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Brotherhood K, Searle B, Spiers GF, Caiado C, Hanratty B. Variations in older people's emergency care use by social care setting: a systematic review of international evidence. Br Med Bull 2024; 149:32-44. [PMID: 38112600 PMCID: PMC10938536 DOI: 10.1093/bmb/ldad033] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/14/2023] [Revised: 11/16/2023] [Accepted: 11/28/2023] [Indexed: 12/21/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Older adults' use of social care and their healthcare utilization are closely related. Residents of care homes access emergency care more often than the wider older population; however, less is known about emergency care use across other social care settings. SOURCES OF DATA A systematic review was conducted, searching six electronic databases between January 2012 and February 2022. AREAS OF AGREEMENT Older people access emergency care from a variety of community settings. AREAS OF CONTROVERSY Differences in study design contributed to high variation observed between studies. GROWING POINTS Although data were limited, findings suggest that emergency hospital attendance is lowest from nursing homes and highest from assisted living facilities, whilst emergency admissions varied little by social care setting. AREAS TIMELY FOR DEVELOPING RESEARCH There is a paucity of published research on emergency hospital use from social care settings, particularly home care and assisted living facilities. More attention is needed on this area, with standardized definitions to enable comparisons between studies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kelly Brotherhood
- Population Health Sciences Institute, Faculty of Medical Sciences, Newcastle University, Biomedical Research Building (Second Floor), Newcastle upon Tyne NE1 7RU, UK
| | - Ben Searle
- Population Health Sciences Institute, Faculty of Medical Sciences, Newcastle University, Biomedical Research Building (Second Floor), Newcastle upon Tyne NE1 7RU, UK
| | - Gemma Frances Spiers
- Population Health Sciences Institute, Faculty of Medical Sciences, Newcastle University, Biomedical Research Building (Second Floor), Newcastle upon Tyne NE1 7RU, UK
| | - Camila Caiado
- Department of Mathematical Sciences, Mathematical Sciences & Computer Science Building, Durham University, Upper Mountjoy Campus, Stockton Road, Durham, DH1 3LE, UK
| | - Barbara Hanratty
- Population Health Sciences Institute, Faculty of Medical Sciences, Newcastle University, Biomedical Research Building (Second Floor), Newcastle upon Tyne NE1 7RU, UK
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Cox MB, McGregor MJ, Poss J, Harrington C. The association of facility ownership with COVID-19 outbreaks in long-term care homes in British Columbia, Canada: a retrospective cohort study. CMAJ Open 2023; 11:E267-E273. [PMID: 36944427 PMCID: PMC10035665 DOI: 10.9778/cmajo.20220022] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 03/23/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Long-term care (LTC) in Canada is delivered by a mix of government-, for-profit- and nonprofit-owned facilities that receive public funding to provide care, and were sites of major outbreaks during the early stages of the COVID-19 pandemic. We sought to assess whether facility ownership was associated with COVID-19 outbreaks among LTC facilities in British Columbia, Canada. METHODS We conducted a retrospective observational study in which we linked LTC facility data, collected annually by the Office of the Seniors Advocate BC, with public health data on outbreaks. A facility outbreak was recorded when 1 or more residents tested positive for SARS-CoV-2 between Mar. 1, 2020, and Jan. 31, 2021. We used the Cox proportional hazards method to calculate the adjusted hazard ratio (HR) of the association between risk of COVID-19 outbreak and facility ownership, controlling for community incidence of COVID-19 and other facility characteristics. RESULTS Overall, 94 outbreaks involved residents in 80 of 293 facilities. Compared with health authority-owned facilities, for-profit and nonprofit facilities had higher risks of COVID-19 outbreaks (adjusted HR 1.99, 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.12-3.52 and adjusted HR 1.84, 95% CI 1.00-3.36, respectively). The model adjusted for community incidence of infection (adjusted HR 1.12, 95% CI 1.07-1.17), total nursing hours per resident-day (adjusted HR 0.84, 95% CI 0.33-2.14), facility age (adjusted HR 1.01, 95% CI 1.00-1.02), number of facility beds (adjusted HR 1.20, 95% CI 1.12-1.30) and facilities with beds in shared rooms (adjusted HR 1.16, 95% CI 0.73-1.85). INTERPRETATION Findings suggest that ownership of LTC facilities by health authorities in BC offered some protection against COVID-19 outbreaks. Further study is needed to unpack the underlying pathways behind this observed association.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michelle B Cox
- Department of Family Practice (Cox, McGregor), Faculty of Medicine, University of British Columbia; Centre for Clinical Epidemiology and Evaluation (McGregor), Vancouver Coastal Health Research Institute, Vancouver, BC; School of Public Health Sciences (Poss), University of Waterloo, Waterloo, Ont.; Department of Social and Behavioral Sciences (Harrington), University of California - San Francisco, San Francisco, Calif
| | - Margaret J McGregor
- Department of Family Practice (Cox, McGregor), Faculty of Medicine, University of British Columbia; Centre for Clinical Epidemiology and Evaluation (McGregor), Vancouver Coastal Health Research Institute, Vancouver, BC; School of Public Health Sciences (Poss), University of Waterloo, Waterloo, Ont.; Department of Social and Behavioral Sciences (Harrington), University of California - San Francisco, San Francisco, Calif.
| | - Jeffrey Poss
- Department of Family Practice (Cox, McGregor), Faculty of Medicine, University of British Columbia; Centre for Clinical Epidemiology and Evaluation (McGregor), Vancouver Coastal Health Research Institute, Vancouver, BC; School of Public Health Sciences (Poss), University of Waterloo, Waterloo, Ont.; Department of Social and Behavioral Sciences (Harrington), University of California - San Francisco, San Francisco, Calif
| | - Charlene Harrington
- Department of Family Practice (Cox, McGregor), Faculty of Medicine, University of British Columbia; Centre for Clinical Epidemiology and Evaluation (McGregor), Vancouver Coastal Health Research Institute, Vancouver, BC; School of Public Health Sciences (Poss), University of Waterloo, Waterloo, Ont.; Department of Social and Behavioral Sciences (Harrington), University of California - San Francisco, San Francisco, Calif
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Aryal K, Mowbray FI, Strum RP, Dash D, Tanuseputro P, Heckman G, Costa AP, Jones A. Examining the "Potentially Preventable Emergency Department Transfer" Indicator Among Nursing Home Residents. J Am Med Dir Assoc 2023; 24:100-104.e2. [PMID: 36379265 DOI: 10.1016/j.jamda.2022.10.006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/04/2022] [Revised: 10/10/2022] [Accepted: 10/12/2022] [Indexed: 11/15/2022]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE To determine if nursing home (NH) resident characteristics associated with potentially preventable emergency department transfers (PPEDs) are similarly associated with non-potentially preventable emergency department transfers (non-PPEDs). DESIGN We conducted a population-level retrospective cohort study using linked administrative data reported using the Resident Assessment Instrument-Minimum Data Set Version 2.0 and the National Ambulatory Care Reporting System for emergency department transfers. SETTING AND PARTICIPANTS We assessed all NH residents transferred to the emergency department within 92 days after admission. The cohort included 56,433 NH resident admissions assessment of which 3498 NH residents experienced PPEDs, and 9331 residents experienced non-PPEDs. METHODS We assessed Ontario NH residents admission assessments collected between January 1, 2017, and December 31, 2018. We used cumulative incidence functions and Cox regression to compare resident characteristics between residents experiencing PPEDs and non-PPEDs. PPEDs were defined based on the International Classification of Diseases, 10th Revision. RESULTS Approximately 23% of residents experienced an emergency department transfer within 92 days of NH admission. The cumulative incidence of PPEDs was 6.3% and non-PPEDs was 16.8%. After adjusting for clinically relevant features, 14 of 18 resident admission characteristics were associated with both types of transfers. Resident admission characteristics associated with a greater risk of PPEDs solely were pneumonia [hazard ratio (HR) 1.48; CI 1.25-1.70] and oxygen therapy (HR 1.88; CI 1.69-2.10). Resident admission characteristics associated with a greater risk of non-PPEDs solely are experiencing a change in mood (HR 1.09; CI 1.01-1.18) and delirium (HR 1.08; CI 1.04-1.13). CONCLUSIONS AND IMPLICATIONS PPEDs were associated with a similar cluster of NH resident characteristics as those transferred for non-ambulatory reasons, suggesting that the clinical distinction between PPEDs vs non-PPEDs within the NH might be unclear. These findings highlight that the PPED indicator could be revised to improve specificity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Komal Aryal
- Department of Health Research Methods, Evidence, and Impact, McMaster University, Hamilton, Ontario, Canada; ICES, Toronto, Ontario, Canada.
| | - Fabrice I Mowbray
- Department of Health Research Methods, Evidence, and Impact, McMaster University, Hamilton, Ontario, Canada; ICES, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | - Ryan P Strum
- Department of Health Research Methods, Evidence, and Impact, McMaster University, Hamilton, Ontario, Canada
| | - Darly Dash
- Department of Health Research Methods, Evidence, and Impact, McMaster University, Hamilton, Ontario, Canada
| | - Peter Tanuseputro
- ICES, Toronto, Ontario, Canada; Department of Medicine, Ottawa Hospital Research Institute, University of Ottawa, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada; Bruyère Research Institute, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada
| | - George Heckman
- Schlegel Research Chair in Geriatric Medicine, Schlegel Research Institute for Aging, Waterloo, Ontario, Canada; School of Public Health Sciences, University of Waterloo, Ontario, Canada
| | - Andrew P Costa
- Department of Health Research Methods, Evidence, and Impact, McMaster University, Hamilton, Ontario, Canada; ICES, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | - Aaron Jones
- Department of Health Research Methods, Evidence, and Impact, McMaster University, Hamilton, Ontario, Canada; ICES, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
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Marincowitz C, Preston L, Cantrell A, Tonkins M, Sabir L, Mason S. Factors associated with increased Emergency Department transfer in older long-term care residents: a systematic review. THE LANCET. HEALTHY LONGEVITY 2022; 3:e437-e447. [PMID: 36098321 DOI: 10.1016/s2666-7568(22)00113-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/22/2022] [Revised: 04/26/2022] [Accepted: 04/27/2022] [Indexed: 01/15/2023] Open
Abstract
The proportion of adults older than 65 years is rapidly increasing. Care home residents in this age group have disproportionate rates of transfer to the Emergency Department (ED) and around 40% of attendances might be avoidable. We did a systematic review to identify factors that predict ED transfer from care homes. Six electronic databases were searched. Observational studies that provided estimates of association between ED attendance and variables at a resident or care home level were included. 26 primary studies met the inclusion criteria. Seven common domains of factors assessed for association with ED transfer were identified and within these domains, male sex, age, presence of specific comorbidities, polypharmacy, rural location, and care home quality rating were associated with likelihood of ED transfer. The identification of these factors provides useful information for policy makers and researchers intending to either develop interventions to reduce hospitalisations or use adjusted rates of hospitalisation as a care home quality indicator.
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Affiliation(s)
- Carl Marincowitz
- Centre for Urgent and Emergency Care Research (CURE), Health Services Research, School of Health and Related Research, University of Sheffield, Sheffield, UK.
| | - Louise Preston
- Health Economics and Decision Science, School of Health and Related Research, University of Sheffield, Sheffield, UK
| | - Anna Cantrell
- Health Economics and Decision Science, School of Health and Related Research, University of Sheffield, Sheffield, UK
| | - Michael Tonkins
- Centre for Urgent and Emergency Care Research (CURE), Health Services Research, School of Health and Related Research, University of Sheffield, Sheffield, UK
| | - Lisa Sabir
- Centre for Urgent and Emergency Care Research (CURE), Health Services Research, School of Health and Related Research, University of Sheffield, Sheffield, UK
| | - Suzanne Mason
- Centre for Urgent and Emergency Care Research (CURE), Health Services Research, School of Health and Related Research, University of Sheffield, Sheffield, UK
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Aryal K, Mowbray F, Gruneir A, Griffith LE, Howard M, Jabbar A, Jones A, Tanuseputro P, Lapointe-Shaw L, Costa AP. Nursing Home Resident Admission Characteristics and Potentially Preventable Emergency Department Transfers. J Am Med Dir Assoc 2021; 23:1291-1296. [PMID: 34919839 DOI: 10.1016/j.jamda.2021.11.020] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/15/2021] [Revised: 11/12/2021] [Accepted: 11/16/2021] [Indexed: 01/15/2023]
Abstract
OBJECTIVES To determine which nursing home (NH) resident-level admission characteristics are associated with potentially preventable emergency department (PPED) transfers. DESIGN We conducted a population-level retrospective cohort study on NH resident data collected using the Resident Assessment Instrument-Minimum Data Set Version 2.0 and linked to the National Ambulatory Care Reporting System for ED transfers. SETTING We used all NH resident admission assessments from January 1, 2017, to December 31, 2018, in Ontario. PARTICIPANTS The cohort included the admission assessment of 56,433 NH residents. METHODS PPED transfers were defined based on the International Classification of Disease, Version 10 (Canadian) We used logistic regression with 10-fold cross-validation and computed average marginal effects to identify the association between resident characteristics at NH admission and PPED transfers within 92 days after admission. RESULTS Overall, 6.2% of residents had at least 1 PPED transfer within 92 days of NH admission. After adjustment, variables that had a prevalence of 10% or more that were associated with a 1% or more absolute increase in the risk of a PPED transfer included polypharmacy [of cohort (OC) 84.4%, risk difference (RD) 2.0%], congestive heart failure (OC 29.0%, RD 3.0%), and renal failure (OC 11.6%, RD 1.2%). Female sex (OC 63.2%, RD -1.3%), a do not hospitalize directive (OC 24.4%, RD -2.6%), change in mood (OC 66.9%, RD -1.2%), and Alzheimer's or dementia (OC 62.1%, RD -1.2%) were more than 10% prevalent and associated with a 1% or more absolute decrease in the risk of a PPED. CONCLUSIONS AND IMPLICATIONS Though many routinely collected resident characteristics were associated with a PPED transfer, the absence of sufficiently discriminating characteristics suggests that emergency department visits by NH residents are multifactorial and difficult to predict. Future studies should assess the clinical utility of risk factor identification to prevent transfers.
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Affiliation(s)
- Komal Aryal
- Department of Health Research Methods, Evidence, and Impact, McMaster University, Hamilton, Ontario, Canada; ICES, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | - Fabrice Mowbray
- Department of Health Research Methods, Evidence, and Impact, McMaster University, Hamilton, Ontario, Canada; ICES, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | - Andrea Gruneir
- ICES, Toronto, Ontario, Canada; Department of Family Medicine, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada
| | - Lauren E Griffith
- Department of Health Research Methods, Evidence, and Impact, McMaster University, Hamilton, Ontario, Canada
| | - Michelle Howard
- Department of Health Research Methods, Evidence, and Impact, McMaster University, Hamilton, Ontario, Canada; Department of Family Medicine, McMaster University, Hamilton, Ontario, Canada
| | - Amina Jabbar
- Department of Health Research Methods, Evidence, and Impact, McMaster University, Hamilton, Ontario, Canada; Trillium Health Partners, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | - Aaron Jones
- Department of Health Research Methods, Evidence, and Impact, McMaster University, Hamilton, Ontario, Canada; ICES, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | - Peter Tanuseputro
- ICES, Toronto, Ontario, Canada; Department of Medicine, Ottawa Hospital Research Institute, University of Ottawa, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada; Bruyère Research Institute, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada
| | - Lauren Lapointe-Shaw
- ICES, Toronto, Ontario, Canada; Departments of Medicine, University of Toronto and University Health Network, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | - Andrew P Costa
- Department of Health Research Methods, Evidence, and Impact, McMaster University, Hamilton, Ontario, Canada; ICES, Toronto, Ontario, Canada.
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Curtis F, Jayawickrama WIU, Laparidou D, Weligamage D, Kumarawansha WKWS, Ortega M, Siriwardena AN. Perceptions and experiences of residents and relatives of emergencies in care homes: a systematic review and metasynthesis of qualitative research. Age Ageing 2021; 50:1925-1934. [PMID: 34591971 PMCID: PMC8581376 DOI: 10.1093/ageing/afab182] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/22/2021] [Revised: 07/05/2021] [Indexed: 11/30/2022] Open
Abstract
Background the perceptions and experiences of care home residents and their families are important for understanding and improving the quality of emergency care. Methods we conducted a systematic review and metasynthesis to understand the perceptions and experiences of care home residents and their family members who experienced medical emergencies in a care home setting. The review protocol was registered in PROSPERO (CRD42020167018). We searched five electronic databases, MEDLINE, CINAHL, PubMed, Cochrane Library and PsycINFO, supplemented with internet searches and forward and backward citation tracking from included studies and review articles. Data were synthesised thematically following the Thomas and Harden approach. The Critical Appraisal Skills Programme qualitative checklist was used to assess the quality of studies included in this review. Results of the 6,140 references retrieved, 10 studies from four countries (Australia, Canada, UK and USA) were included in the review and metasynthesis. All the included studies were assessed as being of good quality. Through an iterative approach, we developed six analytical themes: (i) infrastructure and process requirements in care homes to prevent and address emergencies; (ii) the decision to transfer to hospital; (iii) experiences of transfer and hospitalisation for older patients; (iv) good communication is vital for desirable outcomes; (v) legal, regulatory and ethical concerns and (vi) trusting relationships enabled residents to feel safe. Conclusions the emergency care experience for care home residents can be enhanced by ensuring resources, staff capacity and processes for high quality care and trusting relationships between staff, patients and relatives, underpinned by good communication and attention to ethical practice.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ffion Curtis
- Lincoln International Institute of Rural Health, University of Lincoln, Lincoln, Lincolnshire, UK
| | - Withanage Iresha Udayangani Jayawickrama
- Community and Health Research Unit and Lincoln Clinical Trials Unit, School of Health and Social Care, University of Lincoln, Lincoln, Lincolnshire, UK
- Postgraduate Institute of Medicine, University of Colombo, Colombo, Sri Lanka
| | - Despina Laparidou
- Community and Health Research Unit and Lincoln Clinical Trials Unit, School of Health and Social Care, University of Lincoln, Lincoln, Lincolnshire, UK
| | - Dedunu Weligamage
- Community and Health Research Unit and Lincoln Clinical Trials Unit, School of Health and Social Care, University of Lincoln, Lincoln, Lincolnshire, UK
- Postgraduate Institute of Medicine, University of Colombo, Colombo, Sri Lanka
| | - Weerapperuma Kankanamge Wijaya Sarathchandra Kumarawansha
- Community and Health Research Unit and Lincoln Clinical Trials Unit, School of Health and Social Care, University of Lincoln, Lincoln, Lincolnshire, UK
- Postgraduate Institute of Medicine, University of Colombo, Colombo, Sri Lanka
| | | | - Aloysius Niroshan Siriwardena
- Community and Health Research Unit and Lincoln Clinical Trials Unit, School of Health and Social Care, University of Lincoln, Lincoln, Lincolnshire, UK
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Clemens S, Wodchis W, McGilton K, McGrail K, McMahon M. The relationship between quality and staffing in long-term care: A systematic review of the literature 2008-2020. Int J Nurs Stud 2021; 122:104036. [PMID: 34419730 DOI: 10.1016/j.ijnurstu.2021.104036] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/15/2020] [Revised: 07/02/2021] [Accepted: 07/05/2021] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Higher staffing levels in long-term care have been associated with better outcomes for residents in several landmark studies. However previous systematic reviews found mixed results, calling into question the effectiveness of higher levels of staff. With persistent concerns about quality, rising resident acuity, and a growing demographic of seniors requiring more services, understanding the relationship between quality and long-term care staffing is a growing concern. OBJECTIVES This review considered the following question: What is the influence of nursing and personal care staffing levels (registered nurse, licensed practical nurse, and nursing assistant) and / or skill mix on long-term care residents, measured by quality of care indicators? DESIGN Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Review and Meta-analysis Protocols guided the report of this systematic review. DATA SOURCES Published articles focused on quality and nursing and personal care staffing in long-term care in peer-reviewed databases (MEDLINE, CINAHL, and AGELINE) and several Cochrane databases to retrieve studies published between January 2008 and June 2020. REVIEW METHODS A systematic review was conducted. 11,096 studies were identified, of which 34 were included in this review. The Strengthening the Reporting of Observational Studies in Epidemiology checklist was used to evaluate study quality and risk of bias, and five quality measures were selected for in-depth analyses: pressure ulcers, hospitalizations, physical restraints, deficiencies and catherization. RESULTS This review confirms previous review findings that evidence on the relationships between quality and long-term care staffing level and skill mix, remain mixed. Higher staffing levels and skill mix generally supported better rather than worse outcomes. Significant and consistent findings were more evident when staffing levels were further analyzed by indicator and staffing category. For example, registered nurses were consistently associated with significantly fewer pressure ulcers, hospitalizations, and urinary tract infections. Few studies examined the impact of total nursing and personal care hours compared to the impact of specific categories or classes of nursing staff on outcomes. CONCLUSIONS Evidence on the relationship between quality and long-term care staffing remains mixed, however some categories of nursing staff may be more effective at improving the quality of certain indicators. Study quality has improved minimally over the last decade. Although research continues to standardize units of measurement, and longitudinal and instrumental variable analyses are increasingly being used, very few studies controlled for endogeneity, conducted adequate risk-adjustment, and used resident-level data. Additional strides must still be made to improve the rigor of long-term care staffing research.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sara Clemens
- Institute of Health Policy, Management and Evaluation, University of Toronto, 155 College Ave Toronto, Ontario, Canada.
| | - Walter Wodchis
- Institute of Health Policy, Management and Evaluation, University of Toronto, 155 College Ave Toronto, Ontario, Canada.
| | | | - Kimberlyn McGrail
- Centre for Health Services and Policy Research, University of British Columbia, Canada.
| | - Meghan McMahon
- Institute of Health Policy, Management and Evaluation, University of Toronto, 155 College Ave Toronto, Ontario, Canada.
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Abstract
A novel machine learning approach is presented in this paper, based on extracting latent information and using it to assist decision making on ambulance attendance and conveyance to a hospital. The approach includes two steps: in the first, a forward model analyzes the clinical and, possibly, non-clinical factors (explanatory variables), predicting whether positive decisions (response variables) should be given to the ambulance call, or not; in the second, a backward model analyzes the latent variables extracted from the forward model to infer the decision making procedure. The forward model is implemented through a machine, or deep learning technique, whilst the backward model is implemented through unsupervised learning. An experimental study is presented, which illustrates the obtained results, by investigating emergency ambulance calls to people in nursing and residential care homes, over a one-year period, using an anonymized data set provided by East Midlands Ambulance Service in United Kingdom.
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Stall NM, Jones A, Brown KA, Rochon PA, Costa AP. For-profit long-term care homes and the risk of COVID-19 outbreaks and resident deaths. CMAJ 2020; 192:E946-E955. [PMID: 32699006 PMCID: PMC7828970 DOI: 10.1503/cmaj.201197] [Citation(s) in RCA: 123] [Impact Index Per Article: 30.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 07/14/2020] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Long-term care (LTC) homes have been the epicentre of the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic in Canada to date. Previous research shows that for-profit LTC homes deliver inferior care across a variety of outcome and process measures, raising the question of whether for-profit homes have had worse COVID-19 outcomes than nonprofit homes. METHODS We conducted a retrospective cohort study of all LTC homes in Ontario, Canada, from Mar. 29 to May 20, 2020, using a COVID-19 outbreak database maintained by the Ontario Ministry of Long-Term Care. We used hierarchical logistic and count-based methods to model the associations between profit status of LTC homes (for-profit, nonprofit or municipal) and COVID-19 outbreaks in LTC homes, the extent of COVID-19 outbreaks (number of residents infected), and deaths of residents from COVID-19. RESULTS The analysis included all 623 Ontario LTC homes, comprising 75 676 residents; 360 LTC homes (57.7%) were for profit, 162 (26.0%) were nonprofit, and 101 (16.2%) were municipal homes. There were 190 (30.5%) outbreaks of COVID-19 in LTC homes, involving 5218 residents and resulting in 1452 deaths, with an overall case fatality rate of 27.8%. The odds of a COVID-19 outbreak were associated with the incidence of COVID-19 in the public health unit region surrounding an LTC home (adjusted odds ratio [OR] 1.91, 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.19-3.05), the number of residents (adjusted OR 1.38, 95% CI 1.18-1.61), and older design standards of the home (adjusted OR 1.55, 95% CI 1.01-2.38), but not profit status. For-profit status was associated with both the extent of an outbreak in an LTC home (adjusted risk ratio [RR] 1.96, 95% CI 1.26-3.05) and the number of resident deaths (adjusted RR 1.78, 95% CI 1.03-3.07), compared with nonprofit homes. These associations were mediated by a higher prevalence of older design standards in for-profit LTC homes and chain ownership. INTERPRETATION For-profit status is associated with the extent of an outbreak of COVID-19 in LTC homes and the number of resident deaths, but not the likelihood of outbreaks. Differences between for-profit and nonprofit homes are largely explained by older design standards and chain ownership, which should be a focus of infection control efforts and future policy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nathan M Stall
- Division of General Internal Medicine and Geriatrics (Stall), Sinai Health System and the University Health Network; Women's College Research Institute (Stall, Rochon), Women's College Hospital; Department of Medicine (Stall, Rochon) and Institute of Health Policy, Management and Evaluation (Stall, Rochon), University of Toronto, Toronto, Ont.; Department of Health Research Methods, Evidence, and Impact (Jones, Costa), McMaster University, Hamilton, Ont.; Infection Prevention and Control (Brown), Public Health Ontario; Dalla Lana School of Public Health (Brown), University of Toronto, Toronto, Ont.; Schlegel Chair in Clinical Epidemiology and Aging (Costa), McMaster University; Centre for Integrated Care (Costa), St. Joseph's Health System, Hamilton, Ont.
| | - Aaron Jones
- Division of General Internal Medicine and Geriatrics (Stall), Sinai Health System and the University Health Network; Women's College Research Institute (Stall, Rochon), Women's College Hospital; Department of Medicine (Stall, Rochon) and Institute of Health Policy, Management and Evaluation (Stall, Rochon), University of Toronto, Toronto, Ont.; Department of Health Research Methods, Evidence, and Impact (Jones, Costa), McMaster University, Hamilton, Ont.; Infection Prevention and Control (Brown), Public Health Ontario; Dalla Lana School of Public Health (Brown), University of Toronto, Toronto, Ont.; Schlegel Chair in Clinical Epidemiology and Aging (Costa), McMaster University; Centre for Integrated Care (Costa), St. Joseph's Health System, Hamilton, Ont
| | - Kevin A Brown
- Division of General Internal Medicine and Geriatrics (Stall), Sinai Health System and the University Health Network; Women's College Research Institute (Stall, Rochon), Women's College Hospital; Department of Medicine (Stall, Rochon) and Institute of Health Policy, Management and Evaluation (Stall, Rochon), University of Toronto, Toronto, Ont.; Department of Health Research Methods, Evidence, and Impact (Jones, Costa), McMaster University, Hamilton, Ont.; Infection Prevention and Control (Brown), Public Health Ontario; Dalla Lana School of Public Health (Brown), University of Toronto, Toronto, Ont.; Schlegel Chair in Clinical Epidemiology and Aging (Costa), McMaster University; Centre for Integrated Care (Costa), St. Joseph's Health System, Hamilton, Ont
| | - Paula A Rochon
- Division of General Internal Medicine and Geriatrics (Stall), Sinai Health System and the University Health Network; Women's College Research Institute (Stall, Rochon), Women's College Hospital; Department of Medicine (Stall, Rochon) and Institute of Health Policy, Management and Evaluation (Stall, Rochon), University of Toronto, Toronto, Ont.; Department of Health Research Methods, Evidence, and Impact (Jones, Costa), McMaster University, Hamilton, Ont.; Infection Prevention and Control (Brown), Public Health Ontario; Dalla Lana School of Public Health (Brown), University of Toronto, Toronto, Ont.; Schlegel Chair in Clinical Epidemiology and Aging (Costa), McMaster University; Centre for Integrated Care (Costa), St. Joseph's Health System, Hamilton, Ont
| | - Andrew P Costa
- Division of General Internal Medicine and Geriatrics (Stall), Sinai Health System and the University Health Network; Women's College Research Institute (Stall, Rochon), Women's College Hospital; Department of Medicine (Stall, Rochon) and Institute of Health Policy, Management and Evaluation (Stall, Rochon), University of Toronto, Toronto, Ont.; Department of Health Research Methods, Evidence, and Impact (Jones, Costa), McMaster University, Hamilton, Ont.; Infection Prevention and Control (Brown), Public Health Ontario; Dalla Lana School of Public Health (Brown), University of Toronto, Toronto, Ont.; Schlegel Chair in Clinical Epidemiology and Aging (Costa), McMaster University; Centre for Integrated Care (Costa), St. Joseph's Health System, Hamilton, Ont
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Poss J, McGrail K, McGregor MJ, Ronald LA. Long-Term Care Facility Ownership and Acute Hospital Service Use in British Columbia, Canada: A Retrospective Cohort Study. J Am Med Dir Assoc 2020; 21:1490-1496. [PMID: 32646822 DOI: 10.1016/j.jamda.2020.04.034] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/11/2019] [Revised: 02/26/2020] [Accepted: 04/28/2020] [Indexed: 10/23/2022]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE Previous studies report higher hospitalization rates in for-profit compared with nonprofit long-term care facilities (LTCFs), but have not included staffing data, a major potential confounder. Our objective was to examine the effect of ownership on hospital admission rates, after adjusting for facility staffing levels and other facility and resident characteristics, in a large Canadian province (British Columbia). DESIGN Retrospective cohort study. SETTING AND PARTICIPANTS Our cohort included individuals resident in a publicly funded LTCF in British Columbia at any time between April 1, 2012 and March 31, 2016. MEASURES Health administrative data were extracted from multiple databases, including continuing care, hospital discharge, and Minimum Data Set (MDS 2.0) assessment records. Cox extended hazards regression was used to estimate hospitalization risk associated with facility- and resident-level factors. RESULTS The cohort included 49,799 residents in 304 LTCF facilities (116 publicly owned and operated, 99 for-profit, and 89 nonprofit) over the study period. Hospitalization risk was higher for residents in for-profit (adjusted hazard ratio [adjHR] 1.34; 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.29-1.38) and nonprofit (adjHR 1.37; 95% CI 1.32-1.41) facilities compared with publicly owned and operated facilities, after adjustment for staffing, facility size, urban location, resident demographics, and case mix. Within subtypes, risk was highest in single-site facilities: for-profit (adjHR 1.42; 95% CI 1.36-1.48) and nonprofit (adjHR 1.38, 95% CI 1.33-1.44). CONCLUSIONS AND IMPLICATIONS This is the first Canadian study using linked health data from hospital discharge records, MDS 2.0, facility staffing, and ownership records to examine the adjusted effect of facility ownership characteristics on hospital use of LTCF residents. We found significantly lower adjHRs for hospital admission in publicly owned facilities compared with both for-profit and nonprofit facilities. Our finding that publicly owned facilities have lower hospital admission rates compared with for-profit and nonprofit facilities can help inform decision-makers faced with the challenge of optimizing care models in both nursing homes and hospitals as they build capacity to care for aging populations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jeffrey Poss
- School of Public Health and Health Systems, University of Waterloo, Waterloo, Ontario, Canada.
| | - Kimberlyn McGrail
- Centre for Health Services and Policy Research, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
| | - Margaret J McGregor
- Community Geriatrics, Department of Family Practice, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
| | - Lisa A Ronald
- Community Geriatrics, Department of Family Practice, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
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Fassmer AM, Hoffmann F. Acute health care services use among nursing home residents in Germany: a comparative analysis of out-of-hours medical care, emergency department visits and acute hospital admissions. Aging Clin Exp Res 2020; 32:1359-1368. [PMID: 31428997 DOI: 10.1007/s40520-019-01306-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/24/2019] [Accepted: 08/05/2019] [Indexed: 01/06/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Nursing home (NH) residents often utilise acute health care services. However, comparative data on those are lacking. AIMS Investigating German NH residents' use of out-of-hours medical care (OOHC), visits to emergency departments (EDs) and acute hospital admissions (AHAs). METHODS Using claims data of 1665 residents for 2014-2015, we conducted a retrospective cohort study, examining the incidence rates involving the different services. Multivariate Poisson regression analyses were performed to calculate relative risks (RRs). Differences in the utilisations over the days of the week and of the reasons for contacts were assessed. RESULTS In total, 3576 contacts occurred (mean age 80.5 years, women 66.3%), resulting in an overall incidence rate of 2.7 per person-year (95% confidence interval 2.6-2.8). Strongest predictors were polypharmacy (RR 1.79; 95% CI 1.50-2.12), followed by male sex and higher care dependency. Among the three services AHAs showed the highest rates. Injuries were the most common reasons for visiting EDs, whereas for OOHC use and AHAs, coded diagnoses covered a broader spectrum. Utilisation of the services on weekdays varied, particularly for OOHC. DISCUSSION Polypharmacy, a higher care dependency and male sex seem to play a role in predicting acute health care services. Considering the distribution of the diagnoses of all three types, certain patterns concerning the symptoms' acuity become apparent. CONCLUSIONS Our findings revealed high acute health care services use among NH residents in Germany and differences among the three available services. This information can be used to design studies for investigating the appropriateness of these contacts.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alexander Maximilian Fassmer
- Department of Health Services Research, VI. School of Medicine and Health Sciences, Carl von Ossietzky University of Oldenburg, Ammerländer Heerstr. 114-118, 26129, Oldenburg, Germany.
| | - Falk Hoffmann
- Department of Health Services Research, VI. School of Medicine and Health Sciences, Carl von Ossietzky University of Oldenburg, Ammerländer Heerstr. 114-118, 26129, Oldenburg, Germany
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Physician Availability in Long-Term Care and Resident Hospital Transfer: A Retrospective Cohort Study. J Am Med Dir Assoc 2019; 21:469-475.e1. [PMID: 31395493 DOI: 10.1016/j.jamda.2019.06.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/23/2019] [Revised: 06/02/2019] [Accepted: 06/03/2019] [Indexed: 11/22/2022]
Abstract
OBJECTIVES To investigate whether same-day physician access in long-term care homes reduces resident emergency department (ED) visits and hospitalizations. DESIGN Retrospective cohort study. SETTING AND PARTICIPANTS 161 long-term care homes in Ontario, Canada, and 20,624 residents living in those homes. METHODS We administered a survey to Ontario long-term care homes from March to May 2017 to collect their typical wait time for a physician visit. We linked the survey to administrative databases to capture other long-term care home characteristics, resident characteristics, hospitalizations, and ED visits. We defined a cohort of residents living in survey-respondent homes between January and May 2017 and followed each resident for 6 months or until discharge or death. We estimated negative binomial regression models on counts of hospitalizations and ED visits with random intercepts for long-term care homes. We controlled for residents' sociodemographic and illness characteristics, long-term care home size, chain status, rurality, and nurse practitioner access. RESULTS Fifty-two homes (32%) reported same-day physician access. Among residents of homes with same-day physician access, 9% had a hospitalization and 20% had an ED visit during follow-up. In contrast, among residents in homes without same-day access, 12% were hospitalized and 22% visited an ED. The adjusted hospitalization and ED rates among residents of homes with same-day physician access were 21% lower (rate ratio = 0.79, P = .02) and 14% lower (rate ratio = 0.86, P = .07), respectively, than residents of other homes. We estimate that nearly 1 in 6 resident hospitalizations could be prevented if all long-term care homes had same-day physician access. CONCLUSIONS AND IMPLICATIONS Residents of long-term care homes with same-day physician access experience lower hospitalization and ED visit rates than residents in homes that wait longer for physicians, even after adjusting for important resident and home characteristics. Improved on-demand access to physicians has the potential to reduce hospital transfer rates.
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Hanratty B, Craig D, Brittain K, Spilsbury K, Vines J, Wilson P. Innovation to enhance health in care homes and evaluation of tools for measuring outcomes of care: rapid evidence synthesis. HEALTH SERVICES AND DELIVERY RESEARCH 2019. [DOI: 10.3310/hsdr07270] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/21/2023] Open
Abstract
BackgroundFlexible, integrated models of service delivery are being developed to meet the changing demands of an ageing population. To underpin the spread of innovative models of care across the NHS, summaries of the current research evidence are needed. This report focuses exclusively on care homes and reviews work in four specific areas, identified as key enablers for the NHS England vanguard programme.AimTo conduct a rapid synthesis of evidence relating to enhancing health in care homes across four key areas: technology, communication and engagement, workforce and evaluation.Objectives(1) To map the published literature on the uses, benefits and challenges of technology in care homes; flexible and innovative uses of the nursing and support workforce to benefit resident care; communication and engagement between care homes, communities and health-related organisations; and approaches to the evaluation of new models of care in care homes. (2) To conduct rapid, systematic syntheses of evidence to answer the following questions. Which technologies have a positive impact on resident health and well-being? How should care homes and the NHS communicate to enhance resident, family and staff outcomes and experiences? Which measurement tools have been validated for use in UK care homes? What is the evidence that staffing levels (i.e. ratio of registered nurses and support staff to residents or different levels of support staff) influence resident outcomes?Data sourcesSearches of MEDLINE, CINAHL, Science Citation Index, Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews, DARE (Database of Abstracts of Reviews of Effects) and Index to Theses. Grey literature was sought via Google™ (Mountain View, CA, USA) and websites relevant to each individual search.DesignMapping review and rapid, systematic evidence syntheses.SettingCare homes with and without nursing in high-income countries.Review methodsPublished literature was mapped to a bespoke framework, and four linked rapid critical reviews of the available evidence were undertaken using systematic methods. Data were not suitable for meta-analysis, and are presented in narrative syntheses.ResultsSeven hundred and sixty-one studies were mapped across the four topic areas, and 65 studies were included in systematic rapid reviews. This work identified a paucity of large, high-quality research studies, particularly from the UK. The key findings include the following. (1) Technology: some of the most promising interventions appear to be games that promote physical activity and enhance mental health and well-being. (2) Communication and engagement: structured communication tools have been shown to enhance communication with health services and resident outcomes in US studies. No robust evidence was identified on care home engagement with communities. (3) Evaluation: 6 of the 65 measurement tools identified had been validated for use in UK care homes, two of which provide general assessments of care. The methodological quality of all six tools was assessed as poor. (4) Workforce: joint working within and beyond the care home and initiatives that focus on staff taking on new but specific care tasks appear to be associated with enhanced outcomes. Evidence for staff taking on traditional nursing tasks without qualification is limited, but promising.LimitationsThis review was restricted to English-language publications after the year 2000. The rapid methodology has facilitated a broad review in a short time period, but the possibility of omissions and errors cannot be excluded.ConclusionsThis review provides limited evidential support for some of the innovations in the NHS vanguard programme, and identifies key issues and gaps for future research and evaluation.Future workFuture work should provide high-quality evidence, in particular experimental studies, economic evaluations and research sensitive to the UK context.Study registrationThis study is registered as PROSPERO CRD42016052933, CRD42016052933, CRD42016052937 and CRD42016052938.FundingThe National Institute for Health Research Health Services and Delivery Research programme.
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Affiliation(s)
- Barbara Hanratty
- Institute of Health and Society, Newcastle University, Newcastle upon Tyne, UK
| | - Dawn Craig
- Institute of Health and Society, Newcastle University, Newcastle upon Tyne, UK
| | - Katie Brittain
- Department of Nursing, Midwifery and Health, Northumbria University, Newcastle upon Tyne, UK
| | | | - John Vines
- Northumbria School of Design, Northumbria University, Newcastle upon Tyne, UK
| | - Paul Wilson
- Alliance Manchester Business School, University of Manchester, Manchester, UK
- National Institute for Health Research Collaboration for Leadership in Applied Health Research and Care (NIHR CLAHRC) Greater Manchester, University of Manchester, Manchester, UK
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Ågotnes G, McGregor MJ, Lexchin J, Doupe MB, Müller B, Harrington C. An International Mapping of Medical Care in Nursing Homes. Health Serv Insights 2019; 12:1178632918825083. [PMID: 30718961 PMCID: PMC6348508 DOI: 10.1177/1178632918825083] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/09/2018] [Accepted: 12/17/2018] [Indexed: 11/23/2022] Open
Abstract
Nursing home (NH) residents are increasingly in need of timely and frequent medical care, presupposing not only available but perhaps also continual medical care provision in NHs. The provision of this medical care is organized differently both within and across countries, which may in turn profoundly affect the overall quality of care provided to NH residents. Data were collected from official legislations and regulations, academic publications, and statistical databases. Based on this set of data, we describe and compare the policies and practices guiding how medical care is provided across Canada (2 provinces), Germany, Norway, and the United States. Our findings disclose that there is a considerable difference to find among jurisdictions regarding specificity and scope of regulations regarding medical care in NHs. Based on our data, we construct 2 general models of medical care: (1) more regulations-fee-for-service payment-open staffing models and (2) less regulation-salaried positions-closed staffing models. Some evidence indicates that model 1 can lead to less available medical care provision and to medical care provision being less integrated into the overall care services. As such, we argue that the service models discussed can significantly influence continuity of medical care in NH.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gudmund Ågotnes
- Centre for Care Research, Western Norway University of Applied Sciences, Bergen, Norway
| | - Margaret J McGregor
- Department of Family Practice, Faculty of Medicine, The University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, Canada
| | - Joel Lexchin
- School of Health Policy and Management, Faculty of Health, York University, Toronto, ON, Canada
| | - Malcolm B Doupe
- Departments of Community Health Sciences and Emergency Medicine, Max Rady College of Medicine, Rady Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Manitoba, Winnipeg, MB, Canada
| | - Beatrice Müller
- Department of Gerontology, University of Vechta, Vechta, Germany
| | - Charlene Harrington
- Department of Social & Behavioral Sciences, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, USA
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Lemoyne SE, Herbots HH, De Blick D, Remmen R, Monsieurs KG, Van Bogaert P. Appropriateness of transferring nursing home residents to emergency departments: a systematic review. BMC Geriatr 2019; 19:17. [PMID: 30665362 PMCID: PMC6341611 DOI: 10.1186/s12877-019-1028-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 108] [Impact Index Per Article: 21.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/05/2018] [Accepted: 01/04/2019] [Indexed: 01/08/2023] Open
Abstract
Background Elderly living in a Nursing Home (NH) are frequently transferred to an Emergency Department when they need acute medical care. A proportion of these transfers may be considered inappropriate and may be avoidable. Methods Systematic review. Literature search performed in September 2018 using PubMed, Web of Science, the Cochrane Library and the Cumulative Index to Nursing and Allied Health Literature database. Titles and abstracts were screened against inclusion and exclusion criteria. Full-texts of the selected abstracts were read and checked for relevance. All years and all languages were included provided there was an English, French, Dutch or German abstract. Results Seventy-seven articles were included in the systematic review: 1 randomised control trial (RCT), 6 narrative reviews, 9 systematic reviews, 7 experimental studies, 10 qualitative studies and 44 observational studies. Of all acute transfers of NH residents to an ED, 4 to 55% were classified as inappropriate. The most common reasons for transfer were trauma after falling, altered mental status and infection. Transfers were associated with a high risk of complications and mortality, especially during out-of-hours. Advance directives (ADs) were usually not available and relatives often urge NH staff to transfer patients to an ED. The lack of availability of GPs was a barrier to organise acute care in the NH in order to prevent admission to the hospital. Conclusions The definition of appropriateness is not uniform across studies and needs further investigation. To avoid inappropriate transfer to EDs, we recommend to respect the patient’s autonomy, to provide sufficient nursing staff and to invest in their education, to increase the role of GPs in the care of NH residents both in standard and in acute situations, and to promote interprofessional communication and collaboration between GPs, NH staff and EDs. Electronic supplementary material The online version of this article (10.1186/s12877-019-1028-z) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sabine E Lemoyne
- Emergency Department, Antwerp University Hospital, Wilrijkstraat 10, 2650, Edegem, Belgium. .,Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, University of Antwerp, Universiteitsplein 1, 2610, Wilrijk, Belgium.
| | - Hanne H Herbots
- Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, University of Antwerp, Universiteitsplein 1, 2610, Wilrijk, Belgium
| | - Dennis De Blick
- Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, University of Antwerp, Universiteitsplein 1, 2610, Wilrijk, Belgium
| | - Roy Remmen
- Department of Primary and Interdisciplinary Care, Universiteitsplein 1, 2610, Wilrijk, Belgium
| | - Koenraad G Monsieurs
- Emergency Department, Antwerp University Hospital, Wilrijkstraat 10, 2650, Edegem, Belgium.,Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, University of Antwerp, Universiteitsplein 1, 2610, Wilrijk, Belgium
| | - Peter Van Bogaert
- Center for Research and Innovation in Care, Universiteitsplein 1, 2610, Wilrijk, Belgium
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Brucksch A, Hoffmann F, Allers K. Age and sex differences in emergency department visits of nursing home residents: a systematic review. BMC Geriatr 2018; 18:151. [PMID: 29970027 PMCID: PMC6029412 DOI: 10.1186/s12877-018-0848-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/03/2018] [Accepted: 06/26/2018] [Indexed: 12/22/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Nursing home residents (NHRs) are often transferred to emergency departments (EDs). A great proportion of ED visits is considered inappropriate. There is evidence that male NHRs are more often hospitalised, but this is less clear for ED visits. It is unclear, which influence age has on ED visits. We aimed to study the epidemiology of ED visits in NHRs focusing on age- and sex-specific differences. Methods A systematic review was carried out based on articles found in MEDLINE (via PubMed), CINAHL and Scopus. Articles published on or before Aug 31, 2017 were eligible. Two reviewers independently identified articles for inclusion. The quality of studies was assessed by the Joanna Briggs Institute critical appraisal tool for prevalence studies. Results Out of 1192 references, we found seven studies meeting our inclusion criteria. Six studies were conducted in the USA or Canada. Overall, 29–62% of NHRs had at least one ED visit over the course of 1 year. Most studies assessing the influence of sex found that male residents visited EDs more frequently. All but one of the five studies with multivariable analyses reported a statistically significant positive association (with odds or rate ratios of 1.05–1.38). All studies assessed the influence of age. There was no clear pattern with some studies showing no association between ED visits and age and other studies reporting decreasing ED visits with increasing age or increasing proportions followed by a decrease in the highest age group. Studies used 85+ or 86+ years as the highest age category. Hospital admission rate ranged from 36.4 to 48.7%. There was no study reporting stratified analyses by age and sex. Only one study reported main diagnoses leading to ED visits stratified by sex. Conclusion Male NHRs visit EDs more often than females, but there is no evidence on reasons. The association with age is unclear. Any future study on acute care of NHRs should assess the influence of age and sex. These studies should include large sample sizes to provide a more differentiated age categorisation. Trial registration PROSPERO CRD42017074845. Electronic supplementary material The online version of this article (10.1186/s12877-018-0848-6) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.
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Affiliation(s)
- Annika Brucksch
- Department 11 Human and Health Sciences, University Bremen, Bremen, Germany
| | - Falk Hoffmann
- Department of Health Services Research, Carl von Ossietzky University Oldenburg, Oldenburg, Germany
| | - Katharina Allers
- Department of Health Services Research, Carl von Ossietzky University Oldenburg, Oldenburg, Germany.
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Nursing Home Physicians Discuss Caring for Elderly Residents: An Exploratory Study. Can J Aging 2018; 37:133-144. [PMID: 29618397 DOI: 10.1017/s0714980818000089] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/02/2023] Open
Abstract
RÉSUMÉMalgré la complexité croissante des soins en foyers de soins de longue durée, le rôle des médecins dans la prestation des soins aux résidents a été peu étudié. Cette étude exploratoire internationale visait à mieux comprendre les rôles des médecins, leurs responsabilités et leurs tâches, ainsi qu’à explorer les caractéristiques uniques de la pratique médicale dans les foyers de soins de longue durée. Des entrevues ont été menées avec 18 médecins. Ces médecins ont mentionné qu’ils contribuaient fortement à la qualité des soins pour les résidents, en clarifiant les objectifs des soins, en prenant des mesures pour réduire les hospitalisations et les prescriptions de médicaments non nécessaires, et en contribuant à la formation du personnel. Les pratiques en foyers de soins de longue durée impliquaient les médecins au centre de réseaux de relations qui assuraient non seulement une meilleure qualité des soins médicaux, mais aussi une satisfaction professionnelle chez les médecins. L’importance de ces relations est telle qu’elle permettait d’aller au-delà des démarcations traditionnelles entre le domaine médical et le domaine social, et mettait en évidence qu’une bonne pratique médicale implique de bonnes pratiques sociales. Considérant la nature exploratoire de l’étude, les auteurs recommandent que de futures recherches soient menées pour mieux comprendre les dimensions relationnelles associées à la pratique de la médecine en foyers de soins de longue durée.
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McGregor MJ, Cox MB, Slater JM, Poss J, McGrail KM, Ronald LA, Sloan J, Schulzer M. A before-after study of hospital use in two frail populations receiving different home-based services over the same time in Vancouver, Canada. BMC Health Serv Res 2018; 18:248. [PMID: 29622006 PMCID: PMC5887263 DOI: 10.1186/s12913-018-3040-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/10/2017] [Accepted: 03/19/2018] [Indexed: 11/14/2022] Open
Abstract
Background As individuals age, they are more likely to experience increasing frailty and more frequent use of hospital services. First, we explored whether initiating home-based primary care in a frail homebound cohort, influenced hospital use. Second, we explored whether initiating regular home care support for personal care with usual primary care, in a second somewhat less frail cohort, influenced hospital use. Methods This was a before-after retrospective cohort study of two frail populations in Vancouver, Canada using administrative data to assess the influence of two different services started in two different cohorts over the same time period. The participants were 246 recipients of integrated home-based primary care and 492 recipients of home care followed between July 1st, 2008 and June 30th, 2013 before and after starting their respective services. Individuals in each group were linked to their hospital emergency department visit and discharge abstract records. The main outcome measures were mean emergency department visit and hospital admission rates per 1000 patient days for 21 months before versus the period after receipt of services, and the adjusted incidence rate ratios (IRRs) on these outcomes post receipt of service. Results Before versus after starting integrated home-based primary care, emergency department visit rates per 1000 patient days (95% confidence intervals) were 4.1 (3.8, 4.4) versus 3.7 (3.3, 4.1), and hospital admissions rates were 2.3 (2.1, 2.5) versus 2.2 (1.9, 2.5). Before versus after starting home care, emergency department visit rates per 1000 patient days (95% confidence intervals) were 3.0 (2.8, 3.2) versus 4.0 (3.7, 4.3) visits and hospital admissions rates were 1.3 (1.2, 1.4) versus 1.9 (1.7, 2.1). Home-based primary care IRRs were 0.91 (0.72, 1.15) and 0.99 (0.76, 1.27) and home care IRRs were 1.34 (1.15, 1.56) and 1.46 (1.22, 1.74) for emergency department visits and hospital admissions respectively. Conclusions After enrollment in integrated home-based primary care, emergency department visit and hospital admission rates stabilized. After starting home care with usual primary care, emergency department visit and hospital admission rates continued to rise.
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Affiliation(s)
- Margaret J McGregor
- Department of Family Practice, University of British Columbia, 713-828 West 10th Avenue, Vancouver, BC, V5Z 1M9, Canada. .,UBC Centre for Health Services and Policy Research, Vancouver, Canada. .,UBC School of Population and Public Health, Vancouver, Canada. .,Vancouver Coastal Health's Research Institute's Centre for Epidemiology and Evaluation, Vancouver, Canada.
| | - Michelle B Cox
- Department of Family Practice, University of British Columbia, 713-828 West 10th Avenue, Vancouver, BC, V5Z 1M9, Canada
| | - Jay M Slater
- Department of Family Practice, University of British Columbia, 713-828 West 10th Avenue, Vancouver, BC, V5Z 1M9, Canada.,Community Geriatric Programs, VCH, Vancouver, Canada
| | - Jeff Poss
- School of Public Health and Health Systems, University of Waterloo, Waterloo, Canada
| | - Kimberlyn M McGrail
- UBC Centre for Health Services and Policy Research, Vancouver, Canada.,UBC School of Population and Public Health, Vancouver, Canada
| | - Lisa A Ronald
- Department of Family Practice, University of British Columbia, 713-828 West 10th Avenue, Vancouver, BC, V5Z 1M9, Canada
| | - John Sloan
- Department of Family Practice, University of British Columbia, 713-828 West 10th Avenue, Vancouver, BC, V5Z 1M9, Canada
| | - Michael Schulzer
- Pacific Parkinson's Research Centre, Vancouver, Canada.,Vancouver Coastal Health's Research Institute's Centre for Epidemiology and Evaluation, Vancouver, Canada
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Laffon de Mazières C, Romain M, Hermabessière S, Abellan G, Gerard S, Castex A, Krams T, Vellas B, Rolland Y. An Innovative Day Hospital Dedicated to Nursing Home Resident: A Descriptive Study of 1306 Residents Referred by their Physicians. J Nutr Health Aging 2018; 22:1138-1143. [PMID: 30379316 PMCID: PMC6302543 DOI: 10.1007/s12603-018-1106-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/24/2018] [Accepted: 08/22/2018] [Indexed: 10/28/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND The transfer rate of residents from nursing homes (NH) to emergency rooms is high. These transfers are often inappropriate but also potentially avoidable. Recent studies have shown that in terms of methods for training NH teams, proposals for improvement of the healthcare sector must be organized. Given this observation, Gérontopôle de Toulouse (France) opened in October 2015, a responsive day hospital dedicated to NH residents (DH NH). This day hospital is characterized by its vocation, exclusively dedicated to NH residents and its ability to provide patient care within a short period of time. OBJECTIVES The purpose of this day hospital is twofold: (1) decrease the rate of inappropriate transfers for NH residents by offering general practitioners and NH teams quick access to expert advice, blood tests and radiological examinations during hospitalizations and care adapted to the characteristics of NH residents; (2) potentially reduce avoidable transfers to emergency rooms and hospitalizations by taking action to prevent acute decompensation in residents, but also for the education and training of NH healthcare teams. This manuscript aims to describe the arrangements put in place and the characteristics of the residents collected after two years of activity. DESIGN Retrospective descriptive study. SETTING Gérontopôle of Toulouse, France. PARTICIPANTS 1306 residents have been consulted at the DH NH. MEASUREMENTS Referring physicians (treating physicians, coordinating physician or emergency room physicians) send a standardized hospitalization request form to the day hospital by fax or email indicating the reason for the request, specialist opinion(s) desired and additional required examination(s). A gerontological assessment was conducted and anamnesis data was collected for each resident, on the very day of their coming to the DH NH. RESULTS In 2 years, 1306 residents from 120 NHs were sent to the DH NH. The mean age was 86.23 ± 7.05 years and the majority of patients were women (n=941, 72.22%), dependent (median ADL at 2.75, [1.25-4.5]) and malnourished (821, 63.25%). In the 3 months prior to their visit to the day hospital, 668 (57.14%) residents had been hospitalized, and one-quarter (n=336, 25.72%) had been transferred to emergency rooms. The main reasons for hospitalization included assessment of cognitive disorders (n=336, 17.52%), assistance in managing behavioral disorders (n=297, 15.48%) and bedsores and slow wound healing (n=223, 11.63%). CONCLUSION Our experience over a 2-year period suggests that the DH NH could be a practical response to the problem of inappropriate and avoidable transfers of NH residents to emergency rooms. This innovation could easily be utilized in other hospitals.
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Affiliation(s)
- C Laffon de Mazières
- Clarisse Laffon de Mazières, Department of Geriatric Medicine, Gérontopôle, Toulouse University Hospital, Cité de la santé - 20, rue du Pont Saint-Pierre - TSA 60033 - 31059 Toulouse cedex 9, France. E-mail address : . Tel: +33 (0)5 61 77 70 46
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Staffing in Ontario's Long-Term Care Homes: Differences by Profit Status and Chain Ownership. Can J Aging 2017; 35:175-89. [PMID: 27223577 DOI: 10.1017/s0714980816000192] [Citation(s) in RCA: 31] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/07/2022] Open
Abstract
Ontario has the highest proportion of for-profit nursing homes in Canada. These facilities, which are known in Ontario as long-term care (LTC) homes, offer 24-hour custodial as well as nursing care to individuals who cannot live independently. Increasingly, they are also operating as members of multi-facility chains. Using longitudinal data (1996-2011) from the Residential Care Facilities Survey (n = 627), our analysis revealed discernible differences in staffing levels by profit status and chain affiliation. We found for-profit LTC homes - especially those owned by a chain organization - provided significantly fewer hours of care, after adjusting for variation in the residents' care needs. Findings from this study offer new information on the impact of organizational structure on staffing levels in Ontario's LTC homes and have implications for other jurisdictions where a growing presence of private, chain-affiliated operators has been observed.
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Connolly MJ, Broad JB, Boyd M, Zhang TX, Kerse N, Foster S, Lumley T, Whitehead N. The 'Big Five'. Hypothesis generation: a multidisciplinary intervention package reduces disease-specific hospitalisations from long-term care: a post hoc analysis of the ARCHUS cluster-randomised controlled trial. Age Ageing 2016; 45:415-20. [PMID: 27021357 DOI: 10.1093/ageing/afw037] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/10/2015] [Accepted: 01/15/2016] [Indexed: 11/14/2022] Open
Abstract
INTRODUCTION long-term care (LTC) residents have higher hospitalisation rates than non-LTC residents. Rapid decline may follow hospitalisations, hence the importance of preventing unnecessary hospitalisations. Literature describes diagnosis-specific interventions (for cardiac failure, ischaemic heart disease, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, stroke, pneumonia-termed 'big five' diagnoses), impacting on hospitalisations of older community-dwellers, but few RCTs show reductions in acute admissions from LTC. METHODS LTC facilities with higher than expected hospitalisations were recruited for a cluster-randomised controlled trial (RCT) of facility-based complex, non-disease-specific, 9-month intervention comprising gerontology nurse specialist (GNS)-led staff education, facility benchmarking, GNS resident review and multidisciplinary discussion of residents selected using standard criteria. In this post hoc exploratory analysis, the outcome was acute hospitalisations for 'big five' diagnoses. Re-randomisation analyses were used for end points during months 1-14. For end points during months 4-14, proportional hazards models are adjusted for within-facility clustering. RESULTS we recruited 36 facilities with 1,998 residents (1,408 female; mean age 82.9 years); 1,924 were alive at 3 months. The intervention did not impact overall rates of acute hospitalisations or mortality (previously published), but resulted in fewer 'big five' admissions (RR = 0.73, 95% CI = 0.54-0.99; P = 0.043) with no significant difference in the rate of other acute admissions. When considering events occurring after 3 months (only), the intervention group were 34.7% (HR = 0.65; 95% CI = 0.49-0.88; P = 0.005) less likely to have a 'big five' acute admission than controls, with no differences in likelihood of acute admissions for other diagnoses (P = 0.96). CONCLUSIONS this generic intervention may reduce admissions for common conditions which the literature shows are impacted by disease-specific admission reduction strategies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Martin J Connolly
- Freemasons' Department of Geriatric Medicine, University of Auckland, Auckland, New Zealand Waitemata District Health Board, Auckland, New Zealand
| | - Joanna B Broad
- Freemasons' Department of Geriatric Medicine, University of Auckland, Auckland, New Zealand
| | - Michal Boyd
- Freemasons' Department of Geriatric Medicine, University of Auckland, Auckland, New Zealand Waitemata District Health Board, Auckland, New Zealand Department of Nursing, University of Auckland, Auckland, New Zealand
| | - Tony Xian Zhang
- Freemasons' Department of Geriatric Medicine, University of Auckland, Auckland, New Zealand
| | - Ngaire Kerse
- School of Population Health, University of Auckland, Auckland, New Zealand
| | - Susan Foster
- Freemasons' Department of Geriatric Medicine, University of Auckland, Auckland, New Zealand Waitemata District Health Board, Auckland, New Zealand
| | - Thomas Lumley
- Department of Statistics, University of Auckland, Auckland, New Zealand
| | - Noeline Whitehead
- Department of Nursing, University of Auckland, Auckland, New Zealand
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Ronald LA, McGregor MJ, Harrington C, Pollock A, Lexchin J. Observational Evidence of For-Profit Delivery and Inferior Nursing Home Care: When Is There Enough Evidence for Policy Change? PLoS Med 2016; 13:e1001995. [PMID: 27093442 PMCID: PMC4836753 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pmed.1001995] [Citation(s) in RCA: 31] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/01/2022] Open
Abstract
Margaret McGregor and colleagues consider Bradford Hill's framework for examining causation in observational research for the association between nursing home care quality and for-profit ownership.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lisa A. Ronald
- Department of Family Practice, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
| | - Margaret J. McGregor
- Department of Family Practice, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
- * E-mail:
| | - Charlene Harrington
- School of Nursing, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, California, United States of America
| | - Allyson Pollock
- Queen Mary, University of London, London, United Kingdom
- Centre for Primary Care and Public Health, Blizard Institute, Barts and The London School of Medicine and Dentistry, London, United Kingdom
| | - Joel Lexchin
- School of Health Policy and Management at York University, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
- Department of Family and Community Medicine, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
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Harrington C, Armstrong H, Halladay M, Havig AK, Jacobsen FF, MacDonald M, Panos J, Pearsall K, Pollock A, Ross L. Comparison of Nursing Home Financial Transparency and Accountability in Four Locations. AGEING INTERNATIONAL 2015. [DOI: 10.1007/s12126-015-9233-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
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24/7 Registered Nurse Staffing Coverage in Saskatchewan Nursing Homes and Acute Hospital Use. Can J Aging 2015; 34:492-505. [DOI: 10.1017/s0714980815000434] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/07/2022] Open
Abstract
RÉSUMÉLa législation, dans de nombreuses juridictions, nécessite les établissements des soins de longue durée (SLD) d'avoir une infirmière en service 24 heures par jour, 7 jours par semaine. Bien que la recherche considérable existe sur l'intensité SLD de la dotation en personnel infirmier, il n'existe pas de la recherche empirique relative à cette exigence. Notre étude rétrospectif d'observation a comparé des installations en Saskatchewan avec 24/7 RN couverture aux établissements offrant moins de couverture, complétées par divers modèles de dotation des postes de nuit. Les ratios de risque associés à moins de 24/7 couverture RN complété de la dotation infirmière autorisé de nuit, ajusté pour l'intensité de dotation en personnel infirmier et d'autres facteurs de confusion potentiels, étaient de 1,17, IC 95% [0,91, 1,50] et 1.00, IC à 95% [0,72, 1,39], et avec moins de couverture 24/7 RN complété avec soin par aides personnels de nuit, les ratios de risque étaient de 1,46, IC 95% [1,11, 1,91] et 1,11, IC 95% [0,78, 1,58], pour les patients hospitalisés et de visites aux services d'urgence, respectivement. Ces résultats suggèrent que l'utilisation des soins de courte durée peut être influencée négativement par l'absence de la couverture 24/7 RN.
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Emergency department visit rates and patterns in Canada's Vancouver coastal health region. Can J Aging 2014; 33:154-62. [PMID: 24690211 DOI: 10.1017/s0714980814000038] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/06/2022] Open
Abstract
This study used administrative health data to describe emergency department (ED) visits by residents from assisted living and nursing home facilities in the Vancouver Coastal Health region, British Columbia. We compared ED visit rates, the distribution of visits per resident, and ED dispositions of the assisted living and nursing home populations over a 3-year period (2005-2008). There were 13,051 individuals in our study population. Visit rates (95% confidence interval) were 124.8 (118.1-131.7) and 64.1 (62.9-65.3) visits per 100 resident years in assisted living and nursing home facilities respectively. A smaller proportion of ED visits by assisted living residents resulted in hospital admission compared to nursing home residents (45% vs. 48%, p < .01). The ED visit rate among assisted living residents is significantly higher compared to that among nursing home residents. Future research is needed into the underlying causes for this finding.
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