Co-creating patient-oriented discharge instructions with patients, caregivers, and healthcare providers

Promoting health literacy of older post-discharge patients in general practice - Creation of the GP-MATE communication tool through co-design

OBJECTIVE

Work with older patients and their carers to co-design a tool that improves patient - general practice communication and continuity of care following discharge of an older person from hospital.

METHODS

Experience Based Co-Design with three teams of six to seven lay people (older patients and their carers), each supported by a corresponding general practice group. The process included an implementation-focused event with participants using the intervention in a live role-play.

RESULTS

Co-design generated a patient-held tool (GP-MATE) that focuses on four areas of post-discharge care: carers/caring; continuity; medication safety and information power. Access to general practice for patients/carers post-discharge was considered to be vital to improving communication.

DISCUSSION AND CONCLUSION

The co-design process enabled patients and carers to be involved through all stages of intervention development, ensuring relevance and alignment.

PRACTICE IMPLICATIONS

The intervention is uniquely suited to general practice, comprehensive yet brief enough to be usable within a 20-minute consultation. While the domains of GP-MATE compare well with existing care transitions literature, it will be important to assess impact on already busy practice schedules and impact on care.

Improving Transitional Care for Older Adults: Results of a Patient-Centred Quality Improvement Intervention

The objective of this study was to evaluate the implementation and outcomes of a quality improvement intervention for older adults discharged from hospital to home, that used a patient-centred discharge education tool called the Patient-Centered Discharge Plan (PCAP). We conducted a pre-post evaluation of PCAP implementation among patients 65 years and older and discharged home from an acute medical or geriatric admission at two general hospitals. Two patient cohorts, PRE and POST, were analysed using administrative data (n = 3,309) and post-discharge structured interviews in a subset of patients (n = 326). Outcomes were 90-day readmissions and return emergency department (ED) visits, and transition experiences (10-item scale). The PCAP was provided to 20 per cent of 1,683 patients. Transition experience scores increased from PRE to POST at both hospitals (adjusted beta 1.3; 95% CI: 0.8, 1.7), and return ED visits declined in one of the two hospitals (adjusted decline 1.3%; 95% CI: -3.7, 6.2). In conclusion, dedicated resources are needed to support future PCAP implementation.

Assessment of Patient Retention of Inpatient Care Information Post-Hospitalization

BACKGROUND

Patient understanding of medical care improves readmission rates and patient satisfaction, yet the literature suggests patients often have poor retention of care information post-hospitalization. Although multiple interventions have been implemented to facilitate this process, the cumulative durability of their benefit remains unclear. The authors conducted this study to more objectively understand how well patients retain care information after hospital discharge and to assess patient perspectives on facilitators of this process (for example, whiteboards and patient portals).

METHODS

Semistructured phone interviews of patients admitted to general medicine resident teaching services were performed within 24 to 48 hours post-hospitalization. Recall of four key domains of care (diagnoses addressed, inpatient treatment, postdischarge treatment plans, and medication changes) was elicited. Chart review was performed to verify patient responses. Responses were then categorized by independent reviewers as correct, partially correct, or incorrect. Patient perspectives on facilitators to help with information retention were also assessed.

RESULTS

Fifty-three patients participated. The vast majority (> 90%) were confident in their knowledge of their diagnoses and treatment, yet independent review revealed only 58.5%, 64.2%, 50.9%, and 43.4% of patients correctly recalled each respective key domain. Whiteboards were the most frequently used facilitator (96.2%), yet their content was rated least helpful for retaining care information. Patients suggested several areas for improvement, including prioritizing bedside pen and paper along with updating whiteboards with diagnostic and therapeutic information.

CONCLUSION

Patient recall of their inpatient care after discharge, despite modern facilitators, remains poor. Further efforts are needed to enhance or implement facilitators based on patient feedback.

Raising the bar for patient experience during care transitions in Canada: A repeated cross-sectional survey evaluating a patient-oriented discharge summary at Ontario hospitals

BACKGROUND

Patient experience when transitioning home from hospital is an important quality metric linked to improved patient outcomes. We evaluated the impact of a hospital-based care transition intervention, patient-oriented discharge summary (PODS), on patient experience across Ontario acute care hospitals.

METHODS

We used a repeated cross-sectional study design to compare yearly positive (top-box) responses to four questions centered on discharge communication from the Canadian Patient Experience Survey (2016-2020) among three hospital cohorts with various levels of PODS implementation. Generalized Estimating Equations using a binomial likelihood accounting for site level clustering was used to assess continuous linear time trends among cohorts and cohort differences during the post-implementation period. This research had oversight from a public advisory group of patient and caregiver partners from across the province.

RESULTS

512,288 individual responses were included. Compared to non-implementation hospitals, hospitals with full implementation (>50% discharges) reported higher odds for having discussed the help needed when leaving hospital (OR = 1.18, 95% CI = 1.02-1.37) and having received information in writing about what symptoms to look out for (OR = 1.44, 95% = 1.17-1.78) post-implementation. The linear time trend was also significant when comparing hospitals with full versus no implementation for having received information in writing about what symptoms to look out for (OR = 1.05, 95% CI = 1.01-1.09).

INTERPRETATION

PODS implementation was associated with higher odds of positive patient experience, particularly for questions focused on discharge planning. Further efforts should center on discharge management, specifically: understanding of medications and what to do if worried once home.

Development and pilot implementation of a patient-oriented discharge summary for critically Ill patients

BACKGROUND

Patients leaving the intensive care unit (ICU) often experience gaps in care due to deficiencies in discharge communication, leaving them vulnerable to increased stress, adverse events, readmission to ICU, and death. To facilitate discharge communication, written summaries have been implemented to provide patients and their families with information on medications, activity and diet restrictions, follow-up appointments, symptoms to expect, and who to call if there are questions. While written discharge summaries for patients and their families are utilized frequently in surgical, rehabilitation, and pediatric settings, few have been utilized in ICU settings.

AIM

To develop an ICU specific patient-oriented discharge summary tool (PODS-ICU), and pilot test the tool to determine acceptability and feasibility.

METHODS

Patient-partners (i.e., individuals with lived experience as an ICU patient or family member of an ICU patient), ICU clinicians (i.e., physicians, nurses), and researchers met to discuss ICU patients' specific informational needs and design the PODS-ICU through several cycles of discussion and iterative revisions. Research team nurses piloted the PODS-ICU with patient and family participants in two ICUs in Calgary, Canada. Follow-up surveys on the PODS-ICU and its impact on discharge were administered to patients, family participants, and ICU nurses.

RESULTS

Most participants felt that their discharge from the ICU was good or better (n = 13; 87.0%), and some (n = 9; 60.0%) participants reported a good understanding of why the patient was in ICU. Most participants (n = 12; 80.0%) reported that they understood ICU events and impacts on the patient's health. While many patients and family participants indicated the PODS-ICU was informative and useful, ICU nurses reported that the PODS-ICU was "not reasonable" in their daily clinical workflow due to "time constraint".

CONCLUSION

The PODS-ICU tool provides patients and their families with essential information as they discharge from the ICU. This tool has the potential to engage and empower patients and their families in ensuring continuity of care beyond ICU discharge. However, the PODS-ICU requires pairing with earlier discharge practices and integration with electronic clinical information systems to fit better into the clinical workflow for ICU nurses. Further refinement and testing of the PODS-ICU tool in diverse critical care settings is needed to better assess its feasibility and its effects on patient health outcomes.

"Peas in a Pod": Clustering minorly injured trauma patients together during their hospitalization results in decreased hospital costs and fewer inpatient complications

BACKGROUND

Trauma patient care is complex. Clustering these patients within the hospital seems intuitive. This study's purpose was to explore the benefits of trauma patient clustering, hypothesizing these patients will have decreased costs and better outcomes.

METHODS

This was an analysis of all adult (18-99 years) trauma patients admitted from 1/2017-1/2019 without an intensive care unit stay. Patients were grouped into those admitted to the trauma unit (TU) versus non-trauma units (NTU). Outcomes evaluated between groups were baseline demographics, direct costs, complication rates (using our TQIP registry), and discharge location. T-test, median test, and chi squared test were used. Linear regression was performed. Significance was set at p < 0.05.

RESULTS

1481 patients (684 TU and 797 NTU) were analyzed. TU patients were younger. Injury Severity Score, mortality, and hospital length of stay were similar between groups. Direct hospital costs were decreased for TU patients ($4941(±$4740) versus $5639(±$4897), p = 0.006). Fewer TU patients experienced inpatient complications (7.8% versus 13.5%, p < 0.001). More TU patients were discharged to home (78.9% versus 73.8%, p = 0.02). Linear regression analysis demonstrated admission to NTUs predicted a direct cost increase of $766.35 (p < 0.001).

CONCLUSIONS

Clustering minorly injured trauma patients on a dedicated unit resulted in reduced costs, decreased complications, and higher likelihood for discharge to home.

Medication Supports at Transitions Between Hospital and Other Care Settings: A Rapid Scoping Review

PURPOSE

Transitions in care (TiC) often involves managing medication changes and can be vulnerable moments for patients. Medication support, where medication changes are reviewed with patients and caregivers to increase knowledge and confidence about taking medications, is key to successful transitions. Little is known about the optimal tools and processes for providing medication support. This study aimed to identify describe patient or caregiver-centered medication support processes or tools that have been studied within 3 months following TiC between hospitals and other care settings.

METHODS

Rapid scoping review; English-language publications from OVID MEDLINE, OVID EMBASE, Cochrane Library and EBSCO CINAHL (2004-July 2019) that assessed medication support interventions delivered within 3 months following discharge were included. A subset of titles and abstracts were assessed by two reviewers to evaluate agreement and once reasonable agreement was achieved, the remainder were assessed by one reviewer. Eligibility assessment for full-text articles and data charting were completed by an experienced reviewer.

RESULTS

A total of 7671 unique citations were assessed; 60 studies were included. Half of the studies (n = 30/60) were randomized controlled trials. Most studies (n = 45/60) did not discuss intervention development, particularly whether end users were involved in intervention design. Many studies (n = 37/60) assessed multi-component interventions with written/print and verbal education components. Few studies (n = 5/60) included an electronic component. Very few studies (n = 4/60) included study populations at high risk of adverse events at TiC (eg, people with physical or intellectual disabilities, low literacy or language barriers).

CONCLUSION

The majority of studies were randomized controlled trials involving verbal counselling and/or physical document delivered to the patient before discharge. Few studies involved electronic components or considered patients at high-risk of adverse events. Future studies would benefit from improved reporting on development, consideration for electronic interventions, and improved reporting on patients with higher medication-related needs.

A Multidisciplinary Approach to Improving the Pediatric Discharge Process

BACKGROUND

A collaborative and multidisciplinary shared responsibility with providing discharge information to pediatric patients/families can support successful reassimilation to life posthospitalization.

PROBLEM

An analysis of the current discharge process at an urban pediatric hospital identified variations in discharge practices and instructions.

APPROACH

A multidisciplinary taskforce used the Plan-Do-Study-Act methodology to standardize the discharge process including creating a discharge template, adopting a new education platform, enhancing the electronic health record, and implementing strategies to improve discharge.

OUTCOMES

There was a reduction in 7-day readmission rate from preintervention 4.58 to postintervention for 4 consecutive quarters of 3.92, 4.20, 3.44, and 3.41, respectively. Percentile ranking and top box scores of the patient satisfaction measure of discharge preparation increased from 12th-62nd to 65th-95th percentile postimplementation and 81% to 88%, respectively.

CONCLUSIONS

A local improvement initiative related to standardization of the discharge process resulted in a reduction in 7-day readmission rate and improved patient satisfaction scores.

Using experience-based co-design with patients, carers and healthcare professionals to develop theory-based interventions for safer medicines use

BACKGROUND

Experience-Based Co-Design (EBCD) is a participatory design method which was originally developed and is still primarily used as a healthcare quality improvement tool. Traditionally, EBCD has been sited within single services or settings and has yielded improvements grounded in the experiences of those delivering and receiving care.

METHOD

In this article we present how EBCD can be adapted to develop complex interventions, underpinned by theory, to be tested more widely within the healthcare system as part of a multi-phase, multi-site research study. We begin with an outline of co-design and the stages of EBCD. We then provide an overview of how EBCD can be assimilated into an intervention development and evaluation study, giving examples of the adaptations and research tools and methods that can be deployed. We also suggest how to appraise the resulting intervention so it is realistic and tractable in multiple sites. We describe how EBCD can be combined with different behaviour change theories and methods for intervention development and finally, we make suggestions about the skills needed for successful intervention development using EBCD.

CONCLUSION

EBCD has been recognised as being a collaborative approach to improving healthcare services that puts patients and healthcare staff at the heart of initiatives and potential changes. We have demonstrated how EBCD can be integrated into a research project and how existing research approaches can be assimilated into EBCD stages. We have also suggested where behaviour change theories can be used to better understand intervention change mechanisms.

Evaluating health service outcomes of public involvement in health service design in high-income countries: a systematic review

BACKGROUND

Internationally, it is expected that health services will involve the public in health service design. Evaluation of public involvement has typically focused on the process and experiences for participants. Less is known about outcomes for health services. The aim of this systematic review was to a) identify and synthesise what is known about health service outcomes of public involvement and b) document how outcomes were evaluated.

METHODS

Searches were undertaken in MEDLINE, EMBASE, The Cochrane Library, PsycINFO, Web of Science, and CINAHL for studies that reported health service outcomes from public involvement in health service design. The review was limited to high-income countries and studies in English. Study quality was assessed using the Mixed Methods Appraisal Tool and critical appraisal guidelines for assessing the quality and impact of user involvement in health research. Content analysis was used to determine the outcomes of public involvement in health service design and how outcomes were evaluated.

RESULTS

A total of 93 articles were included. The majority were published in the last 5 years, were qualitative, and were located in the United Kingdom. A range of health service outcomes (discrete products, improvements to health services and system/policy level changes) were reported at various levels (service level, across services, and across organisations). However, evaluations of outcomes were reported in less than half of studies. In studies where outcomes were evaluated, a range of methods were used; most frequent were mixed methods. The quality of study design and reporting was inconsistent.

CONCLUSION

When reporting public involvement in health service design authors outline a range of outcomes for health services, but it is challenging to determine the extent of outcomes due to inadequate descriptions of study design and poor reporting. There is an urgent need for evaluations, including longitudinal study designs and cost-benefit analyses, to fully understand outcomes from public involvement in health service design.

Implementation, spread and impact of the Patient Oriented Discharge Summary (PODS) across Ontario hospitals: a mixed methods evaluation

Background

Traditional discharge processes lack a patient-centred focus. This project studied the implementation and effectiveness of an individualized discharge tool across Ontario hospitals. The Patient Oriented Discharge Summary (PODS) is an individualized discharge tool with guidelines that was co-designed with patients and families to enable a patient-centred process.

Methods

Twenty one acute-care and rehabilitation hospitals in Ontario, Canada engaged in a community of practice and worked over a period of 18 months to implement PODS. An effectiveness-implementation hybrid design using a triangulation approach was used with hospital-collected data, patient and provider surveys, and interviews of project teams. Key outcomes included: penetration and fidelity of the intervention, change in patient-centred processes, patient and provider satisfaction and experience, and healthcare utilization. Statistical methods included linear mixed effects models and generalized estimating equations.

Results

Of 65,221 discharges across hospitals, 41,884 patients (64%) received a PODS. There was variation in reach and implementation pattern between sites, though none of the between site covariates was significantly associated with implementation success. Both high participation in the community of practice and high fidelity were associated with higher penetration. PODS improved family involvement during discharge teaching (7% increase, p = 0.026), use of teach-back (11% increase, p < 0.001) and discussion of help needed (6% increase, p = 0.041). Although unscheduled healthcare utilization decreased with PODS implementation, it was not statistically significant.

Conclusions

This project highlighted the system-wide adaptability and ease of implementing PODS across multiple patient groups and hospital settings. PODS demonstrated an improvement in patient-centred discharge processes linked to quality standards and health outcomes. A community of practice and high quality content may be needed for successful implementation.

Supplementary Information

The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1186/s12913-021-06374-8.

Tool development to improve medication information transfer to patients during transitions of care: A participatory action research and design thinking methodology approach

BACKGROUND

Medication changes during transitions of care is a recognized challenge that has been linked to adverse events. The delivery of medication instructions during transition from hospital to home is a priority area for improvement.

OBJECTIVE

The goals of this work were to 1) understand the current experiences of patients and families; and 2) co-design tools to improve medication information transfer during transitions of care together with patients, families, and providers.

METHODS

A participatory action approach, using mixed methods within a design thinking framework was used. Participants were chosen from patient groups at higher risk of adverse events, guided by extreme user design, which posits that needs of extreme users can also fit the majority. Providers, patients and family (users) were interviewed to understand current experiences with medication information transfer during transitions of care and to solicit input on potential elements to inform tool design. Users were engaged in iterative creation of prototypes.

RESULTS

A total of 116 patients, family caregivers, and providers were engaged throughout this project. Findings highlighted challenges currently experienced, strengthening the case for tools that engage the patient and family in medication information transfer. Important information included why medications were prescribed, how to take them, side effects, and an explanation of the role of community pharmacists. Displaying information in a grid format was preferred. Two tools were prototyped: (1) A Medication Whiteboard for engaging patients and families in creating their medication routine, and (2) A Patient Oriented Medication List for providing medication instructions and as a reference once patients are home.

CONCLUSIONS

Through the use of mixed methods within a design thinking framework, the team was able to understand the challenges and design prototypes of tools that both engage patients and families in developing their medication routine and improve medication information transfer during transitions of care.

Sexual dysfunction following traumatic pelvic fracture

BACKGROUND

While sexual dysfunction (SD) in men following traumatic pelvic fracture is common, little is known of how men experience changes in their sexual health after injury. The aims of the present study were to explore the personal and interpersonal impacts of SD in men after pelvic injury and to understood how interactions with the health care system can be optimized to improve patient-centered trauma survivorship care.

METHODS

Fifteen semistructured interviews were conducted with men who had a history of traumatic pelvic fracture and self-reported SD. Interviews were audio recorded, transcribed, and uploaded to a web-based qualitative analysis platform. A codebook was developed, and intercoder reliability was verified. Inductive thematic analysis was performed to identify notable themes related to patient postinjury sexual health experiences.

RESULTS

Median age of interviewees was 46 years (interquartile range, 44-54 years), with a median time since injury of 41 months (interquartile range, 22-55 months). Five primary themes were identified from the analysis: (1) effects on self-image and romantic relationships, (2) unknown care pathways and lack of communication, (3) inconsistencies with health care provider priorities, (4) provision of sexual health information and resources, and (5) the importance of setting expectations. Interviewees suggested that improved communication, provision of information related to possible adverse effects of their injuries, and expectation setting would improve posttrauma experiences.

CONCLUSION

Men's experiences with SD after pelvic trauma can be heavily influenced by their interactions with health care providers and the value that is placed on sexual health as a component of survivorship. Incorporating these findings into a patient-centered trauma survivorship program may improve patient experiences.

LEVEL OF EVIDENCE

Therapeutic, level V.

Goals of care or goals of life? A qualitative study of clinicians' and patients' experiences of hospital discharge using Patient-Oriented Discharge Summaries (PODS)

Background

Recognizing the need for improved communication with patients at the point of hospital discharge, a group of clinicians, patients, and designers in Toronto, Canada collaborated to develop a standardized tool known as the Patient-Oriented Discharge Summary (PODS). Although quantitative results suggest PODS helps mitigate gaps in knowledge, a qualitative inquiry from the clinician and patient perspective of psychiatric hospital discharge using PODS has not been widely explored. Our aim was to explore clinicians’ and patients’ experiences with PODS.

Methods

We used a qualitative thematic analysis to explore clinicians’ (n = 10) and patients’ (n = 6) experiences with PODS. We used convenience sampling to identify and invite potential participants at the Center for Addiction and Mental Health in Toronto, Canada to participate in semi-structured interviews between February 2019 and September 2019. Data were analyzed using a thematic analysis approach to develop descriptive themes.

Results

Emerging themes from the data between clinicians and patients were both different and complementary. Clinicians described PODS using the concept of “goals of care.” They relayed their experiences with PODS as a discrete event and emphasized its role in meeting their “goals of care” for discharge planning. Patients provided more of a “goals of life” perspective on recovery. They characterized PODS as only one facet of their recovery journey and not necessarily as a discrete or memorable event. Patients focused on their outcomes post-discharge and situated their experiences with PODS through its relation to their overall recovery.

Conclusions

PODS was experienced differently by clinicians and patients. Clinicians experienced PODS as helpful in orienting them to the fulfillment of goals of care. Patients did not experience PODS as a particularly memorable intervention. Due to the information advantage that clinicians have about PODS, it is not surprising that clinicians and patients experienced the PODS differently. This study expanded our understanding of hospital discharge from clinicians and patients perspectives, and suggests that there are additional areas that need improvement.

An alternate level of care plan: Co-designing components of an intervention with patients, caregivers and providers to address delayed hospital discharge challenges

Objective

To engage with patients, caregivers and care providers to co‐design components of an intervention that aims to improve delayed hospital discharge experiences.

Design

This is a qualitative study, which entailed working groups and co‐design sessions utilizing World Café and deliberative dialogue techniques to continually refine the intervention.

Setting and Participants

Our team engaged with 61 participants (patients, caregivers and care providers) in urban and rural communities across Ontario, Canada. A 7‐member Patient and Caregiver Advisory Council participated in all stages of the research.

Results

Key challenges experienced during a delayed discharge by patients, caregivers and care providers were poor communication and a lack of care services. Participants recommended a communication guide to support on‐going conversation between care providers, patients and caregivers. The guide included key topics to cover and questions to ask during initial and on‐going conversations to manage expectations and better understand the priorities and goals of patients and caregivers. Service recommendations included getting out of bed and dressed each day, addressing the psycho‐social needs of patients through tailored activities and having a storyboard at the bedside to facilitate on‐going engagement.

Discussion and Conclusions

Our findings outline ways to meaningfully engage patients and caregivers during a delayed hospital discharge. Combining this with a minimal basket of services can potentially facilitate a better care experience and outcomes for patients, their care providers and families.

Patient and caregiver priorities in the transition from hospital to home: results from province-wide group concept mapping

BACKGROUND

Patients and caregivers often face significant challenges when they are discharged home from hospital. We sought to understand what influenced patient and caregiver experience in the transition from hospital to home and which of these aspects they prioritised for health system improvement.

METHODS

We conducted group concept mapping over 11 months with patients-and their caregivers-who were admitted to a hospital overnight in the last 3 years in Ontario, Canada and discharged home. Home included supportive housing, shelters and long-term care. Participants responded to a single focal prompt about what affected their experience during the transition. We summarised responses in unique statements. We then recruited participants to rate each statement on a five-point scale on whether addressing this gap should be a priority for the health system. The provincial quality agency recruited participants in partnership with patient, community and healthcare organisations. Participation was online, in-person or virtual.

RESULTS

736 participants provided 2704 responses to the focal prompt. Unique concepts were summarised in 52 statements that were then rated by 271 participants. Participants rated the following three statements most highly as a gap that should be a priority for the health system to address (in rank order): 'Not enough publicly funded home care services to meet the need', 'Home care support is not in place when arriving home from hospital' and 'Having to advocate to get enough home care'. The top priority was consistent across multiple subgroups.

CONCLUSIONS

In a country with universal health insurance, patients and caregivers from diverse backgrounds consistently prioritised insufficient public coverage for home care services as a gap the health system should address to improve the transition from hospital to home.

Feasibility and performance of a patient-oriented discharge instruction tool for heart failure

Background

The provision of patient-centred discharge instructions is a pivotal goal for improving quality of care for patients with heart failure (HF) during care transitions. We tested the feasibility and performance of a novel discharge instruction tool co-designed with patients and adapted for HF; the patient-oriented discharge summary (PODS-HF) with the aim of improving communication, comprehension and adherence to discharge instructions.

Methods

An iterative process was used to adapt and implement an existing patient instruction tool for patients with HF (PODS-HF). A mixed methods approach was then used to explore patient experience, feasibility and performance using a pre–post study design among eligible patients admitted for HF over a 6-month period. Outcome measures included: the documentation of patient-centred instructions, a locally derived Average Discharge Score (ADS) based on the inclusion of instructions in nine key areas, patient satisfaction and understanding and adherence to instructions at 72 hours and 30 days determined using follow-up phone calls.

Results

19 patients were enrolled. The ADS increased by 68% with more consistent documentation. Patient satisfaction remained high. Patients provided PODS-HF reported receiving written information about HF related signs and symptoms to watch for (two out of five patients in the usual care group vs seven out of seven patients in the PODS-HF group; p=0.045). Patients also felt more confident to manage their own health and 30-day adherence to diet and exercise instructions improved while reducing the need for unscheduled visits. Quantitative results were supported by themes identified during follow-up calls, namely, the utility of written instructions and the importance of a follow-up call.

Conclusion

PODS-HF is a feasible tool for the delivery of patient-centred discharge instructions for patients with HF. The individual benefits of clarification and reinforcement made during follow-up calls among patients receiving this tool remains to be clarified.

Patients' and caregivers' perspectives on factors that influence understanding of and adherence to hospital discharge instructions: a qualitative study

BACKGROUND

Many patients have difficulty understanding and adhering to discharge instructions once home from hospital. We assessed patient and family caregiver perspectives on factors that influence understanding of and adherence to discharge instructions.

METHODS

We conducted a qualitative study using semistructured interviews of participants aged 18 years or more enrolled in a multicentre mixed-methods study who were discharged from 3 acute care hospitals across Ontario with a diagnosis of congestive heart failure, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease or pneumonia. Patients were recruited between March and November 2016. We used directed content analysis to derive themes and subthemes.

RESULTS

Twenty-seven participants (16 patients and 11 family members) described 5 themes that affected their understanding of and adherence to discharge instructions: 1) the role of caregivers, 2) relationships with inpatient and outpatient health care providers, 3) previous hospital stay, 4) barriers to accessing postdischarge care and 5) system-level processes. Subthemes highlighted the importance participants attributed to who provides the instructions, the development of resilience and advocacy through previous admissions, the benefits of addressing language and physical disability barriers, reviewing instructions in a unhurried manner, and ensuring that written instructions are meaningful and actionable.

INTERPRETATION

Care transition interventions targeting improved communication are unlikely to improve understanding of and adherence to discharge instructions on their own. A patient-centred framework that promotes positive relationships with a patient's circle of care, reflects previous experiences with discharge, addresses equity barriers, and enhances strategies for patient and caregiver engagement at the time of discharge may optimize understanding and adherence once the patient is home.

Patient experiences using a novel tool to improve care transitions in patients with heart failure: a qualitative analysis

OBJECTIVE

To evaluate the utility of a novel discharge tool adapted for heart failure (HF) on patient experience.

DESIGN

Semistructured interviews assessed the utility of a novel discharge tool adapted for HF; patient-oriented discharge summary (PODS-HF) at 72 hours and 30 days after leaving hospital. Interviews were recorded and transcribed verbatim. Three investigators used directed content analysis to determine themes and subthemes from the narrative data.

SETTING

The cardiology ward of an urban academic institution in Canada.

PARTICIPANTS

13 patients and caregivers completed 24 interviews. Eligible patients were >18 years and admitted with a diagnosis of HF.

RESULTS

Analysis revealed six interconnected themes: (1) Utility of discharge instructions: how patients perceive and use written and verbal instructions. Patients receiving PODS-HF identified value in the patient-centred summarised content. (2) Adherence: strategies used by patients to enhance adherence to medications, diet and lifestyle changes. PODS-HF provides a strong visual reminder, particularly early postdischarge. (3) Adaptation: how patients incorporate changes into 'new norms'. This was more evident by 30 days, and those using PODS-HF had less unscheduled visits and readmissions. (4) Relationships with healthcare providers: patients' perceptions of the roles of family physicians and specialists in follow-up care. (5) Role of family and caregivers: the pivotal role of caregivers in supporting adherence and adaptation. (6) Follow-up phone calls: the utility of follow-up calls, particularly early after discharge as a means of providing clarification, reassurance and education.

CONCLUSION

PODS-HF is a useful tool that increases patients' confidence to self-manage and facilitates adherence by providing relevant written information to reference after discharge.

"We are doing it together"; The integral role of caregivers in a patients' transition home from the medicine unit

Background

An admission to hospital for acute illness can be difficult for patients and lead to high levels of anxiety. Patients are given a lot of information throughout their hospital stay and instructions at discharge to follow when they get home. For complex medical patients, the ability to retain, understand, and adhere to these instructions is a critical marker of a successful transition. This study was undertaken to explore factors impacting the ability of patients to understand and adhere to instructions.

Methods

A qualitative design of interviews with patients and caregivers was used. Participants were adult patients and caregivers with congestive heart failure, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, or community-acquired pneumonia being discharged home from three academic acute care hospitals in Ontario, Canada. Semi structured interviews were conducted with participants within one week following their discharge from hospital. Interviews were audiotaped and transcribed. Five independent researchers participated in an iterative process of coding, reviewing, and analyzing the interviews using direct content analysis.

Results

In total, 27 participants completed qualitative interviews. Analysis revealed the role of the caregiver to be critical in its relation to the ability of patients to understand and adhere to discharge instructions. Within the topic of caregiving, we draw on three areas of insight: The first clarified how caregivers support patients after they are discharged home from the hospital. The second highlighted how caregiver involvement impacts patient understanding and adherence to discharge instructions. The third revealed system factors that influence a caregiver’s involvement when receiving discharge instructions.

Conclusion

Caregivers play an important role in the transition of a complex medical patient by impacting a patient’s ability to understand and adhere to their discharge instructions. The themes identified in this paper highlight opportunities for healthcare providers and institutions to effectively involve caregivers during transitions from acute care hospitals to home.

Trauma patient discharge and care transition experiences: Identifying opportunities for quality improvement in trauma centres

BACKGROUND

Challenges delivering quality care are especially salient during hospital discharge and care transitions. Severely injured patients discharged from a trauma centre will go either home, to rehabilitation or another acute care hospital with complex management needs. This purpose of this study was to explore the experiences of trauma patients and families treated in a regional academic trauma centre to better understand and improve their discharge and care transition experiences.

METHODS

A qualitative study using inductive thematic analysis was conducted between March and October 2016. Telephone interviews were conducted with trauma patients and/or a family member after discharge from the trauma centre. Data collection and analysis were completed inductively and iteratively consistent with a qualitative approach.

RESULTS

Twenty-four interviews included 19 patients and 7 family members. Participants' experiences drew attention to discharge and transfer processes that either (1) Fostered quality discharge or (2) Impeded quality discharge. Fostering quality discharge was ward staff preparation efforts; establishing effective care continuity; and, adequate emotional support. Impeding discharge quality was perceived pressure to leave the hospital; imposed transfer decisions; and, sub-optimal communication and coordination around discharge. Patient-provider communication was viewed to be driven by system, rather than patient need. Inter-facility information gaps raised concern about receiving facilities' ability to care for injured patients.

CONCLUSIONS

The quality of trauma patient discharge and transition experiences is undermined by system- and ward-level processes that compete, rather than align, in producing high quality patient-centred discharge. Local improvement solutions focused on modifiable factors within the trauma centre include patient-oriented discharge education and patient navigation; however, these approaches alone may be insufficient to enhance patient experiences. Trauma patients encounter complex barriers to quality discharge that likely require a comprehensive, multimodal intervention.

Low Health Literacy Is Associated with Increased Transitional Care Needs in Hospitalized Patients

OBJECTIVE

To examine the association of health literacy with the number and type of transitional care needs (TCN) among patients being discharged to home.

DESIGN, SETTING, PARTICIPANTS

A cross-sectional analysis of patients admitted to an academic medical center.

MEASUREMENTS

Nurses administered the Brief Health Literacy Screen and documented TCNs along 10 domains: caregiver support, transportation, healthcare utilization, high-risk medical comorbidities, medication management, medical devices, functional status, mental health comorbidities, communication, and financial resources.

RESULTS

Among the 384 patients analyzed, 113 (29%) had inadequate health literacy. Patients with inadequate health literacy had needs in more TCN domains (mean = 5.29 vs 4.36; P < 0 .001). In unadjusted analysis, patients with inadequate health literacy were significantly more likely to have TCNs in 7 out of the 10 domains. In multivariate analyses, inadequate health literacy remained significantly associated with inadequate caregiver support (odds ratio [OR], 2.61; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.37-4.99) and transportation barriers (OR, 1.69; 95% CI, 1.04-2.76).

CONCLUSIONS

Among hospitalized patients, inadequate health literacy is prevalent and independently associated with other needs that place patients at a higher risk of adverse outcomes, such as hospital readmission. Screening for inadequate health literacy and associated needs may enable hospitals to address these barriers and improve postdischarge outcomes.

Elucidating the information exchange during interfacility care transitions: Insights from a Qualitative Study

OBJECTIVE

To explore the perceptions of patients, their caregivers and healthcare professionals associated with the exchange of information during transitioning from two acute care hospitals to one rehabilitation hospital.

DESIGN

An exploratory qualitative study using semi-structured interviews and observation.

PARTICIPANTS AND SETTING

Patients over the age of 65 years admitted to an orthopaedic unit for a non-elective admission, their caregivers and healthcare professionals involved in their care. Participating sites included orthopaedic inpatient units from two acute care teaching hospitals and one orthopaedic unit at a rehabilitation hospital in an urban setting.

FINDINGS

Three distinct themes emerged from participants' narrative of their transitional care experience: (1) having no clue what the care plan is, (2) being told and notified about the plan and (3) experiencing challenges absorbing information. Participating patients and their caregivers reported not being engaged in an active discussion with healthcare professionals about their care transition plan. Several healthcare professionals described withholding information within the plan until they themselves were clear about the transition outcomes.

CONCLUSION

This study highlights the need to increase efforts to ensure that effective information exchanges occur during transition from acute care hospital to rehabilitation settings.

Assessment of readability, understandability, and completeness of pediatric hospital medicine discharge instructions

The average American adult reads at an 8th-grade level. Discharge instructions written above this level might increase the risk of adverse outcomes for children as they transition from hospital to home. We conducted a cross-sectional study at a large urban academic children's hospital to describe readability levels, understandability scores, and completeness of written instructions given to families at hospital discharge. Two hundred charts for patients discharged from the hospital medicine service were randomly selected for review. Written discharge instructions were extracted and scored for readability (Fry Readability Scale [FRS]), understandability (Patient Education Materials Assessment Tool [PEMAT]), and completeness (5 criteria determined by consensus). Descriptive statistics enumerated the distribution of readability, understandability, and completeness of written discharge instructions. Of the patients included in the study, 51% were publicly insured. Median age was 3.1 years, and median length of stay was 2.0 days. The median readability score corresponded to a 10th-grade reading level (interquartile range, 8-12; range, 1-13). Median PEMAT score was 73% (interquartile range, 64%-82%; range, 45%-100%); 36% of instructions scored below 70%, correlating with suboptimal understandability. The diagnosis was described in only 33% of the instructions. Although explicit warning signs were listed in most instructions, 38% of the instructions did not include information on the person to contact if warning signs developed. Overall, the readability, understandability, and completeness of discharge instructions were subpar. Efforts to improve the content of discharge instructions may promote safe and effective transitions home. Journal of Hospital Medicine 2017;12:98-101.