Higher death rates from circulatory diseases among the elderly largely explain the female life expectancy gap of approximately one year.
CONCLUSIONS—This study provides further insights into the health effects of political transition. Post-transition improvements in life expectancy and mortality have been much steeper in East Germany compared with Poland. Changes in dietary pattern and, in Germany, medical care may have been important factors in shaping post-transition mortality trends. 


Keywords: mortality trends; Germany; Poland; transition PMID:11076985

  2. The clinical effectiveness and cost-effectiveness of clinical nurse specialist-led hospital to home transitional care: a systematic review.

    PubMed

    Bryant-Lukosius, Denise; Carter, Nancy; Reid, Kim; Donald, Faith; Martin-Misener, Ruth; Kilpatrick, Kelley; Harbman, Patricia; Kaasalainen, Sharon; Marshall, Deborah; Charbonneau-Smith, Renee; DiCenso, Alba

    2015-10-01

    Clinical nurse specialists (CNSs) are major providers of transitional care. This paper describes a systematic review of randomized controlled trials (RCTs) evaluating the clinical effectiveness and cost-effectiveness of CNS transitional care. We searched 10 electronic databases, 1980 to July 2013, and hand-searched reference lists and key journals for RCTs that evaluated health system outcomes of CNS transitional care. Study quality was assessed using the Cochrane Risk of Bias and Quality of Health Economic Studies tools. The quality of evidence for individual outcomes was assessed using the Grading of Recommendations Assessment, Development and Evaluation (GRADE) tool. We pooled data for similar outcomes. Thirteen RCTs of CNS transitional care were identified (n = 2463 participants). The studies had low (n = 3), moderate (n = 8) and high (n = 2) risk of bias and weak economic analyses. Post-cancer surgery, CNS care was superior in reducing patient mortality. For patients with heart failure, CNS care delayed time to and reduced death or re-hospitalization, improved treatment adherence and patient satisfaction, and reduced costs and length of re-hospitalization stay. For elderly patients and caregivers, CNS care improved caregiver depression and reduced re-hospitalization, re-hospitalization length of stay and costs. For high-risk pregnant women and very low birthweight infants, CNS care improved infant immunization rates and maternal satisfaction with care and reduced maternal and infant length of hospital stay and costs. There is low-quality evidence that CNS transitional care improves patient health outcomes, delays re-hospitalization and reduces hospital length of stay, re-hospitalization rates and costs. Further research incorporating robust economic evaluation is needed. © 2015 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

  3. Understanding Coordination of Care from the Consumer's Perspective in a Regional Health System

    PubMed Central

    Harrison, Alexandra; Verhoef, Marja

    2002-01-01

    Objective To understand and develop a model about the meaning of coordination to consumers who experienced a transition from acute care to home care. Study Design A qualitative, exploratory study using Grounded Theory. Data Sources/Analysis Thirty-three consumers in the Calgary Regional Health Authority who had experienced the transition from an acute care hospital back into the community with home care support were interviewed. They were asked to describe their transition experience and what aspects of coordination were important to them. Interviews were recorded, transcribed, and analyzed using constant comparison. The coding and retrieval of information was facilitated by the computer software program Nud*ist. Principal Findings The resulting model has four components: (1) the meaning of coordination to consumers; (2) aspects of health care system support that are important for coordination; (3) elements that prepared consumers to return home; and (4) the components of a successful transition experience. Consumers appeared to play a crucial role in spanning organizational boundaries by participating in the coordination of their own care. Conclusions Consumers must be included in health care decisions as recipients of services and major players in the transition processes related to their care. Health care providers need to ensure that consumers are prepared to carry out their coordination role and managers need to foster a culture that values the consumer “voice” in organizational processes. PMID:12236382

  4. Health status transitions in community-living elderly with complex care needs: a latent class approach.

    PubMed

    Lafortune, Louise; Béland, François; Bergman, Howard; Ankri, Joël

    2009-02-03

    For older persons with complex care needs, accounting for the variability and interdependency in how health dimensions manifest themselves is necessary to understand the dynamic of health status. Our objective is to test the hypothesis that a latent classification can capture this heterogeneity in a population of frail elderly persons living in the community. Based on a person-centered approach, the classification corresponds to substantively meaningful groups of individuals who present with a comparable constellation of health problems. Using data collected for the SIPA project, a system of integrated care for frail older people (n = 1164), we performed latent class analyses to identify homogenous categories of health status (i.e. health profiles) based on 17 indicators of prevalent health problems (chronic conditions; depression; cognition; functional and sensory limitations; instrumental, mobility and personal care disability) Then, we conducted latent transition analyses to study change in profile membership over 2 consecutive periods of 12 and 10 months, respectively. We modeled competing risks for mortality and lost to follow-up as absorbing states to avoid attrition biases. We identified four health profiles that distinguish the physical and cognitive dimensions of health and capture severity along the disability dimension. The profiles are stable over time and robust to mortality and lost to follow-up attrition. The differentiated and gender-specific patterns of transition probabilities demonstrate the profiles' sensitivity to change in health status and unmasked the differential relationship of physical and cognitive domains with progression in disability. Our approach may prove useful at organization and policy levels where many issues call for classification of individuals into pragmatically meaningful groups. In dealing with attrition biases, our analytical strategy could provide critical information for the planning of longitudinal studies of aging. Combined, these findings address a central challenge in geriatrics by making the multidimensional and dynamic nature of health computationally tractable.

  5. Older Persons’ Transitions in Care (OPTIC): a study protocol

    PubMed Central

    2012-01-01

    Background Changes in health status, triggered by events such as infections, falls, and geriatric syndromes, are common among nursing home (NH) residents and necessitate transitions between NHs and Emergency Departments (EDs). During transitions, residents frequently experience care that is delayed, unnecessary, not evidence-based, potentially unsafe, and fragmented. Furthermore, a high proportion of residents and their family caregivers report substantial unmet needs during transitions. This study is part of a program of research whose overall aim is to improve quality of care for frail older adults who reside in NHs. The purpose of this study is to identify successful transitions from multiple perspectives and to identify organizational and individual factors related to transition success, in order to inform improvements in care for frail elderly NH residents during transitions to and from acute care. Specific objectives are to: 1. define successful and unsuccessful elements of transitions from multiple perspectives; 2. develop and test a practical tool to assess transition success; 3. assess transition processes in a discrete set of transfers in two study sites over a one year period; 4. assess the influence of organizational factors in key practice locations, e.g., NHs, emergency medical services (EMS), and EDs, on transition success; and 5. identify opportunities for evidence-informed management and quality improvement decisions related to the management of NH – ED transitions. Methods/Design This is a mixed-methods observational study incorporating an integrated knowledge translation (IKT) approach. It uses data from multiple levels (facility, care unit, individual) and sources (healthcare providers, residents, health records, and administrative databases). Discussion Key to study success is operationalizing the IKT approach by using a partnership model in which the OPTIC governance structure provides for team decision-makers and researchers to participate equally in developing study goals, design, data collection, analysis and implications of findings. As preliminary and ongoing study findings are developed, their implications for practice and policy in study settings will be discussed by the research team and shared with study site administrators and staff. The study is designed to investigate the complexities of transitions and to enhance the potential for successful and sustained improvement of these transitions. PMID:23241360

  6. Swimming Upstream: Creating a Culture of High-Value Care.

    PubMed

    Gupta, Reshma; Moriates, Christopher

    2017-05-01

    As health system leaders strategize the best ways to encourage the transition toward value-based health care, the underlying culture-defined as a system of shared assumptions, values, beliefs, and norms existing within an environment-continues to shape clinician practice patterns. The current prevailing medical culture contributes to overtesting, overtreatment, and health care waste. Choosing Wisely lists, appropriateness criteria, and guidelines codify best practices, but academic medicine as a whole must recognize that faculty and trainees are all largely still operating within the same cultural climate. Addressing this culture, on both local and national levels, is imperative for engaging clinicians in reforms and creating sustained changes that will deliver on the promise of better health care value. This Perspective outlines four steps for health system leaders to understand, cultivate, and maintain cultural changes toward value-based care: (1) Build the will for change through engaging frontline providers and communicating patient-centered motivations for health care value; (2) create necessary infrastructure to support value improvement efforts; (3) expose physicians to value-based payment structures; and (4) demonstrate leadership commitment and visibility to shared goals. The authors support their recommendations with concrete examples from emerging models and leaders across the country.

  7. Intensive care survivors' experiences of ward-based care: Meleis' theory of nursing transitions and role development among critical care outreach services.

    PubMed

    Ramsay, Pam; Huby, Guro; Thompson, Andrew; Walsh, Tim

    2014-03-01

    To explore the psychosocial needs of patients discharged from intensive care, the extent to which they are captured using existing theory on transitions in care and the potential role development of critical care outreach, follow-up and liaison services. Intensive care patients are at an increased risk of adverse events, deterioration or death following ward transfer. Nurse-led critical care outreach, follow-up or liaison services have been adopted internationally to prevent these potentially avoidable sequelae. The need to provide patients with psychosocial support during the transition to ward-based care has also been identified, but the evidence base for role development is currently limited. Twenty participants were invited to discuss their experiences of ward-based care as part of a broader study on recovery following prolonged critical illness. Psychosocial distress was a prominent feature of their accounts, prompting secondary data analysis using Meleis et al.'s mid-range theory on experiencing transitions. Participants described a sense of disconnection in relation to profound debilitation and dependency and were often distressed by a perceived lack of understanding, indifference or insensitivity among ward staff to their basic care needs. Negotiating the transition between dependence and independence was identified as a significant source of distress following ward transfer. Participants varied in the extent to which they were able to express their needs and negotiate recovery within professionally mediated boundaries. These data provide new insights into the putative origins of the psychosocial distress that patients experience following ward transfer. Meleis et al.'s work has resonance in terms of explicating intensive care patients' experiences of psychosocial distress throughout the transition to general ward-based care, such that the future role development of critical care outreach, follow-up and liaison services may be more theoretically informed. © 2013 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

  8. Pharmacist managed diabetes and cardiovascular risk reduction clinic in kidney transplant recipients: bridging the gap in care transition.

    PubMed

    Pinelli, Nicole R; Clark, Lindsey M; Carrington, Anne C; Carrington, Julia L; Malinzak, Lauren; Patel, Anita

    2014-12-01

    The purpose was to assess the feasibility of a care transition intervention for kidney transplant recipients (KTRs) with diabetes. Results document improved quality indicators and reduced resource utilization. These findings imply that a care transition intervention for KTRs with diabetes is feasible and associated with improved patient outcomes. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

  9. A Review of Interventions Aimed at Facilitating Successful Transition Planning and Transfer to Adult Care Among Youth with Chronic Illness.

    PubMed

    Weissberg-Benchell, Jill; Shapiro, Jenna B

    2017-05-01

    This article reviews studies that developed interventions aimed at facilitating the transition process and/or the transfer of youth with chronic illness to adult programs during the past decade. Three key intervention approaches have been studied. Data assessing the impact of transition coordinators suggest that the most successful outcomes occur when coordinators meet with patients prior to the transfer of care, support them as they negotiate the adult programs, and facilitate appointment keeping. Data assessing the impact of transition clinics suggest that the key to positive outcomes is helping patients develop a trusting relationship with the adult providers before fully transferring their care to the adult clinic. Similar conclusions can be drawn for transition programs, where it appears that the opportunity to discuss and plan transition with a pediatric provider over time and to meet with both the pediatric and adult providers simultaneously are beneficial for facilitating successful transfer to adult care. Although aspects of these care processes appear promising for improving transition success, this review identifies areas that need further study. We argue that studies are needed that examine individual patient and family-focused interventions as well as looking at other potential interventions in the health care system. [Pediatr Ann. 2017;46(5):e182-e187.]. Copyright 2017, SLACK Incorporated.

  10. Transition Planning for Youth with Special Health Care Needs (YSHCN) in Illinois Schools

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Bargeron, Jodie; Contri, Darcy; Gibbons, Linda J.; Ruch-Ross, Holly S.; Sanabria, Kathy

    2015-01-01

    "Transition Planning for Youth with Special Health Care Needs (YSHCN)" chronicles the research and work completed by agencies in Illinois to provide examples of best practice in transition planning. Increasing numbers of YSHCN survive into adulthood creating a need for focus on the transition to adult life for these young people,…

  11. Role of Physical Therapists in Reducing Hospital Readmissions: Optimizing Outcomes for Older Adults During Care Transitions From Hospital to Community

    PubMed Central

    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

  12. Role of Physical Therapists in Reducing Hospital Readmissions: Optimizing Outcomes for Older Adults During Care Transitions From Hospital to Community.

    PubMed

    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.

  13. Deployment of lean six sigma in care coordination: an improved discharge process.

    PubMed

    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..

  14. Demography, maternal health and the epidemiology of malaria and other major infectious diseases in the rural department Tsamba-Magotsi, Ngounie Province, in central African Gabon.

    PubMed

    Manego, R Zoleko; Mombo-Ngoma, G; Witte, M; Held, J; Gmeiner, M; Gebru, T; Tazemda, B; Mischlinger, J; Groger, M; Lell, B; Adegnika, A A; Agnandji, S T; Kremsner, P G; Mordmüller, B; Ramharter, M; Matsiegui, P B

    2017-01-28

    Sub-Saharan Africa is undergoing an epidemiological transition from a predominance of infectious diseases to non-communicable and lifestyle related conditions. However, the pace of this transition and the pattern of disease epidemiology are uneven between affluent urban and rural poor populations. To address this question for a remote rural region located in the central African rainforest region of Gabon, this study was conducted to assess reasons for health care attendance and to characterize the epidemiology of malaria and other major infectious diseases for the department of Tsamba Magotsi. Major causes for health care attendance were collected from local hospital records. Cross sectional population based surveys were performed for the assessment of local malaria epidemiology. Pregnant women attending antenatal care services were surveyed as a sentinel population for the characterization of chronic viral and parasitic infections in the community. Infectious diseases were responsible for 71% (7469) of a total of 10,580 consultations at the formal health care sector in 2010. Overall, malaria - defined by clinical syndrome - remained the most frequent cause for health care attendance. A cross sectional malaria survey in 840 asymptomatic individuals residing in Tsamba Magotsi resulted in a Plasmodium spp. infection prevalence of 37%. The infection rate in 2-10 year old asymptomatic children - a standard measure for malaria endemicity - was 46% (100 of 217) with P. falciparum as predominant species (79%). Infection with other plasmodial species (P. ovale and P. malariae) presented most commonly as coinfections (23.2%). Prevalence of HIV, HBV, and syphilis were 6.2, 7.3, and 2.5%, respectively, in cross-sectional assessments of antenatal care visits of pregnant women. Urogenital schistosomiasis and the filarial pathogens Loa loa and Mansonella perstans are highly prevalent chronic parasitic infections affecting the local population. Despite major improvements in the accessibility of Tsamba Magotsi over the past decade the epidemiological transition does not appear to have majorly changed on the spectrum of diseases in this rural Gabonese population. The high prevalence of Plasmodium infection indicates a high burden of malaria related morbidity. Infectious diseases remain one of the most important health issues and further research activities in the field of tropical medicine and infectious diseases could help improve health care for the local population.

  15. Pediatric Renal Transplantation: Focus on Current Transition Care and Proposal of the "RISE to Transition" Protocol.

    PubMed

    Raina, Rupesh; Wang, Joseph; Krishnappa, Vinod; Ferris, Maria

    2018-01-16

    The transition from pediatric to adult medical services is an important time in the life of an adolescent or young adult with a renal transplant. Failure of proper transition can lead to medical non-adherence and subsequent loss of graft and/or return to dialysis. The aim of this study was to conduct a systematic review and survey to assess the challenges and existing practices in transition of renal transplant recipient children to adult services, and to develop a transition protocol. We conducted a literature review and performed a survey of pediatric nephrologists across the United States to examine the current state of transition care. A structured transition protocol was developed based on these results. Our literature review revealed that a transition program has a positive impact on decline in renal function and acute rejection episodes, and may improve long-term graft outcomes in pediatric kidney transplant patients. With a response rate of 40% (60/150) from nephrologists in 56% (49/87) of centers, our survey shows inconsistent use of validated tools despite their availability, inefficient communication between teams, and lack of use of dedicated clinics. To address these issues, we developed the "RISE to Transition" protocol, which relies on 4 competency areas: Recognition, Insight, Self-reliance, and Establishment of healthy habits. The transition program decreases acute graft rejection episodes, and the main challenges in transition care are the communication gap between health care providers and inconsistent use of transition tools. Our RISE to transition protocol incorporates transition tools, defines personnel, and aims to improve communication between teams.

  16. A Pilot Study Exploring the Role of Physical Therapists and Transition in Care of Pediatric Patients with Cystic Fibrosis to the Adult Setting

    PubMed Central

    Packel, Lora; Sood, Megha; Gormley, Michelle; Hayden, Rebecca

    2013-01-01

    Background Cystic fibrosis (CF) is a disease that requires intensive multidisciplinary care, including care by physical therapists (PTs). People with CF are now living well into adulthood, necessitating a transfer of care from the pediatric setting to an adult one. Physical therapists play a large role in the care of the person with CF; however, there is little known about the PT role in transition of care. Purpose To explore transition issues for people with CF from the perspective of PTs. Methods An 18-question online survey was sent to PTs via an electronic CF listserv. Questions were derived from an analysis of transition literature in CF and other chronic childhood conditions. Physical therapists who reported treating people with CF gave their opinions on issues impacting transition from their perspective as well as their perception of patient and parent concerns. Descriptive statistics were used for data analysis. Results A total of 26 PTs completed the survey. A majority, 61.5%, reported that there was a transition program at their facility, with 42.3% involving physical therapy. Common themes for patients and parents included feeling uncertain about: knowledge of the adult physician, acquiring pulmonary infections in the adult setting, and pace of the adult clinic. Physical therapists were concerned about adherence with airway clearance and exercise following transfer to the adult clinic. Conclusions The role of PT in transition programs is quite varied. Physical therapists should address common concerns of their patients and families to improve the transition process and possibly impact adherence to the PT plan of care. PMID:23754936

  17. Design and evaluation of a prelicensure interprofessional course on improving care transitions.

    PubMed

    Heflin, Mitchell T; Pinheiro, Sandro O; Konrad, Thomas R; Egerton, Emily O; Thornlow, Deirdre K; White, Heidi K; McConnell, Eleanor J

    2014-01-01

    Effective management of care transitions for older adults require the coordinated expertise of an interprofessional team. Unfortunately, different health care professions are rarely educated together or trained in teamwork skills. To address this issue, a team of professionally diverse faculty from the Duke University Geriatric Education Center designed an interprofessional course focused on improving transitions of care for older adults. This innovative prelicensure course provided interactive teaching sessions designed to promote critical thinking and foster effective communication among health care professionals, caregivers, and patients. Students were assessed by in-class and online participation, performance on individual assignments, and team-based proposals to improve care transitions for older patients with congestive heart failure. Twenty students representing six professions completed the course; 18 completed all self-efficacy and course evaluation surveys. Students rated their self-efficacy in several domains before and after the course and reported gains in teamwork skills (p < .001), transitions of care (p < .001), quality improvement (p < .001) and cultural competence (p < .001). Learner feedback emphasized the importance of enthusiastic and well-prepared faculty, interactive learning experiences, and engagement in relevant work. This course offers a promising approach to shifting the paradigm of health professions education to empower graduates to promote quality improvement through team-based care.

  18. Flow patterns and transition characteristics for steam condensation in silicon microchannels

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Ma, Xuehu; Fan, Xiaoguang; Lan, Zhong; Hao, Tingting

    2011-07-01

    This study investigated the two-phase flow patterns and transition characteristics for steam condensation in silicon microchannels with different cross-sectional geometries. Novel experimental techniques were developed to determine the local heat transfer rate and steam quality by testing the temperature profile of a copper cooler. Flow regime maps for different microchannels during condensation were established in terms of steam mass flux and steam quality. Meanwhile, the correlation for the flow pattern transition was obtained using different geometrical and dimensionless parameters for steam condensation in microchannels. To better understand the flow mechanisms in microchannels, the condensation flow patterns, such as annular flow, droplet flow, injection flow and intermittent flow, were captured and analyzed. The local heat transfer rate showed the nonlinear variations along the axial direction during condensation. The experimental results indicate that the flow patterns and transition characteristics strongly depend on the geometries of microchannels. With the increasing steam mass flux and steam quality, the annular/droplet flow expands and spans over a larger region in the microchannels; otherwise the intermittent flow occupies the microchannels. The dimensionless fitting data also reveal that the effect of surface tension and vapor inertia dominates gravity and viscous force at the specified flow pattern transitional position.

  19. Developmental Patterns in the Understanding of Social and Physical Transitivity.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Markovits, Henry; Dumas, Claude

    1999-01-01

    Two studies examined developmental patterns in understanding physical and social transitivity in 6- to 11-year olds. Findings revealed no significant correlations between social judgments and judgments concerning length. Results suggested that children possess two distinct strategies for making transitive judgments that correspond to the logical…

  20. Professional’s Perspectives on Care Management of Young People with Perinatally Acquired HIV during Transition: A Qualitative Study in Adult Care Setting

    PubMed Central

    Le Roux, Enora; Gottot, Serge; Aupiais, Camille; Girard, Thomas; Teixeira, Maria; Alberti, Corinne

    2017-01-01

    Background Increasing numbers of young people with perinatally acquired HIV are surviving to adulthood. When they come of age, they leave pediatric services in which they were followed and have to be transferred to the adult health care system. Difficulties in adaptation to adult care and the numbers of young people lost to follow up after transfer to adult care have been reported. This transition phase and their retention in adult care are crucial in maintaining the clinical status of these young with HIV in adulthood. Our study aimed to explore how HIV professionals working in adult care perceive and adapt their practices to young people in transition. Methods Qualitative interviews were conducted with 18 health and social services professionals in hospitals or patient associations in France. A thematic analysis was conducted. Results Adult care professionals were found to be making a distinction between these young people and their patients who were infected during adulthood. On the basis of the healthcare teams’ experience, a simplified categorization of these young people into four levels can be used: those “who have everything good”; those who have some deficiencies that must be addressed; those “who have everything bad”; and those lost to follow up. Professionals interviewed highlighted the difficulties they encountered with young people in transition. Three types of problematic situations were identified: problems of acceptance of the disease; communication problems; and problems of disorientation in the new care environment. Conclusions Despite the lack of specific training or national policy recommendations for the integration of young people with perinatally acquired HIV into adult services, all the adult healthcare teams interviewed tried to adapt their practice to this population. The results suggested that professional involvement during transition should depend on the characteristics of the patient, not be limited to a single transition model and that a dedicated structure for transition care is not appropriate for all young people. PMID:28114376

  1. Professional's Perspectives on Care Management of Young People with Perinatally Acquired HIV during Transition: A Qualitative Study in Adult Care Setting.

    PubMed

    Le Roux, Enora; Gottot, Serge; Aupiais, Camille; Girard, Thomas; Teixeira, Maria; Alberti, Corinne

    2017-01-01

    Increasing numbers of young people with perinatally acquired HIV are surviving to adulthood. When they come of age, they leave pediatric services in which they were followed and have to be transferred to the adult health care system. Difficulties in adaptation to adult care and the numbers of young people lost to follow up after transfer to adult care have been reported. This transition phase and their retention in adult care are crucial in maintaining the clinical status of these young with HIV in adulthood. Our study aimed to explore how HIV professionals working in adult care perceive and adapt their practices to young people in transition. Qualitative interviews were conducted with 18 health and social services professionals in hospitals or patient associations in France. A thematic analysis was conducted. Adult care professionals were found to be making a distinction between these young people and their patients who were infected during adulthood. On the basis of the healthcare teams' experience, a simplified categorization of these young people into four levels can be used: those "who have everything good"; those who have some deficiencies that must be addressed; those "who have everything bad"; and those lost to follow up. Professionals interviewed highlighted the difficulties they encountered with young people in transition. Three types of problematic situations were identified: problems of acceptance of the disease; communication problems; and problems of disorientation in the new care environment. Despite the lack of specific training or national policy recommendations for the integration of young people with perinatally acquired HIV into adult services, all the adult healthcare teams interviewed tried to adapt their practice to this population. The results suggested that professional involvement during transition should depend on the characteristics of the patient, not be limited to a single transition model and that a dedicated structure for transition care is not appropriate for all young people.

  2. A sequence analysis of patterns in self-harm in young people with and without experience of being looked after in care.

    PubMed

    Wadman, Ruth; Clarke, David; Sayal, Kapil; Armstrong, Marie; Harroe, Caroline; Majumder, Pallab; Vostanis, Panos; Townsend, Ellen

    2017-11-01

    Young people in the public care system ('looked-after' young people) have high levels of self-harm. This paper reports the first detailed study of factors leading to self-harm over time in looked-after young people in England, using sequence analyses of the Card Sort Task for Self-harm (CaTS). Young people in care (looked-after group: n = 24; 14-21 years) and young people who had never been in care (contrast group: n = 21; 13-21 years) completed the CaTS, describing sequences of factors leading to their first and most recent episodes of self-harm. Lag sequential analysis determined patterns of significant transitions between factors (thoughts, feelings, behaviours, events) leading to self-harm across 6 months. Young people in care reported feeling better immediately following their first episode of self-harm. However, fearlessness of death, impulsivity, and access to means were reported most proximal to recent self-harm. Although difficult negative emotions were salient to self-harm sequences in both groups, young people with no experience of being in care reported a greater range of negative emotions and transitions between them. For the contrast group, feelings of depression and sadness were a significant starting point of the self-harm sequence 6 months prior to most recent self-harm. Sequences of factors leading to self-harm can change and evolve over time, so regular monitoring and assessment of each self-harm episode are needed. Support around easing and dealing with emotional distress is required. Restricting access to means to carry out potentially fatal self-harm attempts, particularly for the young persons with experience of being in care, is recommended. Self-harm (and factors associated with self-harm) can change and evolve over time; assessments need to reflect this. Looked-after young people reported feeling better after first self-harm; fearlessness of death, access to means, and impulsivity were reported as key in recent self-harm. Underlying emotional distress, particularly depression and self-hatred were important in both first and most recent self-harm. Looked-after young people should undergo regular monitoring and assessment of each self-harm episode and access to potentially fatal means should be restricted. The CaTS would have clinical utility as an assessment tool Recruiting participants can be a significant challenge in studies with looked-after children and young people. Future research with larger clinical samples would be valuable. © 2017 The British Psychological Society.

  3. New graduate registered nurse transition into primary health care roles: an integrative literature review.

    PubMed

    Murray-Parahi, Pauline; DiGiacomo, Michelle; Jackson, Debra; Davidson, Patricia M

    2016-11-01

    To summarise the literature describing new graduate nurse transition to professional practice within the primary health care (PHC) setting. There is a plethora of research literature spanning several decades about new graduate nurse transition in the acute care setting. Yet, the experiences of new graduate nurse in the PHC setting is unremarkable particularly considering the increasing demand for skilled health care workers and focus of health reform to provide care where people work and live. Electronic data bases, Academic Search Complete, EBSCO, Medline, PsycINFO, CINHAL, and ERIC were searched using a combination of terms and synonyms arising from three key concepts which identify the phenomenon; 'transition', 'new graduate registered nurse' and 'primary health care. An inclusive search strategy placed no limits on language or publication date. Of the 50 articles located and examined for relevance; 40 were sourced through databases and 10 from Google Scholar/Alerts and hand-searching references. None of the 19 articles retained for analysis addressed all key concepts. Some challenges of researching the professional transition of graduate nurses in PHC settings included, an absence of definitive transition models, a dearth of literature and deference to acute care research. Nursing in PHC settings, particularly the client's home is notably different to hospital settings because of higher levels of isolation and autonomy. Societal changes, health reform and subsequent demand for skilled workers in PHC settings has caused health care providers to question the logic that such roles are only for experienced nurses. Implications arise for education and health service providers who desire to close the theory practice gap and mitigate risk for all stakeholders when next generation nurses have limited opportunities to experience PHC roles as undergraduates and newly graduated registered nurses are already transitioning in this setting. © 2016 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

  4. Comparison of bolus transit patterns identified by esophageal impedance to barium esophagram in patients with dysphagia.

    PubMed

    Cho, Y K; Choi, M-G; Oh, S N; Baik, C N; Park, J M; Lee, I S; Kim, S W; Choi, K Y; Chung, I-S

    2012-01-01

    Bolus transit through the esophagus has not been validated by videoesophagram in patients with dysphagia and changes in impedance with abnormal barium transit have not been described in those patients. The aim of this study was to compare esophageal impedance findings with barium esophagram measurements in patients with dysphagia. The consecutive patients with dysphagia underwent conventional multichannel esophageal impedance manometry, after which a barium videoesophagram was performed simultaneously with multichannel esophageal impedance manometry using a mean of three swallows of barium. Esophageal emptying patterns shown in the esophagogram were classified by the degree of intraesophageal stasis and presence of intraesophageal reflux. Bolus transit patterns in impedance were classified as complete and incomplete transit. Sixteen patients (M : F = 8 : 8, mean age, 47 years) were enrolled. Their manometric diagnosis were normal (n= 6), ineffective esophageal motility (n= 1), diffuse esophageal spasm (DES; n= 2), and achalasia (n= 7). Sixty-three swallows were analyzed. According to impedance analysis, 21/22 swallows with normal barium emptying showed complete transit (96%) and 31/32 swallows with severe stasis showed incomplete transit (97%). Nine swallows with mild stasis showed either complete or incomplete transit patterns in impedance. Swallows with mild barium stasis and complete transit in impedance were observed in patients who had received treatment (two patients with achalasia with history of esophageal balloonplasty and a patient with DES after nifedipine administration). Impedance reflected severe stasis with retrograde barium movement and described typical bolus transit patterns in patients with achalasia and DES. In conclusion, impedance-barium esophagram concordance is high for swallows with normal esophageal emptying and for severe barium stasis in patients with dysphagia. © 2011 Copyright the Authors. Journal compilation © 2011, Wiley Periodicals, Inc. and the International Society for Diseases of the Esophagus.

  5. Engaging patients and families in communication across transitions of care: an integrative review protocol.

    PubMed

    Bucknall, Tracey K; Hutchinson, Alison M; Botti, Mari; McTier, Lauren; Rawson, Helen; Hewitt, Nicky A; McMurray, Anne; Marshall, Andrea P; Gillespie, Brigid M; Chaboyer, Wendy

    2016-07-01

    To describe an integrative review protocol to analyse and synthesize peer-reviewed research evidence in relation to engagement of patients and their families in communication during transitions of care to, in and from acute care settings. Communication at transitions of care in acute care settings can be complex and challenging, with important information about patients not always clearly transferred between responsible healthcare providers. Involving patients and their families in communication during transitions of care may improve the transfer of clinical information and patient outcomes and prevent adverse events during hospitalization and following discharge. Recently, optimizing patient and family participation during care transitions has been acknowledged as central to the implementation of patient-centred care. Integrative review with potential for meta-analysis and application of framework synthesis. The review will evaluate and synthesize qualitative and quantitative research evidence identified through a systematic search. Primary studies will be selected according to inclusion criteria. Data collection, quality appraisal and analysis of the evidence will be conducted by at least two authors. Nine electronic databases (including CINAHL and Medline) will be searched. The search will be restricted to 10 years up to December 2013. Data analysis will include content and thematic analysis. The review will seek to identify all types of patient engagement activities employed during transitions of care communication. The review will identify enablers for and barriers to engagement for patients, families and health professionals. Key strategies and tools for improving patient engagement, clinical communication and promoting patient-centred care will be recommended based on findings. © 2016 The Authors. Journal of Advanced Nursing Published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

  6. Implementing an Internet-based communication network for use during skilled nursing facility to emergency department care transitions: challenges and opportunities for improvement.

    PubMed

    Hustey, Fredric M; Palmer, Robert M

    2012-03-01

    To explore the feasibility of implementing an Internet-based communication network for communication of health care information during skilled nursing facility (SNF)-to-ED care transitions, and to identify potential barriers to system implementation. Qualitative. The largest SNF affiliated with the ED of an urban tertiary care center. Consecutive sample of all patients transferred from SNF to ED over 8 months between June 2007 and January 2008; ED and SNF care providers. The development and implementation of an Internet-based communication network for use during SNF-to-ED care transitions. This network was developed by adapting a preexisting Internet-based system that is widely used to facilitate placement of hospitalized patients into SNFs. Internet-based SNF and ED surveys were used to help identify barriers to implementation. There were 276/276 care transitions reviewed. The Internet-based communication network was used in 76 (28%) care transitions, with usage peaking at 40% near the end of the study. Barriers to success that were identified included lack of an electronic medical record (EMR) at the SNF; pervasive negative attitudes between ED and SNF personnel; time necessary for network use during care transitions; frustration by emergency physicians at low system usage rates by SNF personnel; and additional login requirements by ED personnel. Although implementing an Internet-based network for nursing home to ED communication may be feasible, significant barriers were identified in this study that are likely generalizable to other health care settings. Understanding such barriers is an essential first step toward building successful electronic communication networks in the future. Copyright © 2012 American Medical Directors Association, Inc. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  7. Innovative interprofessional geriatric education for medical and nursing students: focus on transitions in care.

    PubMed

    Balogun, S A; Rose, K; Thomas, S; Owen, J; Brashers, V

    2015-06-01

    Interprofessional education (IPE) is crucial in fostering effective collaboration and optimal team-based patient care, all of which improve patient care and outcomes. Appropriate interprofessional communication is especially important in geriatrics where patients are vulnerable to adverse effects across the care continuum. Transitions in geriatric care are complex, involving several disciplines and requiring careful coordination. As part of the University of Virginia's initiative on IPE, we developed and implemented an interprofessional geriatric education workshop for nursing and medical students with a focus on transitions in care. A total of 254 students (144 medical students, 107 nursing students and 3 unknown) participated in a 90-min interactive, case-based workshop. Nursing and medical faculty facilitated the monthly workshops with small groups of medical and nursing students over 1 year. Self-perceived competencies in IPE skills and attitudes toward interprofessional teamwork were measured through post-workshop surveys. Data were analyzed using descriptive and nonparametric statistics, excluding the three unknown students. Over 90% of students were better able to describe the necessary interprofessional communication needed to develop a patient-centered care plan in transitioning patients between clinical sites. Four out of five students reported an enhanced appreciation of interprofessional teamwork. They were also able to identify legal, financial and social implications in transitions of care (75%). Nursing students consistently rated the workshop more highly than medical students across most domains (P < 0.05). Students improved and demonstrated their knowledge of interprofessional communication and teamwork skills required in transitions of geriatric care. Introducing these concepts in medical and nursing training may help in fostering effective interprofessional communication and collaboration. © The Author 2014. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the Association of Physicians. All rights reserved. For Permissions, please email: journals.permissions@oup.com.

  8. Evaluating the association between the built environment and primary care access for new Medicaid enrollees in an urban environment using Walk and Transit Scores.

    PubMed

    Chaiyachati, Krisda H; Hom, Jeffrey K; Hubbard, Rebecca A; Wong, Charlene; Grande, David

    2018-03-01

    Worse health outcomes among those living in poverty are due in part to lower rates of health insurance and barriers to care. As the Affordable Care Act reduced financial barriers, identifying persistent barriers to accessible health care continues to be important. We examined whether the built environment as reflected by Walk Score™ (a measure of walkability to neighborhood resources) and Transit Score™ (a measure of transit access) is associated with having a usual source of care among low-income adults, newly enrolled in Medicaid. We received responses from 312 out of 1000 new Medicaid enrollees in Philadelphia, a large, densely populated urban area, who were surveyed between 2015 and 2016 to determine if they had identified a usual source of outpatient primary care. Respondents living at an address with a low Walk Scores (< 70) had 84% lower odds of having a usual source of care (OR 0.16, 95% CI 0.04-0.61). Transit scores were not associated with having a usual source of care. Walk Score may be a tool for policy makers and providers of care to identify populations at risk for worse primary care access.

  9. "You think it's hard now … It gets much harder for our children": Youth with autism and their caregiver's perspectives of health care transition services.

    PubMed

    Cheak-Zamora, Nancy C; Teti, Michelle

    2015-11-01

    Adolescents with Autism Spectrum Disorder diagnosis often have complex comorbid physical and mental health conditions. These youth rely heavily on their medical providers and struggle through the often rocky transition out of pediatric care into adulthood and adult-centered care. This study is among the first to qualitatively examine the health care transition experiences of youth with Autism Spectrum Disorder and their caregivers. We conducted four focus groups with youth with Autism Spectrum Disorder (n = 13) and their caregivers (n = 19) and used thematic analysis strategies to identify key themes. Parents' discussions emphasized (a) loss of relationship with provider and lack of support transitioning from pediatric to adult care, (b) providers' lack of knowledge about Autism Spectrum Disorder, and (c) concerns about losing guardianship. Youth emphasized their confusion and anxiety around (a) medical providers' role, especially in the transition to adulthood; and (b) managing their medical lives independently. Our findings are important because they not only improve our understanding of health care transition needs among youth with Autism Spectrum Disorder and their caregivers but demonstrate a sound methodological procedure to facilitate input from youth with Autism Spectrum Disorder. © The Author(s) 2014.

  10. Transition of Care in Adolescents With Cerebral Palsy: A Survey of Current Practices.

    PubMed

    Bolger, Ashlee; Vargus-Adams, Jilda; McMahon, Mary

    2017-03-01

    Transition of care from pediatric to adult health care providers for youth with special needs (including cerebral palsy [CP]) is of current interest because these individuals are now living well into adulthood. Studies have attempted to identify barriers to transition, ideal timing for transition of care, and key elements for successful transition programs. These studies often encompass a wide range of diagnoses, and results cannot be fully applied to those with CP. To identify and describe current transition-of-care (TOC) practices and beliefs among physician providers of adolescents with CP in multidisciplinary CP clinics. Descriptive survey. Multidisciplinary CP clinics in the United States. Physician leaders in the aforementioned CP clinics. Respondents completed an electronic survey. Responses were deidentified and reported in aggregate by the use of descriptive statistics. Electronic survey addressing 3 domains: demographics of clinics, current opinions/practices related to TOC processes, and perceived barriers to successful TOC. Fifteen surveys were sent with 11 returned (response rate = 73%). TOC practices varied among clinics surveyed. Fifty-five percent of clinics had a structured transition program, but only one transitioned 100% of their patients to adult providers by 22 years of age. Only one clinic had an absolute upper age limit for seeing patients, and 36% of clinics accepted new patients older than 21 years. No respondent was "completely satisfied" with their transition process, and only one respondent was "moderately satisfied." The majority of respondents felt the ideal care setting for adults with CP was a comprehensive, multidisciplinary adult-focused clinic in an adult hospital/clinic with primarily adult providers. They noted the top 3 perceived barriers to successful TOC were limited adult providers willing to accept CP patients, concern about the level of care in the adult health care system, and lack of financial resources. Current TOC practices vary considerably among multidisciplinary pediatric CP clinics and are not satisfactory to individual physician providers within these clinics. Respondents desired a multidisciplinary clinic in an adult care setting with adult providers; however, the top 3 perceived barriers involved the adult health care system, making it difficult for pediatric providers to develop effective TOC programs. Not applicable. Copyright © 2017 American Academy of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  11. Quality in transitional care of the elderly: Key challenges and relevant improvement measures

    PubMed Central

    Storm, Marianne; Siemsen, Inger Margrete D.; Laugaland, Kristin; Dyrstad, Dagrunn Nåden; Aase, Karina

    2014-01-01

    Introduction Elderly people aged over 75 years with multifaceted care needs are often in need of hospital treatment. Transfer across care levels for this patient group increases the risk of adverse events. The aim of this paper is to establish knowledge of quality in transitional care of the elderly in two Norwegian hospital regions by identifying issues affecting the quality of transitional care and based on these issues suggest improvement measures. Methodology Included in the study were elderly patients (75+) receiving health care in the municipality admitted to hospital emergency department or discharged to community health care with hip fracture or with a general medical diagnosis. Participant observations of admission and discharge transitions (n = 41) were carried out by two researchers. Results Six main challenges with belonging descriptions have been identified: (1) next of kin (bridging providers, advocacy, support, information brokering), (2) patient characteristics (level of satisfaction, level of insecurity, complex clinical conditions), (3) health care personnel's competence (professional, system, awareness of others’ roles), (4) information exchange (oral, written, electronic), (5) context (stability, variability, change incentives, number of patient handovers) and (6) patient assessment (complex clinical picture, patient description, clinical assessment). Conclusion Related to the six main challenges, several measures have been suggested to improve quality in transitional care, e.g. information to and involvement of patients and next of kin, staff training, standardisation of routines and inter-organisational staff meetings. PMID:24868196

  12. The Transition from State Care to Adulthood: International Examples of Best Practices

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Reid, Carrie

    2007-01-01

    The issue of outcomes for youth who transition from state care to adulthood is not unique to any one country. Youth exiting the child welfare system, or aging out, face a plethora of problems and issues associated with the transition to adulthood. For the majority of youth, the transition to adulthood represents a process that takes place over a…

  13. Opportunities lost and found: experiences of patients with cerebral palsy and their parents transitioning from pediatric to adult healthcare.

    PubMed

    DiFazio, Rachel L; Harris, Marie; Vessey, Judith A; Glader, Laurie; Shanske, Susan

    2014-01-01

    To describe and define the experiences of adults with cerebral palsy (CP) and parents of adults with CP who have been involved in a transfer of physiatry care from pediatric to adult healthcare and to explore their experiences more generally in the transition from pediatric to adult services. A qualitative research approach was used. Semi-structured focus group interviews were conducted with adults with CP (n=5) and parents of adults with CP (n=8) to explore the health care transition (HCT) process from pediatric to adult healthcare. Four key content domains were used to facilitate the focus groups; 1) Transition Planning, 2) Accessibility of Services, 3) Experience with Adult Providers, and 4) Recommendations for Improving the Transition Process. Conventional content analysis was used to analyze the data. Four themes emerged from the focus groups; Lost in Transition, Roadmap to Care, List of None, and One Stop Shopping. Participants felt lost in the HCT process, requested a transparent transition plan, expressed concern regarding access to adult healthcare, and made recommendations for improvements. Challenges in transitioning from pediatric to adult health care were identified by all participants and several strategies were recommended for improvement.

  14. Residents' Exposure to Educational Experiences in Facilitating Hospital Discharges

    PubMed Central

    Stickrath, Chad; McNulty, Monica; Calderon, Aaron J.; Chapman, Elizabeth; Gonzalo, Jed D.; Kuperman, Ethan F.; Lopez, Max; Smith, Christopher J.; Sweigart, Joseph R.; Theobald, Cecelia N.; Burke, Robert E.

    2017-01-01

    Background There is an incomplete understanding of the most effective approaches for motivating residents to adopt guideline-recommended practices for hospital discharges. Objective We evaluated internal medicine (IM) residents' exposure to educational experiences focused on facilitating hospital discharges and compared those experiences based on correlations with residents' perceived responsibility for safely transitioning patients from the hospital. Methods A cross-sectional, multi-center survey of IM residents at 9 US university- and community-based training programs in 2014–2015 measured exposure to 8 transitional care experiences, their perceived impact on care transitions attitudes, and the correlation between experiences and residents' perceptions of postdischarge responsibility. Results Of 817 residents surveyed, 469 (57%) responded. Teaching about care transitions on rounds was the most common educational experience reported by residents (74%, 327 of 439). Learning opportunities with postdischarge patient contact were less common (clinic visits: 32%, 142 of 439; telephone calls: 12%, 53 of 439; and home visits: 4%, 18 of 439). On a 1–10 scale (10 = highest impact), residents rated postdischarge clinic as having the highest impact on their motivation to ensure safe transitions of care (mean = 7.61). Prior experiences with a postdischarge clinic visit, home visit, or telephone call were each correlated with increased perceived responsibility for transitional care tasks (correlation coefficients 0.12 [P = .004], 0.1 [P = .012], and 0.13 [P =  001], respectively). Conclusions IM residents learn to facilitate hospital discharges most often through direct patient care. Opportunities to interact with patients across the postdischarge continuum are uncommon, despite correlating with increased perceived responsibility for ensuring safe transitions of care. PMID:28439351

  15. Transitions From Hospitals to Skilled Nursing Facilities for Persons With Dementia: A Challenging Convergence of Patient and System-Level Needs.

    PubMed

    Gilmore-Bykovskyi, Andrea L; Roberts, Tonya J; King, Barbara J; Kennelty, Korey A; Kind, Amy J H

    2017-10-01

    To describe skilled nursing facility (SNF) nurses' perspectives on the experiences and needs of persons with dementia (PwD) during hospital-to-SNF transitions and to identify factors related to the quality of these transitions. Grounded dimensional analysis study using individual and focus group interviews with nurses (N = 40) from 11 SNFs. Hospital-to-SNF transitions were largely described as distressing for PwD and their caregivers and dominated by dementia-related behavioral symptoms that were perceived as being purposely under-communicated by hospital personnel in discharge communications. SNF nurses described PwD as having unique transitional care needs, which primarily involved needing additional discharge preplanning to enable preparation of a tailored behavioral/social care plan and physical environment prior to transfer. SNF nurses identified inaccurate/limited hospital discharge communication regarding behavioral symptoms, short discharge timeframes, and limited nursing control over SNF admission decisions as factors that contributed to poorer-quality transitions producing increased risk for resident harm, rehospitalization, and negative resident/caregiver experiences. Engaged caregivers throughout the transition and the presence of high-quality discharge communication were identified as factors that improved the quality of transitions for PwD. Findings from this study provide important insight into factors that may influence transitional care quality during this highly vulnerable transition. Additional research is needed to explore the association between these factors and transitional care outcomes such as rehospitalization and caregiver stress. Future work should also explore strategies to improve inter-setting communication and care coordination for PwD exhibiting challenging behavioral symptoms. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the Gerontological Society of America 2016.

  16. Pilot scanning patterns while viewing cockpit displays of traffic information

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Ellis, S. R.; Stark, L.

    1981-01-01

    Scanning eye movements of airline pilots were recorded while they judged air traffic situations displayed on cockpit displays of traffic information (CDTI). The observed 1st order transition patterns between points of interest on the display showed reliable deviation from those patterns predicted by the assumption of statistical independence. However, both patterns of transitions correlated quite well with each other. Accordingly, the assumption of independence provided a surprisingly good model of the results. Nevertheless, the deviation between the observed patterns of transition and that based on the assumption of independence was for all subjects in the direction of increased determinism. Thus, the results provide objective evidence consistent with the existence of "scanpaths" in the data.

  17. [A Survey of the Factors of Influence and Interventional Strategies for Breast Cancer Survivors' Transition Care Across Multiple Theoretical Perspectives].

    PubMed

    Chao, Yu-Huan; Lee, Tzu-I; Sheu, Shuh-Jen

    2018-02-01

    Breast cancer significantly threatens the life of women, while the adverse effects of cancer treatment degrade quality of life and psychological well-being. The quality of transitional care following the completion of treatment significantly affects the ability of breast cancer patients to transition successfully into survivorship. This paper introduces multiple theoretical perspectives and provides an overview of the tenets of each in order to identify the positions of breast cancer survivors and to highlight the factors and strategies that influence their transitional care. The theoretical perspectives that are introduced include the social-ecological model, transition theory, and the strengths perspective. In order to improve the holistic care of women with breast cancer, factors relevant to transition are categorized into the individual, interpersonal, organizational, community, and policy levels. Furthermore, empirical interventions, which are based on the respective advantages of the various levels of the social-ecological model, are proposed in order to conform to the sociocultural context and clinical practices. Healthcare providers should leverage the strengths and resources at each level to develop feasible strategies and to provide quality of care in order to assist breast cancer patients to transition successfully from treatment to survivorship and to holistically improve their subsequent quality of life and function.

  18. Adolescents' Perceptions of Transition Importance, Readiness, and Likelihood of Future Success: The Role of Anticipatory Guidance.

    PubMed

    Syverson, Erin Phillips; McCarter, Robert; He, Jianping; D'Angelo, Lawrence; Tuchman, Lisa K

    2016-10-01

    Expert consensus supports anticipatory guidance around health care transition (HCT), but little is known about its impact on adolescents' perceptions of HCT. This study aimed to evaluate the frequency of HCT anticipatory guidance delivery and the effect it had on participants' perceptions of HCT. Adolescents (n = 209) with special health care needs were administered National Survey for Children with Special Health Care Needs transition assessment questions, then reported perceptions of transition importance, readiness, and likely future success. Over half of the participants reported no history of discussion about transition to an adult provider (64%) or insurance needs (67%); just under half (43%) had not discussed their changing health care needs. In participants reporting receipt of anticipatory guidance, ratings of transition readiness and future success were significantly higher than those who received no anticipatory guidance, supporting that HCT anticipatory guidance has a significantly positive impact on adolescents' perceptions of the HCT process. © The Author(s) 2016.

  19. Microregulatory patterns of family interactions: cultural pathways to toddlers' self-regulation.

    PubMed

    Feldman, Ruth; Masalha, Shafiq; Alony, Dalia

    2006-12-01

    Pathways to children's self-regulation were examined in 2 cultures representing individualistic and collectivistic orientations. Family interactions were observed in 100 Israeli and 62 Palestinian couples and their firstborn child at 5 months and in a problem-solving task at 33 months. Patterns of gaze, affect, proximity, touch, and parental teaching strategies were coded. Child self-regulation was observed at child care locations. Among Israeli families, interactions involved face-to-face exchange, social gaze, object focus, and active touch in infancy and indirect parental assistance to toddlers. Among Palestinian families, interactions consisted of continuous contact, neutral affect, reduced negative emotionality, and concrete assistance. Levels of self-regulation were comparable and were predicted by culture-specific patterns. Social gaze, touch, and indirect teaching were found to predict self-regulation among Israeli toddlers; contact and concrete assistance were predictors among Palestinians. Discussion considers the ways early relational patterns mirror cultural philosophies on the self and differentially support self-regulation at the transition from family to the larger social context. (c) 2006 APA, all rights reserved.

  20. 45 CFR 263.5 - When do expenditures in State-funded programs count?

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

    2011-10-01

    ... Care, or Transitional Child Care programs, then current fiscal year expenditures in this program count... recipients, At-Risk Child Care, or Transitional Child care programs, then countable expenditures are limited... 45 Public Welfare 2 2011-10-01 2011-10-01 false When do expenditures in State-funded programs...

  1. 45 CFR 263.5 - When do expenditures in State-funded programs count?

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

    2012-10-01

    ... Care, or Transitional Child Care programs, then current fiscal year expenditures in this program count... recipients, At-Risk Child Care, or Transitional Child care programs, then countable expenditures are limited... 45 Public Welfare 2 2012-10-01 2012-10-01 false When do expenditures in State-funded programs...

  2. 45 CFR 263.5 - When do expenditures in State-funded programs count?

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

    2010-10-01

    ... Care, or Transitional Child Care programs, then current fiscal year expenditures in this program count... recipients, At-Risk Child Care, or Transitional Child care programs, then countable expenditures are limited... 45 Public Welfare 2 2010-10-01 2010-10-01 false When do expenditures in State-funded programs...

  3. Impact of a Supportive Housing Program on Housing Stability and Sexually Transmitted Infections Among Young Adults in New York City Who Were Aging Out of Foster Care.

    PubMed

    Lim, Sungwoo; Singh, Tejinder P; Gwynn, R Charon

    2017-08-01

    Former foster youth are at increased risk of housing instability and sexually transmitted infections (STIs) during the transitional period following foster care. We measured housing stability using sequence analysis and assessed whether a supportive housing program in New York, New York, was effective in improving housing stability and reducing STIs among former foster youth. Matched administrative records identified 895 former foster youth who were eligible for the housing program during 2007-2010. The main outcomes included housing stability (as determined from episodes of homelessness, incarceration, hospitalization, and residence in supportive housing) and diagnosed STI case rates per 1,000 person-years during the 2 years after baseline. Marginal structural models were used to assess impacts of the program on these outcomes. Three housing stability patterns (unstable housing, stable housing, and rare institutional dwelling patterns) were identified. The housing program was positively associated with a pattern of stable housing (odds ratio = 4.4, 95% confidence interval: 2.9, 6.8), and negatively associated with diagnosed STI rates (relative risk = 0.3, 95% confidence interval: 0.2, 0.7). These positive impacts on housing stability and STIs highlight the importance of the supportive housing program for youths aging out of foster care and the need for such programs to continue. © The Author(s) 2017. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health. All rights reserved. For permissions, please e-mail: journals.permissions@oup.com.

  4. Wildfire patterns and landscape changes in Mediterranean oak woodlands.

    PubMed

    Guiomar, N; Godinho, S; Fernandes, P M; Machado, R; Neves, N; Fernandes, J P

    2015-12-01

    Fire is infrequent in the oak woodlands of southern Portugal (montado) but large and severe fires affected these agro-forestry systems in 2003-2005. We hypothesised transition from forest to shrubland as a fire-driven process and investigated the links between fire incidence and montado change to other land cover types, particularly those related with the presence of pioneer communities (generically designed in this context as "transitions to early-successional communities"). We present a landscape-scale framework for assessing the probability of transition from montado to pioneer communities, considering three sets of explanatory variables: montado patterns in 1990 and prior changes from montado to early-successional communities (occurred between 1960 and 1990), fire patterns, and spatial factors. These three sets of factors captured 78.2% of the observed variability in the transitions from montado to pioneer vegetation. The contributions of fire patterns and spatial factors were high, respectively 60.6% and 43.4%, the influence of montado patterns and former changes in montado being lower (34.4%). The highest amount of explained variation in the occurrence of transitions from montado to early-successional communities was related to the pure effect of fire patterns (19.9%). Low spatial connectedness in montado landscape can increase vulnerability to changes, namely to pioneer vegetation, but the observed changes were mostly explained by fire characteristics and spatial factors. Among all metrics used to characterize fire patterns and extent, effective mesh size provided the best modelling results. Transitions from montado to pioneer communities are more likely in the presence of high values of the effective mesh size of total burned area. This cross-boundary metric is an indicator of the influence of large fires in the distribution of the identified transitions and, therefore, we conclude that the occurrence of large fires in montado increases its probability of transition to shrubland. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  5. A transition program to primary health care for new graduate nurses: a strategy towards building a sustainable primary health care nurse workforce?

    PubMed

    Gordon, Christopher J; Aggar, Christina; Williams, Anna M; Walker, Lynne; Willcock, Simon M; Bloomfield, Jacqueline

    2014-01-01

    This debate discusses the potential merits of a New Graduate Nurse Transition to Primary Health Care Program as an untested but potential nursing workforce development and sustainability strategy. Increasingly in Australia, health policy is focusing on the role of general practice and multidisciplinary teams in meeting the service needs of ageing populations in the community. Primary health care nurses who work in general practice are integral members of the multidisciplinary team - but this workforce is ageing and predicted to face increasing shortages in the future. At the same time, Australia is currently experiencing a surplus of and a corresponding lack of employment opportunities for new graduate nurses. This situation is likely to compound workforce shortages in the future. A national nursing workforce plan that addresses supply and demand issues of primary health care nurses is required. Innovative solutions are required to support and retain the current primary health care nursing workforce, whilst building a skilled and sustainable workforce for the future. This debate article discusses the primary health care nursing workforce dilemma currently facing policy makers in Australia and presents an argument for the potential value of a New Graduate Transition to Primary Health Care Program as a workforce development and sustainability strategy. An exploration of factors that may contribute or hinder transition program for new graduates in primary health care implementation is considered. A graduate transition program to primary health care may play an important role in addressing primary health care workforce shortages in the future. There are, however, a number of factors that need to be simultaneously addressed if a skilled and sustainable workforce for the future is to be realised. The development of a transition program to primary health care should be based on a number of core principles and be subjected to both a summative and cost-effectiveness evaluation involving all key stakeholders.

  6. Kaleidoscopes of reality.

    PubMed

    Franquemont, Sharon

    2014-01-01

    This article addresses the broad context of shifting definitions of how knowledge and reality can be described, including the transition from positivism to postpositivism in the 20th century. It provides an exploration of ways of knowing, from ancient Greek and yogic traditions to Barbara Carper's Fundamental Patterns of Knowing in Nursing (1978). It examines three reported components of modern care (intuition, cultural knowing, and spirituality) which are simultaneously present and absent in nursing. It concludes with an imaginative exploration of how nursing might be changed by transdisciplinary scholarship and education, new knowledge creation through interactive online communities, and the emergence of collective wisdom.

  7. Patterning of ultrathin polymethylmethacrylate films by in-situ photodirecting of the Marangoni flow

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Elashnikov, Roman; Fitl, Premysl; Svorcik, Vaclav; Lyutakov, Oleksiy

    2017-02-01

    Laser heating and Marangoni flow result in the formation of surface structures with different geometries and shape on thin polymer films. By laser beam irradiation combined with a sample movement the solid polymethylmethacrylate (PMMA) films are heated and undergo phase transition which leads to a material flow. Since the laser beam has a non-linear distribution of energy, the PMMA film is heated inhomogeneously and a surface tension gradient in a lateral direction is introduced. During this procedure additional phenomena such as "reversible" or cyclic polymer flow also take place. The careful choice of experimental conditions enables the preparation of patterns with sophisticated geometries and with hierarchical pattern organization. Depending on initial PMMA film thickness and speed of the sample movement line arrays are created, which can subsequently be transformed into the crimped lines or system of circular holes. In addition, the introduction of a constant acceleration in the sample movement or a laser beam distortion enables the preparation of regularly crimped lines, ordered hexagonal holes or overlapped plates.

  8. Wetting transitions on patterned surfaces with diffuse interaction potentials embedded in a Young-Laplace formulation

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Pashos, G.; Kokkoris, G.; Papathanasiou, A. G.; Boudouvis, A. G.

    2016-01-01

    The Minimum Energy Paths (MEPs) of wetting transitions on pillared surfaces are computed with the Young-Laplace equation, augmented with a pressure term that accounts for liquid-solid interactions. The interactions are smoothed over a short range from the solid phase, therefore facilitating the numerical solution of problems concerning wetting on complex surface patterns. The patterns may include abrupt geometric features, e.g., arrays of rectangular pillars, where the application of the unmodified Young-Laplace is not practical. The MEPs are obtained by coupling the augmented Young-Laplace with the modified string method from which the energy barriers of wetting transitions are eventually extracted. We demonstrate the method on a wetting transition that is associated with the breakdown of superhydrophobic behavior, i.e., the transition from the Cassie-Baxter state to the Wenzel state, taking place on a superhydrophobic pillared surface. The computed energy barriers quantify the resistance of the system to these transitions and therefore, they can be used to evaluate superhydrophobic performance or provide guidelines for optimal pattern design.

  9. Patterns in shrinking gels

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Matsuo, Eriko Sato; Tanaka, Toyoichi

    1992-08-01

    POLYMER gels can undergo a volume phase transition (either continuous or discontinuous) when an external condition, such as temperature or solvent composition, is altered1-3. During this transition, the volume may change by a factor of several thousand, and various patterns develop in the gel. The patterns arising from swelling and shrinking differ in both their appearance and their physical mechanisms. The mechanism for the formation and evolution of patterns on swelling gels has been established as being due to a single kind of mechanical instability4-7 in contrast, the shrinking patterns seem to be sensitive to both the initial and final states of the transition. Here we classify the various shrinking patterns in the form of a phase diagram, and explain the poly-morphism in terms of macroscopic phase separation.

  10. Transition from paediatric to adult care of adolescents living with HIV in sub-Saharan Africa: challenges, youth-friendly models, and outcomes

    PubMed Central

    Dahourou, Désiré Lucien; Gautier-Lafaye, Chloé; Teasdale, Chloe A.; Renner, Lorna; Yotebieng, Marcel; Desmonde, Sophie; Ayaya, Samuel; Davies, Mary-Ann; Leroy, Valériane

    2017-01-01

    Abstract Introduction: The number of adolescents with perinatally or behaviourally acquired HIV is increasing in low-income countries, and especially in sub-Saharan Africa where HIV prevalence and incidence are the highest. As they survive into adulthood in the era of antiretroviral therapy, there is a pressing need to transfer them from paediatric to adult care, known as the transition of care. We conducted a narrative review of recent evidence on their transition outcomes in Africa, highlighting the specific needs and challenges in these populations and settings, and the different models of care for transition. Areas covered: We searched PubMed bibliographic database, HIV conference content, and grey literature from January 2000 to August 2016 with the following keywords: HIV infections AND (adolescents or youth) AND transition AND Africa. All qualitative and quantitative, experimental and observational studies including HIV-infected patients aged 10–24 years with information on transition were eligible. Results: Few data on transition outcomes for HIV-infected adolescents are available from Africa settings. Studies mainly from Southern and East Africa reported on the barriers to successful transition, highlighting several gaps. These included lack of adequate infrastructure, staff training and communication between paediatric and adult clinicians as well as the fear of stigma of adolescents and youth living with HIV. Most countries have no specific national guidelines on when to disclose HIV status or when and how to transition to adult care. Several models of care adapted to the adolescent transition question have been implemented in specific settings. These models include teen clinics, peer educators or the use of social media. However, regardless of the model, services are increasingly overburdened and have insufficient human resources. Furthermore, very high attrition has been observed among adolescents and youth compared to younger children or older adults. There is a need to identify sub-groups at higher risk of loss to follow-up for targeted care and peer support. Expert commentary: Although the available HIV-related data on adolescent transition outcomes are limited, there is evidence of their increased vulnerability during this period. Standardized data gathering, analysis, and reporting systems specific to adolescent transition are essential to improve understanding and adolescent outcomes in Africa. PMID:28530039

  11. Insurance disruption due to spousal Medicare transitions: implications for access to care and health care utilization for women approaching age 65.

    PubMed

    Schumacher, Jessica R; Smith, Maureen A; Liou, Jinn-Ing; Pandhi, Nancy

    2009-06-01

    To assess whether a husband's Medicare transition leads to insurance disruptions for his wife that impact her perceived access to care, health care utilization, or health status. Respondents were married women under age 65 from the 2003-2005 round of the Wisconsin Longitudinal Study (N=655). Instrumental variable (IV) linear and IV-probit analyses provided unbiased estimates of the effect of an insurance disruption on study outcomes. The instrument was the husband's age: (1) women with husbands who transitioned to Medicare within the previous year (age 65-66); (2) women with husbands who did not transition (60

  12. Provision of Mental Health Services for Care Leavers: Transition to Adult Services. LGA Research Report

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Lamont, Emily; Harland, Jennie; Atkinson, Mary; White, Richard

    2009-01-01

    The Children (Leaving Care) Act 2000 was designed to address the wide variation in local authority provision for care leavers and to promote a more multi-dimensional approach to the process of leaving care. Care leavers are likely to be at greater risk of mental health difficulties than other young people and the transitional period from leaving…

  13. Work satisfaction and future career intentions of experienced nurses transitioning to primary health care employment.

    PubMed

    Ashley, Christine; Peters, Kath; Brown, Angela; Halcomb, Elizabeth

    2018-02-12

    To explore registered nurses' reflections on transitioning from acute to primary health care employment, and future career intentions. Reforms in primary health care have resulted in increasing demands for a skilled primary health care nursing workforce. To meet shortfalls, acute care nurses are being recruited to primary health care employment, yet little is known about levels of satisfaction and future career intentions. A sequential mixed methods study consisting of a survey and semi-structured interviews with nurses who transition to primary health care. Most reported positive experiences, valuing work/life balance, role diversity and patient/family interactions. Limited orientation and support, loss of acute skills and inequitable remuneration were reported negatively. Many respondents indicated an intention to stay in primary health care (87.3%) and nursing (92.6%) for the foreseeable future, whilst others indicated they may leave primary health care as soon as convenient (29.6%). Our findings provide guidance to managers in seeking strategies to recruit and retain nurses in primary health care employment. To maximize recruitment and retention, managers must consider factors influencing job satisfaction amongst transitioning nurses, and the impact that nurses' past experiences may have on future career intentions in primary health care. © 2018 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

  14. 38 CFR 71.45 - Revocation.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

    2011-07-01

    ... the Family Caregiver in transitioning to alternative health care coverage and with mental health... individual with transitioning to alternative health care coverage and with mental health services, unless one... health care coverage and with mental health services. If revocation is due to improvement in the eligible...

  15. 38 CFR 71.45 - Revocation.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

    2012-07-01

    ... the Family Caregiver in transitioning to alternative health care coverage and with mental health... individual with transitioning to alternative health care coverage and with mental health services, unless one... health care coverage and with mental health services. If revocation is due to improvement in the eligible...

  16. Theory of networked minority games based on strategy pattern dynamics.

    PubMed

    Lo, T S; Chan, H Y; Hui, P M; Johnson, N F

    2004-11-01

    We formulate a theory of agent-based models in which agents compete to be in a winning group. The agents may be part of a network or not, and the winning group may be a minority group or not. An important feature of the present formalism is its focus on the dynamical pattern of strategy rankings, and its careful treatment of the strategy ties which arise during the system's temporal evolution. We apply it to the minority game with connected populations. Expressions for the mean success rate among the agents and for the mean success rate for agents with k neighbors are derived. We also use the theory to estimate the value of connectivity p above which the binary-agent-resource system with high resource levels makes the transition into the high-connectivity state.

  17. Planning and Decision Making for Care Transitions

    PubMed Central

    Sörensen, Silvia; Mak, Wingyun; Pinquart, Martin

    2015-01-01

    The need to plan for future health care and residential adjustments increases with age, growing frailty, and restrictions in coverage of long-term care and will continue to grow with population aging. Older adults’ lack of financial preparation for health care costs, insufficient knowledge about available options, and inadequate communication about care-related values has become an increasing public health challenge. This chapter describes a model of Preparation for Future Care (PFC), which encompasses different levels and domains of planning. Research about the extent to which planning is helpful in navigating care transitions is reviewed, and barriers and facilitators of planning including individual, familial, cultural, and national long-term care policy factors are discussed. Planning in the context of dementia and practical approaches that can be taken to enhance PFC is addressed, as well as recommendations for future research in the area of planning and decision making in the context of care transitions. PMID:26207079

  18. Key Value Considerations for Consultant Pharmacists.

    PubMed

    Meyer, Lee; Perry, Ronald G; Rhodus, Susan M; Stearns, Wendy

    2016-07-01

    Managing the efficiency and costs of residents' drug regimens outside the acute-care hospital and through transitions of care requires a toolbox filled with cost-control tools and careful collaboration among the pharmacy provider(s), facility staff, and the consultant/senior care pharmacist. This article will provide the reader with key long-term care business strategies that affect the profitability of the pharmacy provider in various care settings while, at the same time, ensuring optimal therapy for residents as they transition across levels of care. Readers can take away ideas on how to access critical information, what they can do with this information, and how they can improve the overall care process. Four experts in various aspects of pharmacy management share their insights on pharmacy practice issues including formulary management, performance metrics, short-cycle dispensing challenges/solutions, cost-control measures, facility surveys, billing practices, medication reconciliation, prospective medication reviews, and transitions of care.

  19. Turner syndrome: transition from pediatrics to adulthood.

    PubMed

    Rubin, Karen R

    2008-09-01

    To highlight the importance of an improved, seamless, and effective transition from pediatric to adult care, especially for medically complex conditions such as Turner syndrome (TS). The morbidities in adult patients with TS are reviewed, including features of the metabolic syndrome, congenital and acquired cardiovascular conditions, osteopenia and osteoporosis, autoimmune thyroid disease, and obesity, and psychobehavioral issues are addressed, in terms of promoting the development of independent self-care and autonomy in adolescent patients. An essential component of high-quality health care, transition for adolescents with TS needs to be reengineered as a staged process initiated during early-stage adolescence (about age 12 years), when exogenous estrogen therapy is begun in coordination with the final phase of growth hormone therapy. At this time, the focus of care shifts from the parent to the adolescent and from maximizing final adult height to inducing puberty with gradually increasing doses of estrogen. During this transition, the development of healthful and independent healthcare behaviors should be promoted to prepare patients with TS for the adult responsibility of self-care. During the final phase of transition, an adult care plan should be formulated in collaboration with the adolescent with TS and her providers of adult care to improve the likelihood that she will continue to be carefully monitored in a way that optimizes her adult health and longevity. The transitional period from pediatrics to adulthood is the ideal time for patients with TS to be made aware of their health history and health needs and of the evolving impact of TS into adulthood.

  20. Performance Improvement to Decrease Readmission Rates for Patients With a Left Ventricular Assist Device.

    PubMed

    Iseler, Jackeline; Fox, John; Wierenga, Kelly

    2018-06-01

    The 30-day readmission rate for patients with a left ventricular assist device implantation at a large, urban, Midwest hospital system (from October 2013 to September 2014) was estimated at 32.1%. Readmission rates were a concern at this facility. Review of the readmissions, change in practice, and home expectations of patients and families have identified an opportunity to improve the transitions of care for this left ventricular assist device (LVAD) program. Therefore, the purpose of this project was to evaluate the effectiveness and feasibility of a transitional care model (TCM) for care of patients with left ventricular devices. Ten patients were enrolled in the pilot that was implemented in June 2015. A transitional care nurse trained to support patients with ventricular assist devices was used to facilitate patient flow. The goal was to create an individualized plan for the development or improvement of self-management skills to decrease readmission rates. The transitional care nurse collaborated with the ventricular device team. The 30-day readmission rate during the pilot was 14.3% compared to the previous annual overall rate of 42.6%. Based on these results, further research is recommended into interventions consistent with the TCM to advance care coordination and to facilitate care transition in the this fragile patient population.

  1. 76 FR 57044 - Announcement of Requirements and Registration for “Ensuring Safe Transitions From Hospital to Home”

    Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

    2011-09-15

    ... DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES Announcement of Requirements and Registration for... Coordinator for Health Information Technology, HHS. ACTION: Notice. SUMMARY: The ``Ensuring Safe Transitions... discharged patients to take charge of their health care during transitions of places of care. Innovative...

  2. Patterns of colonic transit in chronic idiopathic constipation

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Krevsky, B.; Maurer, A.H.; Fisher, R.S.

    1989-02-01

    Rectosigmoid motility, anal manometry, and radiopaque marker studies have suggested the presence of several patterns of altered colonic transit in patients with chronic idiopathic constipation. Colonic transit scintigraphy was used to evaluate 23 constipated patients. After oral passage of a tube to the cecum, 50 microCi of /sup 111/In-diethylenetriaminepentaaceticacid (/sup 111/In-DTPA) were instilled, and abdominal images were obtained for 48 h with a gamma camera. The 95% confidence limit for the geometric center in normals at 24 h was used as a criterion to differentiate patients with colonic inertia from those with functional rectosigmoid obstruction. In patients with functional rectosigmoidmore » obstruction, colonic transit was essentially normal. In colonic inertia, transit was delayed in the cecum and ascending colon, hepatic flexure, and transverse colon. These two distinct patterns of colonic transit may have different pathogenetic and therapeutic implications.« less

  3. Mobile assemblies of Bennett linkages from four-crease origami patterns

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Zhang, Xiao; Chen, Yan

    2018-02-01

    This paper deals with constructing mobile assemblies of Bennett linkages inspired by four-crease origami patterns. A transition technique has been proposed by taking the thick-panel form of an origami pattern as an intermediate bridge. A zero-thickness rigid origami pattern and its thick-panel form share the same sector angles and folding behaviours, while the thick-panel origami and the mobile assembly of linkages are kinematically equivalent with differences only in link profiles. Applying this transition technique to typical four-crease origami patterns, we have found that the Miura-ori and graded Miura-ori patterns lead to assemblies of Bennett linkages with identical link lengths. The supplementary-type origami patterns with different mountain-valley crease assignments correspond to different types of Bennett linkage assemblies with negative link lengths. And the identical linkage-type origami pattern generates a new mobile assembly. Hence, the transition technique offers a novel approach to constructing mobile assemblies of spatial linkages from origami patterns.

  4. Mobile assemblies of Bennett linkages from four-crease origami patterns.

    PubMed

    Zhang, Xiao; Chen, Yan

    2018-02-01

    This paper deals with constructing mobile assemblies of Bennett linkages inspired by four-crease origami patterns. A transition technique has been proposed by taking the thick-panel form of an origami pattern as an intermediate bridge. A zero-thickness rigid origami pattern and its thick-panel form share the same sector angles and folding behaviours, while the thick-panel origami and the mobile assembly of linkages are kinematically equivalent with differences only in link profiles. Applying this transition technique to typical four-crease origami patterns, we have found that the Miura-ori and graded Miura-ori patterns lead to assemblies of Bennett linkages with identical link lengths. The supplementary-type origami patterns with different mountain-valley crease assignments correspond to different types of Bennett linkage assemblies with negative link lengths. And the identical linkage-type origami pattern generates a new mobile assembly. Hence, the transition technique offers a novel approach to constructing mobile assemblies of spatial linkages from origami patterns.

  5. Perspectives of Post-Acute Transition of Care for Cardiac Surgery Patients

    PubMed Central

    Stoicea, Nicoleta; You, Tian; Eiterman, Andrew; Hartwell, Clifton; Davila, Victor; Marjoribanks, Stephen; Florescu, Cristina; Bergese, Sergio Daniel; Rogers, Barbara

    2017-01-01

    Post-acute care (PAC) facilities improve patient recovery, as measured by activities of daily living, rehabilitation, hospital readmission, and survival rates. Seamless transitions between discharge and PAC settings continue to be challenges that hamper patient outcomes, specifically problems with effective communication and coordination between hospitals and PAC facilities at patient discharge, patient adherence and access to cardiac rehabilitation (CR) services, caregiver burden, and the financial impact of care. The objective of this review is to examine existing models of cardiac transitional care, identify major challenges and social factors that affect PAC, and analyze the impact of current transitional care efforts and strategies implemented to improve health outcomes in this patient population. We intend to discuss successful methods to address the following aspects: hospital-PAC linkages, improved discharge planning, caregiver burden, and CR access and utilization through patient-centered programs. Regular home visits by healthcare providers result in decreased hospital readmission rates for patients utilizing home healthcare while improved hospital-PAC linkages reduced hospital readmissions by 25%. We conclude that widespread adoption of improvements in transitional care will play a key role in patient recovery and decrease hospital readmission, morbidity, and mortality. PMID:29230400

  6. Perspectives of Post-Acute Transition of Care for Cardiac Surgery Patients.

    PubMed

    Stoicea, Nicoleta; You, Tian; Eiterman, Andrew; Hartwell, Clifton; Davila, Victor; Marjoribanks, Stephen; Florescu, Cristina; Bergese, Sergio Daniel; Rogers, Barbara

    2017-01-01

    Post-acute care (PAC) facilities improve patient recovery, as measured by activities of daily living, rehabilitation, hospital readmission, and survival rates. Seamless transitions between discharge and PAC settings continue to be challenges that hamper patient outcomes, specifically problems with effective communication and coordination between hospitals and PAC facilities at patient discharge, patient adherence and access to cardiac rehabilitation (CR) services, caregiver burden, and the financial impact of care. The objective of this review is to examine existing models of cardiac transitional care, identify major challenges and social factors that affect PAC, and analyze the impact of current transitional care efforts and strategies implemented to improve health outcomes in this patient population. We intend to discuss successful methods to address the following aspects: hospital-PAC linkages, improved discharge planning, caregiver burden, and CR access and utilization through patient-centered programs. Regular home visits by healthcare providers result in decreased hospital readmission rates for patients utilizing home healthcare while improved hospital-PAC linkages reduced hospital readmissions by 25%. We conclude that widespread adoption of improvements in transitional care will play a key role in patient recovery and decrease hospital readmission, morbidity, and mortality.

  7. Management issues of congenital adrenal hyperplasia during the transition from pediatric to adult care.

    PubMed

    Choi, Jin-Ho; Yoo, Han-Wook

    2017-02-01

    Steroid 21-hydroxylase deficiency is the most prevalent form of congenital adrenal hyperplasia (CAH), accounting for approximately 95% of cases. With the advent of newborn screening and hormone replacement therapy, most children with CAH survive into adulthood. Adolescents and adults with CAH experience a number of complications, including short stature, obesity, infertility, tumor, osteoporosis, and reduced quality of life. Transition from pediatric to adult care and management of long-term complications are challenging for both patients and health-care providers. Psychosocial issues frequently affect adherence to glucocorticoid treatment. Therefore, the safe transition of adolescents to adult care requires regular follow-up of patients by a multidisciplinary team including pediatric and adult endocrinologists. The major goals for management of adults with 21-hydroxylase deficiency are to minimize the long-term complications of glucocorticoid therapy, reduce hyperandrogenism, prevent adrenal or testicular adrenal rest tumors, maintain fertility, and improve quality of life. Optimized medical or surgical treatment strategies should be developed through coordinated care, both during transition periods and throughout patients' lifetimes. This review will summarize current knowledge on the management of adults with CAH, and suggested appropriate approaches to the transition from pediatric to adult care.

  8. Transitional care in clinical networks for young people with juvenile idiopathic arthritis: current situation and challenges.

    PubMed

    Cruikshank, Mary; Foster, Helen E; Stewart, Jane; Davidson, Joyce E; Rapley, Tim

    2016-04-01

    Clinical networks for paediatric and adolescent rheumatology are evolving, and their effect and role in the transition process between paediatric and adult services are unknown. We therefore explored the experiences of those involved to try and understand this further. Health professionals, young people with juvenile idiopathic arthritis and their families were recruited via five national health service paediatric and adolescent rheumatology specialist centres and networks across the UK. Seventy participants took part in focus groups and one-to-one interviews. Data was analysed using coding, memoing and mapping techniques to identify features of transitional services across the sector. Variation and inequities in transitional care exist. Although transition services in networks are evolving, development has lagged behind other areas with network establishment focusing more on access to paediatric rheumatology multidisciplinary teams. Challenges include workforce shortfalls, differences in service priorities, standards and healthcare infrastructures, and managing the legacy of historic encounters. Providing equitable high-quality clinically effective services for transition across the UK has a long way to go. There is a call from within the sector for more protected time, staff and resources to develop transition roles and services, as well as streamlining of local referral pathways between paediatric and adult healthcare services. In addition, there is a need to support professionals in developing their understanding of transitional care in clinical networks, particularly around service design, organisational change and the interpersonal skills required for collaborative working. Key messages • Transitional care in clinical networks requires collaborative working and an effective interface with paediatric and adult rheumatology.• Professional centrism and historic encounters may affect collaborative relationships within clinical networks.• Education programmes need to support the development of interpersonal skills and change management, to facilitate professionals in networks delivering transitional care.

  9. Evaluation of Outcomes in Adolescent Inflammatory Bowel Disease Patients Following Transfer From Pediatric to Adult Health Care Services: Case for Transition.

    PubMed

    Cole, Rebecca; Ashok, Dhandapani; Razack, Abdul; Azaz, Amer; Sebastian, Shaji

    2015-08-01

    We aimed to evaluate the impact of a transition service on clinical and developmental outcomes in adolescent Inflammatory Bowel Disease (IBD) patients on transfer to adult health care services. We reviewed the records of IBD patients diagnosed in pediatric care following their transfer/attendance to the adult IBD service. The data on patients who attended the transition service were compared with those who did not pass through the transition service. Seventy-two patients were included in the study 41M and 31F. Forty-four patients went through the transition system (Group A), and 28 had no formalized transition arrangement before transfer (Group B). A significantly higher number of Group B patients needed surgery within 2 years of transfer when compared with patients in Group A (46% vs. 25%, p = .01). Sixty-one percent of patients in Group B needed at least one admission within 2 years of transfer when compared with 29% of Group A patients (p = .002). Nonattendance at clinics was higher in Group B patients with 78% having at least one nonattendance, whereas 29% of Group A failed to attend at least one appointment (p = .001). In addition, drug compliance rates were higher in the transition group when compared with Group B (89% and 46%, respectively; p = .002). A higher proportion of transitioned patients achieved their estimated maximum growth potential when completing adolescence. There was a trend toward higher dependence on opiates and smoking in Group B patients. In adolescent IBD patients, transition care is associated with better disease specific and developmental outcomes. Prospective studies of different models of transition care in IBD are needed. Copyright © 2015 Society for Adolescent Health and Medicine. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  10. Transition readiness skills acquisition in adolescents and young adults with inflammatory bowel disease: findings from integrating assessment into clinical practice.

    PubMed

    Gray, Wendy N; Holbrook, Erin; Morgan, Pamela J; Saeed, Shehzad A; Denson, Lee A; Hommel, Kevin A

    2015-05-01

    Almost 80% of adult gastroenterologists report inadequacies in the preparation of patients transferred from pediatrics. To improve transition to adult care, it is important to identify the specific deficits that patients are demonstrating before transfer. We present data from a clinic-wide assessment of transition readiness skill acquisition in adolescents/young adults with IBD. A total of 195 patients (age, 16-25 yr) with IBD completed the Transition Readiness Assessment Questionnaire. Patient age, diagnosis, time since diagnosis, physician global assessment, and patient and parent disease management confidence ratings were extracted from the medical record. Transition Readiness Assessment Questionnaire scores were compared with a benchmark established by an interdisciplinary, multi-institutional Transition Task Force. Only 5.6% of older adolescents/young adults on the verge of transfer to adult care met our institutional benchmark (3.5% of adolescents, 7.3% of young adults). Patients reported mastery of 9.10 ± 4.68 out of 20 Transition Readiness Assessment Questionnaire items. Transition readiness was associated with older age (r = 0.27, P < 0.001) and female gender (F(1,192) = 13.81, P < 0.001) but not time since diagnosis, physician global assessment, or confidence ratings. Deficits in health care utilization/self-advocacy (e.g., understanding insurance, scheduling appointments/following up on referrals), and self-management (e.g., filling/reordering prescriptions) were observed. Most patients on the verge of transferring to adult care are not demonstrating transition readiness. Deficits observed represent modifiable behaviors. Using data-driven assessments to guide interventions to enhance transition readiness may minimize the retention of young adult patients in pediatrics and result in patients who are better prepared for adult care.

  11. Diagnosis and management of Duchenne muscular dystrophy, part 3: primary care, emergency management, psychosocial care, and transitions of care across the lifespan

    PubMed Central

    Birnkrant, David J; Bushby, Katharine; Bann, Carla M; Apkon, Susan D; Blackwell, Angela; Colvin, Mary K; Cripe, Linda; Herron, Adrienne R; Kennedy, Annie; Kinnett, Kathi; Naprawa, James; Noritz, Garey; Poysky, James; Street, Natalie; Trout, Christina J; Weber, David R; Ward, Leanne M

    2018-01-01

    Improvements in the function, quality of life, and longevity of patients with Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD) have been achieved through a multidisciplinary approach to management across a range of health-care specialties. In part 3 of this update of the DMD care considerations, we focus on primary care, emergency management, psychosocial care, and transitions of care across the lifespan. Many primary care and emergency medicine clinicians are inexperienced at managing the complications of DMD. We provide a guide to the acute and chronic medical conditions that these first-line providers are likely to encounter. With prolonged survival, individuals with DMD face a unique set of challenges related to psychosocial issues and transitions of care. We discuss assessments and interventions that are designed to improve mental health and independence, functionality, and quality of life in critical domains of living, including health care, education, employment, interpersonal relationships, and intimacy. PMID:29398641

  12. Innovative and Successful Approaches to Improving Care Transitions From Hospital to Home

    PubMed Central

    Labson, Margherita C.

    2015-01-01

    Abstract Effective transitions to home care have been identified as among the factors leading to reducing hospital readmissions within 30 days of discharge and improvements on various other quality measures. Innovative applications of published evidence-based models and best practices designed to improve care transitions have been implemented in various settings across the country in an effort to enhance quality performance. For this article, The Joint Commission collected a series of case examples to examine how evidence-based innovations in care transitions are reducing readmissions and improving other quality outcomes. The organizations providing the case examples were interviewed and asked to provide performance data demonstrating quality improvement, as well as information about their care processes and data-gathering techniques. Their innovative approaches are reducing hospital readmissions; improving patient safety, satisfaction, and engagement; and contributing to other positive outcomes. PMID:25654457

  13. 'Spending My Own Money, Harming My Own Body': Addiction Care in a Chinese Therapeutic Community.

    PubMed

    Hyde, Sandra Teresa

    2017-01-01

    In this article, I explore a Chinese residential therapeutic community I call Sunlight in order to understand its quotidian therapies, its fraught nature binding China's past with its future, and the to care for the self under postsocialism. Reviewing Sunlight ethnographically allows for broader theoretical exploration into how China's economic transition created tensions between capitalism, socialism, and communism; between individual and community, care and coercion, and discipline and freedom. Sunlight blended democratic, communal, and communist values that in several ways transition drug addicts into a market-socialist society. In focusing on the socialist transition to capitalism much work concentrates on the neoliberal transition as the only path out of communism rather than exploring its exceptions. In exploring China as an exception, I ask: What do the residents, peer-educators and administrators reveal in their stories and reactions to community-based therapeutics of care and what happens when their notions of care clash?

  14. Searching for the missing pieces between the hospital and primary care: mapping the patient process during care transitions.

    PubMed

    Johnson, Julie K; Farnan, Jeanne M; Barach, Paul; Hesselink, Gijs; Wollersheim, Hub; Pijnenborg, Loes; Kalkman, Cor; Arora, Vineet M

    2012-12-01

    Safe patient transitions depend on effective communication and a functioning care coordination process. Evidence suggests that primary care physicians are not satisfied with communication at transition points between inpatient and ambulatory care, and that communication often is not provided in a timely manner, omits essential information, or contains ambiguities that put patients at risk. Our aim was to demonstrate how process mapping can illustrate current handover practices between ambulatory and inpatient care settings, identify existing barriers and facilitators to effective transitions of care, and highlight potential areas for quality improvement. We conducted focus group interviews to facilitate a process mapping exercise with clinical teams in six academic health centres in the USA, Poland, Sweden, Italy, Spain and the Netherlands. At a high level, the process of patient admission to the hospital through the emergency department, inpatient care, and discharge back in the community were comparable across sites. In addition, the process maps highlighted similar barriers to providing information to primary care physicians, inaccurate or incomplete information on referral and discharge, a lack of time and priority to collaborate with counterpart colleagues, and a lack of feedback to clinicians involved in the handovers. Process mapping is effective in bringing together key stakeholders and makes explicit the mental models that frame their understanding of the clinical process. Exploring the barriers and facilitators to safe and reliable patient transitions highlights opportunities for further improvement work and illustrates ideas for best practices that might be transferrable to other settings.

  15. Transitional care challenges of rehospitalized veterans: listening to patients and providers.

    PubMed

    Stephens, Caroline; Sackett, Nathan; Pierce, Read; Schopfer, David; Schmajuk, Gabriela; Moy, Nicholas; Bachhuber, Melissa; Wallhagen, Margaret I; Lee, Sei J

    2013-10-01

    Readmissions to the hospital are common and costly, often resulting from poor care coordination. Despite increased attention given to improving the quality and safety of care transitions, little is known about patient and provider perspectives of the transitional care needs of rehospitalized Veterans. As part of a larger quality improvement initiative to reduce hospital readmissions, the authors conducted semi-structured interviews with 25 patients and 14 of their interdisciplinary health care providers to better understand their perspectives of the transitional care needs and challenges faced by rehospitalized Veterans. Patients identified 3 common themes that led to rehospitalization: (1) knowledge gaps and deferred power; (2) difficulties navigating the health care system; and (3) complex psychiatric and social needs. Providers identified different themes that led to rehospitalization: (1) substance abuse and mental illness; (2) lack of social or financial support and homelessness; (3) premature discharge and poor communication; and (4) nonadherence with follow-up. Results underscore that rehospitalized Veterans have a complex overlapping profile of real and perceived physical, mental, and social needs. A paradigm of disempowerment and deferred responsibility appears to exist between patients and providers that contributes to ineffective care transitions, resulting in readmissions. These results highlight the cultural constraints on systems of care and suggest that process improvements should focus on increasing the sense of partnership between patients and providers, while simultaneously creating a culture of empowerment, ownership, and engagement, to achieve success in reducing hospital readmissions.

  16. Children's Task Oriented Patterns in Early Childhood: A Latent Transition Analysis

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Wang, Feihong; Algina, James; Snyder, Patricia; Cox, Martha; Vernon-Feagans, Lynne; Cox, Martha; Blair, Clancy; Burchinal, Margaret; Burton, Linda; Crnic, Keith; Crouter, Ann; Garrett-Peters, Patricia; Greenberg, Mark; Lanza, Stephanie; Mills-Koonce, Roger; Werner, Emily; Willoughby, Michael

    2017-01-01

    We examined individual differences and predictions of children's patterns in behavioral, emotional and attentional efforts toward challenging puzzle tasks at 24 and 35 months using data from a large longitudinal rural representative sample. Using latent transition analysis, we found four distinct task-oriented patterns in problem-solving tasks…

  17. Parents' perspectives on caring for children after solid organ transplant.

    PubMed

    Lerret, Stacee M; Johnson, Norah L; Haglund, Kristin A

    2017-07-01

    To explore parents' experiences of the transition from hospital to home and complex chronic illness management following their children's solid organ transplant (SOT). Qualitative component of a larger mixed methods longitudinal study. Parents of SOT recipients were interviewed three times following hospital discharge from five major pediatric transplant hospitals in the United States. Analysis of parent interviews (N = 48) resulted in three themes that characterized the phases of transition to home and complex chronic illness care. Three themes, corresponding to the three time periods of data collection, included "getting back to normal" at 3 weeks, "becoming routine" at 3 months, and "facing a future" at 6 months. Challenges families experienced over the course of their transition are also described. The transition from hospital to home and complex chronic condition care is challenging and changes over time. Nurses are called upon to prepare parents to become knowledgeable and confident to care for the child after hospital discharge. Nurses can best support families in transition after SOT by anticipating and understanding their dynamic challenging complex care needs. © 2017 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

  18. Transition from paediatric surgery: how many patients do we need to plan for?

    PubMed

    Jones, A R; John, M; Singh, S J; Williams, A R

    2016-11-01

    INTRODUCTION Transitional care is an NHS priority with newly published NICE guidance. Many paediatric surgical patients need quality care to continue into adulthood. We undertook an evaluation of our departmental activity to assess the magnitude of this issue. METHODS We identified all outpatients ≥ 15 years (potentially requiring imminent transition) seen over a 12 month period for all five general paediatric surgery consultants in our tertiary centre. Those patients requiring transition were highlighted and the appropriate adult team for referral recorded. RESULTS There were 2989 general paediatric surgery clinic appointments within the year; 289 (9.7%) were for young people aged 15 years or older; 62 patients (28% of those ≥ 15years) were deemed to require transition into adult care. Significantly more patients having colorectal surgery required follow-up (P = 0.0009 Chi-square test) compared with patients in other subspecialties. CONCLUSIONS More patients than expected required transition. This may be the case in other units. Current best practice includes time intensive preclinic planning, careful preparation of patient and family, followed by joint clinics. A joint clinic appointment takes 30 minutes, allowing for comprehensive handover and forging new relationships. In our department, we need at least ten transition clinics across 2 years. Coalition with adult colleagues is vital. These data enable us to plan services to provide quality care for our adolescent patients and highlights colorectal surgery as a priority.

  19. Implementation of an inter-agency transition model for youth with spina bifida.

    PubMed

    Lindsay, S; Cruickshank, H; McPherson, A C; Maxwell, J

    2016-03-01

    To address gaps in transfer of care and transition support, a paediatric hospital and adult community health care centre partnered to implement an inter-agency transition model for youth with spina bifida. Our objective was to understand the enablers and challenges experienced in the implementation of the model. Using a descriptive, qualitative design, we conducted semi-structured interviews, in-person or over the phone, with 12 clinicians and nine key informants involved in implementing the spina bifida transition model. We recruited all 21 participants from an urban area of Ontario, Canada. Clinicians and key informants experienced several enablers and challenges in implementing the spina bifida transition model. Enablers included dedicated leadership, advocacy, funding, inter-agency partnerships, cross-appointed staff and gaps in co-ordinated care to connect youth to adult services. Challenges included gaps in the availability of adult specialty services, limited geographical catchment of adult services, limited engagement of front-line staff, gaps in communication and role clarity. Although the transition model has realized some initial successes, there are still many challenges to overcome in transferring youth with spina bifida to adult health care and transitioning to adulthood. © 2015 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

  20. 9 CFR 3.116 - Care in transit.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

    2013-01-01

    ... 9 Animals and Animal Products 1 2013-01-01 2013-01-01 false Care in transit. 3.116 Section 3.116 Animals and Animal Products ANIMAL AND PLANT HEALTH INSPECTION SERVICE, DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE ANIMAL WELFARE STANDARDS Specifications for the Humane Handling, Care, Treatment, and Transportation of Marine...

  1. 9 CFR 3.116 - Care in transit.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

    2014-01-01

    ... 9 Animals and Animal Products 1 2014-01-01 2014-01-01 false Care in transit. 3.116 Section 3.116 Animals and Animal Products ANIMAL AND PLANT HEALTH INSPECTION SERVICE, DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE ANIMAL WELFARE STANDARDS Specifications for the Humane Handling, Care, Treatment, and Transportation of Marine...

  2. 9 CFR 3.116 - Care in transit.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

    2012-01-01

    ... 9 Animals and Animal Products 1 2012-01-01 2012-01-01 false Care in transit. 3.116 Section 3.116 Animals and Animal Products ANIMAL AND PLANT HEALTH INSPECTION SERVICE, DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE ANIMAL WELFARE STANDARDS Specifications for the Humane Handling, Care, Treatment, and Transportation of Marine...

  3. Heterogeneity and Change in the Patterning of Adolescents' Perceptions of the Legitimacy of Parental Authority: A Latent Transition Model

    PubMed Central

    Cumsille, Patricio; Darling, Nancy; Flaherty, Brian; Martínez, María Loreto

    2013-01-01

    Changes in the patterning of adolescents' beliefs about the legitimate domains of parental authority were modeled in 2,611 Chilean adolescents, 11–16 years old. Transitions in adolescents' belief patterns were studied over 3 years. Latent transition analysis (LTA) revealed 3 distinct patterns of beliefs—parent control, shared control, and personal control—that differed in the extent to which adolescents believed that parents had legitimate authority over personal, prudential, and multidomain issues. Younger adolescents with fewer problem behaviors, higher self-efficacy, and more parental rules were more likely to espouse the parent control belief pattern. Adolescents' patterning of beliefs was relatively stable over time. Older adolescents with more problem behaviors and fewer parental rules were most likely to move away from the parental control status. PMID:19467001

  4. Heterogeneity and change in the patterning of adolescents' perceptions of the legitimacy of parental authority: a latent transition model.

    PubMed

    Cumsille, Patricio; Darling, Nancy; Flaherty, Brian; Loreto Martínez, María

    2009-01-01

    Changes in the patterning of adolescents' beliefs about the legitimate domains of parental authority were modeled in 2,611 Chilean adolescents, 11-16 years old. Transitions in adolescents' belief patterns were studied over 3 years. Latent transition analysis (LTA) revealed 3 distinct patterns of beliefs-parent control, shared control, and personal control-that differed in the extent to which adolescents believed that parents had legitimate authority over personal, prudential, and multidomain issues. Younger adolescents with fewer problem behaviors, higher self-efficacy, and more parental rules were more likely to espouse the parent control belief pattern. Adolescents' patterning of beliefs was relatively stable over time. Older adolescents with more problem behaviors and fewer parental rules were most likely to move away from the parental control status.

  5. Health care of youth aging out of foster care.

    PubMed

    2012-12-01

    Youth transitioning out of foster care face significant medical and mental health care needs. Unfortunately, these youth rarely receive the services they need because of lack of health insurance. Through many policies and programs, the federal government has taken steps to support older youth in foster care and those aging out. The Fostering Connections to Success and Increasing Adoptions Act of 2008 (Pub L No. 110-354) requires states to work with youth to develop a transition plan that addresses issues such as health insurance. In addition, beginning in 2014, the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act of 2010 (Pub L No. 111-148) makes youth aging out of foster care eligible for Medicaid coverage until age 26 years, regardless of income. Pediatricians can support youth aging out of foster care by working collaboratively with the child welfare agency in their state to ensure that the ongoing health needs of transitioning youth are met.

  6. Integrating Social Determinants of Health into Primary Care Clinical and Informational Workflow during Care Transitions

    PubMed Central

    Hewner, Sharon; Casucci, Sabrina; Sullivan, Suzanne; Mistretta, Francine; Xue, Yuqing; Johnson, Barbara; Pratt, Rebekah; Lin, Li; Fox, Chester

    2017-01-01

    Context: Care continuity during transitions between the hospital and home requires reliable communication between providers and settings and an understanding of social determinants that influence recovery. Case Description: The coordinating transitions intervention uses real time alerts, delivered directly to the primary care practice for complex chronically ill patients discharged from an acute care setting, to facilitate nurse care coordinator led telephone outreach. The intervention incorporates claims-based risk stratification to prioritize patients for follow-up and an assessment of social determinants of health using the Patient-centered Assessment Method (PCAM). Results from transitional care are stored and transmitted to qualified healthcare providers across the continuum. Findings: Reliance on tools that incorporated interoperability standards facilitated exchange of health information between the hospital and primary care. The PCAM was incorporated into both the clinical and informational workflow through the collaboration of clinical, industry, and academic partners. Health outcomes improved at the study practice over their baseline and in comparison with control practices and the regional Medicaid population. Major Themes: Current research supports the potential impact of systems approaches to care coordination in improving utilization value after discharge. The project demonstrated that flexibility in developing the informational and clinical workflow was critical in developing a solution that improved continuity during transitions. There is additional work needed in developing managerial continuity across settings such as shared comprehensive care plans. Conclusions: New clinical and informational workflows which incorporate social determinant of health data into standard practice transformed clinical practice and improved outcomes for patients.

  7. Families’ Priorities Regarding Hospital-to-Home Transitions for Children With Medical Complexity

    PubMed Central

    O’Brien, Emily R.; Leslie, Laurel K.; Lindenauer, Peter K.; Mangione-Smith, Rita M.

    2017-01-01

    BACKGROUND: National health care policy recommends that patients and families be actively involved in discharge planning. Although children with medical complexity (CMC) account for more than half of pediatric readmissions, scalable, family-centered methods to effectively engage families of CMC in discharge planning are lacking. We aimed to systematically examine the scope of preferences, priorities, and goals of parents of CMC regarding planning for hospital-to-home transitions and to ascertain health care providers’ perceptions of families’ transitional care goals and needs. METHODS: We conducted semistructured interviews with parents and health care providers at a tertiary care hospital. Interviews were continued until thematic saturation was reached. Interviews were audio recorded, transcribed verbatim, and analyzed to identify emergent themes via a general inductive approach. RESULTS: Thirty-nine in-depth interviews were conducted, including 23 with family caregivers of CMC and 16 with health care providers. Families’ priorities, preferences, and goals for hospital-to-home transitions aligned with 7 domains: effective engagement with health care providers, respect for families’ discharge readiness, care coordination, timely and efficient discharge processes, pain and symptom control, self-efficacy to support recovery and ongoing child development, and normalization and routine. These domains also emerged in interviews with health care providers, although there were minor differences in themes discussed. CONCLUSIONS: Although CMC have diverse transitional care needs, their families’ priorities, preferences, and goals aligned with 7 domains that bridged their hospital admission with reestablishment of a home routine. This research provides essential foundational data to engage families in discharge planning, guiding the operationalization of national health policy recommendations. PMID:27940509

  8. Leaving foster or residential care: a participatory study of care leavers' experiences of health and social care transitions.

    PubMed

    Liabo, K; McKenna, C; Ingold, A; Roberts, H

    2017-03-01

    Young people in residential or foster care experience multiple transitions around their 18 th birthday without the long term and consistent support from their family of origin that most of their peers can expect. We report a mixed methods qualitative study of transitions across health and social care services for children leaving care, providing narratives of what young people described as positive, and what they and professionals think might be improved. Data were collected in participatory meetings and individual interviews between young people and researchers (n = 24) and individual interviews with practitioners (n = 11). In addition to discussion and interview techniques, we used pictorial and other participatory methods. Interviews were coded by three members of the team and differences resolved with a fourth. Our analysis draws on thematic and framework approaches. Health was rarely at the top of any young person's agenda, although gaps in health care and exceptional care were both described. Housing, financial support and education took priority. Young people and professionals alike emphasized the importance of workers prepared to go the extra mile; of young people being able to contact professionals; and professionals being able to contact one another. Policy and practice aspirations for care leavers recommend gradual change but transfer rather than transition continues to be described by care leavers. Our data support the need for transition as a long-term process, with children and young people having early opportunities to prepare for citizenship. © 2016 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

  9. Understanding the primary care paradigm: an experiential learning focus of the early veterinary graduate.

    PubMed

    Dixon, William H R; Kinnison, Tierney; May, Stephen A

    2017-11-01

    At a time where high levels of stress are reported in the veterinary profession, this study explores the challenges that veterinary graduates encounter when they enter general (first opinion) practice. Participants had written reflective accounts of their 'Most Puzzling Cases' for the postgraduate Professional Key Skills module of the Certificate in Advanced Veterinary Practice, offered by the Royal Veterinary College. Reasons that a case was puzzling, or became challenging, were thematically analysed. Fifteen summaries were analysed. Three core themes were identified: 'clinical reasoning', centred on the limitations of pattern recognition and the methods used to overcome this; the 'veterinary healthcare system', focusing on the need for continuity of care, time pressure and support in the transition to practice; and the 'owner', looking at the broader clinical skills needed to succeed in general practice. Clinical reasoning was raised as an issue; discussion of when pattern recognition is not appropriate and what to do in these cases was common. A lack of experience in general practice case types, and how to best operate in the resource-constrained environment in which they present, is the likely cause of this, suggesting that a greater focus on the primary care paradigm is needed within veterinary education. © British Veterinary Association (unless otherwise stated in the text of the article) 2017. All rights reserved. No commercial use is permitted unless otherwise expressly granted.

  10. Increasing competency in the care of homeless patients.

    PubMed

    Drury, Lin J

    2008-04-01

    Nurses play a critical role in helping homeless patients make the transition from revolving door hospitalizations or emergency department visits to ongoing care through an outpatient clinic. This column focuses on increasing competency in the care of homeless patients. The next column will focus on a different type of transition-preparing hospitalized patients for discharge and referral to home health care.

  11. Effectiveness of a transitional home care program in reducing acute hospital utilization: a quasi-experimental study.

    PubMed

    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 transitional home care program had significantly lower acute hospital utilization through the reduction of emergency department attendances and hospital admissions. A comprehensive assessment of patients' medical and social needs in the home setting and formulation of an individualized care plan optimized post-discharge care for medically complex patients.

  12. Supporting Youth in the Transition from Foster Care: Formal and Informal Connections

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Collins, Mary Elizabeth; Spencer, Renee; Ward, Rolanda

    2010-01-01

    Social support is needed by everyone, but particularly by vulnerable populations at times of transition. This study utilizes data collected from 96 former foster youth regarding supports they received during the transition from care. The report addresses three questions: (1) What types of supportive relationships did the sample report? (2) What…

  13. A Qualitative Analysis of an Advanced Practice Nurse-Directed Transitional Care Model Intervention

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Bradway, Christine; Trotta, Rebecca; Bixby, M. Brian; McPartland, Ellen; Wollman, M. Catherine; Kapustka, Heidi; McCauley, Kathleen; Naylor, Mary D.

    2012-01-01

    Purpose: The purpose of this study was to describe barriers and facilitators to implementing a transitional care intervention for cognitively impaired older adults and their caregivers lead by advanced practice nurses (APNs). Design and Methods: APNs implemented an evidence-based protocol to optimize transitions from hospital to home. An…

  14. EULAR/PReS standards and recommendations for the transitional care of young people with juvenile-onset rheumatic diseases.

    PubMed

    Foster, Helen E; Minden, Kirsten; Clemente, Daniel; Leon, Leticia; McDonagh, Janet E; Kamphuis, Sylvia; Berggren, Karin; van Pelt, Philomine; Wouters, Carine; Waite-Jones, Jennifer; Tattersall, Rachel; Wyllie, Ruth; Stones, Simon R; Martini, Alberto; Constantin, Tamas; Schalm, Susanne; Fidanci, Berna; Erer, Burak; Demirkaya, Erkan; Ozen, Seza; Carmona, Loreto

    2017-04-01

    To develop standards and recommendations for transitional care for young people (YP) with juvenile-onset rheumatic and musculoskeletal diseases (jRMD). The consensus process involved the following: (1) establishing an international expert panel to include patients and representatives from multidisciplinary teams in adult and paediatric rheumatology; (2) a systematic review of published models of transitional care in jRMDs, potential standards and recommendations, strategies for implementation and tools to evaluate services and outcomes; (3) setting the framework, developing the process map and generating a first draft of standards and recommendations; (4) further iteration of recommendations; (5) establishing consensus recommendations with Delphi methodology and (6) establishing standards and quality indicators. The final consensus derived 12 specific recommendations for YP with jRMD focused on transitional care. These included: high-quality, multidisciplinary care starting in early adolescence; the integral role of a transition co-ordinator; transition policies and protocols; efficient communications; transfer documentation; an open electronic-based platform to access resources; appropriate training for paediatric and adult healthcare teams; secure funding to continue treatments and services into adult rheumatology and the need for increased evidence to inform best practice. These consensus-based recommendations inform strategies to reach optimal outcomes in transitional care for YP with jRMD based on available evidence and expert opinion. They need to be implemented in the context of individual countries, healthcare systems and regulatory frameworks. 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/.

  15. Improving stroke transitions: Development and implementation of a social work case management intervention.

    PubMed

    Hughes, Anne K; Woodward, Amanda T; Fritz, Michele C; Reeves, Mathew J

    2018-02-01

    Strokes impact over 800,000 people every year. Stroke care typically begins with inpatient care and then continues across an array of healthcare settings. These transitions are difficult for patients and caregivers, with psychosocial needs going unmet. Our team developed a case management intervention for acute stroke patients and their caregivers aimed at improving stroke transitions. The intervention focusses on four aspects of a successful care transition: support, preparedness, identifying and addressing unmet needs, and stroke education. This paper describes the development and implementation of this program, and is an example of the synergy created between neuroscience and clinical practice.

  16. Controlling morphology in swelling-induced wrinkled surfaces

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Breid, Derek Ronald

    Wrinkles represent a pathway towards the spontaneous generation of ordered surface microstructure for applications in numerous fields. Examples of highly complex ordered wrinkle structures abound in Nature, but the ability to harness this potential for advanced material applications remains limited. This work focuses on understanding the relationship between the patterns on a wrinkled surface and the experimental conditions under which they form. Because wrinkles form in response to applied stresses, particular attention is given to the nature of the stresses in a wrinkling surface. The fundamental insight gained was then utilized to account for observed wrinkle formation phenomena within more complex geometric and kinetic settings. In order to carefully control and measure the applied stresses on a wrinkling film, a swelling-based system was developed using poly(dimethylsiloxane) (PDMS), surface-oxidized with a UV-ozone treatment. The swelling of the oxidized surface upon exposure to an ethanol vapor atmosphere was characterized using beam-bending experiments, allowing quantitative measurements of the applied stress. The wrinkle morphologies were characterized as a function of the overstress, defined as the ratio of the applied swelling stress to the critical buckling stress of the material. A transition in the dominant morphology of the wrinkled surfaces from dimple patterns to ridge patterns was observed at an overstress value of ˜2. The pattern dependence of wrinkles on the ratio of the principal stresses was examined by fabricating samples with a gradient prestress. When swollen, these samples exhibited a smooth morphological transition from non-equibiaxial to equibiaxial patterns, with prestrains as low as 2.5% exhibiting non-equibiaxial characteristics. This transition was seen both in samples with low and high overstresses. To explore the impact of these stress states in more complex geometries, wrinkling hemispherical surfaces with radii of curvature ranging from 50--1000 μm were fabricated using the same material system. Upon wrinkling, the hemispheres formed complex hierarchical assemblies reminiscent of naturally occurring structures. The curvature of a surface exhibited a correlation with its critical buckling stress, independent of other factors. This enables the surface curvature to be used as an independent control over the dimple-to-ridge transition which occurs as a function of overstress. As in the flat buckling surfaces, this transition was shown to occur at an overstress value of ˜2. Surface curvature was also shown to improve the observed hexagonal ordering of the dimple arrays, resulting in the formation of regular "golf ball" structures. Geometric effects in finite flat plates were also examined. Using circular masks during the oxidation process, plates with radii ranging from 0.4--8.6 mm were created. Upon wrinkling, a dimple-to-ridge transition was observed with increasing plate size, with the morphological switch occurring at a radius of ˜2 mm. This observed transition was not found to be due to the inherent mechanics of plates of different sizes, but instead to a reduction in the oxide conversion due to shadowing or stagnation caused by the masking process, which lowered the applied overstress. The shape of the finite plate was found to have little impact on the resulting wrinkle morphologies. Kinetic aspects of wrinkling were qualitatively characterized by observing the wrinkling process over the course of swelling. Wrinkling was observed to frontally propagate across the surface, and the ordering of the patterns which developed showed a qualitative correlation with the degree of uniformity in the advancing wrinkle front. Swelling with different solvents was found to lead to the formation of different patterns, based on the swelling kinetics of the UVO-treated PDMS upon exposure to each solvent.

  17. The institutional logic of integrated care: an ethnography of patient transitions.

    PubMed

    Shaw, James A; Kontos, Pia; Martin, Wendy; Victor, Christina

    2017-03-20

    Purpose The purpose of this paper is to use theories of institutional logics and institutional entrepreneurship to examine how and why macro-, meso-, and micro-level influences inter-relate in the implementation of integrated transitional care out of hospital in the English National Health Service. Design/methodology/approach The authors conducted an ethnographic case study of a hospital and surrounding services within a large urban centre in England. Specific methods included qualitative interviews with patients/caregivers, health/social care providers, and organizational leaders; observations of hospital transition planning meetings, community "hub" meetings, and other instances of transition planning; reviews of patient records; and analysis of key policy documents. Analysis was iterative and informed by theory on institutional logics and institutional entrepreneurship. Findings Organizational leaders at the meso-level of health and social care promoted a partnership logic of integrated care in response to conflicting institutional ideas found within a key macro-level policy enacted in 2003 (The Community Care (Delayed Discharges) Act). Through institutional entrepreneurship at the micro-level, the partnership logic became manifest in the form of relationship work among health and social care providers; they sought to build strong interpersonal relationships to enact more integrated transitional care. Originality/value This study has three key implications. First, efforts to promote integrated care should strategically include institutional entrepreneurs at the organizational and clinical levels. Second, integrated care initiatives should emphasize relationship-building among health and social care providers. Finally, theoretical development on institutional logics should further examine the role of interpersonal relationships in facilitating the "spread" of logics between macro-, meso-, and micro-level influences on inter-organizational change.

  18. HEALTH CARE TRANSITION IN YOUNG ADULTS WITH TYPE 1 DIABETES: BARRIERS TO TIMELY ESTABLISHMENT OF ADULT DIABETES CARE

    PubMed Central

    Garvey, Katharine C.; Wolpert, Howard A.; Laffel, Lori M.; Rhodes, Erinn T.; Wolfsdorf, Joseph I.; Finkelstein, Jonathan A.

    2014-01-01

    Objective To examine barriers to health care transition reported by young adults with type 1 diabetes and associations between barriers and prolonged gaps between pediatric and adult diabetes care. Methods We surveyed young adults aged 22 to 30 years with type 1 diabetes about their transition experiences, including barriers to timely establishment of adult diabetes care. We evaluated relationships between barriers and gaps in care using multivariate logistic regression. Results The response rate was 53% (258 of 484 eligible subjects). Respondents (62% female) were 26.7 ± 2.4 years old and transitioned to adult diabetes care at 19.5 ± 2.9 years. Reported barriers included lack of specific adult provider referral name (47%) or contact information (27%), competing life priorities (43%), difficulty getting an appointment (41%), feeling upset about leaving pediatrics (24%), and insurance problems (10%). In multivariate analysis, barriers most strongly associated with gaps in care >6 months were lack of adult provider name (odds ratio [OR], 6.1; 95% confidence interval [CI], 3.0–12.7) or contact information (OR, 5.3; 95% CI, 2.0–13.9), competing life priorities (OR, 5.2; 95% CI, 2.7–10.3), and insurance problems (OR, 3.5; 95% CI, 1.2–10.3). Overall, respondents reporting ≥1 moderate/major barrier (48%) had 4.7-fold greater adjusted odds of a gap in care >6 months (95% CI, 2.8–8.7). Conclusion Significant barriers to transition, such as a lack of specific adult provider referrals, may be addressed with more robust preparation by pediatric providers and care coordination. Further study is needed to evaluate strategies to improve young adult self-care in the setting of competing life priorities. PMID:23807526

  19. 50 CFR 14.133 - Care in transit.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

    2014-10-01

    ... knowledgeable in marine mammal care to provide for the animal's health and well-being. The shipper or... Wild Mammals and Birds to the United States Specifications for Marine Mammals (cetaceans, Sirenians, Sea Otters, Pinnipeds, and Polar Bears) § 14.133 Care in transit. (a) Any marine mammal shall be...

  20. 50 CFR 14.133 - Care in transit.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

    2011-10-01

    ... knowledgeable in marine mammal care to provide for the animal's health and well-being. The shipper or... 50 Wildlife and Fisheries 1 2011-10-01 2011-10-01 false Care in transit. 14.133 Section 14.133 Wildlife and Fisheries UNITED STATES FISH AND WILDLIFE SERVICE, DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR TAKING...

  1. 50 CFR 14.133 - Care in transit.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

    2012-10-01

    ... knowledgeable in marine mammal care to provide for the animal's health and well-being. The shipper or... 50 Wildlife and Fisheries 1 2012-10-01 2012-10-01 false Care in transit. 14.133 Section 14.133 Wildlife and Fisheries UNITED STATES FISH AND WILDLIFE SERVICE, DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR TAKING...

  2. 50 CFR 14.133 - Care in transit.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

    2013-10-01

    ... knowledgeable in marine mammal care to provide for the animal's health and well-being. The shipper or... 50 Wildlife and Fisheries 1 2013-10-01 2013-10-01 false Care in transit. 14.133 Section 14.133 Wildlife and Fisheries UNITED STATES FISH AND WILDLIFE SERVICE, DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR TAKING...

  3. Psychosocial Challenges/Transition to Adulthood.

    PubMed

    Frederick, Carla

    2016-08-01

    Advances in the health care of individuals with cystic fibrosis have resulted in more than half of the population older than the age of 18 living longer, fuller lives. This success brings about the need for new areas of improvement and development including the mastery of transitioning from pediatric to adult health care and attention to psychosocial needs. This article reviews key components of the process of transitioning to adult care and some important psychosocial considerations. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  4. Transitions in the communication experiences of tracheostomised patients in intensive care: a qualitative descriptive study.

    PubMed

    Flinterud, Stine Irene; Andershed, Birgitta

    2015-08-01

    To describe how tracheostomised patients in intensive care experience acts of communication and to better understand their experiences in the context of the transitions theory. Waking up in an intensive care unit unable to speak because of mechanical ventilation can be challenging. Communication aids are available, but patients still report difficulties communicating. Investigating how mechanically ventilated patients experience communication in the context of the transitions theory might elucidate new ways of supporting them during their transitions while being ventilated. A qualitative, descriptive design. Eleven patients who had previously been tracheostomised in an intensive care unit were included in this quality improvement project conducted in a university hospital in Norway. Participants were tracheostomised from 3-27 days. Semistructured interviews were conducted from June 2013-August 2013, 3-18 months after hospital discharge. Transcripts were analysed using inductive content analysis. Participants reported a great diversity of emotions and experiences attempting to communicate while being tracheostomised. One overarching theme emerging from the analysis was the 'Experience of caring and understanding despite having uncomfortable feelings due to troublesome communication.' The theme consists of three categories. The category 'Emotionally challenging' shows that patients struggled initially. With time, their coping improved, as revealed in the category 'The experience changes with time.' Despite difficulties, participants described positive experiences, as shown in the category 'Successful communication.' The importance of patients experiencing caring and understanding despite their difficult situation constitutes the core finding. The findings suggest that participants went through different transitions. Some reached the end of their transition, experiencing increased stability. Despite challenges with communication, participants reported that caring and safety provided by health care professionals were significant experiences. They viewed nonverbal communication as being very important. © 2015 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

  5. Experiences and Outcomes of Transition from Pediatric to Adult Health Care Services for Young People with Congenital Heart Disease: A Systematic Review.

    PubMed

    Heery, Emily; Sheehan, Aisling M; While, Alison E; Coyne, Imelda

    2015-01-01

    This review synthesizes the empirical literature on outcomes and experiences of transfer and transition from pediatric to adult care for young people with congenital heart disease. A systematic review of papers published between January 2001 and May 2013 that examined outcomes or experiences of transfer and transition among young people with congenital heart disease was conducted. Data were extracted by two independent reviewers with the outcomes data combined using narrative synthesis and the experiences data integrated using thematic synthesis. Thirteen papers were included in the review: six reported outcomes following transfer, six reported experiences of transfer and transition, and one reported both outcomes and experiences. The review data indicate that high proportions of young people were lost to follow-up or experienced long gaps in care after leaving pediatric cardiology. Factors that protected against loss to follow-up or lapse in care included: beliefs that specialized adult care was necessary; poorer health status; attendance at pediatric appointments without parents; and pediatric referral to an adult congenital heart disease center. Data on experiences highlighted that many young people were unconcerned about transition, but lacked knowledge about their condition and were insufficiently prepared for transfer. In terms of adult services, many young people desired continuity in the quality of care, youth-oriented facilities, a personalized approach, and for their parents to remain involved in their care, but in a secondary, supportive capacity. In conclusion, the high proportions of young people lost to follow-up highlight the need for formal transition programs, which ensure a planned and coordinated transfer. Patients with congenital heart disease need education throughout adolescence about the implications of their condition, the differences between pediatric and adult services, and self-care management. © 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

  6. Knowledge to action: Rationale and design of the Patient-Centered Care Transitions in Heart Failure (PACT-HF) stepped wedge cluster randomized trial.

    PubMed

    Van Spall, Harriette G C; Lee, Shun Fu; Xie, Feng; Ko, Dennis T; Thabane, Lehana; Ibrahim, Quazi; Mitoff, Peter R; Heffernan, Michael; Maingi, Manish; Tjandrawidjaja, Michael C; Zia, Mohammad I; Panju, Mohamed; Perez, Richard; Simek, Kim D; Porepa, Liane; Graham, Ian D; Haynes, R Brian; Haughton, Dilys; Connolly, Stuart J

    2018-05-01

    Heart Failure (HF) is a common cause of hospitalization in older adults. The transition from hospital to home is high-risk, and gaps in transitional care can increase the risk of re-hospitalization and death. Combining health care services supported by meta-analyses, we designed the PACT-HF transitional care model. Adopting an integrated Knowledge Translation (iKT) approach in which decision-makers and clinicians are partners in research, we implement and test the effectiveness of PACT-HF among patients hospitalized for HF. We use a pragmatic stepped wedge cluster randomized trial design to introduce the complex health service intervention to 10 large hospitals in a randomized sequence until all hospitals initiate the intervention. The goal is for all patients hospitalized with HF to receive self-care education, multidisciplinary care, and early follow-up with their health care providers; and in addition, for high-risk patients to receive post-discharge nurse-led home visits and outpatient care in Heart Function clinics. This requires integration of care across hospitals, home care agencies, and outpatient clinics in our publicly funded health care system. While hospitals are the unit of recruitment and analysis, patients (estimated sample size of 3200) are the unit of analysis. Primary outcomes are hierarchically ordered as time to composite all-cause readmissions / emergency department (ED) visits / death at 3 months and time to composite all-cause readmissions / ED visits at 30 days. In a nested study of 8 hospitals, we measure the patient-centered outcomes of Discharge Preparedness, Care Transitions Quality, and Quality Adjusted Life Years (QALY); and the 6-month health care resource use and costs. We obtain all clinical and cost outcomes via linkages to provincial administrative databases. This protocol describes the implementation and testing of a transitional care model comprising health care services informed by high-level evidence. The study adopts an iKT and pragmatic approach, uses a robust study design, links clinical trial data with outcomes held in administrative databases, and includes patient-reported outcomes. Findings will have implications on clinical practice, health care policy, and Knowledge Translation (KT) research methodology. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  7. An Expanded Theoretical Framework of Care Coordination Across Transitions in Care Settings.

    PubMed

    Radwin, Laurel E; Castonguay, Denise; Keenan, Carolyn B; Hermann, Cherice

    2016-01-01

    For many patients, high-quality, patient-centered, and cost-effective health care requires coordination among multiple clinicians and settings. Ensuring optimal care coordination requires a clear understanding of how clinician activities and continuity during transitions affect patient-centeredness and quality outcomes. This article describes an expanded theoretical framework to better understand care coordination. The framework provides clear articulation of concepts. Examples are provided of ways to measure the concepts.

  8. Mosaic evolution and the pattern of transitions in the hominin lineage.

    PubMed

    Foley, Robert A

    2016-07-05

    Humans are uniquely unique, in terms of the extreme differences between them and other living organisms, and the impact they are having on the biosphere. The evolution of humans can be seen, as has been proposed, as one of the major transitions in evolution, on a par with the origins of multicellular organisms or the eukaryotic cell (Maynard Smith & Szathmáry 1997 Major transitions in evolution). Major transitions require the evolution of greater complexity and the emergence of new evolutionary levels or processes. Does human evolution meet these conditions? I explore the diversity of evidence on the nature of transitions in human evolution. Four levels of transition are proposed-baseline, novel taxa, novel adaptive zones and major transitions-and the pattern of human evolution considered in the light of these. The primary conclusions are that changes in human evolution occur continuously and cumulatively; that novel taxa and the appearance of new adaptations are not clustered very tightly in particular periods, although there are three broad transitional phases (Pliocene, Plio-Pleistocene and later Quaternary). Each phase is distinctive, with the first based on ranging and energetics, the second on technology and niche expansion, and the third on cognition and cultural processes. I discuss whether this constitutes a 'major transition' in the context of the evolutionary processes more broadly; the role of behaviour in evolution; and the opportunity provided by the rich genetic, phenotypic (fossil morphology) and behavioural (archaeological) record to examine in detail major transitions and the microevolutionary patterns underlying macroevolutionary change. It is suggested that the evolution of the hominin lineage is consistent with a mosaic pattern of change.This article is part of the themed issue 'Major transitions in human evolution'. © 2016 The Author(s).

  9. Transitions of Care Between Acute and Chronic Heart Failure: Critical Steps in the Design of a Multidisciplinary Care Model for the Prevention of Rehospitalization.

    PubMed

    Comín-Colet, Josep; Enjuanes, Cristina; Lupón, Josep; Cainzos-Achirica, Miguel; Badosa, Neus; Verdú, José María

    2016-10-01

    Despite advances in the treatment of heart failure, mortality, the number of readmissions, and their associated health care costs are very high. Heart failure care models inspired by the chronic care model, also known as heart failure programs or heart failure units, have shown clinical benefits in high-risk patients. However, while traditional heart failure units have focused on patients detected in the outpatient phase, the increasing pressure from hospital admissions is shifting the focus of interest toward multidisciplinary programs that concentrate on transitions of care, particularly between the acute phase and the postdischarge phase. These new integrated care models for heart failure revolve around interventions at the time of transitions of care. They are multidisciplinary and patient-centered, designed to ensure continuity of care, and have been demonstrated to reduce potentially avoidable hospital admissions. Key components of these models are early intervention during the inpatient phase, discharge planning, early postdischarge review and structured follow-up, advanced transition planning, and the involvement of physicians and nurses specialized in heart failure. It is hoped that such models will be progressively implemented across the country. Copyright © 2016 Sociedad Española de Cardiología. Published by Elsevier España, S.L.U. All rights reserved.

  10. Transitioning from caregiver to visitor in a long-term care facility: the experience of caregivers of people with dementia.

    PubMed

    Crawford, K; Digby, R; Bloomer, M; Tan, H; Williams, A

    2015-01-01

    Transitioning from the primary caregiver to the visitor in a long-term care facility may be challenging for the caregiver; they are required to surrender their caring duties to the medical and nursing staff. The aim of this study was to explore the experiences of caregivers during their transition from day-to-day caregiver of a person with dementia to a visitor in a long-term care facility. This study utilised a qualitative descriptive design. Twenty caregivers of people with dementia were recruited from the one Aged Rehabilitation and Geriatric Evaluation and Management facility, located in Victoria, Australia. Semi-structured interviews were used to explore the caregiver's experiences. Interviews were analysed using thematic analysis. The interview data revealed that the participants were undergoing similar experiences. The findings revealed that it was difficult for the caregiver to transition to their new role of visitor; negative reactions of grief, loss of motivation and loneliness were also coupled with positive feelings of relief and the reassurance that their relative or friend would be well cared for and safe within the long-term care facility. The findings offer insight into the experiences felt by caregivers when their relative or friend with dementia is admitted to hospital. Implications of this study include the need to improve the transition process for the caregiver by allowing them to be involved in the decision-making process, keeping them informed of care decisions, and importantly, providing emotional support to help the caregiver positively adapt to this transition.

  11. The Transition of Primary Care Group Practices to Next Generation Models: Satisfaction of Staff, Clinicians, and Patients.

    PubMed

    Zink, Therese; Kralewski, John; Dowd, Bryan

    Restructuring primary care is essential to achieve the triple aim. This case study examines the human factors of extensive redesign on 2 midsized primary care clinics (clinics A and B) in the Midwest United States that are owned by a large health care system. The transition occurred when while the principles for patient-centered medical home were being rolled out nationally, and before the Affordable Care Act. After the transition, interviews and discussions were conducted with 5 stakeholder groups: health system leaders, clinic managers, clinicians, nurses, and reception staff. Using a culture assessment instrument, the responses of personnel at clinics A and B were compared with comparison clinics from another health system that had not undergone transition. Patient satisfaction scores are presented. Clinics A and B were similar in size and staffing. Three human factor themes emerged from interviews: responses to change, professional and personal challenges due to role redefinition, and the importance of communication. The comparison clinics had an equal or higher mean culture scores compared with the transition clinics (A and B). Patient satisfaction in improved in Clinic A. The transition took more time than expected. Health system leaders underestimated the stress and the role adjustments for clinicians and nurses. Change leaders need to anticipate the challenge of role redefinition until health profession schools graduate trainees with more experience in new models of team-based care. Incorporating experience with team based, interprofessional care into training is essential to properly prepare future health professionals. © Copyright 2017 by the American Board of Family Medicine.

  12. NAPNAP Position Statement. Position Statement on Pediatric Health Care/Medical Home: Key Issues on Care Coordination, Transitions, and Leadership.

    PubMed

    2016-01-01

    The National Association of Pediatric Nurse Practitioners (NAPNAP) affirms that the delivery of children's health care should be family-centered, accessible, comprehensive, coordinated, culturally appropriate, compassionate, and focused on the overall well-being of children and families. All qualified pediatric health care providers should collaborate in providing health care services for children in pediatric health care/medical homes. Interventions must address the concepts of family-centered partnerships, community-based systems, and transitional care from pediatric to adult services.

  13. Parents' early healthcare transition experiences with preterm and acutely ill infants: a scoping review.

    PubMed

    Ballantyne, M; Orava, T; Bernardo, S; McPherson, A C; Church, P; Fehlings, D

    2017-11-01

    Parents undergo multiple transitions following the birth of an ill infant: their infant's illness-health trajectory, neonatal intensive care unit hospitalization and transfers from one healthcare setting to another, while also transitioning to parenthood. The objective of this review was to map and synthesize evidence on the experiences and needs of parents of preterm or ill infants as they transition within and between healthcare settings following birth. The scoping review followed Arskey and O'Malley's () framework, enhanced by Levac et al. (). Relevant studies were identified through a comprehensive search strategy of scientific and grey literature databases, online networks, Web of Science and citation lists of relevant articles. Inclusion criteria encompassed a focus on infants undergoing a healthcare transition, and the experiences and needs of parents during transition. Studies were appraised for design quality, and data relevant to parent experiences were extracted and underwent thematic analysis. A total of 7773 records were retrieved, 90 full texts reviewed and 11 articles synthesized that represented a total sample of 435 parents of preterm or ill infants. Parents reported on their experiences in response to their infant's transition within and between hospitals and across levels of neonatal intensive care unit, intermediate and community hospital care. Ten studies used qualitative research methods, while one employed quantitative survey methods. Four key themes were identified: that of parent distress throughout transition, parenting at a distance, sources of stress and sources of support. Parents' stress resulted from not being informed or involved in the transition decision, inadequate communication and perceived differences in cultures of care across healthcare settings. Opportunities to improve parents' early transition experiences include enhanced engagement, communication, information-sharing and shared decision-making between health care providers and parents. Future areas of research should focus on early transition interventions to advance parent capacity, confidence and closeness as the primary nurturer. © 2017 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

  14. Transitions Regarding Palliative and End-of-Life Care in Severe Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease or Advanced Cancer: Themes Identified by Patients, Families, and Clinicians

    PubMed Central

    REINKE, LYNN F.; ENGELBERG, RUTH A.; SHANNON, SARAH E.; WENRICH, MARJORIE D.; VIG, ELIZABETH K.; BACK, ANTHONY L.; CURTIS, J. RANDALL

    2015-01-01

    Background Classic trajectories of illness at end of life (EOL) suggest different care needs for patients with cancer versus chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) and may lead to different experiences of transitions over the course of a life-limiting illness. Patients may experience transitions in different ways than clinicians. No prior studies have examined this issue from patients’, families’, and clinicians’ perspectives. Objectives We sought to explore transitions, defined as experiences that patients and family members viewed as milestones in the evolution of their illnesses and therapies, and compare these perceptions with the perspectives of the patient’s physician and nurse to provide insights about communication concerning EOL care. Methods We conducted a qualitative study using grounded theory to examine participants’ perspectives on the experiences of key transitions in the context of living with advanced COPD or cancer. In-depth interviews with patients, family members, nurses, and physicians were conducted by experienced interviewers. Results Six themes were identified regarding participants’ experiences with transitions. Themes that defined transitions among both patients with COPD and those with cancer included: new or different treatments and no more treatments available. Themes unique to patients with COPD were activity limitations due to functional decline and initiation of oxygen therapy. One theme unique to clinicians was acute exacerbation of illness or hospitalization. Conclusions This study identified differences in the meaning of transitions for patients versus clinicians and for patients with COPD versus those with cancer. These findings may offer clinicians the opportunity to provide a more patient-centered approach to communication about end-of-life care by acknowledging and addressing transitions in palliative care from the perspective of the patient and family. PMID:18454613

  15. Patterns of Social Support in the Middle Childhood to Early Adolescent Transition: Implications for Adjustment

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Levitt, Mary J.; Levitt, Jerome; Bustos, Gaston L.; Crooks, Noel A.; Santos, Jennifer D.; Telan, Paige; Hodgetts, Jennifer; Milevsky, Avidan

    2005-01-01

    Children's social networks often include close family members, extended family members, and friends, but little is known about interindividual differences in the patterning of support from these sources. In this study, we used person-oriented analyses to differentiate patterns of support for children undergoing the transition to adolescence.…

  16. Distinguishing 6 Population Subgroups by Timing and Characteristics of the Menopausal Transition

    PubMed Central

    Huang, Xiaobi; Harlow, Siobán D.; Elliott, Michael R.

    2012-01-01

    Changes in women’s menstrual bleeding patterns precede the onset of menopause. In this paper, the authors identify population subgroups based on menstrual characteristics of the menopausal transition experience. Using the TREMIN data set (1943–1979), the authors apply a Bayesian change-point model with 8 parameters for each woman that summarize change in menstrual bleeding patterns during the menopausal transition. The authors then use estimates from this model to classify menstrual patterns into subgroups using a K-medoids algorithm. They identify 6 subgroups of women whose transition experience can be distinguished by age at onset, variability of the menstrual cycle, and duration of the early transition. These results suggest that for most women, mean and variance change points are well aligned with proposed bleeding markers of the menopausal transition, but for some women they are not clearly associated. Increasing understanding of population differences in the transition experience may lead to new insights into ovarian aging. Because of age inclusion criteria, most longitudinal studies of the menopausal transition probably include only a subset of the 6 subgroups of women identified in this paper, suggesting a potential bias in the understanding of both the menopausal transition and the linkage between the transition and chronic disease. PMID:22138039

  17. Remaining Financially Viable in a Time of Healthcare Transition.

    PubMed

    Ronan, Barry P

    2017-01-01

    In an unstable healthcare environment, Western Maryland Health System has been demonstrating stability. We have responded to the many challenges that hospitals face and managed to thrive in the new, value-based world.We made the transition to value-based payment and care delivery models through innovations in Maryland's payment system. In 2010, we recognized that becoming a demonstration project for value-based care would benefit our health system as we dealt with an aging and shrinking regional population. By moving care away from the acute setting to other settings across the care continuum, we now treat patients in the most appropriate setting (e.g., the home, physician office, clinic, and even senior centers, churches, and homeless shelters).As we have transitioned care, we have also transitioned our workforce. With fewer acute care patients, we need fewer staff members at the bedside. Many of our staff have shifted to delivering care in pre- and post-acute care settings.To improve our financial performance, we formed an alliance of three health systems. This new alliance has found increased savings by consolidating services, managing regionwide population health initiatives, and benchmarking clinical quality through best practices. Through the alliance, each individual health system is stronger and well augmented by the savings that it could not achieve separately.The transition has not been easy, but we have shown that it is achievable. We have identified a number of solutions to reduce costs and generate savings while enhancing quality and patient safety. These solutions may present a pathway to success for other organizations seeking to move to value-based care delivery and new payment models.

  18. Psychosocial changes following transition to an aged care home: qualitative findings from Iran.

    PubMed

    Zamanzadeh, Vahid; Rahmani, Azad; Pakpour, Vahid; Chenoweth, Lynnette Lorraine; Mohammadi, Eesa

    2017-06-01

    The study explored the psychosocial effects of transitioning from home to an aged care home for older Iranian people. Moving from one's own home to a communal aged care home is challenging for older people and may give rise to numerous psychosocial responses. The extent and intensity of such changes have rarely been explored in Middle Eastern countries. Data were collected through purposive sampling by in-depth semi-structured interviews with 20 participants (17 people living in aged care homes and three formal caregivers). All the interviews were recorded and typed, and conventional qualitative content analysis was used, eliciting common themes. There were four common themes: communication isolation, resource change, monotone institutional life and negative emotional response. Participants lost their previous support systems when transitioning to an aged care home and were not able to establish new ones. Routine care was provided by formal caregivers with little attention to individual needs, and minimal support was given to help maintain the older person's independence. These losses gave rise to negative emotions in some of the participants, depending on their previous lifestyle and accommodation arrangements. The extent and intensity of psychosocial changes occurring in most of the participants following their transition to an aged care home indicates the need for a review of Iranian aged care services. To assist older Iranian people adapt more readily when making the transition to aged care home and to meet their unique psychosocial needs, a family-centred approach to service delivery is recommended. © 2016 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

  19. Managing risk during care transitions when approaching end of life: A qualitative study of patients' and health care professionals' decision making.

    PubMed

    Coombs, Maureen A; Parker, Roses; de Vries, Kay

    2017-07-01

    Increasing importance is being placed on the coordination of services at the end of life. To describe decision-making processes that influence transitions in care when approaching the end of life. Qualitative study using field observations and longitudinal semi-structured interviews. Field observations were undertaken in three sites: a residential care home, a medical assessment unit and a general medical unit in New Zealand. The Supportive and Palliative Care Indicators Tool was used to identify participants with advanced and progressive illness. Patients and family members were interviewed on recruitment and 3-4 months later. Four weeks of fieldwork were conducted in each site. A total of 40 interviews were conducted: 29 initial interviews and 11 follow-up interviews. Thematic analysis was undertaken. Managing risk was an important factor that influenced transitions in care. Patients and health care staff held different perspectives on how such risks were managed. At home, patients tolerated increasing risk and used specific support measures to manage often escalating health and social problems. In contrast, decisions about discharge in hospital were driven by hospital staff who were risk-adverse. Availability of community and carer services supported risk management while a perceived need for early discharge decision making in hospital and making 'safe' discharge options informed hospital discharge decisions. While managing risk is an important factor during care transitions, patients should be able to make choices on how to live with risk at the end of life. This requires reconsideration of transitional care and current discharge planning processes at the end of life.

  20. Outcome Evidence for Structured Pediatric to Adult Health Care Transition Interventions: A Systematic Review.

    PubMed

    Gabriel, Phabinly; McManus, Margaret; Rogers, Katherine; White, Patience

    2017-09-01

    To identify statistically significant positive outcomes in pediatric-to-adult transition studies using the triple aim framework of population health, consumer experience, and utilization and costs of care. Studies published between January 1995 and April 2016 were identified using the CINAHL, Ovid MEDLINE, PubMed, Scopus, and Web of Science databases. Included studies evaluated pre-evaluation and postevaluation data, intervention and comparison groups, and randomized clinic trials. The methodological strength of each study was assessed using the Effective Public Health Practice Project Quality Assessment Tool. Out of a total of 3844 articles, 43 met our inclusion criteria. Statistically significant positive outcomes were found in 28 studies, most often related to population health (20 studies), followed by consumer experience (8 studies), and service utilization (9 studies). Among studies with moderate to strong quality assessment ratings, the most common positive outcomes were adherence to care and utilization of ambulatory care in adult settings. Structured transition interventions often resulted in positive outcomes. Future evaluations should consider aligning with professional transition guidance; incorporating detailed intervention descriptions about transition planning, transfer, and integration into adult care; and measuring the triple aims of population health, experience, and costs of care. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  1. Transition to Adult-Oriented Health Care: Perspectives of Youth and Adults with Complex Physical Disabilities

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Young, Nancy L.; Barden, Wendy S.; Mills, Wendy A.; Burke, Tricia A.; Law, Mary; Boydell, Katherine

    2009-01-01

    Introduction: The transition to adulthood is extremely difficult for individuals with disabilities. We sought to explore the specific issue of transition to adult-oriented health care in a Canadian context. Methods: We conducted semi-structured individual interviews with 15 youth and 15 adults with cerebral palsy, spina bifida, and acquired brain…

  2. Meaning-Making Dynamics of Emancipated Foster Care Youth Transitioning into Higher Education: A Constructivist-Grounded Theory

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Okumu, Jacob O.

    2014-01-01

    This study explored college transition meaning-making dynamics of emancipated foster care youth and the role campus environments play in that process. It adds to the college student development theoretical base by acknowledging the needs, goals, and values of disenfranchised college students transitioning into higher education. Emancipated foster…

  3. Watching Transitions Unfold: A Mixed-Method Study of Transitions within Early Childhood Care and Education Settings

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    O'Farrelly, Christine; Hennessy, Eilis

    2014-01-01

    Unlike the transitions children make between settings, those they undertake between age groups within early childhood care and education (ECCE) settings are seldom studied. Accordingly, this exploratory study followed seven preschool children (three boys and four girls) as they moved to new rooms in five ECCE settings. Structured observations of…

  4. 77 FR 4787 - Department of Defense Task Force on the Care, Management, and Transition of Recovering Wounded...

    Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

    2012-01-31

    ..., Management, and Transition of Recovering Wounded, Ill, and Injured Members of the Armed Forces; Amended... of the Department of Defense Task Force on the Care, Management, and Transition of Recovering Wounded... edition of the Federal Register (77 FR 3454) is amended to reflect changes in the meeting times and agenda...

  5. Pediatric to Adult Care Transition: Perspectives of Young Adults With Sickle Cell Disease.

    PubMed

    Porter, Jerlym S; Wesley, Kimberly M; Zhao, Mimi S; Rupff, Rebecca J; Hankins, Jane S

    2017-10-01

    The aim of this study was to explore perspectives of transition and transition readiness of young adult patients (YAs) with sickle cell disease (SCD) who have transitioned to adult health care. In all, 19 YAs with SCD (ages 18-30 years) participated in one of three focus groups and completed a brief questionnaire about transition topics. Transcripts were coded and emergent themes were examined using the social-ecological model of adolescent and young adult readiness for transition (SMART). Themes were consistent with most SMART components. Adult provider relationships and negative medical experiences emerged as salient factors. YAs ranked choosing an adult provider, seeking emergency care, understanding medications/medication adherence, knowing SCD complications, and being aware of the impact of health behaviors as the most important topics to include in transition programming. The unique perspectives of YAs can inform the development and evaluation of SCD transition programming by incorporating the identified themes. © The Author 2017. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the Society of Pediatric Psychology. All rights reserved. For permissions, please e-mail: journals.permissions@oup.com

  6. 45 CFR 263.5 - When do expenditures in State-funded programs count?

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

    2014-10-01

    ..., or Transitional Child Care programs, then current fiscal year expenditures in this program count in... recipients, At-Risk Child Care, or Transitional Child care programs, then countable expenditures are limited... 45 Public Welfare 2 2014-10-01 2012-10-01 true When do expenditures in State-funded programs count...

  7. 45 CFR 263.5 - When do expenditures in State-funded programs count?

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

    2013-10-01

    ..., or Transitional Child Care programs, then current fiscal year expenditures in this program count in... recipients, At-Risk Child Care, or Transitional Child care programs, then countable expenditures are limited... 45 Public Welfare 2 2013-10-01 2012-10-01 true When do expenditures in State-funded programs count...

  8. Engaging Adolescent Youth in Foster Care through Photography

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Rice, Karen; Girvin, Heather; Primak, Sarah

    2014-01-01

    Older youth in foster care are particularly vulnerable because they are poorly prepared for the transition from foster care to independent adulthood. Interventions designed to assist in this transition rarely engage youth directly; plans are made for youth rather than with them. Photographs can serve as an externalised medium for the expression of…

  9. Children's Early Child Care and Their Mothers' Later Involvement with Schools

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Crosnoe, Robert; Augustine, Jennifer March; Huston, Aletha C.

    2012-01-01

    Theory and policy highlight the role of child care in preparing children for the transition into school. Approaching this issue in a different way, this study investigated whether children's care experiences before this transition promoted their mothers' school involvement after it, with the hypothesized mechanism for this link being the…

  10. Building mobile technologies to improve transitions of care in adolescents with congenital heart disease

    USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

    Congenital heart diseases (CHDs) are the most common type of birth defects. Improvements in CHD care have led to roughly 1.4 million survivors reaching adulthood. This emerging "survivor" population are often palliated but not cured. Thus successful transition from pediatric to adult care for CHD pa...

  11. An Innovative Approach to Health Care Delivery for Patients with Chronic Conditions.

    PubMed

    Clarke, Janice L; Bourn, Scott; Skoufalos, Alexis; Beck, Eric H; Castillo, Daniel J

    2017-02-01

    Although the health care reform movement has brought about positive changes, lingering inefficiencies and communication gaps continue to hamper system-wide progress toward achieving the overarching goal-higher quality health care and improved population health outcomes at a lower cost. The multiple interrelated barriers to improvement are most evident in care for the population of patients with multiple chronic conditions. During transitions of care, the lack of integration among various silos and inadequate communication among providers cause delays in delivering appropriate health care services to these vulnerable patients and their caregivers, diminishing positive health outcomes and driving costs ever higher. Long-entrenched acute care-focused treatment and reimbursement paradigms hamper more effective deployment of existing resources to improve the ongoing care of these patients. New models for care coordination during transitions, longitudinal high-risk care management, and unplanned acute episodic care have been conceived and piloted with promising results. Utilizing existing resources, Mobile Integrated Healthcare is an emerging model focused on closing these care gaps by means of a round-the-clock, technologically sophisticated, physician-led interprofessional team to manage care transitions and chronic care services on-site in patients' homes or workplaces.

  12. Early Evidence from California on Transitions to a Reformed Health Insurance System for Persons Living With HIV/AIDS

    PubMed Central

    Leibowitz, Arleen A.; Lester, Robbie; Curtis, Philip G.; Farrell, Kevin; Fox, Aaron; Klipp, Luke H.; Wise, Jason

    2014-01-01

    Background Many uninsured people living with HIV/AIDS (PLWHA) will obtain managed health insurance coverage when the Affordable Care Act (ACA) is implemented in January 2014. Since 2011, California has transitioned PLWHA to Medicaid managed care (MMC) and to the Low Income Health Program (LIHP). Objectives To draw lessons for the ACA implementation from the transitions into MMC and the LIHP. Methods Surveys about clients and services provided before and after the transition to MMC and the LIHP were sent to 43 HIV service providers. Usable responses were obtained from 18 (42%). Results Although total client loads were similar in the pre- (January 2011) and post- transition periods (June 2012), many clients transitioned from fee-for-service (FFS) Medicaid to MMC. Over this period, responding agencies served 43.5% fewer PLWHA in FFS Medicaid while the share of PLWHA covered by MMC rose from 16.9% to 55.5%. Managed care covered a smaller number of services than either FFS Medicaid or Ryan White sites. Ryan White providers reported that 53% of the clients they served in January 2011 had transitioned to the LIHPs. Nonetheless, they continued to provide services to many of these clients and Ryan White cases loads did not decline. Conclusions PLWHA enrolled in Medicaid managed care continue to depend on Ryan White sites to supply the full range of services that will allow them to take full advantage of increased access to care under ACA. PMID:24126449

  13. Tracking patterns of needs during a telephone follow-up programme for family caregivers of persons with stroke.

    PubMed

    Bakas, Tamilyn; Jessup, Nenette M; McLennon, Susan M; Habermann, Barbara; Weaver, Michael T; Morrison, Gwendolyn

    2016-09-01

    Programmes that address stroke family caregiver needs and skill-building are recommended based on the literature and patient care guidelines for stroke rehabilitation. The purpose of this study was to explore patterns of perceived needs and skill-building during a stroke caregiver intervention programme. Descriptive statistics were used to analyse data from 123 stroke caregivers enrolled in the intervention group of a randomised controlled clinical trial. Caregivers received eight weekly telephone sessions, with a booster session a month later. At each session, the Caregiver Needs and Concerns Checklist (CNCC) was used to identify and prioritise current needs that were then addressed through skill-building strategies. Perceived needs changed over time. Information about stroke was the highest priority need during Session 1. Managing survivor emotions and behaviours was the highest priority for Sessions 2 through 4. Caregivers generally waited until Sessions 5 through 9 to address their own emotional and physical health needs. Physical and instrumental care needs were relatively low but stable across all nine sessions. Skill-building was consistently high, though it peaked during Sessions 2 and 3. Tracking patterns of needs and skill-building suggest appropriate timing for targeting different types of family caregiver support during stroke rehabilitation. Implications for Rehabilitation Family caregivers of stroke survivors play an essential role in the rehabilitation process of the stroke survivor. Identifying and addressing the priority needs and concerns of stroke caregivers during the early discharge period enables caregivers to provide sustained support for the stroke survivor. Rehabilitation professionals are in a key position to address evolving caregiver needs and concerns as they transition to home settings with follow-up care.

  14. Identification of complex metabolic states in critically injured patients using bioinformatic cluster analysis.

    PubMed

    Cohen, Mitchell J; Grossman, Adam D; Morabito, Diane; Knudson, M Margaret; Butte, Atul J; Manley, Geoffrey T

    2010-01-01

    Advances in technology have made extensive monitoring of patient physiology the standard of care in intensive care units (ICUs). While many systems exist to compile these data, there has been no systematic multivariate analysis and categorization across patient physiological data. The sheer volume and complexity of these data make pattern recognition or identification of patient state difficult. Hierarchical cluster analysis allows visualization of high dimensional data and enables pattern recognition and identification of physiologic patient states. We hypothesized that processing of multivariate data using hierarchical clustering techniques would allow identification of otherwise hidden patient physiologic patterns that would be predictive of outcome. Multivariate physiologic and ventilator data were collected continuously using a multimodal bioinformatics system in the surgical ICU at San Francisco General Hospital. These data were incorporated with non-continuous data and stored on a server in the ICU. A hierarchical clustering algorithm grouped each minute of data into 1 of 10 clusters. Clusters were correlated with outcome measures including incidence of infection, multiple organ failure (MOF), and mortality. We identified 10 clusters, which we defined as distinct patient states. While patients transitioned between states, they spent significant amounts of time in each. Clusters were enriched for our outcome measures: 2 of the 10 states were enriched for infection, 6 of 10 were enriched for MOF, and 3 of 10 were enriched for death. Further analysis of correlations between pairs of variables within each cluster reveals significant differences in physiology between clusters. Here we show for the first time the feasibility of clustering physiological measurements to identify clinically relevant patient states after trauma. These results demonstrate that hierarchical clustering techniques can be useful for visualizing complex multivariate data and may provide new insights for the care of critically injured patients.

  15. Transitioning young adults from paediatric to adult care and the HIV care continuum in Atlanta, Georgia, USA: a retrospective cohort study.

    PubMed

    Hussen, Sophia A; Chakraborty, Rana; Knezevic, Andrea; Camacho-Gonzalez, Andres; Huang, Eugene; Stephenson, Rob; Del Rio, Carlos

    2017-09-01

    The transition from paediatric to adult HIV care is a particularly high-risk time for disengagement among young adults; however, empirical data are lacking. We reviewed medical records of 72 youth seen in both the paediatric and the adult clinics of the Grady Infectious Disease Program in Atlanta, Georgia, USA, from 2004 to 2014. We abstracted clinical data on linkage, retention and virologic suppression from the last two years in the paediatric clinic through the first two years in the adult clinic. Of patients with at least one visit scheduled in adult clinic, 97% were eventually seen by an adult provider (median time between last paediatric and first adult clinic visit = 10 months, interquartile range 2-18 months). Half of the patients were enrolled in paediatric care immediately prior to transition, while the other half experienced a gap in paediatric care and re-enrolled in the clinic as adults. A total of 89% of patients were retained (at least two visits at least three months apart) in the first year and 56% in the second year after transition. Patients who were seen in adult clinic within three months of their last paediatric visit were more likely to be virologically suppressed after transition than those who took longer (Relative risk (RR): 1.76; 95% confidence interval (CI): 1.07-2.9; p  = 0.03). Patients with virologic suppression (HIV-1 RNA below the level of detection of the assay) at the last paediatric visit were also more likely to be suppressed at the most recent adult visit (RR: 2.3; 95% CI: 1.34-3.9; p  = 0.002). Retention rates once in adult care, though high initially, declined significantly by the second year after transition. Pre-transition viral suppression and shorter linkage time between paediatric and adult clinic were associated with better outcomes post-transition. Optimizing transition will require intensive transition support for patients who are not virologically controlled, as well as support for youth beyond the first year in the adult setting.

  16. Changing Patterns of Organ Donation: Brain Dead Donors Are Not Being Lost by Donation After Circulatory Death.

    PubMed

    Nelson, Helen M; Glazier, Alexandra K; Delmonico, Francis L

    2016-02-01

    The clinical characteristics of all New England Organ Bank (NEOB) donors after circulatory death (DCD) donors were analyzed between July 1, 2009, and June 30, 2014. During that 5-year period, there were 494 authorized medically suitable potential DCDs that the NEOB evaluated, constituting more than 30% of deceased donors coordinated annually by the NEOB. From the cohort of 494 authorized potential DCDs, 331 (67%) became actual DCD, 82 (17%) were attempted as a DCD but did not progress to donation, and 81 (16%) transitioned to an actual donor after brain death (DBD). Two hundred seventy-six organs were transplanted from the 81 donors that transitioned from DCD to actual DBD, including 24 heart, 70 liver, 12 single and 14 bilateral lung, and 12 pancreas transplants. When patients with devastating brain injury admitted to the intensive care units are registered donors, the Organ Procurement Organization staff should share the patient's donation decision with the health care team and the patient's family, as early as possible after the comfort measures only discussion has been initiated. The experience of the NEOB becomes an important reference of the successful implementation of DCD that enables an expansion of deceased donation (inclusive of DBD).

  17. Transition of Care from Childhood to Adulthood: Turner Syndrome.

    PubMed

    Conway, Gerard

    2018-01-01

    Girls with Turner syndrome (TS) require special consideration during transition from childhood to adult care. During the transition years, treatment for short stature will be completed and sexual development induced in parallel with the peer group. The timing of sexual development may have later repercussions with respect to psychosocial development and partnership status. Late presentation of TS, which is so common, can result in additional difficulties with the transition process. © 2018 S. Karger AG, Basel.

  18. Dengue fever in Pakistan: a paradigm shift; changing epidemiology and clinical patterns.

    PubMed

    Haider, Zahra; Ahmad, Farina Zia; Mahmood, Asif; Waseem, Tariq; Shafiq, Irfan; Raza, Tanzeem; Qazi, Javaria; Siddique, Nasir; Humayun, Malik Asif

    2015-11-01

    Dengue fever has huge public health implications and affects over 100 million people worldwide. This review pictures the current situation of Dengue in Pakistan and presents a review of published literature. Pakistan has seen recurrent epidemics of Dengue Fever recently. Unfortunately, these epidemics are becoming more severe in their clinical manifestation. Pakistan experienced large epidemics of dengue fever during 2008, 2010 and 2011 affecting thousands of people and claiming hundreds of deaths. A comparison of data during these epidemics indicates a shift from mild to a more severe disease, which could be interpreted as an epidemiologic transition pattern in the country. Expansion of Dengue in Pakistan seems to be multifactorial, including the climate change, frequent natural disasters, vector resistance to insecticides and lack of resources. This highlights the need for rigorous vector control. Continuing education of primary care physicians is crucial for early appropriate management to reduce mortality. © Royal Society for Public Health 2015.

  19. Measuring Transition Readiness: A Correlational Study of Perceptions of Parent and Adolescents and Young Adults with Sickle Cell Disease.

    PubMed

    Speller-Brown, Barbara; Patterson Kelly, Katherine; VanGraafeiland, Brigit; Feetham, Suzanne; Sill, Anne; Darbari, Deepika; Meier, Emily R

    2015-01-01

    Adolescents and young adults (AYAs) often transfer from pediatric to adult care without adequate preparation, resulting in increased morbidity and mortality. The purpose of this descriptive research study of parent/AYA dyads was to measure perceptions of transition readiness. Factors that were found to be associated with perceptions of increased readiness to transition included AYA age, the amount of responsibility AYAs assume for their healthcare and the degree of parent involvement. More attention should be focused on these aspects of care to improve transition from pediatric to adult care for AYAs with sickle cell disease. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  20. Transition Icons for Time-Series Visualization and Exploratory Analysis.

    PubMed

    Nickerson, Paul V; Baharloo, Raheleh; Wanigatunga, Amal A; Manini, Todd M; Tighe, Patrick J; Rashidi, Parisa

    2018-03-01

    The modern healthcare landscape has seen the rapid emergence of techniques and devices that temporally monitor and record physiological signals. The prevalence of time-series data within the healthcare field necessitates the development of methods that can analyze the data in order to draw meaningful conclusions. Time-series behavior is notoriously difficult to intuitively understand due to its intrinsic high-dimensionality, which is compounded in the case of analyzing groups of time series collected from different patients. Our framework, which we call transition icons, renders common patterns in a visual format useful for understanding the shared behavior within groups of time series. Transition icons are adept at detecting and displaying subtle differences and similarities, e.g., between measurements taken from patients receiving different treatment strategies or stratified by demographics. We introduce various methods that collectively allow for exploratory analysis of groups of time series, while being free of distribution assumptions and including simple heuristics for parameter determination. Our technique extracts discrete transition patterns from symbolic aggregate approXimation representations, and compiles transition frequencies into a bag of patterns constructed for each group. These transition frequencies are normalized and aligned in icon form to intuitively display the underlying patterns. We demonstrate the transition icon technique for two time-series datasets-postoperative pain scores, and hip-worn accelerometer activity counts. We believe transition icons can be an important tool for researchers approaching time-series data, as they give rich and intuitive information about collective time-series behaviors.

  1. Transition of young people with chronic conditions: a cross-sectional study of patient perceptions before and after transfer from pediatric to adult health care.

    PubMed

    Rutishauser, Christoph; Sawyer, Susan M; Ambresin, Anne-Emmanuelle

    2014-08-01

    The aim of this study was to compare perceived barriers to and the most preferred age for successful transition to adult health care between young people with chronic disorders who had not yet transferred from pediatric to adult health care (pre-transfer) and those who had already transferred (post-transfer). In a cross-sectional study, we compared 283 pre-transfer with 89 post-transfer young people, using a 28-item questionnaire that focused on perceived barriers to transition and beliefs about the most preferred age to transfer. Feeling at ease with the pediatrician was the most important barrier to successful transition in both groups, but was rated significantly higher in the pre-transfer compared to the post-transfer group (OR = 2.03, 95 %CI 1.12-3.71). Anxiety and lack of information were the next most important barriers, rated equally highly by the two groups (OR = 0.67, 95 %CI 0.35-1.28 and OR = 0.71, 95 %CI 0.36-1.38, respectively). More than 80 % of the respondents in both groups reported that 16-19 years was the most preferred age to transfer; more than half of all the respondents reported 18-19 years and older as the most preferred age. Better transition planning through the provision of regular and more detailed information about adult health-care providers and the transition process could reduce anxiety and contribute to a more positive attitude to overcome perceived barriers to transition from young people's perspective. Young people's preferences about transferring to adult health care provide a challenge to those children's hospitals that transfer to adult health care at a younger age.

  2. Stakeholder validation of a model of readiness for transition to adult care.

    PubMed

    Schwartz, Lisa A; Brumley, Lauren D; Tuchman, Lisa K; Barakat, Lamia P; Hobbie, Wendy L; Ginsberg, Jill P; Daniel, Lauren C; Kazak, Anne E; Bevans, Katherine; Deatrick, Janet A

    2013-10-01

    That too few youth with special health care needs make the transition to adult-oriented health care successfully may be due, in part, to lack of readiness to transfer care. There is a lack of theoretical models to guide development and implementation of evidence-based guidelines, assessments, and interventions to improve transition readiness. To further validate the Social-ecological Model of Adolescent and Young Adult Readiness to Transition (SMART) via feedback from stakeholders (patients, parents, and providers) from a medically diverse population in need of life-long follow-up care, survivors of childhood cancer. Mixed-methods participatory research design. A large Mid-Atlantic children's hospital. Adolescent and young adult survivors of childhood cancer (n = 14), parents (n = 18), and pediatric providers (n = 10). Patients and parents participated in focus groups; providers participated in individual semi-structured interviews. Validity of SMART was assessed 3 ways: (1) ratings on importance of SMART components for transition readiness using a 5-point scale (0-4; ratings >2 support validity), (2) nominations of 3 "most important" components, and (3) directed content analysis of focus group/interview transcripts. Qualitative data supported the validity of SMART, with minor modifications to definitions of components. Quantitative ratings met criteria for validity; stakeholders endorsed all components of SMART as important for transition. No additional SMART variables were suggested by stakeholders and the "most important" components varied by stakeholders, thus supporting the comprehensiveness of SMART and need to involve multiple perspectives. SMART represents a comprehensive and empirically validated framework for transition research and program planning, supported by survivors of childhood cancer, parents, and pediatric providers. Future research should validate SMART among other populations with special health care needs.

  3. The impact of transitional programmes on post-transition outcomes for youth leaving out-of-home care: a meta-analysis.

    PubMed

    Heerde, Jessica A; Hemphill, Sheryl A; Scholes-Balog, Kirsty E

    2018-01-01

    Youth residing in out-of-home care settings have often been exposed to childhood trauma, and commonly report experiencing adverse outcomes after transitioning from care. This meta-analysis appraised internationally published literature investigating the impact of transitional programme participation (among youth with a baseline age of 15-24 years) on post-transition outcomes of housing, education, employment, mental health and substance use. A comprehensive search of sociology (e.g. ProQuest Sociology), psychology (e.g. PsycInfo) and health (e.g. ProQuest Family Health) electronic abstraction databases was conducted for the period 1990-2014. Search terms included 'out-of-home care', 'transition', 'housing', 'education', 'employment', 'mental health' and 'substance use'. Nineteen studies, all from the United States, met the inclusion criteria and were included in the meta-analysis. Living independently and homelessness were the most commonly described housing outcomes. Rates of post-transition employment varied, while rates of post-secondary education were low. Depression and alcohol use were commonly reported among transitioning youth. Findings of the meta-analysis showed that attention should be given to the potential benefit of transitional programme participation on outcomes such as housing, employment and education. Moderator analyses showed that these benefits may differ based on study design, sample size and sampling unit, but not for mean age or gender. Detailed and rigorous research is needed internationally to examine the characteristics of transitional programmes resulting in more successful outcomes for youth, and whether these outcomes are sustained longitudinally. © 2016 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

  4. Longitudinal Physical Activity Patterns Among Older Adults: A Latent Transition Analysis.

    PubMed

    Mooney, Stephen J; Joshi, Spruha; Cerdá, Magdalena; Kennedy, Gary J; Beard, John R; Rundle, Andrew G

    2018-05-14

    Most epidemiologic studies of physical activity measure either total energy expenditure or engagement in a single activity type, such as walking. These approaches may gloss over important nuances in activity patterns. We performed a latent transition analysis to identify patterns of activity types as well as neighborhood and individual determinants of changes in those activity patterns over two years in a cohort of 2,023 older adult residents of New York City, NY, surveyed between 2011 and 2013. We identified seven latent classes: 1) Mostly Inactive, 2) Walking, 3) Exercise, 4) Household Activities and Walking, 5) Household Activities and Exercise, 6) Gardening and Household Activities, and 7) Gardening, Household Activities, and Exercise. The majority of subjects retained the same activity patterns between waves (54% unchanged between waves 1 and 2, 66% unchanged between waves 2 and 3).Most latent class transitions were between classes distinguished only by one form of activity, and only neighborhood unemployment was consistently associated with changing between activity latent classes. Future latent transition analyses of physical activity would benefit from larger cohorts and longer follow-up periods to assess predictors of and long-term impacts of changes in activity patterns.

  5. Candidemia in the intensive care unit: A 12-year retrospective cohort study in Reunion Island.

    PubMed

    Hoarau, G; Picot, S; Lemant, J; Peytral, J; Poubeau, P; Zunic, P; Mohr, C; Coueffe, X; Gerardin, P; Antok, E

    2018-05-09

    We aimed to describe the epidemiology of Candida bloodstream infection in an intensive care unit (ICU) in Reunion Island. We performed a retrospective cohort study and evaluated 63 candidemia episodes, which occurred between January 2004 and December 2015 in the ICU of a University Hospital in St-Pierre. The incidence rate of candidemia in the ICU was estimated at 7.6%. Candida albicans was the most common yeast pathogen species recovered (54%), followed by Candida glabrata (17%), Candida tropicalis (12%) and Candida parapsilosis (10%). Between 2012 and 2015, we also observed a modification of antifungal use. The epidemiology of candidemia in Reunion Island is characterized by the predominance of Candida albicans and by the relative importance of Candida tropicalis. This pattern corresponds to a model of epidemiological transition between the one usually observed in tropical areas and the one observed in temperate countries. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Masson SAS. All rights reserved.

  6. Community care for people who are homeless and mentally ill.

    PubMed

    Drury, Lin J

    2003-05-01

    This qualitative longitudinal study documents the experiences of 60 people who are homeless and mentally ill from their state mental hospital discharge through their first two years in community housing. The study explores the personal, cultural, and environmental contexts of life for adults who are homeless and mentally ill and examines the interaction between an individual's needs and community resources. The research identifies forces that perpetuate homelessness and traces the struggles that people who are homeless and mentally ill encounter during the transition from the streets to stable housing. The findings describe a culturally based pattern of mutual avoidance between homeless mentally ill clients and caregivers, which limits delivery of services to the population. Recommendations include development of alternative systems of care delivery, expansion of educational experiences with underserved populations, and increased funding for service or research with people who are homeless and mentally ill.

  7. The Health Care Transition of Youth With Liver Disease Into the Adult Health System: Position Paper From ESPGHAN and EASL.

    PubMed

    Vajro, Pietro; Fischler, Björn; Burra, Patrizia; Debray, Dominique; Dezsofi, Antal; Guercio Nuzio, Salvatore; Hadzic, Nedim; Hierro, Loreto; Jahnel, Joerg; Lamireau, Thierry; McKiernan, Patrick; McLin, Valerie; Nobili, Valerio; Socha, Piotr; Smets, Francoise; Baumann, Ulli; Verkade, Henkjan J

    2018-06-01

    Medical advances have dramatically improved the long-term prognosis of children and adolescents with once-fatal hepatobiliary diseases. However, there is no generally accepted optimal pathway of care for the transition from paediatric care to the adult health system. The purpose of this position paper is to propose a transition process for young people with paediatric onset hepatobiliary diseases from child-centred to adult-centred healthcare services. Seventeen ESPGHAN/EASL physicians from 13 countries (Austria, Belgium, France, Germany, Hungary, Italy, the Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, and United Kingdom) formulated and answered questions after examining the currently published literature on transition from childhood to adulthood. PubMed and Google Scholar were systematically searched between 1980 and January 2018. Quality of evidence was assessed by the Grading of Recommendation Assessment, Development and Evaluation (GRADE) system. Expert opinions were used to support recommendations whenever the evidence was graded weak. All authors voted on each recommendation, using the nominal voting technique. We reviewed the literature regarding the optimal timing for the initiation of the transition process and the transfer of the patient to adult services, principal documents, transition multi-professional team components, main barriers, and goals of the general transition process. A transition plan based on available evidence was agreed focusing on the individual young people's readiness and on coordinated teamwork, with transition monitoring continuing until the first year of adult services.We further agreed on selected features of transitioning processes inherent to the most frequent paediatric-onset hepatobiliary diseases. The discussion highlights specific clinical issues that will probably present to adult gastrointestinal specialists and that should be considered, according to published evidence, in the long-term tracking of patients. Transfer of medical care of individuals with paediatric onset hepatobiliary chronic diseases to adult facilities is a complex task requiring multiple involvements of patients and both paediatric and adult care providers.

  8. Improving care planning and coordination for service users with medical co-morbidity transitioning between tertiary medical and primary care services.

    PubMed

    Cranwell, K; Polacsek, M; McCann, T V

    2017-08-01

    WHAT IS KNOWN ON THE SUBJECT?: Mental health service users with medical co-morbidity frequently experience difficulties accessing and receiving appropriate treatment in emergency departments. Service users frequently experience fragmented care planning and coordinating between tertiary medical and primary care services. Little is known about mental health nurses' perspectives about how to address these problems. WHAT THIS PAPER ADDS TO EXISTING KNOWLEDGE?: Emergency department clinicians' poor communication and negative attitudes have adverse effects on service users and the quality of care they receive. The findings contribute to the international evidence about mental health nurses' perspectives of service users feeling confused and frustrated in this situation, and improving coordination and continuity of care, facilitating transitions and increasing family and caregiver participation. Intervention studies are needed to evaluate if adoption of these measures leads to sustainable improvements in care planning and coordination, and how service users with medical co-morbidity are treated in emergency departments in particular. WHAT ARE THE IMPLICATIONS FOR PRACTICE?: Effective planning and coordination of care are essential to enable smooth transitions between tertiary medical (emergency departments in particular) and primary care services for service users with medical co-morbidity. Ongoing professional development education and support is needed for emergency department clinicians. There is also a need to develop an organized and systemic approach to improving service users' experience in emergency departments. Introduction Mental health service users with medical co-morbidity frequently experience difficulties accessing appropriate treatment in medical hospitals, and often there is poor collaboration within and between services. Little is known about mental health nurses' perspectives on how to address these problems. Aim To explore mental health nurses' perspectives of the experience of service users with medical co-morbidity in tertiary medical services, and to identify how to improve care planning and coordination for service users transitioning between tertiary medical and primary care services. Method Embedded within an experience-based co-design study, focus group discussions were conducted with 17 emergency department nurses and other clinicians, in Melbourne, Australia. Results Three main themes were abstracted from the data: feeling confused and frustrated, enhancing service users' transition and experience and involving families and caregivers. Participants perceived the service user experience to be characterized by fear, confusion and a sense of not being listened to. They highlighted that service users' transition and experience could be enhanced by facilitating transitions and improving coordination and continuity of care. They also emphasized the need to increase family and caregiver participation. Conclusion Our findings contribute to knowledge about improving the way service users are treated in emergency departments and improving care planning and coordination; in particular, facilitating transitions, improving coordination and continuity of care and increasing family and caregiver participation. © 2016 The Authors. Journal of Psychiatric and Mental Health Nursing Published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

  9. Slug to churn transition analysis using wire-mesh sensor

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    H. F. Velasco, P.; Ortiz-Vidal, L. E.; Rocha, D. M.; Rodriguez, O. M. H.

    2016-06-01

    A comparison between some theoretical slug to churn flow-pattern transition models and experimental data is performed. The flow-pattern database considers vertical upward air-water flow at standard temperature and pressure for 50 mm and 32 mm ID pipes. A briefly description of the models and its phenomenology is presented. In general, the performance of the transition models is poor. We found that new experimental studies describing objectively both stable and unstable slug flow-pattern are required. In this sense, the Wire Mesh Sensor (WMS) can assist to that aim. The potential of the WMS is outlined.

  10. User Experience and Care Integration in Transitional Care for Older People From Hospital to Home: A Meta-Synthesis.

    PubMed

    Allen, Jacqueline; Hutchinson, Alison M; Brown, Rhonda; Livingston, Patricia M

    2017-01-01

    This meta-synthesis aimed to improve understanding of user experience of older people, carers, and health providers; and care integration in the care of older people transitioning from hospital to home. Following our systematic search, we identified and synthesized 20 studies, and constructed a comprehensive framework. We derived four themes: (1) 'Who is taking care of what? Trying to work together"; (2) 'Falling short of the mark'; (3) 'A proper discharge'; and (4) 'You adjust somehow.' The themes that emerged from the studies reflected users' experience of discharge and transitional care as a social process of 'negotiation and navigation of independence (older people/carers), or dependence (health providers).' Users engaged in negotiation and navigation through the interrogative strategies of questioning, discussion, information provision, information seeking, assessment, and translation. The derived themes reflected care integration that facilitated, or a lack of care integration that constrained, users' experiences of negotiation and navigation of independence/dependence. © The Author(s) 2016.

  11. Transition from paediatric care to adult care for patients with mucopolysaccharidosis.

    PubMed

    Couce, M L; Del Toro, M; García-Jiménez, M C; Gutierrez-Solana, L; Hermida-Ameijeiras, Á; López-Rodríguez, M; Pérez-López, J; Torralba, M Á

    Mucopolysaccharidosis are multisystem diseases that require large multidisciplinary teams for their care. Specific recommendations are therefore needed for the transition from childhood to adulthood in this patient group. To overcome the barriers that might arise during the transition, the authors consider it essential to implement a flexible plan with a coordinator for the entire process, systematising the information through a standardised paediatric discharge report and educating the patient and their family about the disease, showing the characteristics of the healthcare system in this new stage. The final objective is that, once the transition to adulthood has been completed, the patient's autonomy and potential development are maximised and that the patient receives appropriate healthcare during this transition. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier España, S.L.U. and Sociedad Española de Medicina Interna (SEMI). All rights reserved.

  12. Parents' Experiences during Their Infant's Transition from Neonatal Intensive Care Unit to Home: A Qualitative Study

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Hutchinson, Sharon W.; Spillet, Marydee A.; Cronin, Mary

    2012-01-01

    Limited literature exists which examines how parents of infants hospitalized in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) transition from their infant's NICU hospital stay to home. This study examines the question, "What are the experiences of parents during their infant's transition from the NICU to home?" Grounded theory methods served as the…

  13. Transitioning of special needs paediatric patients to adult special needs dental services.

    PubMed

    Borromeo, G L; Bramante, G; Betar, D; Bhikha, C; Cai, Y Y; Cajili, C

    2014-09-01

    Special needs dentistry is in its infancy compared to other dental specialties. Continuity of care through transition from paediatric to adult dental care providers is unknown. This study seeks to determine the nature of transition practices adopted by paediatric and special needs (SN) specialists practising throughout Australia. A survey was sent to all paediatric and SN specialist dentists in Australia to determine the nature of current transition practices for paediatric SN patients in Australia. Two subsequent mail-outs were sent to non-responders. Forty-nine specialist dentists registered across Australia completed the survey, of which 35 (71%) were paediatric dentists and 14 (29%) were SN dentists. Both paediatric and SN dentists treated patients over the age of 18. Of the total paediatric dentists who had transition discussions with their paediatric patients and their families, the majority (over 80%) discussed treatment options available as part of future oral care management. Paediatric dentists identified level of independence and financial situations as the most significant barrier for transition. Key factors exist that should be discussed with SN patients and their parents and/or guardians in order to enhance the prospect of sustained dental care into adulthood. © 2014 Australian Dental Association.

  14. Successful reentry: the perspective of private correctional health care providers.

    PubMed

    Mellow, Jeff; Greifinger, Robert B

    2007-01-01

    Due to public health and safety concerns, discharge planning is increasingly prioritized by correctional systems when preparing prisoners for their reintegration into the community. Annually, private correctional health care vendors provide $3 billion of health care services to inmates in correctional facilities throughout the U.S., but rarely are contracted to provide transitional health care. A discussion with 12 people representing five private nationwide correctional health care providers highlighted the barriers they face when implementing transitional health care and what templates of services health care companies could provide to state and counties to enhance the reentry process.

  15. Meanings and political implications of "psychopathology" in a gender identity clinic: a report of 10 cases.

    PubMed

    Levine, Stephen B; Solomon, Anna

    2009-01-01

    Beginning in August 2007, we committed ourselves to a clinical review the co-morbid diagnostic patterns of the last 10 patients interviewed by our Gender Identity Clinic. We found 90% of these diverse patients had at least one other significant form of psychopathology. This finding seems to be in marked contrast to the public, forensic, and professional rhetoric of many who care for transgendered adults. Much of this rhetoric sounds remarkably certain about the long-term value of gender transition, hormones, and sex reassignment surgery in improving the lives of those with Gender Identity Disorder (GID). Such clinical certainty would have to be based on carefully established sophisticated follow-up findings. These are lacking. The psychopathologies in this series included problems of mood and anxiety regulation and adapting in the world. Two of the 10 have had persistent significant regrets about their previous transitions. In discussing management decisions, civil rights, and ethics, we planned to separately briefly present the 10 patients. However, our decision to seek patients' permission proved so upsetting to three of the first six patients that we altered the structure of this report. Our attempt to follow the ethical principle of informed consent caused us to violate the principle of nonmalfiescence. This distressing experience only illustrates, however, the disadvantage of discussing professional concepts with lay audiences. Emphasis on civil rights is not a substitute for the recognition and treatment of associated psychopathology. Gender identity specialists, unlike the media, need to be concerned about the majority of patients, not just the ones who are apparently functioning well in transition.

  16. Developing a rural transitional care community case management program using clinical nurse specialists.

    PubMed

    Baldwin, Kathleen M; Black, Denice; Hammond, Sheri

    2014-01-01

    This quality improvement project developed a community nursing case management program to decrease preventable readmissions to the hospital and emergency department by providing telephonic case management and, if needed, onsite assessment and treatment by a clinical nurse specialist (CNS) with prescriptive authority. As more people reach Medicare age, the number of individuals with worsening chronic diseases with dramatically increases unless appropriate disease management programs are developed. Care transitions can result in breakdown in continuity of care, resulting in increased preventable readmissions, particularly for indigent patients. The CNS is uniquely educated to managing care transitions and coordination of community resources to prevent readmissions. After a thorough SWOT (strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats) analysis, we developed and implemented a cost-avoidance model to prevent readmissions in our uninsured and underinsured patients. The project CNS used a wide array of interventions to decrease readmissions. In the last 2 years, there have been a total of 22 less than 30-day readmissions to the emergency department or hospital in 13 patients, a significant decrease from readmissions in these patients prior to the program. Three of them required transfer to a larger hospital for a higher level of care. Using advanced practice nurses in transitional care can prevent readmissions, resulting in cost avoidance. The coordination of community resources during transition from hospital to home is a job best suited to CNSs, because they are educated to work within organizations/systems. The money we saved with this project more than justified the cost of hiring a CNS to lead it. More research is needed into this technology. Guidelines for this intervention need to be developed. Replicating our cost-avoidance transitional care model can help other facilities limit that loss.

  17. Employment Transitions, Child Care Conflict, and the Mental Health of Low-Income Urban Women With Children.

    PubMed

    Jacobs, Anna W; Hill, Terrence D; Tope, Daniel; O'Brien, Laureen K

    2016-01-01

    Although studies suggest that employment promotes mental health, it is unclear whether this pattern extends to low-income urban women with children who are disproportionately employed in unstable jobs and often unable to obtain child care. In this paper, we consider whether becoming employed reduces symptoms of psychological distress among low-income women with children. We also assess whether having trouble securing adequate child care offsets these benefits. We use longitudinal data from the Welfare, Children, and Families project, a probability sample of low-income women with children living in Boston, Chicago, and San Antonio, to test whether becoming employed reduces symptoms of psychological distress over time and whether having trouble securing child care moderates this association. We find that employment is associated with lower levels of distress among women who have no trouble with child care and higher levels of distress among women who struggle with child care. Taken together, our results suggest that valuing the benefits of paid work over unpaid work is an oversimplification and that the emphasis on placing poor women with children into paid work could be misguided. Policies that focus on moving low-income women off of government assistance and into paid work could be more effective if greater resources were devoted to increasing access to quality child care. Copyright © 2016 Jacobs Institute of Women's Health. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  18. The role of team climate in improving the quality of chronic care delivery: a longitudinal study among professionals working with chronically ill adolescents in transitional care programmes.

    PubMed

    Cramm, Jane M; Strating, Mathilde M H; Nieboer, Anna P

    2014-05-22

    This study aimed to (1) evaluate the effectiveness of implementing transition programmes in improving the quality of chronic care delivery and (2) identify the predictive role of (changes in) team climate on the quality of chronic care delivery over time. This longitudinal study was undertaken with professionals working in hospitals and rehabilitation units that participated in the transition programme 'On Your Own Feet Ahead!' in the Netherlands. A total of 145/180 respondents (80.6%) filled in the questionnaire at the beginning of the programme (T1), and 101/173 respondents (58.4%) did so 1 year later at the end of the programme (T2). A total of 90 (52%) respondents filled in the questionnaire at both time points. Two-tailed, paired t tests were used to investigate improvements over time and multilevel analyses to investigate the predictive role of (changes in) team climate on the quality of chronic care delivery. Transition programme. Quality of chronic care delivery measured with the Assessment of Chronic Illness Care Short version (ACIC-S). The overall ACIC-S score at T1 was 5.90, indicating basic or intermediate support for chronic care delivery. The mean ACIC-S score at T2 significantly improved to 6.70, indicating advanced support for chronic care. After adjusting for the quality of chronic care delivery at T1 and significant respondents' characteristics, multilevel regression analyses showed that team climate at T1 (p<0.01) and changes in team climate (p<0.001) predicted the quality of chronic care delivery at T2. The implementation of transition programmes requires a supportive and stimulating team climate to enhance the quality of chronic care delivery to chronically ill adolescents. 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.

  19. An internet-based communication network for information transfer during patient transitions from skilled nursing facility to the emergency department.

    PubMed

    Hustey, Fredric M; Palmer, Robert M

    2010-06-01

    To determine whether the implementation of an Internet-based communication system improves the amount of essential information conveyed between a skilled nursing facility (SNF) and the emergency department (ED) during patient care transitions. Interventional; before and after. ED of an urban teaching hospital with approximately 55,000 visits per year and a 55-bed subacute free-standing rehabilitation facility (the SNF). All patients transferred from the SNF to the ED over 16 months. An Internet-based communication network with SNF-ED transfer form for communication during patient care transitions. Nine elements of patient information assessed before and after intervention through chart review. changes in efficiency of information transfer and staff satisfaction. Two hundred thirty-four of 237 preintervention and all 276 postintervention care transitions were reviewed. The Internet communication network was used in 78 (26%) of all care transitions, peaking at 40% by the end of the study. There was more critical patient information (1.85 vs 4.29 of 9 elements; P<.001) contained within fewer pages of transfer documents (24.47 vs 5.15; P<.001) after the intervention. Staff satisfaction with communication was higher among ED physicians after the intervention. The use of an Internet-based system increased the amount of information communicated during SNF-ED care transitions and significantly reduced the number of pages in which this information was contained.

  20. The Relationship of Transition Readiness, Self-Efficacy, and Adherence to Preferred Health Learning Method by Youths with Chronic Conditions.

    PubMed

    Johnson, Meredith A J; Javalkar, Karina; van Tilburg, Miranda; Haberman, Cara; Rak, Eniko; Ferris, Maria E

    2015-01-01

    Health care transition preparation, medication adherence, and self-efficacy are important skills to achieve optimal health outcomes. It is unclear how pediatric patients with chronic conditions obtain health information that may impact the acquisition of these skills. In this cross-sectional study, we determined the preferred sources/methods for health information among youths with chronic conditions and their relationship to health care transition readiness (STARx Questionnaire), self-efficacy (Iannotti's Diabetes Management Self-efficacy Scale), and medication adherence (Morisky Medication Adherence Scale). Youths with various chronic health conditions attending Victory Junction, a therapeutic camp, were invited to complete these online surveys. A total of 160 youths with different chronic conditions from multiple institutions, ages 6 to 16 years participated. Most commonly preferred sources of medical information were family/parents (n=122, 76.3%) and health care providers (n=88, 55.0%). Youths who favored family/parents had the highest medication adherence rates. In turn, youths who favored health care providers over other sources, scored highest on self-efficacy and transition readiness of all groups. Our novel findings represent important areas of intervention to improve transition readiness, self-efficacy, and medication adherence. Ascertaining the patients' preferred method of learning about the disease and its management is important in order to customize and enhance health care transition readiness, self-efficacy, and medication adherence. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  1. Insurance Disruption due to Spousal Medicare Transitions: Implications for Access to Care and Health Care Utilization for Women Approaching Age 65

    PubMed Central

    Schumacher, Jessica R; Smith, Maureen A; Liou, Jinn-Ing; Pandhi, Nancy

    2009-01-01

    Objective To assess whether a husband's Medicare transition leads to insurance disruptions for his wife that impact her perceived access to care, health care utilization, or health status. Data Sources/Study Setting Respondents were married women under age 65 from the 2003–2005 round of the Wisconsin Longitudinal Study (N=655). Study Design Instrumental variable (IV) linear and IV-probit analyses provided unbiased estimates of the effect of an insurance disruption on study outcomes. The instrument was the husband's age: (1) women with husbands who transitioned to Medicare within the previous year (age 65–66); (2) women with husbands who did not transition (60

  2. Forecasting client transitions in British Columbia's Long-Term Care Program.

    PubMed Central

    Lane, D; Uyeno, D; Stark, A; Gutman, G; McCashin, B

    1987-01-01

    This article presents a model for the annual transitions of clients through various home and facility placements in a long-term care program. The model, an application of Markov chain analysis, is developed, tested, and applied to over 9,000 clients (N = 9,483) in British Columbia's Long Term Care Program (LTC) over the period 1978-1983. Results show that the model gives accurate forecasts of the progress of groups of clients from state to state in the long-term care system from time of admission until eventual death. Statistical methods are used to test the modeling hypothesis that clients' year-over-year transitions occur in constant proportions from state to state within the long-term care system. Tests are carried out by examining actual year-over-year transitions of each year's new admission cohort (1978-1983). Various subsets of the available data are analyzed and, after accounting for clear differences among annual cohorts, the most acceptable model of the actual client transition data occurred when clients were separated into male and female groups, i.e., the transition behavior of each group is describable by a different Markov model. To validate the model, we develop model estimates for the numbers of existing clients in each state of the long-term care system for the period (1981-1983) for which actual data are available. When these estimates are compared with the actual data, total weighted absolute deviations do not exceed 10 percent of actuals. Finally, we use the properties of the Markov chain probability transition matrix and simulation methods to develop three-year forecasts with prediction intervals for the distribution of the existing total clients into each state of the system. The tests, forecasts, and Markov model supplemental information are contained in a mechanized procedure suitable for a microcomputer. The procedure provides a powerful, efficient tool for decision makers planning facilities and services in response to the needs of long-term care clients. PMID:3121537

  3. Epilepsy: Transition from pediatric to adult care. Recommendations of the Ontario epilepsy implementation task force.

    PubMed

    Andrade, Danielle M; Bassett, Anne S; Bercovici, Eduard; Borlot, Felippe; Bui, Esther; Camfield, Peter; Clozza, Guida Quaglia; Cohen, Eyal; Gofine, Timothy; Graves, Lisa; Greenaway, Jon; Guttman, Beverly; Guttman-Slater, Maya; Hassan, Ayman; Henze, Megan; Kaufman, Miriam; Lawless, Bernard; Lee, Hannah; Lindzon, Lezlee; Lomax, Lysa Boissé; McAndrews, Mary Pat; Menna-Dack, Dolly; Minassian, Berge A; Mulligan, Janice; Nabbout, Rima; Nejm, Tracy; Secco, Mary; Sellers, Laurene; Shapiro, Michelle; Slegr, Marie; Smith, Rosie; Szatmari, Peter; Tao, Leeping; Vogt, Anastasia; Whiting, Sharon; Carter Snead, O

    2017-09-01

    The transition from a pediatric to adult health care system is challenging for many youths with epilepsy and their families. Recently, the Ministry of Health and Long-Term Care of the Province of Ontario, Canada, created a transition working group (TWG) to develop recommendations for the transition process for patients with epilepsy in the Province of Ontario. Herein we present an executive summary of this work. The TWG was composed of a multidisciplinary group of pediatric and adult epileptologists, psychiatrists, and family doctors from academia and from the community; neurologists from the community; nurses and social workers from pediatric and adult epilepsy programs; adolescent medicine physician specialists; a team of physicians, nurses, and social workers dedicated to patients with complex care needs; a lawyer; an occupational therapist; representatives from community epilepsy agencies; patients with epilepsy; parents of patients with epilepsy and severe intellectual disability; and project managers. Three main areas were addressed: (1) Diagnosis and Management of Seizures; 2) Mental Health and Psychosocial Needs; and 3) Financial, Community, and Legal Supports. Although there are no systematic studies on the outcomes of transition programs, the impressions of the TWG are as follows. Teenagers at risk of poor transition should be identified early. The care coordination between pediatric and adult neurologists and other specialists should begin before the actual transfer. The transition period is the ideal time to rethink the diagnosis and repeat diagnostic testing where indicated (particularly genetic testing, which now can uncover more etiologies than when patients were initially evaluated many years ago). Some screening tests should be repeated after the move to the adult system. The seven steps proposed herein may facilitate transition, thereby promoting uninterrupted and adequate care for youth with epilepsy leaving the pediatric system. Wiley Periodicals, Inc. © 2017 International League Against Epilepsy.

  4. Therapeutic nursing care: transition in sexuality of the elderly caregiving spouse.

    PubMed

    Lima, Claudia Feio da Maia; Caldas, Célia Pereira; Santos, Iraci Dos; Trotte, Liana Amorim Correa; Silva, Bárbara Martins Corrêa da

    2017-01-01

    To understand the transitions experienced, and the conditions and expected response patterns to changes in sexuality of the spouse-caregiver of the elderly, during progression of the dementia process. A qualitative research study, conducted at the neurogeriatric clinic between May of 2014 and May of 2015. An intensive, individual interview was administered to 12 elderly caregivers. Thematic content analysis was applied, using the theoretical model of Transition Theory. Seven categories emerged, involving relationship and conjugal sexuality; disease repercussions; care and professional approach; attitudes, beliefs and social imagery of sexuality and care; family relationship and redefining of sexuality. Family development and marital life, the aspects of formation and development of sexuality, the specifics that involved living and caring for the other were understood, with successive events and changes influenced by old age, dementia, beliefs and social imagery. compreender as transições vivenciadas, suas condições e os padrões de resposta esperados a mudanças na sexualidade do cônjuge-cuidador do idoso em processo demencial. pesquisa de abordagem qualitativa, realizada no ambulatório de neurogeriatria, entre maio de 2014 e maio de 2015. Aplicou-se a entrevista individual e intensiva a 12 cônjuges-cuidadores de idosos. Fez-se a análise de conteúdo temática, com aplicação do modelo teórico da Teoria das Transições. emergiram sete categorias, que envolveram relação e sexualidade conjugal; repercussões da doença; o cuidado e a abordagem profissional; atitudes, crenças e imaginário social de sexualidade e cuidado; relação familiar e ressignificação de sexualidade. compreendeu-se a construção de vida familiar e conjugal; os aspectos de formação e desenvolvimento da sexualidade; as especificidades que envolvem viver e cuidar do outro, com sucessivos acontecimentos e mudanças influenciados pela velhice, por processo demencial, crenças e imaginário social.

  5. 78 FR 66902 - Department of Defense Task Force on the Care, Management, and Transition of Recovering Wounded...

    Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

    2013-11-07

    ... DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE Office of the Secretary Department of Defense Task Force on the Care, Management, and Transition of Recovering Wounded, Ill, and Injured Members of the Armed Forces; Notice of... Federal Advisory Committee meeting of the Department of Defense Task Force on the Care, Management, and...

  6. The Transition from Child Care to School.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Clyde, Margaret

    Child care in New Zealand and Australia has become a crucial part of the child-rearing system, and most preschool children spend a prolonged period in at least one away-from-home environment for a substantial part of the day. Because so many preschool children are exposed to a child care environment before entering school, the transition from…

  7. Fathers' Involvement in Child Care and Perceptions of Parenting Skill over the Transition to Parenthood

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Barry, Amy A.; Smith, JuliAnna Z.; Deutsch, Francine M.; Perry-Jenkins, Maureen

    2011-01-01

    This study explored first-time fathers' perceived child care skill over the transition to parenthood, based on face-to-face interviews of 152 working-class, dual-earner couples. Analyses examined the associations among fathers' perceived skill and prenatal perception of skill, child care involvement, mothers' breastfeeding, maternal gatekeeping,…

  8. Grandparents Providing Care to Grandchildren: A Population-Based Study of Continuity and Change

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Luo, Ye; LaPierre, Tracey A.; Hughes, Mary Elizabeth; Waite, Linda J.

    2012-01-01

    This study examines transitions in grandchild care and the characteristics of grandparents making these transitions, using longitudinal data from a nationally representative sample of 13,626 grandparents in the 1998-2008 Health and Retirement Study. More than 60% of grandparents provided grandchild care over the 10-year period; more than 70% of…

  9. Dementia and Transitioning from Assisted Living to Memory Care Units: Perspectives of Administrators in Three Facility Types

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Kelsey, Susan G.; Laditka, Sarah B.; Laditka, James N.

    2010-01-01

    Purpose: This study examines transitioning residents with Alzheimer's disease or a related disorder (ADRD) from assisted living facilities (ALFs) to memory care units (MCUs) from the perspective of 3 ALF organizational models: freestanding ALFs, ALFs with MCUs, and ALFs in continuing care retirement communities (CCRCs) with MCUs. Design and…

  10. Advancing research in transitional care: challenges of culture, language and health literacy in Asian American and native Hawaiian elders.

    PubMed

    Nishita, Christy; Browne, Colette

    2013-02-01

    Recent federal policy supports an individual's preference for home and community-based long-term care, even among nursing home residents. Optimizing transitions from the nursing home to home is a complex undertaking that requires addressing the interrelationships between health literacy and cultural-linguistic factors in the nation's increasingly diverse older adult population. We look at four Asian American and Pacific Islander elder populations to illustrate that differing health profiles and cultural-linguistic values can affect the type of care and support needed and preferred. A research gap exists that links these factors together for optimal transitional care. The paper presents a conceptual framework and proposes a six-point research agenda that includes family assessments of health literacy abilities, exploring the relationship between culture, health, and decision-making, and the development/adaptation of transition planning tools.

  11. Ensuring Patient Safety in Care Transitions: An Empirical Evaluation of a Handoff Intervention Tool

    PubMed Central

    Abraham, Joanna; Kannampallil, Thomas; Patel, Bela; Almoosa, Khalid; Patel, Vimla L.

    2012-01-01

    Successful handoffs ensure smooth, efficient and safe patient care transitions. Tools and systems designed for standardization of clinician handoffs often focuses on ensuring the communication activity during transitions, with limited support for preparatory activities such as information seeking and organization. We designed and evaluated a Handoff Intervention Tool (HAND-IT) based on a checklist-inspired, body system format allowing structured information organization, and a problem-case narrative format allowing temporal description of patient care events. Based on a pre-post prospective study using a multi-method analysis we evaluated the effectiveness of HAND-IT as a documentation tool. We found that the use of HAND-IT led to fewer transition breakdowns, greater tool resilience, and likely led to better learning outcomes for less-experienced clinicians when compared to the current tool. We discuss the implications of our results for improving patient safety with a continuity of care-based approach. PMID:23304268

  12. Patients in transition--improving hospital-home care collaboration through electronic messaging: providers' perspectives.

    PubMed

    Melby, Line; Brattheim, Berit J; Hellesø, Ragnhild

    2015-12-01

    To explore how the use of electronic messages support hospital and community care nurses' collaboration and communication concerning patients' admittance to and discharges from hospitals. Nurses in hospitals and in community care play a crucial role in the transfer of patients between the home and the hospital. Several studies have shown that transition situations are challenging due to a lack of communication and information exchange. Information and communication technologies may support nurses' work in these transition situations. An electronic message system was introduced in Norway to support patient transitions across the health care sector. A descriptive, qualitative interview study was conducted. One hospital and three adjacent communities were included in the study. We conducted semi-structured interviews with hospital nurses and community care nurses. In total, 41 persons were included in the study. The analysis stemmed from three main topics related to the aims of e-messaging: efficiency, quality and safety. These were further divided into sub-themes. All informants agreed that electronic messaging is more efficient, i.e. less time-consuming than previous means of communication. The shift from predominantly oral communication to writing electronic messages has brought attention to the content of the information exchanged, thereby leading to more conscious communication. Electronic messaging enables improved information security, thereby enhancing patient safety, but this depends on nurses using the system as intended. Nurses consider electronic messaging to be a useful tool for communication and collaboration in patient transitions. Patient transitions are demanding situations both for patients and for the nurses who facilitate the transitions. The introduction of information and communication technologies can support nurses' work in the transition situations, and this is likely to benefit the patients. © 2015 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

  13. Sharp transition from ripple patterns to a flat surface for ion beam erosion of Si with simultaneous co-deposition of iron

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Zhang, K.; Brötzmann, M.; Hofsäss, H.

    2012-09-01

    We investigate pattern formation on Si by sputter erosion under simultaneous co-deposition of Fe atoms, both at off-normal incidence, as function of the Fe surface coverage. The patterns obtained for 5 keV Xe ion irradiation at 30° incidence angle are analyzed with atomic force microscopy. Rutherford backscattering spectroscopy of the local steady state Fe content of the Fe-Si surface layer allows a quantitative correlation between pattern type and Fe coverage. With increasing Fe coverage the patterns change, starting from a flat surface at low coverage (< 2×1015 Fe/cm2) over dot patterns (2-8×1015 Fe/cm2), ripples patterns (8-17×1015 Fe/cm2), pill bug structures (1.8×1016 Fe/cm2) and a rather flat surface with randomly distributed weak pits at high Fe coverage (>1.8×1016 Fe/cm2). Our results confirm the observations by Macko et al. for 2 keV Kr ion irradiation of Si with Fe co-deposition. In particular, we also find a sharp transition from pronounced ripple patterns with large amplitude (rms roughness ˜ 18 nm) to a rather flat surface (rms roughness ˜ 0.5 nm). Within this transition regime, we also observe the formation of pill bug structures, i.e. individual small hillocks with a rippled structure on an otherwise rather flat surface. The transition occurs within a very narrow regime of the steady state Fe surface coverage between 1.7 and 1.8×1016 Fe/cm2, where the composition of the mixed Fe-Si surface layer of about 10 nm thickness reaches the stoichiometry of FeSi2. Phase separation towards amorphous iron silicide is assumed as the major contribution for the pattern formation at lower Fe coverage and the sharp transition from ripple patterns to a flat surface.

  14. Variability-induced transition in a net of neural elements: From oscillatory to excitable behavior.

    PubMed

    Glatt, Erik; Gassel, Martin; Kaiser, Friedemann

    2006-06-01

    Starting with an oscillatory net of neural elements, increasing variability induces a phase transition to excitability. This transition is explained by a systematic effect of the variability, which stabilizes the formerly unstable, spatially uniform, temporally constant solution of the net. Multiplicative noise may also influence the net in a systematic way and may thus induce a similar transition. Adding noise into the model, the interplay of noise and variability with respect to the reported transition is investigated. Finally, pattern formation in a diffusively coupled net is studied, because excitability implies the ability of pattern formation and information transmission.

  15. CO2 time series patterns in contrasting headwater streams of North America

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Crawford, John T.; Stanley, Emily H.; Dornblaser, Mark M.; Striegl, Robert G.

    2017-01-01

    We explored the underlying patterns of temporal stream CO2 partial pressure (pCO2) variability using highfrequency sensors in seven disparate headwater streams distributed across the northern hemisphere. We also compared this dataset of [40,000 pCO2 records with other published records from lotic systems. Individual stream sites exhibited relatively distinct pCO2 patterns over time with few consistent traits across sites. Some sites showed strong diel variability, some exhibited increasing pCO2 with increasing discharge, whereas other streams had reduced pCO2 with increasing discharge or no clear response to changes in flow. The only ‘‘universal’’ signature observed in headwater streams was a late summer pCO2 maxima that was likely driven by greatest rates of organic matter respiration due to highest annual temperatures. However, we did not observe this seasonal pattern in a southern hardwood forest site, likely because the region was transitioning from a severe drought. This work clearly illustrates the heterogeneous nature of headwater streams, and highlights the idiosyncratic nature of a non-conservative solute that is jointly influenced by physics, hydrology, and biology. We suggest that future researchers carefully select sensor locations (within and among streams) and provide additional contextual information when attempting to explain pCO2 patterns.

  16. Mandatory bundled payment getting into formation for value-based care.

    PubMed

    Fink, John

    2015-10-01

    Succeeding under Medicare's enterprise Comprehensive Care for Joint Replacement Model will require collaboration among caregivers and financial arrangements to align incentives Priorities for most organization's transition to becoming a value-based hospitals will be care redesign, supply-purchasing strategy, and post-acute care provider partnering. Pursuing value for your joint replacement program will chart a path for other service lines and lead your organization's transition to becoming a value-based enterprise.

  17. How Community Organizations Promote Continuity of Care for Young People with Mental Health Problems

    PubMed Central

    Polgar, By Michael F.; Cabassa, Leopoldo J.; Morrissey, Joseph P.

    2014-01-01

    Young people between the ages of 16 and 25 who experience mental health problems experience transitions and need help from a variety of organizations. Organizations promote continuity of care by assisting young adults with developmental, service, and systemic transitions. Providers offer specific services to help transitions and also form cooperative relationships with other community organizations. Results from a survey of 100 service providers in one community describe organizational attributes and practices which are associated with continuity of care in a regional system for young adults. Data analyses show that full-service organizations which practice cultural competence offer more specific services that foster continuity of care. Larger, full-service organizations are also more likely to have more extensive and collaborative inter-organizational networks that help young adults continue care over time within the regional system of care. PMID:24833485

  18. Health-related quality of life in patients with Gilles de la Tourette syndrome at the transition between adolescence and adulthood.

    PubMed

    Silvestri, Paola R; Chiarotti, Flavia; Baglioni, Valentina; Neri, Valeria; Cardona, Francesco; Cavanna, Andrea E

    2016-11-01

    Gilles de la Tourette syndrome (GTS) is a neurodevelopmental condition characterised by tics and co-morbid behavioural problems, affecting predominantly male patients. Tic severity typically fluctuates over time, with a consistent pattern showing improvement after adolescence in a considerable proportion of patients. Both tics and behavioural co-morbidities have been shown to have the potential to affect patients' health-related quality of life (HR-QoL) in children and adults with persisting symptoms. In this study, we present the results of the first investigation of HR-QoL in patients with Gilles de la Tourette syndrome at the transition between adolescence and adulthood using a disease-specific HR-QoL measure, the Gilles de la Tourette Syndrome-Quality of Life-Children and Adolescents scale. Our results showed that patients with GTS and more severe co-morbid anxiety symptoms reported lower HR-QoL across all domains, highlighting the impact of anxiety on patient's well-being at a critical stage of development. Routine screening for anxiety symptoms is recommended in all patients with GTS seen at transition clinics from paediatric to adult care, to implement effective behavioural and pharmacological interventions as appropriate.

  19. Inequalities in health care use and expenditures: empirical data from eight developing countries and countries in transition.

    PubMed Central

    Makinen, M.; Waters, H.; Rauch, M.; Almagambetova, N.; Bitran, R.; Gilson, L.; McIntyre, D.; Pannarunothai, S.; Prieto, A. L.; Ubilla, G.; Ram, S.

    2000-01-01

    This paper summarizes eight country studies of inequality in the health sector. The analyses use household data to examine the distribution of service use and health expenditures. Each study divides the population into "income" quintiles, estimated using consumption expenditures. The studies measure inequality in the use of and spending on health services. Richer groups are found to have a higher probability of obtaining care when sick, to be more likely to be seen by a doctor, and to have a higher probability of receiving medicines when they are ill, than the poorer groups. The richer also spend more in absolute terms on care. In several instances there are unexpected findings. There is no consistent pattern in the use of private providers. Richer households do not devote a consistently higher percentage of their consumption expenditures to health care. The analyses indicate that intuition concerning inequalities could result in misguided decisions. It would thus be worthwhile to measure inequality to inform policy-making. Additional research could be performed using a common methodology for the collection of data and applying more sophisticated analytical techniques. These analyses could be used to measure the impact of health policy changes on inequality. PMID:10686733

  20. Cost-effectiveness of a health-social partnership transitional program for post-discharge medical patients.

    PubMed

    Wong, Frances Kam Yuet; Chau, June; So, Ching; Tam, Stanley Ku Fu; McGhee, Sarah

    2012-12-24

    Readmissions are costly and have implications for quality of care. Studies have been reported to support effects of transitional care programs in reducing hospital readmissions and enhancing clinical outcomes. However, there is a paucity of studies executing full economic evaluation to assess the cost-effectiveness of these transitional care programs. This study is therefore launched to fill this knowledge gap. Cost-effectiveness analysis was conducted alongside a randomized controlled trial that examined the effects of a Health-Social Transitional Care Management Program (HSTCMP) for medical patients discharged from an acute regional hospital in Hong Kong. The cost and health outcomes were compared between the patients receiving the HSTCMP and usual care. The total costs comprised the pre-program, program, and healthcare utilization costs. Quality of life was measured with SF-36 and transformed to utility values between 0 and 1. The readmission rates within 28 (control 10.2%, study 4.0%) and 84 days (control 19.4%, study 8.1%) were significantly higher in the control group. Utility values showed no difference between the control and study groups at baseline (p = 0.308). Utility values for the study group were significantly higher than in the control group at 28 (p < 0.001) and 84 days (p = 0.002). The study group also had a significantly higher QALYs gain (p < 0.001) over time at 28 and 84 days when compared with the control group. The intervention had an 89% chance of being cost-effective at the threshold of £20000/QALY. Previous studies on transitional care focused mainly on clinical outcomes and not too many included cost as an outcome measure. Studies examining the cost-effectiveness of the post-discharge support services are scanty. This study is the first to examine the cost-effectiveness of a transitional care program that used nurse-led services participated by volunteers. Results have shown that a health-social partnership transitional care program is cost-effective in reducing healthcare costs and attaining QALY gains. Economic evaluation helps to inform funders and guide decisions for the effective use of competing healthcare resources.

  1. Preparing childhood cancer survivors for transition to adult care: The young adult perspective.

    PubMed

    Frederick, Natasha N; Bober, Sharon L; Berwick, Lexie; Tower, Mary; Kenney, Lisa B

    2017-10-01

    Childhood cancer survivors (CCSs) remain at risk for developing treatment-associated health conditions as they age; however, many do not obtain recommended follow-up, putting them at unnecessary risk for morbidity. Educational interventions targeted at providing survivors with the knowledge and skills necessary for healthcare independence might improve adherence and outcomes as they transition care to the adult medical system. To identify informational needs, educational preferences, and support that young adult CCSs perceive as beneficial for transition from pediatric to adult medical care. Sixteen young adult CCSs (ages 22-39 years) who have transitioned to adult care participated in focus groups led by a trained moderator and analyzed using a thematic analysis approach. Four major themes emerged: (1) education preferences-pediatric oncology provider as the primary source of information and guidance, enhanced by other formats, and early and ongoing engagement in education; (2) family role in transition-desire for independence and acknowledgement of need for ongoing parental support; (3) expectations for adult providers, such as close relationships, open communication, and care coordination; and (4) knowledge deficits regarding disease/treatment history, risk for long-term complications, and navigation of the adult medical system. Transition education as described by young adult CCSs should be a developmentally appropriate process beginning in early adolescents, primarily administered by pediatric oncology providers, and delivered in multiple formats. While healthcare independence is a goal for young adult CCSs, all stakeholders must recognize that families and providers continue to have an important role supporting survivors with transition logistics and medical decision-making. © 2017 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

  2. Intervention time until discharge for newborns on transition from gavage to exclusive oral feeding.

    PubMed

    Medeiros, Andréa Monteiro Correia; Ramos, Blenda Karen Batista; Bomfim, Déborah Letticia Santana Santos; Alvelos, Conceição Lima; Silva, Talita Cardoso da; Barreto, Ikaro Daniel de Carvalho; Santos, Felipe Batista; Gurgel, Ricardo Queiroz

    2018-01-01

    Purpose Measure the intervention time required for transition from gavage to exclusive oral feeding, comparing newborns exposed exclusively to the mother's breast with those who, in addition to breastfeeding, received supplementation using a cup or baby bottle. Methods Analytical, longitudinal, cohort study conducted with 165 newborns (NB) divided into groups according to severity of medical complications (G1-with no complications; G2-with significant complications), and into subgroups according to feeding mechanism (A and B). All NBs were low birth weight, on Kangaroo Mother Care, and breast stimulated according to medical prescription and hospital routine. Regarding feeding pattern, subgroup A comprised NBs exclusively breastfed at hospital discharge, whereas subgroup B was composed of NBs fed through cup/bottle at some time during hospitalization. The number of days spent in each stage of transition was recorded for each NB. Results History of clinical complications significantly influenced total intervention time. Study participants in subgroups G1-A (10 days), G1-B (9 days), and G2-A (12 days) displayed greater chances of early discharge compared with those in subgroup G2-B (16 days). Conclusion NBs with no important history of clinical complications displayed greater chances of early hospital discharge. NBs with significant history of clinical complications that underwent gavage to exclusive breastfeeding transition presented smaller intervention time than those that required supplementation using cup/bottle. Feeding transition using the gavage-to-exclusive oral feeding technique is recommended for Speech-language Pathology practice in Neonatology.

  3. From Foster Care to Freshman Year: Foster Youths' Perspectives on the Transition and Adaptation to College

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Tate, Tonya R.

    2018-01-01

    The current qualitative study explored the transition to college of youth aging out of foster care and their adaptation in the first year of college. The aim of this study was to determine the nature and quality of former foster youths' college transition experience and factors influencing their adaptation in the first year. Participants included…

  4. [Transition from pediatric to adult health care services for adolescents with chronic diseases: Recommendations from the Adolescent Branch from Sociedad Chilena de Pediatría].

    PubMed

    Zubarew, Tamara; Correa, Loreto; Bedregal, Paula; Besoain, Carolina; Reinoso, Alejandro; Velarde, Macarena; Valenzuela, María Teresa; Inostroza, Carolina

    2017-01-01

    The Adolescent Branch from Sociedad Chilena de Pediatría supports the implementation of planned programs for transition from child to adult health centers, oriented to adolescents with chronic diseases, in order to ensure an appropriate follow-up and a high-quality health care. Recommendations for care are set out in the FONIS and VRI PUC project carried out by the Division of Pediatrics of the Universidad Católica de Chile: “Transition process from pediatric to adult services: perspectives of adolescents with chronic diseases, caregivers and health professionals”, whose goal was to describe the experience, barriers, critical points, and facilitators in the transition process. Critical points detected in this study were: existence of a strong bond between adolescents, caregivers and the pediatric team, resistance to transition, difficulty developing autonomy and self-management among adolescents; invisibility of the process of adolescence; and lack of communication between pediatric and adult team during the transfer. According to these needs, barriers and critical points, and based on published international experiences, recommendations are made for implementation of gradual and planned transition processes, with emphasis on the design and implementation of transition policies, establishment of multidisciplinary teams and transition planning. We discuss aspects related to coordination of teams, transfer timing, self-care and autonomy, transition records, adolescent and family participation, need for emotional support, ethical aspects involved, importance of confidentiality, need for professional training, and the need for evaluation and further research on the subject.

  5. Health care transition for youth living with HIV/AIDS.

    PubMed

    Dowshen, Nadia; D'Angelo, Lawrence

    2011-10-01

    There are ~1 million people in the United States living with HIV/AIDS, and >50,000 new infections occur each year. With an estimated 13% of all new infections occurring among young people aged 13 to 24 years and an increasing number of perinatally infected youth surviving to adulthood, there is now an increasing need to transition both perinatally and behaviorally infected youth to the adult health care setting. Recently, pediatric providers and professional societies have prioritized the development of transition programs for adolescents with chronic disease to address the many challenges these youth face in the process. Although multiple position papers have called for continuous, coordinated, culturally appropriate, compassionate, family-centered transition programs for youth with special health care needs and have recognized the need for evidence-based models, few data exist on what strategies are most effective. To date, published data on health care transition for HIV-positive youth are limited and include only 2 studies, which considered behaviorally infected youth. In this state-of-the-art review, we discuss the unique transition challenges to consider for this population, including socioeconomic and health insurance status, the special role of the pediatric or adolescent provider as family, stigma and disclosure issues, cognitive development and mental health issues, medication adherence, and sexual, reproductive, and gender health concerns. Future research will need to include the experiences of transition in low-resource settings and examine clinical outcomes and factors that may predict success or failure of the transition process.

  6. Transition of care from pre-dialysis prelude to renal replacement therapy: the blueprints of emerging research in advanced chronic kidney disease

    PubMed Central

    Kalantar-Zadeh, Kamyar; Kovesdy, Csaba P.; Streja, Elani; Rhee, Connie M.; Soohoo, Melissa; Chen, Joline L.T.; Molnar, Miklos Z.; Obi, Yoshitsugu; Gillen, Daniel; Nguyen, Danh V.; Norris, Keith C.; Sim, John J.; Jacobsen, Steve S.

    2017-01-01

    Abstract In patients with advanced (estimated glomerular filtration rate <25 mL/min/1.73 m2) non-dialysis-dependent chronic kidney disease (CKD) the optimal transition of care to renal replacement therapy (RRT), i.e. dialysis or transplantation, is not known. Mortality and hospitalization risk are extremely high upon transition and in the first months following the transition to dialysis. Major knowledge gaps persist pertaining to differential or individualized transitions across different demographics and clinical measures during the ‘prelude’ period prior to the transition, particularly in several key areas: (i) the best timing for RRT transition; (ii) the optimal RRT type (dialysis versus transplant), and in the case of dialysis, the best modality (hemodialysis versus peritoneal dialysis), format (in-center versus home), frequency (infrequent versus thrice-weekly versus more frequent) and vascular access preparation; (iii) the post-RRT impact of pre-RRT prelude conditions and events such as blood pressure and glycemic control, acute kidney injury episodes, and management of CKD-specific conditions such as anemia and mineral disorders; and (iv) the impact of the above prelude conditions on end-of-life care and RRT decision-making versus conservative management of CKD. Given the enormous changes occurring in the global CKD healthcare landscape, as well as the high costs of transitioning to dialysis therapy with persistently poor outcomes, there is an urgent need to answer these important questions. This review describes the key concepts and questions related to the emerging field of ‘Transition of Care in CKD’, systematically defines six main categories of CKD transition, and reviews approaches to data linkage and novel prelude analyses along with clinical applications of these studies. PMID:28201698

  7. The Role of Health Advocacy in Transitions from Pediatric to Adult Care for Children with Special Health Care Needs: Bridging Families, Provider and Community Services.

    PubMed

    Okumura, Megumi J; Saunders, Mara; Rehm, Roberta S

    2015-01-01

    Youth and young adults with special healthcare needs (YASHCN) experience challenges during transition from pediatric to adult care. Prior studies have not examined how community and healthcare resources can work together to assist YASHCN in transitioning from child-focused care and services to adult-oriented providers. The aim of this study was to develop a theoretical understanding of how family, healthcare providers and community supports can assist YASHCN during the transition from pediatric to adult healthcare and services. We conducted 41 semi-structured interviews with YASHCN aged 16-25, their family members and healthcare and community providers. We focused our interviews on support mechanisms, both within the traditional healthcare system, and those available in the community. Using grounded theory methods, we performed a multi-step analysis process. The theoretical code "Transition Advocacy" was developed from the data. This theoretical perspective arose from three major categories, which were developed in the analysis: "Fighting for healthcare", "Obtaining resources", and "Getting ready to transition". Transition Advocacy consists of the presence of, or need for, a healthcare "advocate" who did or can assist the YASHCN with the healthcare transition, particularly to navigate complex health or community services. The "advocate" role was performed by family members, healthcare or agency professionals, or sometimes the YASHCN themselves. If advocates were identified, youth were more likely to obtain needed services. Parents, health providers, and community agencies are potentially well-poised to assist transitioning YASHCN. Efforts to encourage development of strong advocacy skills will facilitate better transitions for YASHCN. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  8. Mosaic evolution and the pattern of transitions in the hominin lineage

    PubMed Central

    Foley, Robert A.

    2016-01-01

    Humans are uniquely unique, in terms of the extreme differences between them and other living organisms, and the impact they are having on the biosphere. The evolution of humans can be seen, as has been proposed, as one of the major transitions in evolution, on a par with the origins of multicellular organisms or the eukaryotic cell (Maynard Smith & Szathmáry 1997 Major transitions in evolution). Major transitions require the evolution of greater complexity and the emergence of new evolutionary levels or processes. Does human evolution meet these conditions? I explore the diversity of evidence on the nature of transitions in human evolution. Four levels of transition are proposed—baseline, novel taxa, novel adaptive zones and major transitions—and the pattern of human evolution considered in the light of these. The primary conclusions are that changes in human evolution occur continuously and cumulatively; that novel taxa and the appearance of new adaptations are not clustered very tightly in particular periods, although there are three broad transitional phases (Pliocene, Plio-Pleistocene and later Quaternary). Each phase is distinctive, with the first based on ranging and energetics, the second on technology and niche expansion, and the third on cognition and cultural processes. I discuss whether this constitutes a ‘major transition’ in the context of the evolutionary processes more broadly; the role of behaviour in evolution; and the opportunity provided by the rich genetic, phenotypic (fossil morphology) and behavioural (archaeological) record to examine in detail major transitions and the microevolutionary patterns underlying macroevolutionary change. It is suggested that the evolution of the hominin lineage is consistent with a mosaic pattern of change. This article is part of the themed issue ‘Major transitions in human evolution’. PMID:27298474

  9. Transition of care for the elderly after cerebrovascular accidents--from hospital to the home.

    PubMed

    Rodrigues, Rosalina Aparecida Partezani; Marques, Sueli; Kusumota, Luciana; dos Santos, Emanuella Barros; Fhon, Jack Roberto da Silva; Fabrício-Wehbe, Suzele Cristina Coelho

    2013-01-01

    to examine the transition of care in families caring for elderly persons who suffered the first episode of a cerebrovascular accident. an instrumental ethnographic case study was used. The sample comprised 20 subjects: 10 caregivers and 10 elderly persons aged 65 or over, of both sexes, with diagnoses of first episode of cerebrovascular accident, capable of communicating, and requiring care from a main carer in their family. The data was collected through interviews, observation, existing documentation and field notes. Qualitative analysis techniques were used to codify and classify the data and to formulate significant categories, which generated typologies of care. The central idea was the Transition of Care and showed the context in three typologies: The care process for the dependent elderly person, Strategies for the care process and Impact and acceptance of the limitations. The data indicates that caring for an elderly person after a cerebrovascular accident is a challenge for the family. The data permitted it possible to elaborate a proposal for a model for the organization of the work, with a view to holistic care delivery in the health services, forming a care network, which constitutes an advance for the area of nursing.

  10. Pattern Transitions in a Soft Cylindrical Shell

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Yang, Yifan; Dai, Hui-Hui; Xu, Fan; Potier-Ferry, Michel

    2018-05-01

    Instability patterns of rolling up a sleeve appear more intricate than the ones of walking over a rug on floor, both characterized as systems of uniaxially compressed soft film on stiff substrate. This can be explained by curvature effects. To investigate pattern transitions on a curved surface, we study a soft shell sliding on a rigid cylinder by experiments, computations and theoretical analyses. We reveal a novel postbuckling phenomenon involving multiple successive bifurcations: smooth-wrinkle-ridge-sagging transitions. The shell initially buckles into periodic axisymmetric wrinkles at the threshold and then a wrinkle-to-ridge transition occurs upon further axial compression. When the load increases to the third bifurcation, the amplitude of the ridge reaches its limit and the symmetry is broken with the ridge sagging into a recumbent fold. It is identified that hysteresis loops and the Maxwell equal-energy conditions are associated with the coexistence of wrinkle-ridge or ridge-sagging patterns. Such a bifurcation scenario is inherently general and independent of material constitutive models.

  11. Living with an adult family member using advanced medical technology at home.

    PubMed

    Fex, Angelika; Flensner, Gullvi; Ek, Anna-Christina; Söderhamn, Olle

    2011-12-01

    Living with an adult family member using advanced medical technology at home An increased number of chronically ill adults perform self-care while using different sorts of advanced medical technology at home. This hermeneutical study aimed to gain a deeper understanding of the meaning of living with an adult family member using advanced medical technology at home. Eleven next of kin to adults performing self-care at home, either using long-term oxygen from a cylinder or ventilator, or performing peritoneal or haemodialysis, were interviewed. The qualitative interviews were analysed using a Gadamerian methodology. The main interpretation explained the meaning as rhythmical patterns of connectedness versus separation, and of sorrow versus reconciliation. Dependence on others was shown in the need for support from healthcare professionals and significant others. In conclusion, next of kin took considerable responsibility for dependent-care. All next of kin were positive to the idea of bringing the technology home, even though their own needs receded into the background, while focusing on the best for the patient. The results were discussed in relation to dependent-care and transition, which may have an influence on the self-care of next of kin and patients. The study revealed a need for further nursing attention to next of kin in this context. © 2011 Blackwell Publishing Ltd.

  12. Supporting Youth Transitioning out of Foster Care. Issue Brief 3: Employment Programs. OPRE Report No. 2014-70

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Edelstein, Sara; Lowenstein, Christopher

    2014-01-01

    This issue brief is one of three that focus on programs providing services to youth transitioning out of foster care in three common service domains: education, employment, and financial literacy and asset building. This brief highlights why employment services are important to youth currently or formerly in foster care, what we know about the…

  13. Transition of torque pattern in undulatory locomotion due to wave number variation in resistive force dominated media

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Ding, Yang; Ming, Tingyu

    2016-11-01

    In undulatory locomotion, torque (bending moment) is required along the body to overcome the external forces from environments and bend the body. Previous observations on animals using less than two wavelengths on the body showed such torque has a single traveling wave pattern. Using resistive force theory model and considering the torque generated by external force in a resistive force dominated media, we found that as the wave number (number of wavelengths on the locomotor's body) increases from 0.5 to 1.8, the speed of the traveling wave of torque decreases. When the wave number increases to 2 and greater, the torque pattern transits from a single traveling wave to a two traveling waves and then a complex pattern that consists two wave-like patterns. By analyzing the force distribution and its contribution to the torque, we explain the speed decrease of the torque wave and the pattern transition. This research is partially supported by the Recruitment Program of Global Young Experts (China).

  14. Transitions to Care in the Community for Prison Releasees with HIV: a Qualitative Study of Facilitators and Challenges in Two States.

    PubMed

    Hammett, Theodore M; Donahue, Sara; LeRoy, Lisa; Montague, Brian T; Rosen, David L; Solomon, Liza; Costa, Michael; Wohl, David; Rich, Josiah D

    2015-08-01

    One in seven people living with HIV in the USA passes through a prison or jail each year, and almost all will return to the community. Discharge planning and transitional programs are critical but challenging elements in ensuring continuity of care, maintaining treatment outcomes achieved in prison, and preventing further viral transmission. This paper describes facilitators and challenges of in-prison care, transitional interventions, and access to and continuity of care in the community in Rhode Island and North Carolina based on qualitative data gathered as part of the mixed-methods Link Into Care Study of prisoners and releasees with HIV. We conducted 65 interviews with correctional and community-based providers and administrators and analyzed the transcripts using NVivo 10 to identify major themes. Facilitators of effective transitional systems in both states included the following: health providers affiliated with academic institutions or other entities independent of the corrections department; organizational philosophy emphasizing a patient-centered, personal, and holistic approach; strong leadership with effective "champions"; a team approach with coordination, collaboration and integration throughout the system, mutual respect and learning between corrections and health providers, staff dedicated to transitional services, and effective communication and information sharing among providers; comprehensive transitional activities and services including HIV, mental health and substance use services in prisons, timely and comprehensive discharge planning with specific linkages/appointments, supplies of medications on release, access to benefits and entitlements, case management and proactive follow-up on missed appointments; and releasees' commitment to transitional plans. These elements were generally present in both study states but their absence, which also sometimes occurred, represent ongoing challenges to success. The qualitative findings on the facilitators and challenges of the transitional systems were similar in the two states despite differences in context, demographics of target population, and system organization. Recommendations for improved transitional systems follow from the analysis of the facilitators and challenges.

  15. [The concept of transition applied to patients with cystic fibrosis].

    PubMed

    Becher, Christine

    2013-09-04

    The transfer from pediatric to adult care of adolescents with a chronic condition like cystic fibrosis is a great challenge for the patients, their parents and the health care professionals. Therefore it is very important to prepare the families well in advance by coaching the self-management skills of the adolescents and by supporting their parents in letting go. Transition clinics have proved to be the best instruments in the process of handing-over the patients. They guarantee for the continuity of care and they have a positive effect on the satisfaction of adolescents and their parents in the transition process.

  16. Transition of Care from Childhood to Adulthood: Congenital Adrenal Hyperplasia.

    PubMed

    Bachelot, Anne

    2018-01-01

    Deficiency of the 21-hydroxylase enzyme is the most common form of congenital adrenal hyperplasia (CAH), accounting for more than 95% of the cases. With the advent of newborn screening and hormone replacement therapy, most children with CAH survive into adulthood. Adolescents and adults with CAH experience a number of complications, including short stature, obesity, infertility, impaired bone mineral density, and reduced quality of life. Transition from pediatric to adult care and management of long-term complications are challenging for both patients and practitioners. In adulthood, the aims of the medical treatment are to substitute cortisol and, when necessary, aldosterone deficiency, to ensure normal fertility, and to avoid the long-term consequences of glucocorticoid use on bone, metabolism, and cardiovascular risk. Recent data suggest that poor health status is likely to begin in adolescence and persist into adulthood, highlighting the importance of this time period in a patient's endocrine care. During transition from pediatric to adult specific care, a shift in treatment goals is thus needed. Successful transition from pediatric to adult health care requires a regular follow-up of patients by a multidisciplinary team including pediatric endocrinologists, urologists, gynecologists, psychiatrists, and adult endocrinologists. All of this could be included in a specific therapeutic education program regarding transition and/or CAH. © 2018 S. Karger AG, Basel.

  17. Improving care transitions from hospital to home: standardized orders for home health nursing with remote telemonitoring.

    PubMed

    Heeke, Sheila; Wood, Felecia; Schuck, Jennifer

    2014-01-01

    A task force at a multihospital health care system partnered with home health agencies to improve gaps during the discharge transition process. A standardized order template for home health nursing and remote telemonitoring was developed to decrease discrepancies in communication between hospital health care providers and home health nurses caring for patients with heart failure. Pilot results showed significantly improved communication with no readmissions, using the order template.

  18. Survivorship Care Plan Information Needs: Perspectives of Safety-Net Breast Cancer Patients.

    PubMed

    Burke, Nancy J; Napoles, Tessa M; Banks, Priscilla J; Orenstein, Fern S; Luce, Judith A; Joseph, Galen

    2016-01-01

    Despite the Institute of Medicine's (IOM) 2005 recommendation, few care organizations have instituted standard survivorship care plans (SCPs). Low health literacy and low English proficiency are important factors to consider in SCP development. Our study aimed to identify information needs and survivorship care plan preferences of low literacy, multi-lingual patients to support the transition from oncology to primary care and ongoing learning in survivorship. We conducted focus groups in five languages with African American, Latina, Russian, Filipina, White, and Chinese medically underserved breast cancer patients. Topics explored included the transition to primary care, access to information, knowledge of treatment history, and perspectives on SCPs. Analysis of focus group data identified three themes: 1) the need for information and education on the transition between "active treatment" and "survivorship"; 2) information needed (and often not obtained) from providers; and 3) perspectives on SCP content and delivery. Our data point to the need to develop a process as well as written information for medically underserved breast cancer patients. An SCP document will not replace direct communication with providers about treatment, symptom management and transition, a communication that is missing in participating safety-net patients' experiences of cancer care. Women turned to peer support and community-based organizations in the absence of information from providers. "Clear and effective" communication of survivorship care for safety-net patients requires dedicated staff trained to address wide-ranging information needs and uncertainties.

  19. Pediatric Dentistry Specialty as Part of a Longer Continuum of Care: A Commentary.

    PubMed

    Waldman, H Barry; Rader, Rick; Sulkes, Stephen; Perlman, Steven P

    The transition of teenagers with special needs to young adulthood is a complex period for the children and their families. This transition is especially difficult when it comes to securing needed oral health care. The teenager is forced to transfer from the services of an age defined pediatric dental specialist with training to provide care for individuals with special needs, to 1) general practitioners with limited formal training and often unwillingness to provide care and 2) at a period when most states provide limited or lack of adult dental Medicaid programs. These issues and the need to expand pediatric dental specialist involvement in the general transitional period are reviewed. "Pediatric dentistry is an age-defined specialty that provides both primary and comprehensive preventive and therapeutic oral health care for infants and children through adolescence, including those with special health care needs."(1) "Our system of preparing and maintaining our abilities to provide oral health services for an increasing diverse population must be brought up to date to meet the challenges posed by the treatment of young adults with disabilities."(2) "Most responding dentists (to a national study of pediatric dentists) helped adolescents with and without SHCNs (Special Health Care Needs) make the transition into adult care, but the major barrier was the availability of general dentists and specialists."(3).

  20. Health care reform in the new South Africa.

    PubMed

    Benatar, S R

    1997-03-20

    The social transition which must follow the political transition in South Africa will pose major challenges for many decades. While it clear that inequities must be reduced, it is less clear how to effectively and sustainably achieve that end, especially given current rapid population growth and minimal additional resources in an economy which is growing less rapidly than hoped for by the new government. Health care reform is one of the country's many challenges. This paper provides insight into the shift from the conventional biomedical model of health care to the primary health care approach within a fixed public health budget. Obstacles to change, threats to academic activities, the 1980s and 1990s, political and social transition, health care reform since 1994, academic medicine and medical education, choices facing society, movement from political apartheid to economic apartheid, and public awareness are described.

  1. A Quadruped Robot Exhibiting Spontaneous Gait Transitions from Walking to Trotting to Galloping.

    PubMed

    Owaki, Dai; Ishiguro, Akio

    2017-03-21

    The manner in which quadrupeds change their locomotive patterns-walking, trotting, and galloping-with changing speed is poorly understood. In this paper, we provide evidence for interlimb coordination during gait transitions using a quadruped robot for which coordination between the legs can be self-organized through a simple "central pattern generator" (CPG) model. We demonstrate spontaneous gait transitions between energy-efficient patterns by changing only the parameter related to speed. Interlimb coordination was achieved with the use of local load sensing only without any preprogrammed patterns. Our model exploits physical communication through the body, suggesting that knowledge of physical communication is required to understand the leg coordination mechanism in legged animals and to establish design principles for legged robots that can reproduce flexible and efficient locomotion.

  2. Informal payments and the financing of health care in developing and transition countries.

    PubMed

    Lewis, Maureen

    2007-01-01

    Informal, under-the-table payments to public health care providers are increasingly viewed as a critically important source of health care financing in developing and transition countries. With minimal funding levels and limited accountability, publicly financed and delivered care falls prey to illegal payments, which require payments that can exceed 100 percent of a country's median income. Methods to address the abuse include establishing official fees, combined with improved oversight and accountability for public health care providers, and a role for communities in holding providers accountable.

  3. The transition of a large-scale quality improvement initiative: a bibliometric analysis of the Productive Ward: Releasing Time to Care programme.

    PubMed

    White, Mark; Wells, John S G; Butterworth, Tony

    2014-09-01

    To examine the literature related to a large-scale quality improvement initiative, the 'Productive Ward: Releasing Time to Care', providing a bibliometric profile that tracks the level of interest and scale of roll-out and adoption, discussing the implications for sustainability. Productive Ward: Releasing Time to Care (aka Productive Ward) is probably one of the most ambitious quality improvement efforts engaged by the UK-NHS. Politically and financially supported, its main driver was the NHS Institute for Innovation and Improvement. The NHS institute closed in early 2013 leaving a void of resources, knowledge and expertise. UK roll-out of the initiative is well established and has arguably peaked. International interest in the initiative however continues to develop. A comprehensive literature review was undertaken to identify the literature related to the Productive Ward and its implementation (January 2006-June 2013). A bibliometric analysis examined/reviewed the trends and identified/measured interest, spread and uptake. Overall distribution patterns identify a declining trend of interest, with reduced numbers of grey literature and evaluation publications. However, detailed examination of the data shows no reduction in peer-reviewed outputs. There is some evidence that international uptake of the initiative continues to generate publications and create interest. Sustaining this initiative in the UK will require re-energising, a new focus and financing. The transition period created by the closure of its creator may well contribute to further reduced levels of interest and publication outputs in the UK. However, international implementation, evaluation and associated publications could serve to attract professional/academic interest in this well-established, positively reported, quality improvement initiative. This paper provides nurses and ward teams involved in quality improvement programmes with a detailed, current-state, examination and analysis of the Productive Ward literature, highlighting the bibliometric patterns of this large-scale, international, quality improvement programme. It serves to disseminate updated publication information to those in clinical practice who are involved in Productive Ward or a similar quality improvement initiative. © 2014 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

  4. Patterns of Individual Adjustment Changes During Middle School Transition.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Chung, HyunHee; Elias, Maurice; Schneider, Kenneth

    1998-01-01

    Examines the patterns of individual adjustment changes in a sample of 99 early adolescents during an ecological transition from elementary school to middle school. Shows significant changes in adjustment as indicated by increased psychological distress or decreased academic achievement. Examines gender differences. Presents implications for…

  5. Leading change: evidence-based transition.

    PubMed

    Lewis, Brennan; Allen, Stephanie

    2015-01-01

    The purpose of this article was to provide a framework for evidence-based transition of patient populations within an acute care pediatric institution. Transition within a hospital is foreseeable, given the ever-changing needs of the patients within an evolving healthcare system. These changes include moving patient populations because of expansion, renovation, or cohorting similar patient diagnoses to provide care across a continuum. Over the past 1 to 2 years, Children's Health Children's Medical Center Dallas has experienced a wide variety of transition. To provide a smooth transition for patients and families into new care areas resulting in a healthy work environment for all team members. The planning phase for patient population moves, and transition should address key aspects to include physical location and care flow, supplies and equipment, staffing model and human resources (HR), education and orientation, change process and integrating teams, and family preparation. It is imperative to consider these aspects in order for transitions within a healthcare system to be successful. During a time of such transitions, the clinical nurse specialist (CNS) is a highly valuable team member offering a unique perspective and methodological approach, which is central to the new initiative's overall success. The themes addressed in this article on evidence-based transition are organized according to the CNS spheres of influence: system/organization, patient/family, and nursing. An evidence-based transition plan was developed and implemented successfully with the support from the CNS for 3 patient populations. Organizational leadership gained an increased awareness of the CNS role at the conclusion of each successful transition. The CNS plays a pivotal role as clinical experts and proponents of evidence-based practice and effects change in the system/organization, nursing, and patient/family spheres of influence. While transitions can be a source of stress for leaders and bedside staff, it is also a time that allows for growth and new opportunities for staff and may result in development of a healthier work environment. The CNS is able to provide leadership while working collaboratively to oversee the moves with a forward-thinking approach. There are key components to consider during times of transition. These include (1) organize, plan, and improve work efficiencies during a construction build; (2) identify the key elements for improvement in nurse and patient satisfaction; (3) develop or maintain healthy work environment standards; (4) establish adequate staffing levels and staff education to successfully care for patient populations following transition; and (5) support the staff and patients during transition.

  6. Use of Neuroanatomical Pattern Classification to Identify Subjects in At-Risk Mental States of Psychosis and Predict Disease Transition

    PubMed Central

    Koutsouleris, Nikolaos; Meisenzahl, Eva M.; Davatzikos, Christos; Bottlender, Ronald; Frodl, Thomas; Scheuerecker, Johanna; Schmitt, Gisela; Zetzsche, Thomas; Decker, Petra; Reiser, Maximilian; Möller, Hans-Jürgen; Gaser, Christian

    2014-01-01

    Context Identification of individuals at high risk of developing psychosis has relied on prodromal symptomatology. Recently, machine learning algorithms have been successfully used for magnetic resonance imaging–based diagnostic classification of neuropsychiatric patient populations. Objective To determine whether multivariate neuroanatomical pattern classification facilitates identification of individuals in different at-risk mental states (ARMS) of psychosis and enables the prediction of disease transition at the individual level. Design Multivariate neuroanatomical pattern classification was performed on the structural magnetic resonance imaging data of individuals in early or late ARMS vs healthy controls (HCs). The predictive power of the method was then evaluated by categorizing the baseline imaging data of individuals with transition to psychosis vs those without transition vs HCs after 4 years of clinical follow-up. Classification generalizability was estimated by cross-validation and by categorizing an independent cohort of 45 new HCs. Setting Departments of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Ludwig-Maximilians-University, Munich, Germany. Participants The first classification analysis included 20 early and 25 late at-risk individuals and 25 matched HCs. The second analysis consisted of 15 individuals with transition, 18 without transition, and 17 matched HCs. Main Outcome Measures Specificity, sensitivity, and accuracy of classification. Results The 3-group, cross-validated classification accuracies of the first analysis were 86% (HCs vs the rest), 91% (early at-risk individuals vs the rest), and 86% (late at-risk individuals vs the rest). The accuracies in the second analysis were 90% (HCs vs the rest), 88% (individuals with transition vs the rest), and 86% (individuals without transition vs the rest). Independent HCs were correctly classified in 96% (first analysis) and 93% (second analysis) of cases. Conclusions Different ARMSs and their clinical outcomes may be reliably identified on an individual basis by assessing patterns of whole-brain neuroanatomical abnormalities. These patterns may serve as valuable biomarkers for the clinician to guide early detection in the prodromal phase of psychosis. PMID:19581561

  7. Transitioning to Adulthood from Foster Care.

    PubMed

    Lee, Terry; Morgan, Wynne

    2017-04-01

    Transitional age foster youth do not typically receive the types of family supports their nonfoster peers enjoy. Many foster youth experience multiple adversities and often fare worse than nonfoster peers on long-term functional outcomes. Governments increasingly recognize their responsibility to act as parents for state dependents transitioning to adulthood and the need to provide services to address social/emotional supports, living skills, finances, housing, education, employment, and physical and mental health. More research is needed to inform the development of effective programs. Transitional age foster youth benefit from policies promoting a developmentally appropriate, comprehensive, and integrated transition system of care. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  8. Understanding Atmospheric Anomalies Associated With Seasonal Pluvial-Drought Processes Using Southwest China as an Example

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Liu, Zhenchen; Lu, Guihua; He, Hai; Wu, Zhiyong; He, Jian

    2017-11-01

    Seasonal pluvial-drought transition processes are unique natural phenomena. To explore possible mechanisms, we considered Southwest China (SWC) as the study region and comprehensively investigated the temporal evolution or spatial patterns of large-scale and regional atmospheric variables with the simple method of Standardized Anomalies (SA). Some key procedures and results include the following: (1) Because regional atmospheric variables are more directly responsible for the transition processes, we investigate it in detail. The temporal evolution of net vertical integral water vapor flux (net VIWVF) across SWC, together with vertical SA-based patterns of regional horizontal divergence (D) and vertical motion (ω), coincides well with pluvial-drought transition processes. (2) With respect to large-scale circulation patterns, a well-organized Eurasian (EU) Pattern is one important feature during the pluvial-drought transitions over SWC. (3) Based on these large-scale and regional atmospheric anomalous features, relevant SA-based indices were built, to explore the possibility of simulating drought development using previous pluvial anomalies. As a whole, simulated drought development only with SA-based indices of large-scale circulation patterns does not perform well. Further, it can be improved a lot when SA-based indices of regional D and net VIWVF are introduced. (4) In addition, the potential drought prediction using pluvial anomalies, together with the deep understanding of physical mechanisms responsible for pluvial-drought transitions, need to be further explored.

  9. Better Respiratory Education and Treatment Help Empower (BREATHE) study: Methodology and baseline characteristics of a randomized controlled trial testing a transitional care program to improve patient-centered care delivery among chronic obstructive pulmonary disease patients.

    PubMed

    Aboumatar, H; Naqibuddin, M; Chung, S; Adebowale, H; Bone, L; Brown, T; Cooper, L A; Gurses, A P; Knowlton, A; Kurtz, D; Piet, L; Putcha, N; Rand, C; Roter, D; Shattuck, E; Sylvester, C; Urteaga-Fuentes, A; Wise, R; Wolff, J L; Yang, T; Hibbard, J; Howell, E; Myers, M; Shea, K; Sullivan, J; Syron, L; Wang, Nae-Yuh; Pronovost, P

    2017-11-01

    Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD) is a leading cause of hospitalizations. Interventional studies focusing on the hospital-to-home transition for COPD patients are few. In the BREATHE (Better Respiratory Education and Treatment Help Empower) study, we developed and tested a patient and family-centered transitional care program that helps prepare hospitalized COPD patients and their family caregivers to manage COPD at home. In the study's initial phase, we co-developed the BREATHE transitional care program with COPD patients, family-caregivers, and stakeholders. The program offers tailored services to address individual patients' needs and priorities at the hospital and for 3months post discharge. We tested the program in a single-blinded RCT with 240 COPD patients who were randomized to receive the program or 'usual care'. Program participants were offered the opportunity to invite a family caregiver, if available, to enroll with them into the study. The primary outcomes were the combined number of COPD-related hospitalizations and Emergency Department (ED) visits per participant at 6months post discharge, and the change in health-related quality of life over the 6months study period. Other measures include 'all cause' hospitalizations and ED visits; patient activation; self-efficacy; and, self-care behaviors. Unlike 1month transitional care programs that focus on patients' post-acute care needs, the BREATHE program helps hospitalized COPD patients manage the post discharge period as well as prepare them for long term self-management of COPD. If proven effective, this program may offer a timely solution for hospitals in their attempts to reduce COPD rehospitalizations. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  10. Gender Differences in Patterns of Substance Use and Delinquency: A Latent Transition Analysis

    PubMed Central

    Bright, Charlotte Lyn; Sacco, Paul; Kolivoski, Karen M.; Stapleton, Laura M.; Jun, Hyun-Jin; Morris-Compton, Darnell

    2017-01-01

    This study explores gender-specific patterns and transitions of adolescent substance use and delinquency in a sample of youths at ages 12, 15, and 18 (N = 803). Latent transition analysis identified “Primary Delinquent,” “Delinquency and Substance Use,” and “Low Risk” classes. Females were less likely to be in the “Primary Delinquent” class at age 12 than males. From 15 to 18, females were approximately equally likely to transition from “Primary Delinquent” to both other classes, whereas males were more likely to transition from “Primary Delinquent” to “Delinquency and Substance Use.” These gender differences in behavior can inform services. PMID:28603406

  11. Status of the transition/transfer process for adolescents with chronic diseases at a national pediatric referral hospital in Argentina.

    PubMed

    González, Florencia; Rodríguez Celin, María de Las Mercedes; Roizen, Mariana; Mato, Roberto; García Arrigoni, Patricia; Ugo, Florencia; Staciuk, Raquel; Fano, Virginia

    2017-12-01

    The shift of adolescents from a pediatric to an adult health care facility is a complex process. The objective of this study was to assess the transition/transfer process for adolescents with chronic diseases at Hospital Garrahan. Observational, cross-sectional, qualitative-quantitative study. Retrospective statistical data were obtained in relation to outpatient visits of patients aged 16-26; surveys and/or interviews were done with health care providers, adolescents, and family members from different follow-up programs. The prevalence of care provided to individuals older than 16 years was 7.2%. Surveys were administered to 54 attending health care providers, 150 patients (16-26.7 years old) and 141 family members. In addition, 45 health care providers with management functions were interviewed. Health care providers: 39% had received training on transition. All identified barriers and facilitators among the different participants and facilities. They recognized the importance of encouraging autonomy among their patients, but only 30% of them interviewed their patients alone, and 56.6% delivered medical reports. Strategies: the median age of transfer was 18 years (13-20); 62% had a protocol; 84% had an informal agreement with another facility; joint or parallel care: 49%; only 20% implemented a transition plan. Patients and family members: 4.7% of adolescents attended visits alone, and health care providers had asked 45% about their autonomy and preparation to take care of their health. Adolescents and their parents had feelings (mostly negative) regarding the process and identified facilitation strategies, such as receiving a summary, knowing the new facility, and having trained health care providers. The transition process for adolescents with chronic diseases is still deficient and approaching it involves health care teams and the families. A lack of formal inter-institutional agreements was identified, although there were more informal agreements among health care providers; besides, the need to encourage chronically-ill patients' autonomy was also determined. In relation to facilitation strategies, patients and parents mainly recognized the need to have a medical summary, health care guidelines, and trust in the new provider. Sociedad Argentina de Pediatría

  12. Transition from an open-plan to a two-cot neonatal intensive care unit: a participatory action research approach.

    PubMed

    Broom, Margaret; Gardner, Anne; Kecskes, Zsuzsoka; Kildea, Sue

    2017-07-01

    To facilitate staff transition from an open-plan to a two-cot neonatal intensive care unit design. In 2012, an Australian regional neonatal intensive care unit transitioned from an open-plan to a two-cot neonatal intensive care unit design. Research has reported single- and small-room neonatal intensive care unit design may negatively impact on the distances nurses walk, reducing the time they spend providing direct neonatal care. Studies have also reported nurses feel isolated and need additional support and education in such neonatal intensive care units. Staff highlighted their concerns regarding the impact of the new design on workflow and clinical practice. A participatory action research approach. A participatory action group titled the Change and Networking Group collaborated with staff over a four-year period (2009-2013) to facilitate the transition. The Change and Networking Group used a collaborative, cyclical process of planning, gathering data, taking action and reviewing the results to plan the next action. Data sources included meeting and workshop minutes, newsletters, feedback boards, subgroup reports and a staff satisfaction survey. The study findings include a description of (1) how the participatory action research cycles were used by the Change and Networking Group: providing examples of projects and strategies undertaken; and (2) evaluations of participatory action research methodology and Group by neonatal intensive care unit staff and Change and Networking members. This study has described the benefits of using participatory action research to facilitate staff transition from an open-plan to a two-cot neonatal intensive care unit design. Participatory action research methodology enabled the inclusion of staff to find solutions to design and clinical practice questions. Future research is required to assess the long-term effect of neonatal intensive care unit design on staff workload, maintaining and supporting a skilled workforce as well as the impact of a new neonatal intensive care unit design on the neonatal intensive care unit culture. A supportive work environment for staff is critical in providing high-quality health care. © 2016 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

  13. PHYSICIANS’ SELF-PERCEPTIONS OF CARE FOR EMERGING ADULTS WITH TYPE 1 DIABETES

    PubMed Central

    Lyons, Sarah K.; Helgeson, Vicki S.; Witchel, Selma F.; Becker, Dorothy J.; Korytkowski, Mary T.

    2015-01-01

    Objective Establishing care with adult providers is essential for emerging adults with type 1 diabetes (T1D) transitioning from pediatric care. Although research evaluating the transition from pediatric to adult care has been focused primarily on patients’ perceptions, little is known about the adult providers’ perspectives. We sought to ascertain adult providers’ perspectives of caring for the medical and psychosocial needs of this patient population. Methods We developed and mailed a survey to 79 regional adult endocrinologists and 186 primary care physicians (PCPs) identified through 2 regional insurance plans. Questions addressed perceived aptitude in clinical aspects of diabetes management, importance and availability of diabetes team members, and opinions regarding recommended transition methods. Results The response rate was 43% for endocrinologists and 13% for PCPs. Endocrinologists reported higher aptitude in insulin management (P<.01). PCPs reported greater aptitude in screening and treating depression (P<0.01). Although endocrinologists and PCPs did not differ in their views of the importance of care by a comprehensive team, endocrinologists reported better access to diabetes educators and dieticians than PCPs (P<.01). Recommended transition methods were described as useful. Conclusion These preliminary results suggest that endocrinologists are better prepared to assume diabetes care of emerging adults, whereas PCPs may be better prepared to screen and treat associated depression. Future studies are needed to determine if a medical home model with cooperative management improves care for emerging adults with T1D. PMID:26121463

  14. Health care and personal care needs among residents in nursing homes, group homes, and congregate housing in Japan: why does transition occur, and where can the frail elderly establish a permanent residence?

    PubMed

    Nakanishi, Miharu; Hattori, Keiko; Nakashima, Taeko; Sawamura, Kanae

    2014-01-01

    Japan has had high rates of transition to nursing homes from other long term care facilities. It has been hypothesized that care transitions occur because a resident's condition deteriorates. The aim of the present study was to compare the health care and personal care needs of residents in nursing homes, group homes, and congregate housing in Japan. The present study was conducted using a cross-sectional study design. The present study included 70,519 elderly individuals from 5 types of residential facilities: care medical facilities (heavy medical care; n = 17,358), geriatric intermediate care facilities (rehabilitation aimed toward a discharge to home; n = 26,136), special nursing homes (permanent residence; n = 20,564), group homes (group living, n = 1454), and fee-based homes for the elderly (congregate housing; n = 5007). The managing director at each facility provided information on the residents' health care and personal care needs, including activities of daily living (ADLs), level of required care, level of cognitive impairment, current disease treatment, and medical procedures. A multinomial logistic regression analysis demonstrated a significantly lower rate of medical procedures among the residents in special nursing homes compared with those in care medical facilities, geriatric intermediate care facilities, group homes, and fee-based homes for the elderly. The residents of special nursing homes also indicated a significantly lower level of required care than those in care medical facilities. The results of our study suggest that care transitions occur because of unavailable permanent residence option for people who suffer with medical deterioration. The national government should modify residential facilities by reorganizing several types of residential facilities into nursing homes that provide a place of permanent residence. Copyright © 2014 American Medical Directors Association, Inc. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  15. Understanding Atmospheric Anomalies Associated with Seasonal Pluvial-Drought Processes Using Southwest China as an Example

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Liu, Z.; LU, G.; He, H.; Wu, Z.; He, J.

    2017-12-01

    Seasonal pluvial-drought transition processes are unique natural phenomena. To explore possible mechanisms, we considered Southwest China (SWC) as the study region and comprehensively investigated the temporal evolution of large-scale and regional atmospheric variables with the simple method of Standardized Anomalies (SA). Some key results include: (1) The net vertical integral of water vapour flux (VIWVF) across the four boundaries may be a feasible indicator of pluvial-drought transition processes over SWC, because its SA-based index is almost consistent with process development. (2) The vertical SA-based patterns of regional horizontal divergence (D) and vertical motion (ω) also coincides with the pluvial-drought transition processes well, and the SA-based index of regional D show relatively high correlation with the identified processes over SWC. (3) With respect to large-scale anomalies of circulation patterns, a well-organized Eurasian Pattern is one important feature during the pluvial-drought transition over SWC. (4) To explore the possibility of simulating drought development using previous pluvial anomalies, large-scale and regional atmospheric SA-based indices were used. As a whole, when SA-based indices of regional dynamic and water-vapor variables are introduced, simulated drought development only with large-scale anomalies can be improved a lot. (5) Eventually, pluvial-drought transition processes and associated regional atmospheric anomalies over nine Chinese drought study regions were investigated. With respect to regional D, vertically single or double "upper-positive-lower-negative" and "upper-negative-lower-positive" patterns are the most common vertical SA-based patterns during the pluvial and drought parts of transition processes, respectively.

  16. Sensitivity to image recurrence across eye-movement-like image transitions through local serial inhibition in the retina

    PubMed Central

    Krishnamoorthy, Vidhyasankar; Weick, Michael; Gollisch, Tim

    2017-01-01

    Standard models of stimulus encoding in the retina postulate that image presentations activate neurons according to the increase of preferred contrast inside the receptive field. During natural vision, however, images do not arrive in isolation, but follow each other rapidly, separated by sudden gaze shifts. We here report that, contrary to standard models, specific ganglion cells in mouse retina are suppressed after a rapid image transition by changes in visual patterns across the transition, but respond with a distinct spike burst when the same pattern reappears. This sensitivity to image recurrence depends on opposing effects of glycinergic and GABAergic inhibition and can be explained by a circuit of local serial inhibition. Rapid image transitions thus trigger a mode of operation that differs from the processing of simpler stimuli and allows the retina to tag particular image parts or to detect transition types that lead to recurring stimulus patterns. DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.7554/eLife.22431.001 PMID:28230526

  17. Evaluation of specialist referrals at a rural health care clinic.

    PubMed

    Biggerstaff, Mary Ellen; Short, Nancy

    2017-07-01

    Transition to a value-based care system involves reducing costs improving population health and enhancing the patient experience. Many rural hospitals must rely on specialist referrals because of a lack of an internal system of specialists on staff. This evaluation of the existing specialist referrals from primary care was conducted to better understand and improve the referral process and address costs, population health, and the patient experience. A 6-month retrospective chart review was conducted to evaluate quality and outcomes of specialty referrals submitted by 10 primary care providers. During a 6-month period in 2015, there was a total of 13,601 primary care patient visits and 3814 referrals, a referral rate of approximately 27%. The most striking result of this review was that nearly 50% of referred patients were not making the prescribed specialist appointment. Rather than finding a large number of unnecessary referrals, we found overall referral rates higher than expected, and a large percentage of our patients were not completing their referrals. The data and patterns emerging from this investigation would guide the development of referral protocols for a newly formed accountable care organization and lead to further quality improvement projects: a LEAN effort, dissemination of results to clinical and executive staff, protocols for orthopedic and neurosurgical referrals, and recommendations for future process improvements. ©2017 American Association of Nurse Practitioners.

  18. Typicality Shift in Semantic Categories as a Result of Cultural Transition: Evidence from Jewish Argentine Immigrants in Israel.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Shimron, Joseph; Chernitsky, Roberto

    1995-01-01

    Investigates changes in the internal structure of semantic categories as a result of cultural transition. Examines typicality shifts in semantic categories of Jewish Argentine immigrants in Israel. Presents a model mapping typicality shift patterns onto acculturation patterns. (HB)

  19. The Interplay between Language, Gesture, and Affect during Communicative Transition: A Dynamic Systems Approach

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Parlade, Meaghan V.; Iverson, Jana M.

    2011-01-01

    From a dynamic systems perspective, transition points in development are times of increased instability, during which behavioral patterns are susceptible to temporary decoupling. This study investigated the impact of the vocabulary spurt on existing patterns of communicative coordination. Eighteen typically developing infants were videotaped at…

  20. This Will Be Her Last Day: Supporting Infants, Toddlers, and Their Families as They Transition Out of Child Care

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Parlakian, Rebecca; Adams, Emily

    2010-01-01

    ZERO TO THREE's 2009 parent survey, "Parenting Infants and Toddlers Today," revealed that 25% of all parents surveyed had experienced child care-related hardships as a result of the recent economic downturn. The result is a significant number of children who are experiencing changes in their child care arrangements. Transitions into, and out of,…

  1. Supporting Youth Transitioning out of Foster Care. Issue Brief 1: Education Programs. OPRE Report No. 2014-66

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Dworsky, Amy; Smithgall, Cheryl; Courtney, Mark E.

    2014-01-01

    Youth transitioning out of foster care and into adulthood need many supports to navigate the challenges they face. Over the past three decades, federal child welfare policy has significantly increased the availability of those supports. In 1999, the Foster Care Independence Act amended Title IV-E of the Social Security Act to create the Chafee…

  2. Supporting Youth Transitioning out of Foster Care. Issue Brief 2: Financial Literacy and Asset Building Programs. OPRE Report No. 2014-69

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Edelstein, Sara; Lowenstein, Christopher

    2014-01-01

    This issue brief is one of three that focus on programs providing services to youth transitioning out of foster care in three common service domains: education, employment, and financial literacy and asset building. This brief highlights why financial literacy and asset building services are important to youth currently or formerly in foster care,…

  3. "You Think It's Hard Now… It Gets Much Harder for Our Children": Youth with Autism and Their Caregiver's Perspectives of Health Care Transition Services

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Cheak-Zamora, Nancy C.; Teti, Michelle

    2015-01-01

    Adolescents with Autism Spectrum Disorder diagnosis often have complex comorbid physical and mental health conditions. These youth rely heavily on their medical providers and struggle through the often rocky transition out of pediatric care into adulthood and adult-centered care. This study is among the first to qualitatively examine the health…

  4. Canadian Rural-urban Differences in End-of-life Care Setting Transitions

    PubMed Central

    Wilson, Donna M.; Thomas, Roger; Burns, Katharina Kovacs; Hewitt, Jessica A.; Jane, Osei-Waree; Sandra, Robertson

    2012-01-01

    Few studies have focused on the care setting transitions that occur in the last year of life. A three part mixed-methods study was conducted to gain an understanding of the number and implications or impact of care setting transitions in the last year of life for rural Canadians. Provincial health services utilization data, national online survey data, and local qualitative interview data were analyzed to gain general and specific information for consideration. Rural Albertans had significantly more healthcare setting transitions than urbanites in the last year of life (M=4.2 vs 3.3). Online family respondents reported 8 moves on average occurred for family members in the last year of life. These moves were most often identified (65%) on a likert-type scale as “very difficult,” with the free text information revealing these trips were often emotionally painful for themselves and physically painful for their ill family member. Eleven informants were then interviewed until data saturation, with constant-comparative data analysis conducted for a more in-depth understanding of rural transitions. Moving from place to place for needed care in the last year of life was identified as common and concerning for rural people and their families, with three data themes developing: (a) needed care in the last year of life is scattered across many places, (b) travelling is very difficult for terminally-ill persons and their caregivers, and (c) local rural services are minimal. These findings indicate planning is needed to avoid unnecessary end-of-life care setting transitions and to make needed moves for essential services in the last year of life less costly, stressful, and socially disruptive for rural people and their families. PMID:22980372

  5. Improving interunit transitions of care between emergency physicians and hospital medicine physicians: a conceptual approach.

    PubMed

    Beach, Christopher; Cheung, Dickson S; Apker, Julie; Horwitz, Leora I; Howell, Eric E; O'Leary, Kevin J; Patterson, Emily S; Schuur, Jeremiah D; Wears, Robert; Williams, Mark

    2012-10-01

    Patient care transitions across specialties involve more complexity than those within the same specialty, yet the unique social and technical features remain underexplored. Further, little consensus exists among researchers and practitioners about strategies to improve interspecialty communication. This concept article addresses these gaps by focusing on the hand-off process between emergency and hospital medicine physicians. Sensitivity to cultural and operational differences and a common set of expectations pertaining to hand-off content will more effectively prepare the next provider to act safely and efficiently when caring for the patient. Through a consensus decision-making process of experienced and published authorities in health care transitions, including physicians in both specialties as well as in communication studies, the authors propose content and style principles clinicians may use to improve transition communication. With representation from both community and academic settings, similarities and differences between emergency medicine and internal medicine are highlighted to heighten appreciation of the values, attitudes, and goals of each specialty, particularly pertaining to communication. The authors also examine different communication media, social and cultural behaviors, and tools that practitioners use to share patient care information. Quality measures are proposed within the structure, process, and outcome framework for institutions seeking to evaluate and monitor improvement strategies in hand-off performance. Validation studies to determine if these suggested improvements in transition communication will result in improved patient outcomes will be necessary. By exploring the dynamics of transition communication between specialties and suggesting best practices, the authors hope to strengthen hand-off skills and contribute to improved continuity of care. © 2012 by the Society for Academic Emergency Medicine.

  6. The experience of patients with early-stage testicular cancer during the transition from active treatment to follow-up surveillance.

    PubMed

    Shen, Abra H; Howell, Doris; Edwards, Elizabeth; Warde, Padraig; Matthew, Andrew; Jones, Jennifer M

    2016-04-01

    To gain a better understanding of the experiences of patients with early-stage testicular cancer during the transition from active cancer treatment to follow-up care. Cross-sectional multimethod study (questionnaires, focus groups, and telephone interviews) to describe experiences of patients with testicular cancer transitioning to survivorship. Questionnaire package included standardized measures of survivorship knowledge, feeling of preparedness, health-related distress, and perspectives on care coordination. Standard descriptive statistics and Mann-Whitney tests to examine associations between all outcomes based on demographic and clinical variables were performed. Qualitative results (focus groups and interviews) were analyzed with qualitative content analysis. Based on quantitative data (n = 90) and qualitative analyses (n = 13), participants had relatively high survivorship knowledge, most testicular cancer survivors were not provided with any formal transition planning or documentation, and a substantial minority felt unprepared to cope with the aftereffects of testicular cancer and the posttreatment survivorship phase. Younger men had lower survivorship knowledge, feelings of preparedness, and continuity of care scores and were less likely to report having received any self-management tools and education or information of patient resources. Participants reported that they did not know what to expect physically or emotionally after treatment ended and many continued to be frustrated and worried about their health problems. They expressed the need for reliable and personalized resources on what to expect after treatment and more formal transition care planning. Patients with testicular cancer continue to struggle in their transition to posttreatment survivorship. Quality of care must emphasize a shift from a purely disease-focused approach to a wellness-centered approach that provides coordinated, patient-centered, and comprehensive care to optimize quality of life for these survivors. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  7. Development and preliminary validation of the 'Mind the Gap' scale to assess satisfaction with transitional health care among adolescents with juvenile idiopathic arthritis.

    PubMed

    Shaw, K L; Southwood, T R; McDonagh, J E

    2007-07-01

    To develop a scale to assess satisfaction with transitional health care among adolescents with a chronic illness and their parents. The 'Mind the Gap' scale was developed using evidence from a previous needs assessment, in three stages: (1) definition of the construct; (2) design of the scale items, response options and instructions; (3) full administration of the scale, item analysis and dimensionality analysis. The scale was administered to 308 adolescents with juvenile idiopathic arthritis (JIA) and 303 parents/guardians, prior to and 12 months after the implementation of an evaluation of a structured and co-ordinated programme of transitional care. The patient population involved adolescents with JIA and their parents recruited from 10 major UK rheumatology centres. A total of 301 (97.7%) adolescents and 286 (95.0%) parents chose to complete the questionnaire, with median item completion rates of 100.0% (0-100%) for both adolescents and parents thus confirming feasibility. Face and content validity were confirmed. Factor analyses revealed a three-factor structure which explained 49.5% and 56.1% of the variation in adolescent and parent scores respectively. The internal consistency of each subscale ('management of environment', 'provider characteristics' and 'process issues') was indicated by Cronbach's alphas of 0.71, 0.89 and 0.89 for adolescents, respectively, and 0.83, 0.91 and 0.92 for parents respectively. Cronbach's alphas for the entire scales were 0.91 and 0.94 for the adolescent and parent forms respectively. These preliminary results report the potential of the 'Mind the Gap' scale in evaluating transitional care for adolescents with JIA. In view of the generic nature of transitional care reflected in the scale, this scale has wider potential for use with adolescents with other chronic illness in view of the generic nature of transition. This development is particularly timely in the context of transitional care developments in the UK and further validation of the scale is in progress.

  8. The Role of Health Advocacy in Transitions from Pediatric to Adult Care for Children with Special Health Care Needs: Bridging Families, Provider and Community Services

    PubMed Central

    Okumura, Megumi; Saunders, Mara; Rehm, Roberta S.

    2015-01-01

    Background Youth and young adults with special healthcare needs (YASHCN) experience challenges during transition from pediatric to adult care. Prior studies have not examined how community and healthcare resources can work together to assist YASHCN in transitioning from child-focused care and services to adult-oriented providers. Objective To develop a theoretical understanding of how family, healthcare providers and community supports can assist YASHCN during the transition from pediatric to adult healthcare and services. Design/Methods We conducted 41 semi-structured interviews with YASHCN aged 16-25, their family members and healthcare and community providers. We focused our interviews on support mechanisms, both within the traditional healthcare system, and those available in the community. Using grounded theory methods, we performed a multi-step analysis process. Results The theoretical code “Transition Advocacy” was developed from the data. This theoretical perspective arose from three major categories, which were developed in the analysis: “Fighting for healthcare”, “Obtaining resources”, and “Getting ready to transition”. Transition Advocacy consists of the presence of, or need for, a healthcare ”advocate”’ who did or can assist the YASHCN with the healthcare transition, particularly to navigate complex health or community services. The ”advocate” role was performed by family members, healthcare or agency professionals, or sometimes the YASHCN themselves. If advocates were identified, youth were more likely to obtain needed services. Conclusions Parents, health providers, and community agencies are potentially well-poised to assist transitioning YASHCN. Efforts to encourage development of strong advocacy skills will facilitate better transitions for YASHCN. PMID:26228309

  9. Disparities in Life Course Outcomes for Transition-Aged Youth with Disabilities.

    PubMed

    Acharya, Kruti; Meza, Regina; Msall, Michael E

    2017-10-01

    Close to 750,000 youth with special health care needs transition to adult health care in the United States every year; however, less than one-half receive transition-planning services. Using the "F-words" organizing framework, this article explores life course outcomes and disparities in transition-aged youth with disabilities, with a special focus on youth with autism, Down syndrome, and cerebral palsy. Despite the importance of transition, a review of the available literature revealed that (1) youth with disabilities continue to have poor outcomes in all six "F-words" domains (ie, function, family, fitness, fun, friends, and future) and (2) transition outcomes vary by race/ethnicity and disability. Professionals need to adopt a holistic framework to examine transition outcomes within a broader social-ecological context, as well as implement evidence-based transition practices to help improve postsecondary outcomes of youth with disabilities. [Pediatr Ann. 2017;46(10):e371-e376.]. Copyright 2017, SLACK Incorporated.

  10. Examining drivers' eye glance patterns during distracted driving: Insights from scanning randomness and glance transition matrix.

    PubMed

    Wang, Yuan; Bao, Shan; Du, Wenjun; Ye, Zhirui; Sayer, James R

    2017-12-01

    Visual attention to the driving environment is of great importance for road safety. Eye glance behavior has been used as an indicator of distracted driving. This study examined and quantified drivers' glance patterns and features during distracted driving. Data from an existing naturalistic driving study were used. Entropy rate was calculated and used to assess the randomness associated with drivers' scanning patterns. A glance-transition proportion matrix was defined to quantity visual search patterns transitioning among four main eye glance locations while driving (i.e., forward on-road, phone, mirrors and others). All measurements were calculated within a 5s time window under both cell phone and non-cell phone use conditions. Results of the glance data analyses showed different patterns between distracted and non-distracted driving, featured by a higher entropy rate value and highly biased attention transferring between forward and phone locations during distracted driving. Drivers in general had higher number of glance transitions, and their on-road glance duration was significantly shorter during distracted driving when compared to non-distracted driving. Results suggest that drivers have a higher scanning randomness/disorder level and shift their main attention from surrounding areas towards phone area when engaging in visual-manual tasks. Drivers' visual search patterns during visual-manual distraction with a high scanning randomness and a high proportion of eye glance transitions towards the location of the phone provide insight into driver distraction detection. This will help to inform the design of in-vehicle human-machine interface/systems. Copyright © 2017. Published by Elsevier Ltd.

  11. Effect of bowel cleansing on colonic transit in constipation due to slow transit or evacuation disorder.

    PubMed

    Sloots, C E J; Felt-Bersma, R J F

    2002-02-01

    Colon transit time measurement with radio-opaque markers is a method of studying the passage of luminal contents throughout the colon. Overall colonic transit time (CTT), as well as segmental transit times [right (RTT), left (LTT) and rectosigmoid (RSTT)], can be calculated. We hypothesize that CTT is influenced by faecal impaction when the rectum is emptied infrequently. The aim of this study is to investigate the effect of bowel cleansing on colonic transit time in patients with chronic constipation. In 25 women (age 41 years; range 20-65 years) with constipation according to Thompson criteria, CTT measurement was performed in an unprepared situation and repeated after cleansing with 4 L of Klean-Prepreg. Ten healthy female volunteers (age 41 years; range 27-57 years) were used as controls. In constipated patients, CTT decreased from a median 70 h (range 10-130 h) to 48 h (5-94 h) in the cleansed state (P < 0.001). A shortening of transit time was found in all three segments. In 10 patients with slow transit (ST) (CTT > 86 h), CTT decreased from 110 h (range 94-130) to 86 (38-94) (P < 0.001). Five of the 10 patients with ST before bowel cleansing had a CTT below 86 h after cleansing. In female controls, uncleansed CTT and RSTT shortened from 39 h (23 to 62) and 17 h (8-29) to 29 h (17-48) and 10 h (0-20) after bowel cleansing (P=0.058 and P=0.046). Colonic intraluminal contents have a substantial effect on colonic transit. In female controls, bowel cleansing shortened rectosigmoid transit. Women with constipation had faster transit in the cleansed state, however, the distribution of markers was not altered. Despite the effect of bowel cleansing on CTT, it seems unnecessary to prepare the bowel in clinical practice because the differentiation of patients between slow transit constipation and outlet obstruction is not changed. However, because in an infrequent defecation pattern, the influence of faecal impaction is considerable, CTT should be applied with care for critical clinical decisions in the treatment of constipation.

  12. Disparities in Access to Healthcare Transition Services for Adolescents with Down Syndrome.

    PubMed

    Nugent, James; Gorman, Gregory; Erdie-Lalena, Christine R

    2018-06-01

    To compare healthcare transition planning in adolescents with Down syndrome with adolescents with other special healthcare needs. Data were drawn from the 2009-2010 National Survey of Children with Special Health Care Needs, a nationally representative sample with 17 114 adolescents aged 12-17 years. Parents were asked whether providers and the study child had discussed shifting to an adult provider, changing healthcare needs, maintaining health insurance coverage, and taking responsibility for self-care. The transition core outcome was a composite measure based on the results of these 4 questions. Multivariable logistic regression determined the association between Down syndrome and the transition core outcome as well as each of the 4 individual component measures. Although 40% of adolescents with other special healthcare needs met the transition core outcome, 11.0% of adolescents with Down syndrome met this outcome. Adolescents with Down syndrome were less likely to be encouraged to take responsibility for their health (32.2% vs 78.4%). After adjustment for demographic, socioeconomic, and health-related factors, adolescents with Down syndrome had 4 times the odds of not meeting the transition core outcome. For the component measures, Down syndrome adolescents had 4 times the odds of not being encouraged to take responsibility for self-care. Medical home access increased the odds of transition preparation. Adolescents with Down syndrome experience disparities in access to transition services. Provider goals for adolescents with Down syndrome should encourage as much independence as possible in their personal care and social lives. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  13. Girls in Foster Care: Risk and Promotive Factors for School Adjustment Across the Transition to Middle School.

    PubMed

    Pears, Katherine C; Kim, Hyoun K; Leve, Leslie D

    2012-01-01

    Girls in foster care may face difficulties across the transition to middle school. Latent growth curve modeling was employed to examine trajectories and predictors of academic competence and aggression from and against peers for 75 girls in foster care from the end of elementary school to the 2(nd) year of middle school. Across the transition to middle school, academic competence increased. Poor self-regulation was associated with decreased academic competence, and higher caregiver support was associated with increased academic competence. Frequency of aggression from peers decreased across the transition, with perceived school competence predicting smaller decreases. Aggression against peers dropped initially and then increased to pretransition levels by the end of the 2(nd) year of middle school. Lower caregiver support was associated with higher rates of aggression against peers at the end of the 1(st) year of middle school. The results are discussed in terms of implications for interventions for girls in foster care.

  14. Girls in Foster Care: Risk and Promotive Factors for School Adjustment Across the Transition to Middle School

    PubMed Central

    Pears, Katherine C.; Kim, Hyoun K.; Leve, Leslie D.

    2011-01-01

    Girls in foster care may face difficulties across the transition to middle school. Latent growth curve modeling was employed to examine trajectories and predictors of academic competence and aggression from and against peers for 75 girls in foster care from the end of elementary school to the 2nd year of middle school. Across the transition to middle school, academic competence increased. Poor self-regulation was associated with decreased academic competence, and higher caregiver support was associated with increased academic competence. Frequency of aggression from peers decreased across the transition, with perceived school competence predicting smaller decreases. Aggression against peers dropped initially and then increased to pretransition levels by the end of the 2nd year of middle school. Lower caregiver support was associated with higher rates of aggression against peers at the end of the 1st year of middle school. The results are discussed in terms of implications for interventions for girls in foster care. PMID:22389543

  15. Exploring the need for Transition Readiness Scales within cystic fibrosis services: A qualitative descriptive study.

    PubMed

    Bourke, Mary; Houghton, Catherine

    2018-07-01

    To explore healthcare professionals' and patients' perceptions of the potential use of a Transition Readiness Scale in cystic fibrosis care. This included an examination of barriers and facilitators to its implementation along with the identification of key items to include in a Transition Readiness Scale. Due to increasing life expectancy and improved quality of life, more adolescents with cystic fibrosis are transitioning from paediatric to adult health care. To assess and correctly manage this transition, a more structured approach to transition is advocated. This can be achieved using a Transition Readiness Scale to potentially identify or target areas of care in which the adolescent may have poor knowledge. These key items include education, developmental readiness taking into account relationships, reproduction, future plans and self-management skills. Existing tools to gauge readiness concentrate mainly on education and self-care needs assessment as their key items. Currently, there is no specific cystic fibrosis Transition Readiness Scale in use in Ireland or internationally. The study used a descriptive qualitative design. Data were collected using semi-structured interviews (n = 8) and analysed using a thematic approach. The findings identified the potential benefits of this tool and second the resources which need to be in place before its development and implementation into cystic fibrosis services. Transition Readiness Scales have substantial relevance with cystic fibrosis services emphasising the importance of establishing the necessary resources prior to its implementation. These were identified as more staff, a dedicated private space and staff training and education. Significant resources are needed to fully integrate Transition Readiness Scales in practice. The study findings suggest multidisciplinary collaborations, and patient engagement is pivotal in planning and easing the transition process for adolescents with cystic fibrosis. © 2018 The Authors. Journal of Clinical Nursing Published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

  16. Parental experiences transitioning their adolescent with epilepsy and cognitive impairments to adult health care.

    PubMed

    Schultz, Rebecca J

    2013-01-01

    The objective of this study was to explicate processes that parents of adolescents with epilepsy and cognitive impairments undergo as they help their adolescents transition to adult health care. A qualitative grounded theory methodology was used in this study. Theoretical sampling techniques were used to recruit seven ethnically diverse parents of adolescents 18 years or older with epilepsy and cognitive impairments from the community in a large metropolitan area in the southern United States. Data collection and analysis occurred simultaneously using coding and constant comparison analysis. The substantive theory Journey of Advocacy was developed from interviewing the participants. The theory has five categories: crisis sparks transition, parents in turmoil, parents as advocates, web of information, and captive waiting. Parents emerged as strong advocates in the transition process. Transitioning this group of adolescents to adult health care was an unplanned, complex, multisystem process. This study affirms the need to develop a transition program that acknowledges the unique challenges of transitioning adolescents with cognitive impairments and the interrelationship between these parents and other systems. Copyright © 2013 National Association of Pediatric Nurse Practitioners. Published by Mosby, Inc. All rights reserved.

  17. The transition of young adults with lifelong urological needs from pediatric to adult services: An international children's continence society position statement.

    PubMed

    Bower, Wendy F; Christie, Deborah; DeGennaro, Mario; Latthe, Pallavi; Raes, Ann; Romao, Rodrigo L P; Taghizadeh, Arash; Wood, Dan; Woodhouse, Christopher R J; Bauer, Stuart B

    2017-03-01

    Children with urinary tract disorders managed by teams, or individual pediatricians, urologists, nephrologists, gastroenterologists, neurologists, psychologists, and nurses at some point move from child-centered to adult-centered health systems. The actual physical change is referred to as the transfer whilst the process preceding this move constitutes transition of care. Our aims are twofold: to identify management and health-service problems related to children with congenital or acquired urological conditions who advance into adulthood and the clinical implications this has for long-term health and specialist care; and, to understand the issues facing both pediatric and adult-care clinicians and to develop a systems-approach model that meets the needs of young adults, their families and the clinicians working within adult services. Information was gleaned from presentations at an International Children's Continence Society meeting with collaboration from the International Continence Society, that discussed problems of transfer and transitioning such children. Several specialists attending this conference finalized this document identifying issues and highlighting ways to ease this transition and transfer of care for both patients and practitioners. The consensus was, urological patients with congenital or other lifelong care needs, are now entering adulthood in larger numbers than previously, necessitating new planning processes for tailored transfer of management. Adult teams must become familiar with new clinical problems in multiple organ systems and anticipate issues provoked by adolescence and physical growth. During this period of transitional care the clinician or team assists young patients to build attitudes, skills and understanding of processes needed to maximize function of their urinary tract-thus taking responsibility for their own healthcare needs. Preparation must also address, negotiating adult health care systems, psychosocial, educational or vocational issues, and mental wellbeing. Transitioning and transfer of children with major congenital anomalies to clinicians potentially unfamiliar with their conditions requires improved education both for receiving doctors and children's families. Early initiation of the transition process should allow the transference to take place at appropriate times based on the child's development, and environmental and financial factors. Neurourol. Urodynam. 36:811-819, 2017. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

  18. Health information technology: transforming chronic disease management and care transitions.

    PubMed

    Rao, Shaline; Brammer, Craig; McKethan, Aaron; Buntin, Melinda B

    2012-06-01

    Adoption of health information technology (HIT) is a key effort in improving care delivery, reducing costs of health care, and improving the quality of health care. Evidence from electronic health record (EHR) use suggests that HIT will play a significant role in transforming primary care practices and chronic disease management. This article shows that EHRs and HIT can be used effectively to manage chronic diseases, that HIT can facilitate communication and reduce efforts related to transitions in care, and that HIT can improve patient safety by increasing the information available to providers and patients, improving disease management and safety. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  19. Organizing Safe Transitions from Intensive Care

    PubMed Central

    Häggström, Marie; Bäckström, Britt

    2014-01-01

    Background. Organizing and performing patient transfers in the continuum of care is part of the work of nurses and other staff of a multiprofessional healthcare team. An understanding of discharge practices is needed in order to ultimate patients' transfers from high technological intensive care units (ICU) to general wards. Aim. To describe, as experienced by intensive care and general ward staff, what strategies could be used when organizing patient's care before, during, and after transfer from intensive care. Method. Interviews of 15 participants were conducted, audio-taped, transcribed verbatim, and analyzed using qualitative content analysis. Results. The results showed that the categories secure, encourage, and collaborate are strategies used in the three phases of the ICU transitional care process. The main category; a safe, interactive rehabilitation process, illustrated how all strategies were characterized by an intention to create and maintain safety during the process. A three-way interaction was described: between staff and patient/families, between team members and involved units, and between patient/family and environment. Discussion/Conclusions. The findings highlight that ICU transitional care implies critical care rehabilitation. Discharge procedures need to be safe and structured and involve collaboration, encouraging support, optimal timing, early mobilization, and a multidiscipline approach. PMID:24782924

  20. Clinical outcome of diabetic foot ulcers treated with negative pressure wound therapy and the transition from acute care to home care.

    PubMed

    Wu, Stephanie C; Armstrong, David G

    2008-06-01

    Diabetic foot ulcers affect millions of people in the United States of America and impose tremendous medical, psychosocial and financial loss or burden. Negative pressure wound therapy (NPWT) is generally well tolerated and appears to stimulate a robust granulation tissue response compared with other wound healing modalities. This device may be a cost-effective adjunctive wound healing therapy. This literature review will focus on the clinical outcome of diabetic foot ulcers treated with NPWT, its implication in the transition from acute care to home care, factors that might influence clinical outcomes in home care as well as quality-of-life aspects in these patients. Patient care for diabetic foot ulceration is complex and necessitates multiprofessional collaboration to provide comprehensive wound care. It is clear that when we strive for limb preservation in this most high-risk population, it is important to have an available versatile, efficacious wound healing modality. There is a need for an easy transition from acute care to home care. Resources need to be combined in a collaborative and synergistic fashion to allow patient to perform many daily living activities while receiving the potential benefits of an advanced wound healing modality.

  1. The Preventable Admissions Care Team (PACT): A Social Work-Led Model of Transitional Care.

    PubMed

    Basso Lipani, Maria; Holster, Kathleen; Bussey, Sarah

    2015-10-01

    In 2010, the Preventable Admissions Care Team (PACT), a social work-led transitional care model, was developed at Mount Sinai to reduce 30-day readmissions among high-risk patients. PACT begins with a comprehensive bedside assessment to identify the psychosocial drivers of readmission. In partnership with the patient and family, a patient-centered action plan is developed and carried out through phone calls, accompaniments, navigations and home visits, as needed, in the first 30 days following discharge. 620 patients were enrolled during the pilot from September 2010-August 2012. Outcomes demonstrated a 43% reduction in inpatient utilization and a 54% reduction in emergency department visits among enrollees. In addition, 93% of patients had a follow-up appointment within 7-10 days of discharge and 90% of patients attended the appointment. The success of PACT has led to additional funding from the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services under the Community-based Care Transitions Program and several managed care companies seeking population health management interventions for high risk members.

  2. Youth with Behavioral Health Disorders Aging Out of Foster Care: a Systematic Review and Implications for Policy, Research, and Practice.

    PubMed

    Kang-Yi, Christina D; Adams, Danielle R

    2017-01-01

    This systematic review aimed to (1) identify and summarize empirical studies on youth with behavioral health disorders aging out of foster care and (2) address implications for behavioral health policy, research, and practice. We identified previous studies by searching PubMed, PsycINFO, EBSCO, and ISI Citation Indexes and obtaining references from key experts in the child welfare field. A total of 28 full articles published between 1991 and 2014 were reviewed and summarized into the key areas including systems of care, disability type, transition practice area, study methods, study sample, transition outcome measures, study analysis, and study findings. Considering how fast youth who have behavioral health disorders fall through the crack as they exit foster care, one cannot understate the importance of incorporating timely and appropriate transition planning and care coordination for youth who have behavioral health disorders aging out of foster care into the usual case management performed by behavioral health systems and service providers.

  3. A qualitative study of innovations implemented to improve transition of care from maternity to child and family health (CFH) services in Australia.

    PubMed

    Psaila, Kim; Fowler, Cathrine; Kruske, Sue; Schmied, Virginia

    2014-12-01

    The transition of care (ToC) from maternity services, particularly from midwifery care to child and family health (CFH) nursing services, is a critical time in the support of women as they transition into early parenting. However significant issues in service provision exist, particularly meeting the needs of women with social and emotional health risk factors. These include insufficient resources, poor communication and information transfer, limited interface between private and public health systems and tension around role boundaries. In response some services are implementing strategies to improve the transition of care from maternity to CFH services. This paper describes a range of innovations developed to improve transition of care between maternity and child and family health services and identifies the characteristics common to all innovations. Data reported were collected in phase three of a mixed methods study investigating the feasibility of implementing a national approach to child and family health services in Australia (CHoRUS study). Data were collected from 33 professionals including midwives, child and family health nurses, allied health staff and managers, at seven sites across four Australian states. Data were analysed thematically, guided by Braun and Clarke's six-step process of thematic analysis. The range of innovations implemented included those which addressed; information sharing, the efficient use of funding and resources, development of new roles to improve co-ordination of care, the co-location of services and working together. Four of the seven sites implemented innovations that specifically targeted families with additional needs. Successful implementation was dependent on the preliminary work undertaken which required professionals and/or organisations to work collaboratively. Improving the transition of care requires co-ordination and collaboration to ensure families are adequately supported. Collaboration between professionals and services facilitated innovative practice and was core to successful change. Copyright © 2014 Australian College of Midwives. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  4. A year in transition: a qualitative study examining the trajectory of first year residents’ well-being

    PubMed Central

    2013-01-01

    Background It is generally understood that trainees experience periods of heightened stress during first year residency, yet there is little information on variations in stress and well-being over the transition period or those factors that contribute to these variations. This qualitative study explored the trajectory of well-being described by first year residents in the context of challenges, supports and adaptations over time. Methods In-depth interviews were conducted face-to-face with 17 first year residents at the University of Toronto. Participants drew a graph of their well-being over the course of their first year and described critical periods of challenge and adaptation. Interviews were audio-taped and transcribed. Results were organized into a thematic analysis using NVivo software. Results Residents described a pattern of well-being that varied in accordance with changes in rotations. Well-being increased when residents perceived high levels of team support, felt competent and experienced valued learning opportunities. Well-being decreased with low team support, heavy work demands, few learning opportunities and poor orientations. Anxiety and excitement in the beginning of the year gave way to heightened confidence but increased fatigue and apathy towards the year’s end. Residents used a number of cognitive, behavioural and self-care strategies to cope with transitional challenges. Conclusions Residents experienced a pattern of highly fluctuating well-being that coincided with changes in rotations. Residents’ well-being varied according to levels of supervisor and colleague support, learning opportunities, and work demands. Residents’ well-being may be improved by program interventions that facilitate better team and supervisory supports, maintain optimal service to learning ratios, establish effective fatigue and risk management systems, offer wellness support services and integrate skills based resiliency training into the curriculum. PMID:23842470

  5. The effect of a nurse-led telephone-based care coordination program on the follow-up and control of cardiovascular risk factors in patients with coronary artery disease.

    PubMed

    Wong, Ningyan; Chua, Siang Jin Terrance; Gao, Fei; Sim, Sok Tiang Rosalind; Matchar, David; Wong, Sung Lung Aaron; Yeo, Khung Keong; Tan, Wei Chieh Jack; Chin, Chee Tang

    2016-12-01

    We sought to analyse the impact of a care coordination protocol on transiting patients with coronary artery disease who had undergone percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) to primary care and its effect on cardiovascular risk factor control. A prospective observational study involving 492 patients who had undergone PCI either electively or after an acute coronary syndrome. A tertiary institution in Singapore. Patients who had undergone a PCI either electively or after an acute coronary syndrome. The SCORE (Standardized Care for Optimal Outcomes, Right-Siting and Rapid Re-evaluation) program was a nurse-led, telephone-based, care coordination protocol. Transition to primary care within 1 year of enrolment, the achievement of low-density lipoprotein (LDL) level of <2.6 mmol/l within 1 year and hospital admissions related to cardiovascular causes within 1 year were studied. Under the SCORE protocol, a significantly higher number of patients transited to primary care and achieved the LDL target within 1 year, as compared with non-SCORE patients. Discharge to primary care and achievement of target LDL continued to be higher among those under the SCORE protocol even after multivariate analysis. Rates of hospital admission due to cardiovascular causes were not significantly different. Care coordination improved the rate of transition of post-PCI patients to primary care and improved LDL control, with no difference in the rate of hospital admissions due to cardiovascular causes. These findings support the implementation of a standardized follow-up protocol in patients who have undergone PCI. © 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

  6. A national study of transitional hospital services in mental health.

    PubMed Central

    Dorwart, R A; Hoover, C W

    1994-01-01

    OBJECTIVES. Shifts in care for the seriously mentally ill from inpatient to community-based treatment have highlighted the importance of transitional care. Our objectives were to document the kinds and quantity of transitional services provided by psychiatric hospitals nationally and to assess the impact of hospital type (psychiatric vs general), ownership (public vs private), case mix, and revenue source on provision of these services. METHODS. A national sample of nonfederal inpatient mental health facilities (n = 915) was surveyed in 1988, and data were analyzed by using multiple regression. RESULTS. Half (46%) of the facilities surveyed provided patient follow-up of 1 week or less, and almost all (93%) conducted team review of discharge plans, but 74% provided no case management services. Hospital type was the most consistent predictor of transitional care, with psychiatric hospitals providing more of these services than general hospitals. Severity of illness, level of nonfederal funding, urbanicity, and teaching hospital affiliation were positively associated with provision of case management. CONCLUSIONS. Transitional care services for mentally ill patients leaving the hospital were found to be uneven and often inadequate. Reasons for broad variation in services are discussed. PMID:8059877

  7. Integrating Marriage Education into Perinatal Education

    PubMed Central

    Hawkins, Alan J.; Gilliland, Tamara; Christiaens, Glenda; Carroll, Jason S.

    2002-01-01

    Couples making the transition to parenthood experience challenges that can threaten the quality and stability of their relationships and the health of family members. Currently, the educational infrastructure to support the delivery of couple-relationship education during the transition to parenthood is limited. Because new-parent couples interact with the health care system at many points during this transition time, an opportunity exists for strengthening couple relationships within the system to improve the well-being of adults and children. In this article, we propose a productive collaboration between marriage/couple educators and health care systems to integrate couple-relationship education into the standard of perinatal care. PMID:17273316

  8. Health care transition in Germany – standardization of procedures and improvement actions

    PubMed Central

    Pieper, Claudia; Kolankowska, Izabela

    2011-01-01

    Previous studies have assessed an increase in the number of people in need and emphasized the advantages of structured discharge management and health care transition. Therefore, our study evaluated the status quo of transition in a major German city after standardization of procedures and implementation of standard forms. Satisfaction with handling of standard forms and improvement of procedures was evaluated. Additionally, patients who had recently been hospitalized were asked about the hospital discharge process. The results show that the recent efforts of standardization helped to improve interface management for health care workers and patients and showed further improvement options. PMID:21811388

  9. Risk of coinfection outbreaks in temporal networks: a case study of a hospital contact network

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Rodríguez, Jorge P.; Ghanbarnejad, Fakhteh; Eguíluz, Víctor M.

    2017-10-01

    We study the spreading of cooperative infections in an empirical temporal network of contacts between people, including health care workers and patients, in a hospital. The system exhibits a phase transition leading to one or several endemic branches, depending on the connectivity pattern and the temporal correlations. There are two endemic branches in the original setting and the non-cooperative case. However, the cooperative interaction between infections reinforces the upper branch, leading to a smaller epidemic threshold and a higher probability for having a big outbreak. We show the microscopic mechanisms leading to these differences, characterize three different risks, and use the influenza features as an example for this dynamics.

  10. A multicenter prospective quasi-experimental study on the impact of a transition-oriented generic patient education program on health service participation and quality of life in adolescents and young adults.

    PubMed

    Schmidt, Silke; Herrmann-Garitz, Carsten; Bomba, Franziska; Thyen, Ute

    2016-03-01

    The aim of the study was to test the effects of a generic transition-oriented patient education program on adolescents' health service participation and quality of life (QoL). We conducted a controlled trial comparing participants of 29 transition workshops with treatment as usual in 274 adolescents (16.8 mean age, SD=1.76) diagnosed with type I diabetes (DM), cystic fibrosis (CF) or inflammatory bowel disease (IBD). A two-day transition workshop was carried out at 12 sites in Germany, focusing in standardized modules on adjustment to adult care settings, organization of future disease management, career choices and partnership. Study outcomes were health-related transition competence, self-efficacy, satisfaction with care, patient activation and QoL. Measures were assessed at baseline and six-month follow-up. Repeated-measurement covariance analysis using age as a covariate showed that the transition workshop significantly affected transition competence, self-efficacy and satisfaction with school care six months post intervention. The intervention did not significantly affect patient activation and QoL. However, post-hoc analysis suggested different effects across conditions. The program has a positive effect on the competence of adolescents in the transition phase. The study demonstrates that an intervention can be effective in preparing adolescents with chronic conditions for transitions. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

  11. Sharp transition from ripple patterns to a flat surface for ion beam erosion of Si with simultaneous co-deposition of iron

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Zhang, K.; Broetzmann, M.; Hofsaess, H.

    We investigate pattern formation on Si by sputter erosion under simultaneous co-deposition of Fe atoms, both at off-normal incidence, as function of the Fe surface coverage. The patterns obtained for 5 keV Xe ion irradiation at 30 Degree-Sign incidence angle are analyzed with atomic force microscopy. Rutherford backscattering spectroscopy of the local steady state Fe content of the Fe-Si surface layer allows a quantitative correlation between pattern type and Fe coverage. With increasing Fe coverage the patterns change, starting from a flat surface at low coverage (< 2 Multiplication-Sign 10{sup 15} Fe/cm{sup 2}) over dot patterns (2-8 Multiplication-Sign 10{sup 15}more » Fe/cm{sup 2}), ripples patterns (8-17 Multiplication-Sign 10{sup 15} Fe/cm{sup 2}), pill bug structures (1.8 Multiplication-Sign 10{sup 16} Fe/cm{sup 2}) and a rather flat surface with randomly distributed weak pits at high Fe coverage (>1.8 Multiplication-Sign 10{sup 16} Fe/cm{sup 2}). Our results confirm the observations by Macko et al. for 2 keV Kr ion irradiation of Si with Fe co-deposition. In particular, we also find a sharp transition from pronounced ripple patterns with large amplitude (rms roughness {approx} 18 nm) to a rather flat surface (rms roughness {approx} 0.5 nm). Within this transition regime, we also observe the formation of pill bug structures, i.e. individual small hillocks with a rippled structure on an otherwise rather flat surface. The transition occurs within a very narrow regime of the steady state Fe surface coverage between 1.7 and 1.8 Multiplication-Sign 10{sup 16} Fe/cm{sup 2}, where the composition of the mixed Fe-Si surface layer of about 10 nm thickness reaches the stoichiometry of FeSi{sub 2}. Phase separation towards amorphous iron silicide is assumed as the major contribution for the pattern formation at lower Fe coverage and the sharp transition from ripple patterns to a flat surface.« less

  12. Changes in Patterns of Health Care: Plus Forty Years

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Sofalvi, Alan J.

    2010-01-01

    In this article, the author presents an update of Herman's article ["Changes in Patterns of Health Care," "School Health Review," 1(9-14)1969] that focuses on the changes in patterns of health care. He discusses the poverty, insurance, and access to medical care as well as the quality of medical care for adults and minors. He stresses that…

  13. Young People Transitioning from Out-of-Home Care and Relationships with Family of Origin: An Examination of Three Recent Australian Studies

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Mendes, Philip; Johnson, Guy; Moslehuddin, Badal

    2012-01-01

    It is generally accepted (for example, Stein and Wade) that those young people who are able to establish positive relationships with their family in care and/or when transitioning from care are more likely to have a positive self-identity and self-confidence, and overall better outcomes. Conversely, poor or non-existent family links may contribute…

  14. The Chinese health care regulatory institutions in an era of transition.

    PubMed

    Fang, Jing

    2008-02-01

    The purpose of this paper is to contribute to a better understanding of Chinese health care regulation in an era of transition. It describes the major health care regulatory institutions operating currently in China and analyzes the underlying factors. The paper argues that in the transition from a planned to a market economy, the Chinese government has been employing a hybrid approach where both old and new institutions have a role in the management of emerging markets, including the health care market. This approach is consistent with the incremental reform strategy adopted by the Party-state. Although a health care regulatory framework has gradually taken shape, the framework is incomplete, with a particular lack of emphasis on professional self-regulation. In addition, its effectiveness is limited despite the existence of many regulatory institutions. In poor rural areas, the effectiveness of the regulatory framework is further undermined or distorted by the extremely difficult financial position that local governments find themselves in. The interpretations of the principle of 'rule of law' by policy makers and officials at different levels and the widespread informal network of relations between known individuals (Guanxi) play an important role in the operation of the regulatory framework. The findings of this paper reveal the complex nature of regulating health care in transitional China.

  15. Mental health consumers' with medical co‐morbidity experience of the transition through tertiary medical services to primary care

    PubMed Central

    Cranwell, Kate; Polacsek, Meg

    2016-01-01

    Abstract Medical comorbidity in people with long‐term mental illness is common and often undetected; however, these consumers frequently experience problems accessing and receiving appropriate treatment in public health‐care services. The aim of the present study was to understand the lived experience of mental health consumers with medical comorbidity and their carers transitioning through tertiary medical to primary care services. An interpretative, phenomenological analysis approach was used, and semistructured, video‐recorded, qualitative interviews were used with 12 consumers and four primary caregivers. Four main themes and related subthemes were abstracted from the data, highlighting consumer's and carers’ experience of transition through tertiary medical to primary care services: (i) accessing tertiary services is difficult and time consuming; (ii) contrasting experiences of clinician engagement and support; (iii) lack of continuity between tertiary medical and primary care services; and (iv) Mental Health Hospital Admission Reduction Programme (MH HARP) clinicians facilitating transition. Our findings have implications for organisational change, expanding the role of MH HARP clinicians (whose primary role is to provide consumers with intensive support and care coordination to prevent avoidable tertiary medical hospital use), and the employment of consumer and carer consultants in tertiary medical settings, especially emergency departments. PMID:26735771

  16. Can the care transitions measure predict rehospitalization risk or home health nursing use of home healthcare patients?

    PubMed

    Ryvicker, Miriam; McDonald, Margaret V; Trachtenberg, Melissa; Peng, Timothy R; Sridharan, Sridevi; Feldman, Penny H

    2013-01-01

    The Care Transitions Measure (CTM) was designed to assess the quality of patient transitions from the hospital. Many hospitals are using the measure to inform their efforts to improve transitional care. We sought to determine if the measure would have utility for home healthcare providers by predicting newly admitted patients at heightened risk for emergency department use, rehospitalization, or increased home health nursing visits. The CTM was administered to 495 home healthcare patients shortly after hospital discharge and home healthcare admission. Follow-up interviews were completed 30 and 60 days post hospital discharge. Interview data were supplemented with agency assessment and service use data. We did not find evidence that the CTM could predict home healthcare patients having an elevated risk for emergent care, rehospitalization, or higher home health nursing use. Because Medicare/Medicaid-certified home healthcare providers already use a comprehensive, mandated start of care assessment, the CTM may not provide them additional crucial information. Process and outcome measurement is increasingly becoming part of usual care. Selection of measures appropriate for each service setting requires thorough site-specific evaluation. In light of our findings, we cannot recommend the CTM as an additional measure in the home healthcare setting. © 2013 National Association for Healthcare Quality.

  17. Improving Care Transitions Management: Examining the Role of Accountable Care Organization Participation and Expanded Electronic Health Record Functionality.

    PubMed

    Huber, Thomas P; Shortell, Stephen M; Rodriguez, Hector P

    2017-08-01

    Examine the extent to which physician organization participation in an accountable care organization (ACO) and electronic health record (EHR) functionality are associated with greater adoption of care transition management (CTM) processes. A total of 1,398 physician organizations from the third National Study of Physician Organization survey (NSPO3), a nationally representative sample of medical practices in the United States (January 2012-May 2013). We used data from the third National Study of Physician Organization survey (NSPO3) to assess medical practice characteristics, including CTM processes, ACO participation, EHR functionality, practice type, organization size, ownership, public reporting, and pay-for-performance participation. Multivariate linear regression models estimated the extent to which ACO participation and EHR functionality were associated with greater CTM capabilities, controlling for practice size, ownership, public reporting, and pay-for-performance participation. Approximately half (52.4 percent) of medical practices had a formal program for managing care transitions in place. In adjusted analyses, ACO participation (p < .001) and EHR functionality (p < .001) were independently associated with greater use of CTM processes among medical practices. The growth of ACOs and similar provider risk-bearing arrangements across the country may improve the management of care transitions by physician organizations. © Health Research and Educational Trust.

  18. Lack of Preparedness for Pediatric to Adult-Oriented Health Care Transition in Hospitalized Adolescents and Young Adults.

    PubMed

    Dwyer-Matzky, Keely; Blatt, Amy; Asselin, Barbara L; Wood, David L

    We examined the self-reported preparedness of hospitalized adolescents and young adults (AYA) for transition from pediatric to adult-oriented health care with regard to: 1) previous health care transition (HCT) preparation, 2) Self-Determination Theory (SDT) constructs of health self-management autonomy and competence, and 3) their perception of medical knowledge, attitudes, and concerns. From 2013 to 2015, 139 hospitalized patients aged 15 to 21 years completed a 40-item survey on HCT preparation, attitudes, concerns, and perception of knowledge adapted in part from validated questionnaires of the Department of Health and Human Services, Maternal and Child Health Bureau, and SDT Treatment Self-Regulation Study. Fewer than 40% of all respondents endorsed previous HCT preparation such as providers discussing taking responsibility for their health, transitioning to adult providers, and only 20% had discussed future health insurance needs. Of our AYA population, 84% had 1 or more special health care needs. Older patients, female patients, and those with increased HCT preparation scores had increased autonomous motivation, positive attitudes toward transition, yet also increased transition concerns. Higher autonomous motivation and perceived competence correlated with increased perception of knowledge (P = .002, < .001 respectively) and more positive attitudes toward transition planning (P < .001, .054 respectively). Multivariate regression analysis revealed those with increased HCT preparation and those with increased perceived competence had increased perception of knowledge (β = .25, P = .005 and β = .35, P < .001). Our findings suggest that hospitalized AYA received limited education and preparation regarding key elements of HCT to adult-oriented health care. Moreover, those previously exposed to transition preparation efforts were more likely to have motivation and a sense of competence in HCT skills. Copyright © 2017 Academic Pediatric Association. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  19. Can post-acute care programmes for older people reduce overall costs in the health system? A case study using the Australian Transition Care Programme.

    PubMed

    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.

  20. Sexual orientation of trans adults is not linked to outcome of transition-related health care, but worth asking.

    PubMed

    Nieder, Timo O; Elaut, Els; Richards, Christina; Dekker, Arne

    2016-01-01

    Since the beginning of contemporary transition-related care at the outset of the 20th century, sexual orientation has ben considered to be closely connected with gender identity and the developmental trajectories of trans people. Specifically, health professionals have regarded the anticipated post-transitional heterosexual behaviour of trans adults as predictive of a good outcome of cross-sex hormones and gender-confirming surgeries. This article reviews the current literature according to the question of whether the sexual orientation of trans people is linked to outcome measures following transition-related interventions. A comprehensive review was undertaken using the Medline database, searching for empirical studies published between 2010 and 2015. Out of a total of 474 studies, only 10 studies reported a follow-up of trans adults and assessed sexual orientation in the study protocol at all. Sexual orientation was predominantly assessed as homosexual versus non-homosexual related to sex assigned at birth. Only one 1 of 10 follow-up studies found a significant association according to the outcome between groups differentiated by sexual orientation. Empirically there is no link between sexual orientation and outcome of transition-related health care for trans adults. In order to provide comprehensive health care, we recommend asking for sexual behaviours, attractions and identities, as well as for gender experiences and expressions; however, this knowledge should not drive, but simply inform, such comprehensive care.

  1. Perspectives of Youth in Foster Care on Essential Ingredients for Promoting Self-determination and Successful Transition to Adult Life: My Life Model.

    PubMed

    Powers, Laurie E; Fullerton, Ann; Schmidt, Jessica; Geenen, Sarah; Oberweiser-Kennedy, Molly; Dohn, JoAnn; Nelson, May; Iavanditti, Rosemary; Blakeslee, Jennifer

    2018-02-01

    Research clearly documents the serious challenges and poor outcomes experienced by many young people exiting foster care, as well as compounded disparities for the high percentage of youth in care who are identified with disabilities and/or mental health challenges. However, very little research has been conducted to specify or validate effective models for improving the transition trajectories of youth exiting care. Evidence suggests the My Life self-determination enhancement model offers a promising approach for supporting youths' self-determined and positive transition to adulthood. The model includes youth-directed, experientially oriented coaching in the application of self-determination skills to achieve youth-identified transition goals, coupled with peer mentoring workshops that provide opportunities for learning, networking and fun. This in depth qualitative study of 10 youth who completed the My Life intervention focused on investigating coaching and mentoring elements and processes that youth participants identify as most important to their success, with the intention of informing the further development of youth-directed approaches to supporting young people who are transitioning to adulthood. Themes emerged around the centrality of youth self-direction, important processes in the coaching relationship, the essential value of experiential activities and self-determination skill development, and peer mentoring experiences that youth identified as fostering their success. Implications are discussed for research and practice in supporting youth exiting foster care.

  2. SEASONAL AND DIURNAL ACTIVITY PATTERNS IN ANT (HYMENOPTERA: FORMICIDAE) COMMUNITIES IN A VEGETATION TRANSITION REGION OF SOUTHEASTERN NEW MEXICO

    EPA Science Inventory

    The densities of active ant colonies were estimated in three habitats: creosotebush shrubland, grassland, and shinnery-oak mesquite dunes. Diurnal foraging patterns were studied at bait boards. Species richness of ant communities in this transitional region (8-12 species) was co...

  3. Association of major dietary patterns with obesity risk among Mongolian men and women.

    PubMed

    Dugee, Otgontuya; Khor, Geok Lin; Lye, Munn-Sann; Luvsannyam, Lhagva; Janchiv, Oyunbileg; Jamyan, Batjargal; Esa, Norhaizan

    2009-01-01

    Mongolia is experiencing changes in its unique nomadic lifestyle and dietary habits in the last two decades with accompanying increase in obesity rate. The dietary pattern approach, which investigates the overall diet in relation to obesity risks, has become appealing in nutrition epidemiology. The aim of this study was to identify major dietary patterns of the Mongolian adults in relation to the risk of having obesity. Dietary intake of a total 418 adults aged ? 25 years was assessed by using a food frequency questionnaire with 68 items. An exploratory factor analysis resulted in three dietary patterns: transitional high in processed meat and potato, traditional rich in whole milk, fats and oils and healthy with greater intake of whole grains, mixed vegetables and fruits. Individuals in the upper quintile of the transitional pattern had significantly greater risk of obesity (BMI > or =25 kg/m2: OR=2.47; 95% CI=1.04-5.86) while subjects in the highest quintile of the healthy dietary pattern were found to have significantly decreased risk of obesity (OR: 0.49; 95% CI=0.25-0.95). Men in the highest quintile of the transitional pattern had greater risk of abdominal obesity WC > or =90 cm: OR= 4.08; 95% CI=1.11-14.97) than those in the lowest quintile. Women in the top quintile of the traditional pattern had a greater odds of having abdominal obesity (WC > or =80 cm: OR=4.59; 95% CI=1.58-13.30) than those in the lowest quintile. The study suggests that public health efforts be targeted at adults in Mongolia to address the undesirable aspects of the transitional and the traditional dietary patterns.

  4. Liquid-vapor transition on patterned solid surfaces in a shear flow

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Yao, Wenqi; Ren, Weiqing

    2015-12-01

    Liquids on a solid surface patterned with microstructures can exhibit the Cassie-Baxter (Cassie) state and the wetted Wenzel state. The transitions between the two states and the effects of surface topography, surface chemistry as well as the geometry of the microstructures on the transitions have been extensively studied in earlier work. However, most of these work focused on the study of the free energy landscape and the energy barriers. In the current work, we consider the transitions in the presence of a shear flow. We compute the minimum action path between the Wenzel and Cassie states using the minimum action method [W. E, W. Ren, and E. Vanden-Eijnden, Commun. Pure Appl. Math. 57, 637 (2004)]. Numerical results are obtained for transitions on a surface patterned with straight pillars. It is found that the shear flow facilitates the transition from the Wenzel state to the Cassie state, while it inhibits the transition backwards. The Wenzel state becomes unstable when the shear rate reaches a certain critical value. Two different scenarios for the Wenzel-Cassie transition are observed. At low shear rate, the transition happens via nucleation of the vapor phase at the bottom of the groove followed by its growth. At high shear rate, in contrary, the nucleation of the vapor phase occurs at the top corner of a pillar. The vapor phase grows in the direction of the flow, and the system goes through an intermediate metastable state before reaching the Cassie state.

  5. Transitioning to a new nursing home: one organization's experience.

    PubMed

    O'Brien, Kelli; Welsh, Darlene; Lundrigan, Elaine; Doyle, Anne

    2013-01-01

    Restructuring of long-term care in Western Health, a regional health authority within Newfoundland and Labrador, created a unique opportunity to study the widespread impacts of the transition. Staff and long-term-care residents were relocated from a variety of settings to a newly constructed facility. A plan was developed to assess the impact of relocation on staff, residents, and families. Indicators included fall rates, medication errors, complaints, media database, sick leave, overtime, injuries, and staff and family satisfaction. This article reports on the findings and lessons learned from an organizational perspective with such a large-scale transition. Some of the key findings included the necessity of premove and postmove strategies to minimize negative impacts, ongoing communication and involvement in decision making during transitions, tracking of key indicators, recognition from management regarding increased workload and stress experienced by staff, engagement of residents and families throughout the transition, and assessing the timing of large-scale relocations. These findings would be of interest to health care managers and leadership team in organizations planning large-scale changes.

  6. Transition of Premature Infants From Hospital to Home Life

    PubMed Central

    Lopez, Greta L.; Anderson, Kathryn Hoehn; Feutchinger, Johanna

    2013-01-01

    Purpose To conduct an integrative literature review to studies that focus on the transition of premature infants from neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) to home. Method A literature search was performed in Cumulative Index to Nursing and Allied Health Literature (CINAHL), PubMed, and MEDLINE to identify studies consisting on the transition of premature infants from hospital to home life. Results The search yielded seven articles that emphasized the need for home visits, child and family assessment methods, methods of keeping contact with health care providers, educational and support groups, and described the nurse’s role in the transition program. The strategy to ease the transition differed in each article. Conclusion Home visits by a nurse were a key component by providing education, support, and nursing care. A program therefore should consist of providing parents of premature infants with home visits implemented by a nurse or staying in contact with a nurse (e.g., via video-conference). PMID:22763247

  7. A metasynthesis study of family caregivers' transition experiences caring for community-dwelling persons with advanced cancer at the end of life.

    PubMed

    Duggleby, Wendy; Tycholiz, Jamie; Holtslander, Lorraine; Hudson, Peter; Nekolaichuk, Cheryl; Mirhosseini, Mehrnoush; Parmar, Jasneet; Chambers, Thane; Alook, Angele; Swindle, Jennifer

    2017-07-01

    Family caregivers (broadly defined as family and friends) experience multiple concurrent transitions when caring for a person with advanced cancer. To (a) explore the transition experience of family caregivers caring for persons with advanced cancer living in the community, (b) describe potential triggers for transitions, (c) identify what influences this experience, and (d) develop a conceptual framework of their transition experience. Sandelowski and Barroso's methodology for synthesizing qualitative research included (a) a comprehensive search of empirical literature, (b) quality appraisal of qualitative studies, (c) classification of studies, and (d) synthesis of the findings. Literature was sourced from six electronic data bases. Inclusion criteria were as follows: (a) published qualitative studies (and mixed-method designs) of the caregiving experience of family caregivers of community-living persons with advanced cancer at the end of life, (b) participants (caregivers and care recipients) of 18 years of age and above, (c) studies published in English in any country, and (d) studies published between 2004 and 2014. A total of 72 studies were included in the metasynthesis. Family caregivers experience a "life transition" whereby their lives are permanently altered. The participants described the process of redefining normal which consisted of coming to terms with their situation and connecting with others. Outcomes of these processes were as follows: (a) maintaining a sense of personhood, (b) reframing hope, (c) maintaining self-efficacy, (d) finding meaning, and (e) preparing for the death of their care recipient. The findings provide a framework to guide the development of supportive programs and future research.

  8. Hysteresis, neural avalanches, and critical behavior near a first-order transition of a spiking neural network

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Scarpetta, Silvia; Apicella, Ilenia; Minati, Ludovico; de Candia, Antonio

    2018-06-01

    Many experimental results, both in vivo and in vitro, support the idea that the brain cortex operates near a critical point and at the same time works as a reservoir of precise spatiotemporal patterns. However, the mechanism at the basis of these observations is still not clear. In this paper we introduce a model which combines both these features, showing that scale-free avalanches are the signature of a system posed near the spinodal line of a first-order transition, with many spatiotemporal patterns stored as dynamical metastable attractors. Specifically, we studied a network of leaky integrate-and-fire neurons whose connections are the result of the learning of multiple spatiotemporal dynamical patterns, each with a randomly chosen ordering of the neurons. We found that the network shows a first-order transition between a low-spiking-rate disordered state (down), and a high-rate state characterized by the emergence of collective activity and the replay of one of the stored patterns (up). The transition is characterized by hysteresis, or alternation of up and down states, depending on the lifetime of the metastable states. In both cases, critical features and neural avalanches are observed. Notably, critical phenomena occur at the edge of a discontinuous phase transition, as recently observed in a network of glow lamps.

  9. Implementing electronic health records (EHRs): health care provider perceptions before and after transition from a local basic EHR to a commercial comprehensive EHR.

    PubMed

    Krousel-Wood, Marie; McCoy, Allison B; Ahia, Chad; Holt, Elizabeth W; Trapani, Donnalee N; Luo, Qingyang; Price-Haywood, Eboni G; Thomas, Eric J; Sittig, Dean F; Milani, Richard V

    2018-06-01

    We assessed changes in the percentage of providers with positive perceptions of electronic health record (EHR) benefit before and after transition from a local basic to a commercial comprehensive EHR. Changes in the percentage of providers with positive perceptions of EHR benefit were captured via a survey of academic health care providers before (baseline) and at 6-12 months (short term) and 12-24 months (long term) after the transition. We analyzed 32 items for the overall group and by practice setting, provider age, and specialty using separate multivariable-adjusted random effects logistic regression models. A total of 223 providers completed all 3 surveys (30% response rate): 85.6% had outpatient practices, 56.5% were >45 years old, and 23.8% were primary care providers. The percentage of providers with positive perceptions significantly increased from baseline to long-term follow-up for patient communication, hospital transitions - access to clinical information, preventive care delivery, preventive care prompt, preventive lab prompt, satisfaction with system reliability, and sharing medical information (P < .05 for each). The percentage of providers with positive perceptions significantly decreased over time for overall satisfaction, productivity, better patient care, clinical decision quality, easy access to patient information, monitoring patients, more time for patients, coordination of care, computer access, adequate resources, and satisfaction with ease of use (P < 0.05 for each). Results varied by subgroup. After a transition to a commercial comprehensive EHR, items with significant increases and significant decreases in the percentage of providers with positive perceptions of EHR benefit were identified, overall and by subgroup.

  10. Menopause characteristics and subjective symptoms in women with and without spinal cord injury.

    PubMed

    Kalpakjian, Claire Z; Quint, Elisabeth H; Bushnik, Tamara; Rodriguez, Gianna M; Terrill, Melissa Sendroy

    2010-04-01

    To examine menopause transition characteristics and symptom bother in women with spinal cord injury (SCI). Prospective cohort (4 data collection periods across 4 years). Community. Women (n=62) with SCI (injury levels C6-T12, nonambulatory, >36mo postinjury; 86.1% retention) and women without SCI (n=66; 92.9% retention) with intact ovaries, not using hormone therapy, and between the ages of 45 and 60 years volunteered. A total of 505 observations were collected and analyzed. None. Age at final menstrual period (FMP), transitions through menopause status classifications, and menopause symptom bother (vasomotor, somatic, psychologic symptoms). The number of women transitioning through a menopause status classification over the course of the study did not significantly vary by group (P=.263), nor did age at FMP (P=.643). Women with SCI experienced greater bother of somatic symptoms (a subscale, P<.001), bladder infections (P<.001), and diminished sexual arousal (P=.012). Women without SCI had significantly greater bother of vasomotor symptoms (P=.020). There were no significant group by menopause status interactions; main effects for menopause status were significant only for vasomotor symptoms and vaginal dryness. Results suggested that women with SCI experience greater symptom bother in certain areas, but that patterns of symptom bother across menopause, transition through menopause, and age at FMP are similar to those of their peers. Larger studies are needed to examine menopause outcomes with respect to level of injury and completeness of injury. These findings provide a framework that women with SCI and their health care providers can use to address the menopause transition and highlight the importance of multidisciplinary involvement to maximize health and well being during this transition. Copyright 2010 American Congress of Rehabilitation Medicine. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  11. Dermatology discharge continuity clinic enhances resident autonomy and insight into transitions-of-care competencies: a cross-sectional survey study.

    PubMed

    Rana, Jasmine; Mostaghimi, Arash

    2017-05-15

    Dermatology residents perform consults on hospitalized patients, but are often limited in their ability to follow-up with these patients after discharge, leading to inadequate follow-up and understanding of post-discharge transitions of care. In 2013, a discharge continuity clinic (DCC) staffed by the inpatient consult dermatology resident and attending dermatologist was established at one of the four adult hospital sites residents rotate through in the Harvard Combined Dermatology Residency Program. Resident perceptions about the DCC and their educational experience on inpatient consult rotations with a DCC and without a DCC were obtained using a cross-sectional survey instrument in June 2016. Self-reported data from a multi-year cohort of dermatology residents (n = 14 of 20, 70% response rate) reveals that the DCC enabled resident autonomy and resident satisfaction in care of their patients,insight into the disease-related challenges and the broader social context during transitions of care from inpatient to outpatient settings, and more enriching learning experiences than inpatient consult rotations without a DCC. Dermatology residents self-report participation in an inpatient consult rotation with aDCC supports their autonomy and achievement of post-discharge transitions-of-care competencies.

  12. 9 CFR 3.39 - Care in transit.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

    2011-01-01

    ... Pigs and Hamsters Transportation Standards § 3.39 Care in transit. (a) During surface transportation... pigs or hamsters as frequently as circumstances may dictate, but not less than once every 4 hours, to... any of the live guinea pigs or hamsters are in obvious physical distress and to provide any needed...

  13. 50 CFR 14.123 - Care in transit.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

    2011-10-01

    ... Wild Mammals and Birds to the United States Specifications for Nonhuman Primates § 14.123 Care in transit. (a) A primate shall be observed for signs of distress and given food and water according to the... to keep enclosures containing primates sufficiently separated in the conveyance or holding area to...

  14. 50 CFR 14.123 - Care in transit.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

    2010-10-01

    ... Wild Mammals and Birds to the United States Specifications for Nonhuman Primates § 14.123 Care in transit. (a) A primate shall be observed for signs of distress and given food and water according to the... to keep enclosures containing primates sufficiently separated in the conveyance or holding area to...

  15. Planning the Transition to End-of-Life Care in Advanced Cancer (PDQ®)—Health Professional Version

    Cancer.gov

    Planning the transition to end-of-life care in advanced cancer involves making decisions that can be challenging and emotionally distressing. Get information about likely topics and strategies to improve patient-oncologist communication and decision making in this clinician summary.

  16. Preventing Behavior Problems and Health-Risking Behaviors in Girls in Foster Care

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Chamberlain, Patricia; Leve, Leslie D.; Smith, Dana K.

    2006-01-01

    Transition into middle school presents complex challenges, including exposure to a larger peer group, increased expectations for time management and self-monitoring, renegotiation of rules with parents, and pubertal changes. For children in foster care, this transition is complicated by their maltreatment histories, living situation changes, and…

  17. Transition from hospital to home care: what gets lost between the discharge plan and the real world?

    PubMed

    Drury, Lin J

    2008-05-01

    Hospital-based nurses who have not practiced in home health care may find it difficult to anticipate patients' needs during the transition from hospital to home. This column focuses on increasing competency in preparing patients for home health services.

  18. 9 CFR 3.39 - Care in transit.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

    2014-01-01

    ... Pigs and Hamsters Transportation Standards § 3.39 Care in transit. (a) During surface transportation... pigs or hamsters as frequently as circumstances may dictate, but not less than once every 4 hours, to... any of the live guinea pigs or hamsters are in obvious physical distress and to provide any needed...

  19. 9 CFR 3.39 - Care in transit.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

    2012-01-01

    ... Pigs and Hamsters Transportation Standards § 3.39 Care in transit. (a) During surface transportation... pigs or hamsters as frequently as circumstances may dictate, but not less than once every 4 hours, to... any of the live guinea pigs or hamsters are in obvious physical distress and to provide any needed...

  20. 9 CFR 3.39 - Care in transit.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

    2013-01-01

    ... Pigs and Hamsters Transportation Standards § 3.39 Care in transit. (a) During surface transportation... pigs or hamsters as frequently as circumstances may dictate, but not less than once every 4 hours, to... any of the live guinea pigs or hamsters are in obvious physical distress and to provide any needed...

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