Interdisciplinary care planning and the written care plan in nursing homes: a critical review

A qualitative study of the experiences of interdisciplinary nurses during the COVID-19 outbreak following the announcement of the "Ten new guidelines" in China

BACKGROUND

On December 7, 2022, the Joint Prevention and Control Mechanism of China's State Council released the "Ten New Guidelines" to optimize the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) prevention policies further. This signaled a broader shift from "dynamic clearing" to "coexisting with the virus" nationwide.

OBJECTIVE

This study aims to examine the experiences and perspectives of interdisciplinary nurses during the COVID-19 outbreak in China after the implementation of the "Ten New Guidelines". The goal is to understand the challenges faced by this unique nursing group and inform organizational support to bolster their well-being and resilience.

METHODS

Two tertiary hospitals in southeastern Zhejiang Province were selected, with interdisciplinary nurses chosen as subjects. A constructivist qualitative research approach was employed, using semi-structured face-to-face interviews. Research data were collected through interviews and analyzed using content analysis.

RESULTS

Fifteen interdisciplinary nurses were included in this study. The analysis revealed four main themes and nine sub-themes. The main themes were: (1) ineffective organizational support (inadequate organizational care, poor PPE, excessive workload), (2) physiological distress after contracting COVID-19 (extreme physical fatigue, leakage of urine due to severe coughing), (3) fear of being wrong (fear of being reprimanded in public, psychological anxiety), and (4) family responsibility anxiety (difficulty of loyalty and filial piety, obligations to their children).

CONCLUSION

We provide new evidence that organizations must proactively address the support, training, and communication needs of staff, particularly interdisciplinary nurses, to supplement epidemic containment. This is also essential in helping mitigate the work-family conflicts such roles can create.

Optimizing the InterRAI Assessment Tool in Care Planning Processes for Long-Term Residents: A Scoping Review

The aim of this review was to chart and report on existing literature that discusses how the interRAI assessment tool drives care-planning processes for residents in long-term-care settings. This scoping review was informed by the Joanna Briggs Institute guidelines for scoping reviews and the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses extension for Scoping Reviews guideline. Relevant studies were obtained from databases search of CINAHL (EBSCO), MEDLINE (Ovid), PsycINFO (EBSCO), Academic Search Premier (EBSCO), Embase (Elsevier), ProQuest Nursing and Allied Health Database (ProQuest), Sociological Abstracts (ProQuest), and Social Services Abstracts (ProQuest). Of the 17 included studies, five (29.4%) addressed interRAI’s minimum dataset component as a clinical data-collection tool; five (29.4%) addressed interRAI’s assessment scales and its clinical-assessment protocols as viable health-assessment tools; four (23.5%) considered interRAI’s assessment scales in terms of whether this tool is capable of predicting residents’ health risks; one (5.9%) addressed the effects of interRAI’s care plans on residents’ health outcomes; and the remaining two studies (11.8%) used interRAI’s quality-indicator function for both the performance of and improvements in the quality of care. The scoping review finds that there is no substantial evidence that supports the implementation of interRAI care plans for consistent health outcomes.

Expert nurse response to workforce recommendations made by the coronavirus commission for safety and quality in nursing homes

COVID-19 has exposed the longstanding internal problems in nursing homes and the weak structures and policies that are meant to protect residents. The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services convened the Coronavirus Commission for Safety and Quality in NHs in April, 2020 to address this situation by recommending steps to improve infection prevention and control, safety procedures, and the quality of life of residents in nursing homes. The authors of this paper respond to the Final Report of the Commission and put forth additional recommendations to federal policymakers for meaningful nursing home reform: 1) ensuring 24/7 registered nurse (RN) coverage and adequate compensation to maintain total staffing levels that are based on residents’ care needs; 2) ensuring RNs have geriatric nursing and leadership competencies; 3) increasing efforts to recruit and retain the NH workforce, particularly RNs; and 4) supporting care delivery models that strengthen the role of the RN for quality resident-centered care.

Delirium and Functional Recovery in Patients Discharged to Skilled Nursing Facilities After Hospitalization for Heart Failure

IMPORTANCE

A substantial number of patients discharged to skilled nursing facilities (SNFs) after heart failure (HF) hospitalization experience regression in function or do not improve. Delirium is one of few modifiable risk factors in this patient population. Therefore, understanding the role of delirium in functional recovery may be useful for improving outcomes.

OBJECTIVE

To assess the association of delirium with 30-day functional improvement in patients discharged to SNFs after HF hospitalization.

DESIGN, SETTING, AND PARTICIPANTS

This retrospective cohort study included patients hospitalized for HF in 129 US Department of Veterans Affairs hospitals who were discharged to SNFs from October 1, 2010, to September 30, 2015. Data were analyzed from June 14 to December 18, 2020.

EXPOSURES

Delirium, as determined by the Minimum Data Set (MDS) 3.0 Confusion Assessment Method, with dementia as a covariate, determined via International Classification of Diseases, Ninth Revision (ICD-9) coding.

MAIN OUTCOMES AND MEASURES

The difference between admission and 30-day MDS 3.0 Activities of Daily Living (ADL) scores.

RESULTS

A total of 20 495 patients (mean [SD] age, 78 [10.3] years; 78.9% White; and 97% male) were included in the analysis. Of the total sample, 882 patients (4.3%) had delirium on an SNF admission. The mean (SD) baseline ADL score on admission to SNF was significantly worse among patients with delirium than without (18.3 [4.7] vs 16.1 [5.2]; P < .001; d = 0.44.). On the 30-day repeated assessment, mean (SD) function (ADL scores) improved for both patients with delirium (0.6 [2.9]) and without delirium (1.8 [3.6]) (P < .001; d = -0.38). In the multivariate adjusted model, delirium was associated with statistically significant lower ADL improvement (difference in ADL score, -1.07; 95% CI, -1.31 to -0.83; P < .001).

CONCLUSIONS AND RELEVANCE

In this retrospective cohort study, patients with HF discharged to SNFs with delirium were less likely to show improvement in function compared with patients without delirium. Findings suggest a potential need to reexamine how and when health care professionals assess delirium in HF patients throughout their hospitalization and SNF course. Identifying and treating delirium for HF patients earlier in their care trajectory may play an important role in improving care and long-term functional outcomes in this population. Future research is warranted to further investigate the association between delirium and functional recovery for HF and other patient populations.

Nursing surveillance and immediate jeopardy in Veteran Health Administration community living centers unannounced survey program 2018 to 2019

BACKGROUND

The VA Community Living Center (CLC) Unannounced Survey Program aims to assess standards of care set by the government to protect residents.

PURPOSE

To describe patterns of practice failures in nursing surveillance causing or having potential to cause immediate jeopardy, as defined by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services.

METHODS

Using CLC survey data consisting of 200 statements of deficiency (SODs) for 2018 to 2019, we collected a SOD sample (n = 20) of immediate jeopardy events. They were described using descriptive statistics and discourse content analysis.

FINDINGS

We identified clinical events, their duration, work shift, and nursing skill mix for each SOD. Most to least common themes about failures in nursing surveillance were acquisition/transfer of information; decision-making; and early recognition of problems.

DISCUSSION

Our analysis of nursing surveillance failures in CLC immediate jeopardy SODs provides insight into opportunities for registered nurses and the nursing skill mix to reduce avoidable harms.

Pervasive Risk Avoidance: Nursing Staff Perceptions of Risk in Person-Centered Care Delivery

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES

Nursing home (NH) staff perceptions of risks to residents' health and safety are a major barrier to honoring resident preferences, the cornerstone of person-centered care (PCC) delivery. This study explored direct-care nursing staff perceptions of risk (possibilities for harm or loss) associated with honoring residents' preferences for everyday living and care activities.

RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS

Qualitative, descriptive design using sequential focus group (FG) methodology.

RESULTS

Participants (N = 27) were mostly female (85%), had more than 3 years of experience (74%), and worked in NHs recently experiencing 6-12 health citations. Content analysis of 12 sequential FGs indicated nursing staff perceptions of risks may impede delivery of person-centered care. This is supported by the overarching theme: pervasive risk avoidance; and subthemes of: staff values, supports for risk-taking, and challenges to honoring preferences.

DISCUSSION AND IMPLICATIONS

Development of a multidimensional framework with specific risk engagement measures that account for the unique risk perspectives of nursing staff will contribute significantly to the clinical management of older adult preferences and research on the effectiveness of preference-based PCC delivery in the NH setting.

Person-Centered Care Plans for Nursing Home Residents With Behavioral and Psychological Symptoms of Dementia

Little literature exists examining the development and implementation of person-centered care (PCC) plans focused on behavioral and psychological symptoms of dementia (BPSD). The current study aimed to describe BPSD documented in nursing home (NH) residents' care plans, the types of approaches staff document in addressing those symptoms, and whether resident and/or facility characteristics are associated with documentation of PCC approaches. The sample included 553 residents from 55 NHs in two East Coast states. Resistiveness to care (44.9%), agitation (42.2%), and aggression (42%) were most frequently documented in care plans. PCC approaches were documented in care plans in 21.3% to 62.7% of cases depending on BPSD type. Resident (e.g., younger age, lower functional ability, lower cognitive ability, longer length of stay, male gender) and facility (e.g., less certified nursing assistant staffing hours, greater percentage of residents taking antipsychotic medications, non-profit status) characteristics were associated with increased odds of PCC approaches being documented. Optimal PCC planning is discussed, and a sample PCC plan is provided. [Journal of Gerontological Nursing, 46(11), 17-27.].

Staff perspectives on the usability of electronic patient records for planning and delivering dementia care in nursing homes: a multiple case study

BACKGROUND

The electronic patient record (EPR) has been introduced into nursing homes in order to facilitate documentation practices such as assessment and care planning, which play an integral role in the provision of dementia care. However, little is known about how the EPR facilitates or hinders these practices from the end-user's perspective. Therefore, the objective of this qualitative study was to explore the usability issues associated with the EPR for assessment and care planning for people with dementia in nursing homes from a staff perspective.

METHODS

An exploratory, qualitative research design with a multiple case study approach was used. Contextual Inquiry was carried out with a variety of staff members (n = 21) who used the EPR in three nursing homes situated in Belgium, Czech Republic and Spain. Thematic analysis was used to code interview data, with codes then sorted into a priori components of the Health Information Technology Evaluation Framework: device, software functionality, organisational support. Two additional themes, structure and content, were also added.

RESULTS

Staff provided numerous examples of the ways in which EPR systems are facilitating and hindering assessment and care planning under each component, particularly for people with dementia, who may have more complex needs in comparison to other residents. The way in which EPR systems were not customisable was a common theme across all three homes. A comparison of organisational policies and practices revealed the importance of training, system support, and access, which may be linked with the successful adoption of the EPR system in nursing homes.

CONCLUSIONS

EPR systems introduced into the nursing home environment should be customisable and reflect best practice guidelines for dementia care, which may lead to improved outcomes and quality of life for people with dementia living in nursing homes. All levels of nursing home staff should be consulted during the development, implementation and evaluation of EPR systems as part of an iterative, user-centred design process.

The consistency between planned and actually given nursing care in long-terminstitutional care

Continuous information exchange between healthcare professionals is facilitated by individualized care plans. Compliance with the planned care as documented in care plans is important to provide person-centered care which contributes to the continuity of care and quality of care outcomes. Using the Nursing Interventions Classification, this study examined the consistency between documented and actually provided interventions by type of nursing staff with 150 residents in long-term institutional care. The consistency was especially high for basic (93%) and complex (79%) physiological care. To a lesser extent for interventions in the behavioral domain (66%). Except for the safety domain, the probability that documented interventions were provided was high for all domains (≥ 91%, p > 0.05). NAs generally provided the interventions as documented. Findings suggest that HCAs worked beyond there scope of practice. The results may have implications for the deployment of nursing staff and are of importance to managers.

Development of Student Survey on Writing Nursing Care Plan: An exploratory sequential mixed-methods study

AIM

To come up with a newly developed survey tool that will measure the students' level of quality in writing nursing care plans (NCPs).

BACKGROUND

Exploring various challenges of students in writing NCP would enlighten educators to design innovative strategies on how to mitigate gaps between nursing education and practice.

METHODS

This study utilized an exploratory sequential mixed-methods design in three stages. In phase 1, qualitative semi-structured interviews of 22 students were conducted, and the data were analysed using the Colaizzi method. In phase 2, qualitative results were transformed into survey components, constructs and items, and the data were developed into a new survey tool based on the nursing process system (NPS) model. In phase 3, a quantitative cross-sectional survey of 195 nursing students was conducted to measure their level of quality in writing NCP, and the data were analysed using descriptive statistics of the SPSS software.

RESULTS

In the first (qualitative) phase, five themes emerged from various challenges of nursing students in writing care plans: (a) data gathering; (b) identifying clients' problems; (c) formulating sustainable goals; (d) providing appropriate interventions; and (5) recognizing client's outcomes. In the second phase, a valid and reliable tool called the Student Survey on Writing Nursing Care Plan (SSW-NCP) was developed and tested. Lastly, in the third (quantitative) phase, the nursing students have shown a 'very good' level of quality in writing NCP.

CONCLUSION

Determining students' level of quality in writing NCP would come up with comprehensive ways of improving student competencies in patient care management.

IMPLICATIONS FOR NURSING MANAGEMENT

The survey tool that is formulated from the study will provide relevant information for nurse educators and managers in managing students' and registered nurses' capabilities in writing an excellent care plan.

The Comprehensive Care Plan: A Patient-Centered, Multidisciplinary Communication Tool for Frequently Hospitalized Patients

Comprehensive care plans are dynamic documents maintained by an interdisciplinary team that contain specific, actionable information for clinicians and staff across multiple care settings. They promote communication and continuity of care by suggesting communication strategies, medical plans, and psychosocial resources. This article describes the structure and development process of comprehensive care plans for frequently hospitalized patients enrolled in a program designed to improve care for this vulnerable population. These care plans are widely used, with inpatient physicians referring to the care plan in their notes during 92.0% of admissions.

The establishment of a shared care plan as it is experienced by elderly people and their next of kin: A qualitative study

One strategy to achieve coordination of care for older people with complex care needs is the establishment of shared care plans. The aim of this study was to explore the process of establishing a shared care plan from the perspective of elderly people and their next of kin. Data were collected via 12 semi-structured interviews with 12 older persons targeted in joint care planning and 11 next of kin, either alone or together. The analysis was conducted using content analysis. The results reflect the process of establishing a shared care plan in the three categories; Preparation, Content and Results with belonging sub-categories. Preparation showed that the possibility to influence the preparation of the joint care plan meeting was sometimes limited and the purpose was not always clear. The Content category showed that the meeting was sometimes experienced as an unstructured, general conversation or focused on practical matters. And Results of the process were shown to be successful in terms of having positive effects or fulfilling needs, but also sometimes as being pointless. Thus, the results show that the process of establishing a shared care plan is somewhat unclear to the older person and their next of kin and that they are rarely involved in the decisions regarding when and if a shared care plan is needed. If joint care planning is expected to serve as a tool to accomplish a more person-centred care, then the person must be regarded as an equal partner all throughout the decision-making and planning process.

Patients receiving chiropractic care in a neurorehabilitation hospital: a descriptive study

Objectives

Individuals rehabilitating from complex neurological injury require a multidisciplinary approach, which typically does not include chiropractic care. This study describes inpatients receiving multidisciplinary rehabilitation including chiropractic care for brain injury, spinal cord injury (SCI), stroke, and other complex neurological conditions.

Design

Chiropractic services were integrated into Crotched Mountain Specialty Hospital (CMSH) through this project. Patient characteristics and chiropractic care data were collected to describe those receiving care and the interventions during the first 15 months when chiropractic services were available.

Setting

CMSH, a 62-bed subacute multidisciplinary rehabilitation, skilled nursing facility located in Greenfield, New Hampshire, USA.

Results

Patient mean (SD) age (n=27) was 42.8 (13) years, ranging from 20 to 64 years. Males (n=18, 67%) and those of white race/ethnicity (n=23, 85%) comprised the majority. Brain injury (n=20) was the most common admitting condition caused by trauma (n=9), hemorrhage (n=7), infarction (n=2), and general anoxia (n=2). Three patients were admitted for cervical SCI, 1 for ankylosing spondylitis, 1 for traumatic polyarthropathy, and 2 for respiratory failure with encephalopathy. Other common comorbid diagnoses potentially complicating the treatment and recovery process included myospasm (n=13), depression (n=11), anxiety (n=10), dysphagia (n=8), substance abuse (n=8), and candidiasis (n=7). Chiropractic procedures employed, by visit (n=641), included manual myofascial therapies (93%), mechanical percussion (83%), manual muscle stretching (75%), and thrust manipulation (65%) to address patients with spinal-related pain (n=15, 54%), joint or regional stiffness (n= 14, 50%), and extremity pain (n=13, 46%). Care often required adapting to participant limitations or conditions. Such adaptations not commonly encountered in outpatient settings where chiropractic care is usually delivered included the need for lift assistance, wheelchair dependence, contractures, impaired speech, quadriplegia/paraplegia, and the presence of feeding tubes and urinary catheters.

Conclusion

Patients suffered significant functional limitations and comorbidity resulting in modifications to the typical delivery of chiropractic care. Chiropractic services focused on relieving musculoskeletal pain and stiffness.

Nurses Education and Motivation Towards Nursing Documentation

Introduction: Nursing documentation is an integral part that cannot be separated from healthcare as a responsibility and accountability of nurses. High education and motivation are needed to achieve good nursing documentation. The aim of this study was to know the correlation between education and motivation of nurses towards Intensive Care nursing documentation.Methods: The design used was an analytical survey with a cross-sectional approach. The population was nurses in intensive care of Palembang BARI Hospital with as many as 46 nurses and 44 samples obtained with total sampling. Data were collected by questionnaire and observational and were analyzed by Chi-Square. Independent variables are education and motivation of nurses and the dependent variable is nursing documentation.Results: There was a correlation between education (p=0.035) and motivation (p=0.040) of nurses towards nursing documentation.Conclusion: High education and motivation of nurses influenced towards the quality of nursing education. The nursing manager of the hospital is recommended affording the opportunity to support human resources in the hospital, especially for nurses to participate in education, in accordance with the demands of legislation in nursing education, and to organize the training of nursing documentation.

Person-Directed Care Planning in Nursing Homes: Resident, Family, and Staff Perspectives

Empowering individuals to direct their own care is central to person-centered care and health care policy. However, there is limited knowledge of how "person-directed care planning" (PDCP) can be achieved in particular settings. This study identifies key structures and processes for operationalizing and implementing PDCP in nursing homes. Using participatory inquiry, we convened "stakeholder engagement sessions" with residents, families, nursing staff, and managers/administrators in two North Carolina nursing homes ( N = 24 sessions; N = 67 unique participants). Stakeholders discussed current care-planning processes and provided feedback on an emergent conceptual framework of PDCP. Three themes emerged through directed-content analysis: strategies included providing formal and informal opportunities to engage in care planning and ensuring effective follow-through; different roles were required among leadership, staff, residents, and families to accomplish PDCP; and limits on achieving PDCP included competing priorities and perceived regulatory and resource constraints. Results are discussed in terms of the specific competencies required for accomplishing PDCP.

Accuracy of documentation in the nursing care plan in long-term institutional care

Nursing staff working in long-term institutional care attend to residents with an increasing number of severe physical and cognitive limitations. To exchange information about the health status of these residents, accurate nursing documentation is important to ensure the safety of residents. This study examined the accuracy of nursing documentation in 197 care plans of five long-term institutional care facilities. Based on the phases of the nursing process, the D-Catch instrument measures the accuracy of the content and coherence of documentation. Inadequacies were especially found in the description of residents' care needs and stated nursing diagnoses as well as in progress and outcome reports. In somatic and psycho-geriatric units, higher accuracy scores were determined compared with residential care units. Investments in resources (e.g., time), reasoning skills of nursing staff, and implementation of professional standards in accordance with legal requirements may be needed to enhance the quality of nursing documentation.

Evaluation of a technology-enhanced integrated care model for frail older persons: protocol of the SPEC study, a stepped-wedge cluster randomized trial in nursing homes

Background

Limited evidence exists on the effectiveness of the chronic care model for people with multimorbidity. This study aims to evaluate the effectiveness of an information and communication technology- (ICT-)enhanced integrated care model, called Systems for Person-centered Elder Care (SPEC), for frail older adults at nursing homes.

Methods/Design

SPEC is a prospective stepped-wedge cluster randomized trial conducted at 10 nursing homes in South Korea. Residents aged 65 or older meeting the inclusion/exclusion criteria in all the homes are eligible to participate. The multifaceted SPEC intervention, a geriatric care model guided by the chronic care model, consists of five components: comprehensive geriatric assessment for need/risk profiling, individual need-based care planning, interdisciplinary case conferences, person-centered care coordination, and a cloud-based information and communications technology (ICT) tool supporting the intervention process. The primary outcome is quality of care for older residents using a composite measure of quality indicators from the interRAI LTCF assessment system. Outcome assessors and data analysts will be blinded to group assignment. Secondary outcomes include quality of life, healthcare utilization, and cost. Process evaluation will be also conducted.

Discussion

This study is expected to provide important new evidence on the effectiveness, cost-effectiveness, and implementation process of an ICT-supported chronic care model for older persons with multiple chronic illnesses. The SPEC intervention is also unique as the first registered trial implementing an integrated care model using technology to promote person-centered care for frail older nursing home residents in South Korea, where formal LTC was recently introduced.

Trial registration

10.1186/ISRCTN11972147

Developing interprofessional care plans in chronic care: a scoping review

Background

The number of people suffering from one or more chronic conditions is rising, resulting in an increase in patients with complex health care demands. Interprofessional collaboration and the use of shared care plans support the management of complex health care demands of patients with chronic illnesses. This study aims to get an overview of the scientific literature on developing interprofessional shared care plans.

Methods

We conducted a scoping review of the scientific literature regarding the development of interprofessional shared care plans. A systematic database search resulted in 45 articles being included, 5 of which were empirical studies concentrating purely on the care plan. Findings were synthesised using directed content analysis.

Results

This review revealed three themes. The first theme was the format of the shared care plan, with the following elements: patient’s current state; goals and concerns; actions and interventions; and evaluation. The second theme concerned the development of shared care plans, and can be categorised as interpersonal, organisational and patient-related factors. The third theme covered tools, whose main function is to support professionals in sharing patient information without personal contact. Such tools relate to documentation of and communication about patient information.

Conclusion

Care plan development is not a free-standing concept, but should be seen as the result of an underlying process of interprofessional collaboration between team members, including the patient. To integrate the patients’ perspectives into the care plans, their needs and values need careful consideration. This review indicates a need for new empirical studies examining the development and use of shared care plans and evaluating their effects.

Electronic supplementary material

The online version of this article (doi:10.1186/s12875-016-0535-7) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.

Practice Change Interventions in Long-Term Care Facilities: What Works, and Why?

Over the past three decades, there has been a notable increase in studies of practice change interventions in long-term care (LTC) settings. This review, based on a modified realist approach, addresses the following questions: What practice change intervention characteristics work? And, in what circumstances do they work and why? A modified realist approach was applied to identify and explain the interactions among context, mechanism, and outcome. We searched electronic databases and published literature for empirical studies of practice change interventions that (a) were conducted in LTC settings, (b) involved formal care staff members, and (c) reported a formal evaluation. Ninety-four articles met the inclusion criteria. Interventions that included only predisposing factors were least likely to be effective. Interventions that included reinforcing factors were most likely to produce sustained outcomes. We concluded that interventions aimed at practice change in LTC settings should include feasible and effective enabling and reinforcing factors.

Comprehensive Care Plan Development Using Resident Assessment Instrument Framework: Past, Present, and Future Practices

Development of the comprehensive care plan (CCP) is a requirement for nursing homes participating in the federal Medicare and Medicaid programs, referred to as skilled nursing facilities. The plan must be developed within the context of the comprehensive interdisciplinary assessment framework-the Resident Assessment Instrument (RAI). Consistent compliance with this requirement has been difficult to achieve. To improve the quality of CCP development within this framework, an increased understanding of complex factors contributing to inconsistent compliance is required. In this commentary, we examine the history of the comprehensive care plan; its development within the RAI framework; linkages between the RAI and registered nurse staffing; empirical evidence of the CCP's efficacy; and the limitations of extant standards of practices in CCP development. Because of the registered nurse's educational preparation, professional practice standards, and licensure obligations, the essential contributions of professional nurses in CCP development are emphasized. Recommendations for evidence-based micro and macro level practice changes with the potential to improve the quality of CCP development and regulatory compliance are presented. Suggestions for future research are given.

A patient-centered longitudinal care plan: vision versus reality

OBJECTIVE

As healthcare systems and providers move toward meaningful use of electronic health records, longitudinal care plans (LCPs) may provide a means to improve communication and coordination as patients transition across settings. The objective of this study was to determine the current state of communication of LCPs across settings and levels of care.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

We conducted surveys and interviews with professionals from emergency departments, acute care hospitals, skilled nursing facilities, and home health agency settings in six regions in the USA. We coded the transcripts according to the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ) 'Broad Approaches' to care coordination to understand the degree to which current practice meets the definition of an LCP.

RESULTS

Participants (n=22) from all settings reported that LCPs do not exist in their current state. We found LCPs in practice, and none of these were shared or reconciled across settings. Moreover, we found wide variation in the types and formats of care plan information that was communicated as patients transitioned. The most common formats, even when care plan information was communicated within the same healthcare system, were paper and fax.

DISCUSSION

These findings have implications for data reuse, interoperability, and achieving widespread adoption of LCPs.

CONCLUSIONS

The use of LCPs to support care transitions is suboptimal. Strategies are needed to transform the LCP from vision to reality.

The importance of health information technology in care coordination and transitional care

Care coordination and transitional care services are strategically important for achieving the priorities of better care, better health, and reduced costs embodied in the National Strategy for Quality Improvement in Health Care (National Quality Strategy [NQS]). Some of the most vulnerable times in a person’s care occur with changes in condition as well as movement within and between settings of care. The American Academy of Nursing (AAN) believes it is essential to facilitate the coordination of care and transitions by using health information technology (HIT) to collect, share, and analyze data that communicate patient-centered information among patients, families, and care providers across communities. HIT makes information accessible, actionable, timely, customizable, and portable. Rapid access to information also creates efficiencies in care by eliminating redundancies and illuminating health history and prior care. The adoption of electronic health records (EHRs) and information systems can enable care coordination to be more effective but only when a number of essential elements are addressed to reflect the team-based nature of care coordination as well as a focus on the individual’s needs and preferences. To that end, the AAN offers a set of recommendations to guide the development of the infrastructure, standards, content, and measures for electronically enabled care coordination and transitions in care as well as research needed to build the evidence base to assess outcomes of the associated interventions.

Standardising assessment instruments and care planning in Ireland

Purpose

– Scoping of instruments in use for assessment of needs and the practices that surround care planning in residential care for older people in Ireland, in the wake of the introduction of national standards. The paper discusses these issues.

Design/methodology/approach

– Survey of care providers using an online/postal questionnaire, developed from the domains of need outlined in the standards.

Findings

– There is wide variation in the use of standardised instruments for assessment. Within some domains, standardised instruments enjoy near universal usage. However, within other domains, standardised instruments are often absent, external professional input and/or guidelines dominate and/or instruments have been adapted in-house. Practices surrounding care planning are largely homogeneous and the preserve of medical professionals.

Research limitations/implications

– This research was confined to the Republic of Ireland, limiting generalisation. The self-selecting nature of participants must also be considered. Further research could include, examining how, over time, the standards are shaping care practice, particularly in relation to interdisciplinary working and person-centred care.

Practical implications

– The non-prescriptive nature of the standards presents a challenge to care providers in selecting appropriate standardised instruments for assessment. In addition, medical dominance of care planning limits the extent to which care plans can enhance the provision of interdisciplinary and person-centred care.

Originality/value

– This paper contributes to a growing literature on standardisation of assessment and care planning, provides a reference point for comparison with other nations and, in an Irish context, addresses an area that has received little attention to-date. As such, it is of interest to practitioners, care providers and regulators.

Effects of the Resident Assessment Instrument in home care settings: results of a cluster randomized controlled trial

Deficits in quality, a lack of professional process management and, most importantly, neglect of outcome quality are criticized in long-term care. A cluster randomized, controlled trial was conducted to assess whether the Resident Assessment Instrument (RAI) can help to improve or stabilize functional abilities (ADL, IADL) and cognitive skills (MMST), improve quality of life (EQ-5D), and reduce institutionalization, thereby, increasing outcome quality. A total of 69 home care services throughout Germany were included and randomized. The treatment group (n = 36) received training in RAI and was supported by the research team during the study (13 months). Comparison of mean differences between the treatment and control groups (n = 33) showed no significant effect. Although the multilevel regression results show that clients in the treatment group fared better in terms of ADLs and IADLs (smaller decline) and were less likely to move to nursing homes and be hospitalized, none of these effects is significant. The lack of significance might result from the small number of clients included in the study. Moreover, RAI was not fully implemented and even partial implementation required more time than expected.

Nursing home work environment and the risk of pressure ulcers and incontinence

OBJECTIVE

To examine the association between nursing home (NH) work environment attributes such as teams, consistent assignment and staff cohesion, and the risk of pressure ulcers and incontinence.

DATA SOURCES/SETTING

Minimum dataset for 46,044 residents in 162 facilities in New York State, for June 2006-July 2007, and survey responses from 7,418 workers in the same facilities.

STUDY DESIGN

For each individual and facility, primary and secondary data were linked. Random effects logistic models were used to develop/validate outcome measures. Generalized estimating equation models with robust standard errors and probability weights were employed to examine the association between outcomes and work environment attributes. Key independent variables were staff cohesion, percent staff in daily care teams, and percent staff with consistent assignment. Other facility factors were also included.

PRINCIPAL FINDINGS

Residents in facilities with worse staff cohesion had significantly greater odds of pressure ulcers and incontinence, compared with residents in facilities with better cohesion scores. Residents in facilities with greater penetration of self-managed teams had lower risk of pressure ulcers, but not of incontinence. Prevalence of consistent assignment was not significantly associated with the outcome measures.

CONCLUSIONS

NH environments and management practices influence residents' health outcomes. These findings provide important lessons for administrators and regulators interested in promoting NH quality improvement.

Principles of good care for long-term care facilities

BACKGROUND

The International Psychogeriatric Association Task Force on Mental Health Services in Long-Term Care Facilities aims to support and strengthen mental health services in the long-term care sector. The purpose of this paper is to identify broad principles that may underpin the drive towards meeting the mental health needs of residents of long-term care facilities and their families, as well as to enhance the overall delivery of residential care services.

METHODS

Principles of good care are extrapolated from an analysis of international consensus documents and existing guidelines and discussed in relation to the research and practice literature.

RESULTS

Although the attention to principles is limited, this review reveals an emerging consensus that: (1) residential care should be situated within a continuum of services which are accessible on the basis of need; (2) there should be an explicit focus on quality of care in long-term care facilities; and (3) quality of life for the residents of these facilities should be a primary objective. We take a broad perspective on the challenges associated with actualizing each of these principles, taking into consideration key issues for families, facilities, systems and societies.

CONCLUSIONS

Recommendations for practice, policy and advocacy to establish an internationally endorsed principles-based framework for the evolution and development of good mental health care within long-term care facilities are provided.

The work of the RN Minimum Data Set coordinator in its organizational context

The Resident Assessment Instrument/Minimum Data Set (RAI/MDS) is the foundational clinical framework for nursing home care, functioning as both a clinical assessment instrument and an assessment process. An RN is mandated by statute to complete or coordinate the work associated with this framework. Using both focus groups and questionnaires, 24 RN MDS coordinators attending a national conference for MDS coordinators described their work in its organizational context. Shortell et al.'s continuous quality framework of structural, technical, cultural, and strategic organizational dimensions was used to categorize descriptive themes. Clinical implications of the study findings are summarized.

Neglecting the importance of the decision making and care regimes of personal support workers: a critique of standardization of care planning through the RAI/MDS

PURPOSE

The Resident Assessment Instrument-Minimum Data Set (RAI/MDS) is an interdisciplinary standardized process that informs care plan development in nursing homes. This standardized process has failed to consistently result in individualized care planning, which may suggest problems with content and planning integrity. We examined the decision making and care practices of personal support workers (PSWs) in relation to the RAI/MDS standardized process.

DESIGN AND METHODS

This qualitative study utilized focus groups and semi-structured interviews with PSWs (n = 26) and supervisors (n = 9) in two nursing homes in central Canada.

RESULTS

PSWs evidenced unique occupational contributions to assessment via proximal familiarity and biographical information as well as to individualizing care by empathetically linking their own bodily experiences and forging bonds of fictive kinship with residents. These contributions were neither captured by RAI/MDS categories nor relayed to the interdisciplinary team. Causal factors for PSW exclusion included computerized records, low status, and poor interprofessional collaboration. Intraprofessional collaboration by PSWs aimed to compensate for exclusion and to individualize care.

IMPLICATIONS

Exclusive institutional reliance on the RAI/MDS undermines quality care because it fails to capture residents' preferences and excludes input by PSWs. Recommendations include incorporating PSW knowledge in care planning and documentation and examining PSWs' nascent occupational identity and their role as interprofessional brokers in long-term care.

Interprofessional team approach to infertility treatment in Japan

Purpose

At present, a team approach involving gynecologists, nurses, embryologists, and the other professionals is considered necessary to provide successful infertility treatment. First, we documented which professionals were in charge during various phases of infertility treatment. Second, clinical staff and patients were surveyed regarding their expectations regarding which of these professionals should contribute during examination, during treatment and after treatment for infertility.

Methods

We surveyed the actual situation perceived by staff as well as the desired situation for staff and patients in relation to 21 procedures related to infertility treatment. We distributed 781 questionnaires to staff and patients at 86 facilities. Of 380 returned by mail, we analyzed 128 responses from staff who worked with four types of professionals or specialists, i.e., medical doctors, nurses, embryologists, and medical clerks, and 46 from patients who consulted these professionals during their treatment.

Results

Most staff recognized 5 of 15 procedures before and after treatment as being conducted by medical doctors alone. However, explanation and consultation regarding the methods and schedule were mainly performed with an interprofessional team approach. Expectations regarding professionals in charge differed between staff and patients. A team approach including infertility counselors and medical clerks was utilized and considered desirable during counseling.

Conclusions

An effective team approach should be established for each step of infertility treatment.

Daily practice teams in nursing homes: evidence from New York state

PURPOSE

Most health care organizations, including nursing homes, report having teams. However, little is known about everyday practice teams among staff providing direct resident care. We assess the prevalence of such teams in nursing homes as reported by direct care staff and administrators, and examine characteristics of facilities that foster these teams.

DESIGN AND METHODS

The analytical model is based on 149 nursing homes. Data sources include surveys of administrators (n = 292) and direct care staff (n = 6,867), and Online Survey Certification and Reporting System. Linear regression with robust standard errors and sampling probability weights is used to examine the relationship between daily practice teams and facility characteristics.

RESULTS

On average, 16% of workers per facility report practicing in formal multidisciplinary teams providing daily resident care. Team prevalence is 3.3% higher when managers view teams as very important for clinical care quality, 2.6% higher when the directors of nursing report formally organized teams, 2.5% higher for each 10% increase in workers' involvement in teams other than the daily practice teams, and 1.95% higher for each 1-hr increase in nursing hours.

IMPLICATIONS

Our study shows that multidisciplinary daily practice teams can be found in most facilities in our large sample, but their penetration within nursing homes is far from pervasive; in 72% of facilities, staff report team prevalence of less than 25%. Given that the majority of managers report teamwork as very important to their facilities' operations, we discuss why only a relatively small proportion of daily care is provided in this fashion.

Feasibility and sustainability of a model of multidisciplinary case conferencing in residential aged care

This paper reports a pilot study examining the feasibility, acceptability and sustainability of a multidisciplinary case conferencing model in residential aged care. The model was developed through a consultation process and then implemented in 31 case conferences over a 6-month period between May and October 2008. This paper explores the feasibility and acceptability of model implementation, the experience of the facility staff, general practitioners and residents/family carers and the perceived sustainability of the model in clinical practice. It shows that although there was a degree of confusion around the concept of multidisciplinary case conferencing, implementation of this partnership model significantly improved communication between health workers, facilitated interaction between staff and family carers, and provided a focus for reflecting on individual residents’ health needs.

Strategies for translating the resident care plan into daily practice

The Omnibus Budget Reconciliation Act of 1987 required nursing facilities to complete a standardized comprehensive assessment known as the Resident Assessment Instrument (RAI) and to formulate a plan of care from the RAI to guide nursing care. The purpose of this retrospective case study was to examine the issues around the translation of nursing facility resident care plans to documents that guide daily care. Data were obtained by auditing 96 resident care plans in 10 nursing facilities in two states. Despite the importance of the resident plan of care, the audit revealed the provider approaches to resident problems varied appreciably in nursing facilities. The results of this study support the need for further research to assist in the development and implementation of strategies in nursing facilities that focus on standardized practices. Consistent systems can be promoted that translate the resident care plan into daily practice.

Care planning integrity in nursing facilities

BACKGROUND

Although there is some evidence of improved quality in nursing home care after the implementation of the 1987 Omnibus Budget Reconciliation Act regulations, the nursing processes that contribute to that improvement are not well understood. Assumptions that the mandated tools for resident assessment and care planning account for the change remain uninvestigated.

OBJECTIVES

To generate an empirically supported conceptual model of care planning integrity, incorporating five subconstructs: coordination, integration, interdisciplinary team, restorative perspective, and quality.

METHODS

A correlational, model generation-model selection design guided the study. Using a random sample of 107 facilities, the research team combined primary data collected from care planning team members (n = 508) via a telephone survey, with variables extracted from the Medicaid Cost Reports and the Centers for Medicaid and Medicare Services Online Survey, Certification, and Reporting System (OSCAR) database. Primary and alternative models of care planning integrity were examined for fit to the data using structural equation modeling procedures.

RESULTS

Using preliminary analyses, 18 observed indicators to represent the five latent subconstructs were identified. Fit indices for the primary model were borderline (comparative fit index =.892; root mean square error of approximation = .048), but were excellent for the alternative model (comparative fit index = .972; root mean square error of approximation = .026). Care planning integrity is demonstrated within nursing facilities through direct relationships with coordination, integration, and quality, and indirect relationships through integration with interdisciplinary team and restorative perspective.

DISCUSSION

Care planning integrity captures differences in the way nursing facilities implement the care planning process, using the mandated standardized tools, that may make a difference in resident outcomes. Subsequent research is indicated to address those dynamics.

Taking the hit: focusing on caregiver "error" masks organizational-level risk factors for nursing aide assault

Beliefs about the causes of events have implications for emotional reactions, distress, expectations for the future, and behavioral responses. In this article we report on two issues: the organizational context that contributes to nursing aide (NA) assault and reporting, and serendipitous findings that arose from investigating unexpected response rates to a survey. Data were collected in 11 rural nursing homes using a structured prospective event-reporting diary to collect detailed information about incidents of physical aggression, followed by focus groups to further explore NAs' perceptions of these events. Here we report on analysis of 19 focus groups conducted with 138 NAs. Participants described organizational-level factors that constrained their practice, affected their interactions with residents, and created a context that put them at risk for physical assault. These factors also affected their willingness to provide written documentation about aggressive incidents. The key issues were frustration at being blamed for causing aggression, lack of action to address the problem, and a desire for respect and involvement in decision making. Organizational changes are needed to modify the contextual factors contributing to assault risk. Researchers must be willing to modify study designs to more fully understand the nature of the problem studied.

Implementation of the resident assessment instrument/minimum data set in the nursing home as organization: implications for quality improvement in RN clinical assessment

The Resident Assessment Instrument/Minimum Data Set (RAI/MDS) used in nursing homes (NHs) participating in the Federal Medicare and Medicaid programs is a state-of-the-art, computerized clinical assessment instrument. RAI/MDS-derived data are essential, used for NH reimbursement, quality measurement, regulatory quality monitoring activities, and clinical care planning. Completing or coordinating the RAI/MDS, which may be conceived of as implementation, is a federally mandated responsibility of the RN involving clinical assessment, a core professional competency of any RN. How the RAI/MDS is implemented in each NH provides evidence of how each NH as an organization understands both the RAI/MDS process and its organizational level responsibility for promotion of RN competence in clinical assessment. Research literature related to RAI/MDS development, testing, and accuracy is used to identify what is known about organizational level implementation of the RAI/MDS. Evidence-based suggestions to enhance RN competence in RAI/MDS clinical assessments, given existing organizational barriers, are provided.

Connection, Regulation, and Care Plan Innovation

We describe how connections among nursing home staff impact the care planning process using a complexity science framework. We completed six-month case studies of four nursing homes. Field observations (n = 274), shadowing encounters (n = 69), and in-depth interviews (n = 122) of 390 staff at all levels were conducted. Qualitative analysis produced a conceptual/thematic description and complexity science concepts were used to produce conceptual insights. We observed that greater levels of staff connection were associated with higher care plan specificity and innovation. Connection of the frontline nursing staff was crucial for (1) implementation of the formal care plan and (2) spontaneous informal care planning responsive to changing resident needs. Although regulations could theoretically improve cognitive diversity and information flow in care planning, we observed instances of regulatory oversight resulting in less specific care plans and abandonment of an effective care planning process. Interventions which improve staff connectedness may improve resident outcomes.