Inpatient Step Counts, Symptom Severity, and Perceived Health Status After Lung Resection Surgery

Implementation of Function Focused Care for Acute Care Using the Evidence Integration Triangle

BACKGROUND

The purpose of this study was to test the impact of Function Focused Care for Acute Care Using the Evidence Integration Triangle (FFC-AC-EIT) on hospitalized patients living with dementia.

METHODS

This was a clustered randomized clinical trial including 12 hospitals from two states and 455 patients living with dementia. Hospitals were randomized to FFC-AC-EIT versus FFC Education Only. The mean age of the participants was 82.5 (SD = 8.5), the majority were women (62.6%), White (65.3%), married (64.4%), and had 3.0 (SD = 2.4) comorbidities. Outcome measures included the Barthel Index; the Physical Activity Survey, the Confusion Assessment Method Short Form (CAM-S), the Neuropsychiatric Inventory (NPI), and the Pain Assessment in Advanced Dementia.

RESULTS

At discharge, both groups improved in function and physical activity, patients in the intervention group had less increase in pain than those in the control group (β = -0.58, 95% confidence interval [95% CI] (-0.89, -0.26), p < 0.001). There were no group differences in behavioral symptoms or delirium. At 1 month post-discharge there was a significant improvement in function (β = 5.55, 95% CI [0.36, 10.75], p = 0.036) and physical activity (β = 3.07, 95% CI [1.87, 4.28], p < 0.001).

CONCLUSIONS

Exposure to information about function focused care may help staff in acute care settings maintain and increase function and physical activity for older patients living with dementia during the hospital stay and help facilitate an increase in function and physical activity after discharge.

Testing Function Focused Care for Acute Care using the Evidence Integration Triangle: Protocol description

This manuscript provides the protocol for a National Institute of Aging-funded cluster randomized clinical trial that focuses on helping nurses in acute care to engage patients with dementia in physical activity while hospitalized using an approach referred to as function-focused care. Physical activity is defined as bodily movement produced by skeletal muscles resulting in the expenditure of energy and includes functional tasks such as bathing and dressing, leisure activity, ambulation, and moderate and vigorous intensity physical activity such as dancing, bike riding, or walking upstairs. The development of Function Focused Care for Acute Care (FFC-AC) was based on the Social Ecological Model and Social Cognitive Theory and includes four steps: (1) Environment and Policy Assessments; (2) Education; (3) Establishing Patient Goals; and (4) Mentoring and Motivating of Staff (all levels of nursing staff), Patients, and Families. Function-focused care activities include motivating older patients to participate in bed mobility; personal care activities such as bathing, dressing, ambulating as they are able; and other types of physical activities. The integration of the intervention among the nurses on the units is guided by the Evidence Integration Triangle (EIT), which includes the participation of a stakeholder team and practical outcome measures. The intervention is therefore referred to as FFC-AC-EIT. In addition to describing the protocol developed to test the effectiveness and feasibility of FFC-AC-EIT, a description of ways to overcome some of the barriers and challenges that can be encountered with this study is provided.