Decision-making about changing medications across transitions of care: Opportunities for enhanced patient and family engagement

BACKGROUND

Older patients often have complex medication regimens, which change as they move across transitions of care. Engagement of older patients and families in making medication decisions across transitions of care is important for safe and high-quality medication management.

AIMS

To explore decision-making between health professionals, older patients and families about medication changes across transitions of care, and to examine how patient and family engagement is enacted in the process of decision-making in relation to these medication changes.

METHODS

A focused ethnographic design was undertaken with semi-structured interviews, observations, and reflective focus groups or interviews. Reflexive thematic analysis was conducted on transcribed data. The study was undertaken at a public teaching acute care hospital and a public teaching community hospital in Australia.

RESULTS

In all, 182 older patients, 44 family members and 94 health professionals participated. Four themes were conceptualised from the data: different customs and routines, medication challenges, health professional interactions, and patient and family involvement. Environments had differences in their customs and routines, which increased the potential for medication delays or the substitution of unintended medications. Medication challenges included health professionals assuming that patients and families did not need information about regularly prescribed medications. Patients and families were informed about new medications after health professionals had already made decisions to prescribe these medications. Health professionals tended to work in disciplinary silos, and they had views about their role in interacting with patients and families. Patients and families were expected to take the initiative to participate in decision-making about medication changes.

CONCLUSIONS

Patient movements across transitions of care can create complex and chaotic medication management situations, which lacks transparency, especially for older patients and their families. A greater focus on pre-emptive and planned discussions about medication changes will contribute to improving patient and family involvement in medication decision-making.

Near-1: the evaluation of usability and task load demand of a motorized lifter for patient transfer

PURPOSE

Despite the proven benefits of motorized lifting devices in reducing the physical stresses experienced by nurses during patient transfers, the low adoption of these devices remains limited. The study aimed to assess the perceptions of nurses regarding the new motorized lifting device (NEAR-1) in terms of their perceived workload and usability during patient transfers.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

A cross-sectional study was conducted to evaluate the perceptions of nurses (n = 45) and students (n = 6) when performing patient transfers from bed to wheelchair and vice versa using the NEAR-1 compared to an existing floor lift, walking belt, and manual transfer. Participants filled out surveys evaluating the perceived task demands and usability of the NEAR-1, as well as open-ended interviews.

RESULTS

The use of the NEAR-1 significantly reduced the mean of all NASA-TLX constructs (p < 0.001) when compared to manual transfer. When comparing with other existing lifting devices, the NEAR-1 (24.4 ± 3.0) recorded the lowest overall score of NASA-TLX perceived workload, followed by the existing floor lift (26.1 ± 11.6), a robotic-assisted transfer device (28.3 ± 6.8) and mechanical floor lift (31.5 ± 9.3). The participants recorded a usability score of 76.86, indicating positive perceptions of the nurses towards the technology.

CONCLUSIONS

Overall, the NEAR-1 has the potential to reduce the physical stresses on nurses and decrease the likelihood of work-related musculoskeletal disorders (WMSDs). The NEAR-1 may represent a promising new intervention for transferring patients that is capable of minimizing the nurses' perceived workload in clinical and non-clinical settings.

Supporting rural families during interhospital patient transfers for critical illness events: An exploration of an acceptable communication process

Critically ill patients in rural areas at times require an interhospital transfer from their local hospital to an urban tertiary care centre for advanced critical care services not available locally. Family members have described this transfer window as a communication blackout and one of the most stressful times of their relative's critical illness event.

OBJECTIVE

To explore what communication process would be most acceptable between family members and transfer team members (consisting of critical care nurses, paramedics, and physicians) during interhospital transfers of critically ill patients.

RESEARCH METHODOLOGY

Using a qualitative descriptive approach of critical thematic analysis, data were collected in September and November 2022, from focus groups of five family members and four transfer team members who experienced this phenomenon.

SETTING

Rural Canada where speciality services such as interventional cardiology and neurosurgery are unavailable, and a tertiary care hospital is more than 160 km away.

FINDINGS

Within themes of unequal power relations and status-based hierarchies, family members described how communication during interhospital transfers supports connection and coping, challenges experienced in accessing information, an overwhelming unknown, and practical challenges of the transfer. Transfer team members described a context of power relations and status-based hierarchies in which themes of transfer team burden, role confusion or connection, protection and management of family members, and complexities of information sharing during interhospital transfers were identified.

CONCLUSION

In critical illness, communication linkages are created between healthcare providers and family members but are broken during an interhospital transfer resulting in increased stress for family members. Acceptable communication elements described by transfer team members and family members may maintain these linkages during the transfer window.

IMPLICATIONS FOR CLINICAL PRACTICE

These findings provide the foundation for critical care nurses and their professional colleagues to take family care to the next level with an explicit communication strategy during interhospital transfers.

Outcomes of medically retrieved infants with bronchiolitis in high-income countries: A scoping review

INTRODUCTION

Bronchiolitis is the most common respiratory infection and reason for hospitalisation in infancy; however, outcomes of infants with bronchiolitis who require interhospital transfer by specialist medical retrieval services are poorly understood.

OBJECTIVES

The objective of this study was to summarise current evidence of the rate, therapy, and outcomes of infants with bronchiolitis who required medical retrieval for ongoing management.

REVIEW METHOD

A scoping literature review informed by the Joanna Briggs Institute methodology was used including published studies in any language covering the period 1996 to December 2022 and grey literature sources comprised of reports from retrieval services in high-income countries with comparable healthcare systems.

DATA SOURCES

Medline, CINAHL, and the Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews electronic databases were the sources for published studies. Grey literature sources were retrieval service web pages/social media sites from Australia, Canada, New Zealand, the United Kingdom, and the United States of America.

RESULTS

Searching identified 12 677 records, with 12 069 ineligible records and 286 duplicates excluded at screening. Of the 72 papers included for title and abstract review, 16 were selected for full-text review. Six papers fulfilled inclusion criteria. Infants with bronchiolitis were the primary focus of three studies. Transfer rate was reported in four studies, ranging from 4.3% to 18.5%. Use of respiratory therapy was variably reported and was associated with prematurity. Outcomes following retrieval such as respiratory therapies, days on therapies, length of stay in the intensive care unit, and hospital length of stay were only reported in two studies. Of 103 identified medical retrieval services and data registries, no reports were found that included information on the number of transfers or outcomes for infants with bronchiolitis.

CONCLUSIONS

Up to one in five infants with bronchiolitis require medical retrieval. Only two published studies and no reports reported on the number and outcomes of infants. Given the frequency and severity of bronchiolitis, understanding indications for medical retrieval and outcomes of those infants may help to better target care and interventions for this common illness. Benefits could include diminishing the costly burden to families and the healthcare system of avoidable medical retrieval and interhospital transfer.

Navigating Transitions in Oncology Care: From Emergency Department to Outpatient Clinic

OBJECTIVE

This quality improvement project was a collaborative effort with Penn Medicine's emergency department (ED) and oncology nurse navigators (ONNs). The goal of the project was to streamline patient transitions from the ED to the outpatient oncology clinic by developing a standardized referral process. The main objectives were to simplify and automate the referral process using the electronic medical record, improve multidisciplinary communication across the care continuum, ensure timely follow-up, and address barriers to oncology care.

METHODS

The ED providers placed a consult to ONNs. The ONNs reached out to the patient within 48 hours of the consult. They maintained a database of patient referrals and collected information such as patient demographics, reason for referral, insurance, and patient outcomes.

RESULTS

The ED providers referred 204 patients to the ONNs from April 2022 to September 2023. The development of a standardized referral process from the ED to the outpatient oncology clinic proved successful. Of the patients referred, the ONNs facilitated 98 cancer diagnoses and 80 of those patients are receiving oncology care at Penn Medicine. The median time to the patient's first appointments was seven days, diagnosis was 15 days, and treatment initiation occurred within 32 days.

CONCLUSION

The project team achieved their goal of facilitating timely access to oncology care, ensuring continuity, and addressing patient-specific barriers.

IMPLICATIONS FOR NURSING PRACTICE

This quality improvement initiative highlights the ONNs' role in enhancing access and equity in cancer care delivery. The success of the project underscores the ONN's expertise and leadership in addressing healthcare disparities in oncology care. Collaboratively, the teams created a new referral workflow improving care transitions from the ED to the outpatient oncology clinic. The project sets a precedent for optimizing patient care transitions, demonstrating the positive impact of ONNs as key members of the multidisciplinary healthcare team.

Unit-to-unit transfer due to shortage of intensive care beds in Sweden 2015-2019 was associated with a lower risk of death but a longer intensive care stay compared to no transfer: a registry study

BACKGROUND

Intensive care unit-to-unit transfer due to temporary shortage of beds is increasing in Sweden. Transportation induces practical hazards, and the change of health care provider may prolong the length of stay in intensive care. We previously showed that the risk of death at 90 days did not differ between patients transferred due to a shortage of beds and non-transferred patients with a similar burden of illness in a tertiary intensive care unit. The aim of this study was to widen the analysis to a nation-wide cohort of critically ill patients transferred to another intensive care unit in Sweden due to shortage of intensive care beds.

METHODS

Retrospective comparison between capacity transferred and non-transferred patients, based on data from the Swedish Intensive Care Registry during a 5-year period before the COVID-19 pandemic. Patients with insufficient data entries or a recurring capacity transfer within 90 days were excluded. To assess the association between capacity transfer and death as well as intensive care stay within 90 days after ICU admission, logistic regression models with step-wise adjustment for SAPS3 score, primary ICD-10 ICU diagnosis and the number of days in the intensive care unit before transfer were applied.

RESULTS

From 161,140 eligible intensive care admissions, 2912 capacity transfers were compared to 135,641 discharges or deaths in the intensive care unit. Ninety days after ICU admission, 28% of transferred and 21% of non-transferred patients were deceased. In the fully adjusted model, capacity transfer was associated with a lower risk of death within 90 days than no transfer; OR (95% CI) 0.71 (0.65-0.69) and the number of days spent in intensive care was longer: 12.4 [95% CI 12.2-12.5] vs 3.3 [3.3-3.3].

CONCLUSIONS

Intensive care unit-to-unit transfer due to shortage of bed capacity as compared to no transfer during a 5-year period preceding the COVID-19 pandemic in Sweden was associated with lower risk of death within 90 days but with longer stay in intensive care.

The Role of Integrated Air Transport System in Managing Abdominal Aortic Aneurysm Rupture Patients

OBJECTIVE

Ruptured abdominal aortic aneurysms (rAAAs) are highly morbid emergencies. Not all hospitals are equipped to repair them, and an air ambulance network may aid in regionalising speciality care to quaternary referral centres. The association of travel distance by air ambulance on rAAA mortality in patients transferred emergently for repair was examined.

METHODS

A retrospective review of institutional data. Adults with rAAA (2002 - 2019) transferred from an outside hospital (OSH) to a single quaternary referral centre for repair via air ambulance were identified. Patients who arrived via ground transport or post-repair at OSH for continued critical care were excluded. Patients were divided into "near" and "far" groups based on the 75th percentile of straight line travel distance (> 72 miles) between hospitals. The primary outcome was 30 day mortality. Multivariate logistic regression was used to assess the association of distance with mortality after adjusting for age, sex, race, cardiovascular comorbidities, and repair type.

RESULTS

A total of 290 patients with rAAA were transported a median distance of 40.4 miles (interquartile range 25.5, 72.7) with 215 (74.1%) near and 75 (25.9%) far patients. Both near and far groups had similar ages, sex, and race. There was no difference in pre-operative loss of consciousness, intubation, or cardiac arrest between groups. Endovascular aneurysm repair utilisation and intra-operative aortic occlusion balloon usage were also similar. Both observed (26.8% vs. 23.9%, p = .61) and adjusted odd ratio (0.70, 95% confidence interval 0.36 - 1.39, p = .32) 30 day mortality did not differ significantly between near and far groups.

CONCLUSION

Increasing distance travelled during transfer by air ambulance was not associated with worse outcomes in patients with rAAA. The findings support the regionalisation of rAAA repair to large quaternary centres via an integrated and robust air ambulance network.

Efficacy of transfer form implementation for adult burn patients between institutions to the Israeli National Burn Center

Burns are serious injuries associated with significant morbidity and mortality. In Israel, burn patients are often transferred between facilities. However, unstructured and non-standardized transfer processes can compromise the quality of patient care and outcomes. In this retrospective study, we assessed the impact of implementing a transfer form for burn management, comparing two populations: those transferred before and after the transfer form implementation. This study included 47 adult patients; 21 were transferred before and 26 after implementing the transfer form. We observed a statistically significant improvement in reporting rates of crucial information obtained by Emergency Room clinicians and inpatient management indicators. Introducing a standardized transfer form for burn patients resulted in improved communication and enhanced primary management, transfer processes, and emergency room preparation. The burns transfer form facilitated accurate and comprehensive information exchange between clinicians, potentially improving patient outcomes. These findings highlight the importance of structured transfer processes in burn patient care and emphasize the benefits of implementing a transfer form to streamline communication and optimize burn management during transfers to specialized burn centers.

Intervention for a correct medication list and medication use in older adults: a non-randomised feasibility study among inpatients and residents during care transitions

BACKGROUND

Medication discrepancies in care transitions and medication non-adherence are problematic. Few interventions consider the entire process, from the hospital to the patient's medication use at home.

AIM

In preparation for randomised controlled trials (RCTs), this study aimed (1) to investigate the feasibility of recruitment and retention of patients, and data collection to reduce medication discrepancies at discharge and improve medication adherence, and (2) to explore the outcomes of the interventions.

METHOD

Participants were recruited from a hospital and a residential area. Hospital patients participated in a pharmacist-led intervention to establish a correct medication list upon discharge and a follow-up interview two weeks post-discharge. All participants received a person-centred adherence intervention for three to six months. Discrepancies in the medication lists, the Beliefs about Medicines Questionnaire (BMQ-S), and the Medication Adherence Report Scale (MARS-5) were assessed.

RESULTS

Of 87 asked to participate, 35 were included, and 12 completed the study. Identifying discrepancies, discussing discrepancies with physicians, and performing follow-up interviews were possible. Conducting the adherence intervention was also possible using individual health plans for medication use. Among the seven hospital patients, 24 discrepancies were found. Discharging physicians agreed that all discrepancies were errors, but only ten were corrected in the discharge information. Ten participants decreased their total BMQ-S concern scores, and seven increased their total MARS-5 scores.

CONCLUSION

Based on this study, conducting the two RCTs separately may increase the inclusion rate. Data collection was feasible. Both interventions were feasible in many aspects but need to be optimised in upcoming RCTs.

Development of a complex intervention to prevent delirium in older hospitalized patients by optimizing discharge and transfer processes and involving caregivers: A multi-method study

BACKGROUND

Delirium is a common yet challenging condition in older hospitalized patients, associated with various adverse outcomes. Environmental factors, such as room changes, may contribute to the development or severity of delirium. Most previous research has focused on preventing and reducing this condition by addressing risk factors and facilitating reorientation during hospital stay.

OBJECTIVE

We aimed to systematically develop a complex intervention to prevent delirium in older hospitalized patients by optimizing discharge and transfer processes and involving caregivers during and after these procedures. The intervention combines stakeholder and expert opinions, evidence, and theory. This article provides guidance and inspiration to research groups in developing complex interventions according to the recommendations in the Medical Research Council framework for complex interventions.

DESIGN AND METHODS

A stepwise multi-method study was conducted. The preparation phase included analysis of the context and current practice via focus groups. Based on these results, an expert workshop was organized, followed by a Delphi survey. Finally, the intervention was modeled and a program theory was developed, including a logic model.

RESULTS

A complex intervention was developed in an iterative process, involving healthcare professionals, delirium experts, researchers, as well as caregiver and patient representatives. The key intervention component is an 8-point-program, which provides caregivers with recommendations for preventing delirium during the transition phase and in the post-discharge period. Information materials (flyers, handbook, videos, posters, defined "Dos and Don'ts", discharge checklist), training for healthcare professionals, and status analyses are used as implementation strategies. In addition, roles were established for gatekeepers to act as leaders, and champions to serve as knowledge multipliers and trainers for the multi-professional team in the hospitals.

CONCLUSIONS

This study serves as an example of how to develop a complex intervention. In an additional step, the intervention and implementation strategies will be investigated for feasibility and acceptability in a pilot study with an accompanying process evaluation.

TWEETABLE ABSTRACT

Delirium prevention can benefit from optimizing discharge and transfer processes and involving caregivers of older patients in these procedures.

STUDY REGISTRATION

DRKS00017828, German Register of Clinical Studies, date of registration 17.09.2019.

Analysis of health inequities in transfers of admitted patients from an academic emergency department to partner community hospital

BACKGROUND

Many academic medical centers (AMC) transfer patients who require admission but not tertiary care to partner community hospitals from their emergency departments (ED). These transfers alleviate ED boarding but may worsen existing healthcare disparities. We assessed whether disparities exist in the transfer of patients from one AMC ED to a community hospital General Medical Service.

METHODS

We performed a retrospective cohort study on all patients screened for transfer between April 1 and December 31, 2021. During the screening process, the treating ED physician determines whether the patient meets standardized clinical criteria and a patient coordinator requests patient consent. We collected patient demographics data from the electronic health record and performed logistic regression at each stage of the transfer process to analyze how individual characteristics impact the odds of proceeding with transfer.

RESULTS

5558 patients were screened and 596 (11%) ultimately transferred. 1999 (36%) patients were Black or Hispanic, 698 (12%) had a preferred language other than English, and 956 (17%) were on Medicaid or uninsured. A greater proportion of Black and Hispanic patients were deemed eligible for interhospital transfer compared to White patients and a greater proportion of Hispanic patients completed transfer to the community hospital (p < 0.017 after Bonferroni correction). After accounting for other demographic variables, patients older than 50 (OR 1.21, 95% CI 1.04-1.40), with a preferred language other than English (OR 1.27, 95% CI 1.00-1.62), and from a priority neighborhood (OR 1.38, 95% CI 1.18-1.61) were more likely to be eligible for transfer, while patients who were male (OR 1.50, 95% CI 1.10-2.05) and younger than 50 (OR 1.85, 95% CI 1.20-2.78) were more likely to consent to transfer (p < 0.05).

CONCLUSION

Health disparities exist in the screening process for our interfacility transfer program. Further investigation into why these disparities exist and mitigation strategies should be undertaken.

Assessment of inter-rater reliability of screening tools to identify patients at risk of medication-related problems across the emergency department continuum of care

BACKGROUND

Following a national multicentre study, two emergency department (ED) screening tools were developed to determine risk of medication-related problems; one for use at ED presentation and another at ED discharge to the community. This study aimed to determine the inter-rater reliability amongst ED health professionals when applying these screening tools to a series of case scenarios.

METHODS

A prospective, cross-sectional study was undertaken in the ED of a major metropolitan hospital. Twelve case scenarios were developed following ED observation of a range of patients, which were incorporated into a questionnaire and distributed to 50 health professionals. Inter-rater reliabilities of each explanatory variable of the screening tools and overall assessment were calculated using Fleiss' multi-rater kappa.

RESULTS

The questionnaire was completed by 15 doctors, 19 nurses and 16 pharmacists. Fleiss' kappa showed an overall inter-rater reliability for the ED presentation tool of 0.83 (95% CI 0.83-0.84), indicating near perfect agreement. Fleiss' kappa for the ED discharge tool was 0.83 (95% CI 0.83-0.85), which also showed near perfect agreement.

CONCLUSIONS

The screening tools produced favourable inter-rater reliability amongst ED health professionals. These results have important implications for ensuring consistency of ED decision-making in screening patients at risk of developing medication-related problems.

Multicentre study of medication reconciliation in paediatric onco-hematology

OBJECTIVE

To determine the prevalence of reconciliation errors (RE) on admission to hospital in the paediatric onco-haematological population in order to check whether they are similarly susceptible to these RE as adults and to describe the characteristics of the patients who suffer them.

METHODS

A 12-month prospective, multicentre study of medication reconciliation on admission in the paediatric onco-haematological population to assess the incidence of RE and describe the characteristics of the patients in whom they occur.

RESULTS

Medication reconciliation was performed in 157 patients. At least 1 medication discrepancy was detected in 96 patients. Of the discrepancies detected, 52.1% were justified by the patient's new clinical situation or by the physician, while 48.9% were determined to be RE. The most frequent type of RE was the "omission of a medication", followed by "a different dose, frequency or route of administration". A total of 77 pharmaceutical interventions were carried out, 94.2% of which were accepted. In the group of patients with a number equal to or greater than 4 drugs in home treatment, there was a 2.1-fold increase in the probability of suffering a RE.

CONCLUSIONS

In order to avoid or reduce errors in one of the critical safety points such as transitions of care, there are measures such as medication reconciliation. In the case of complex chronic paediatric patients, such as onco-haematological patients, the number of drugs as part of home treatment is the variable that has been associated with the presence of medication RE on admission to hospital, with the omission of some medication being the main cause of these errors.

[Translated article] Medication reconciliation in pediatric hemato-oncologic patients: A multicenter study

OBJECTIVE

To determine the prevalence of reconciliation errors on admission to hospital in the pediatric onco-hematological population in order to check whether they are similarly susceptible to these reconciliation errors as adults and to describe the characteristics of the patients who suffer them.

METHODS

A 12-month prospective, multicentre study of medication reconciliation on admission in the pediatric onco-hematological population to assess the incidence of reconciliation errors and to describe the characteristics of the patients.

RESULTS

Medication reconciliation was performed in 157 patients. At least a medication discrepancy was detected in 96 patients. Of the discrepancies detected, 52.1% were related to patient's new clinical situation or by the physician, while 48.9% were determined to be reconciliation errors. The most frequent type of reconciliation error was the "omission of a medication", followed by "a different dose, frequency or route of administration". A total of 77 pharmaceutical interventions were carried out, 94.2% of which were accepted. In the group of patients with a number equal to or greater than 4 drugs in home treatment, there was a 2.1-fold increase in the probability of suffering a reconciliation error.

CONCLUSIONS

In order to avoid or reduce errors in one of the critical safety points such as transitions of care, there are measures such as medication reconciliation. In the case of complex chronic pediatric patients, such as onco-hematological patients, the number of drugs as part of home treatment is the variable that has been associated with the presence of medication reconciliation errors on admission to hospital, and the omission of some medication was the main cause of these errors.

Intra-hospital transfer anxiety of patients in the neurosurgery intensive care unit: A prospective cohort study

BACKGROUND

Transferring a patient from the intensive care unit to different locations within the hospital can cause transfer anxiety. Transfer anxiety is an important factor that adversely affects various physiological and psychological parameters.

OBJECTIVE

The aim of the study is to evaluate the intra-hospital transfer anxiety of patients in a neurosurgery intensive care unit and factors affecting it.

METHODS

This prospective cohort study was conducted between November 2021 and June 2022 in a neurosurgery intensive care unit in Istanbul. A total of 171 adult patients who stayed in the intensive care unit for at least 24 h, with a Glasgow Coma Scale score of 14 and above and who had undergone their first intra-hospital transfer were included. Patients' vital signs were recorded, and their anxiety levels were assessed using the State-Trait Anxiety Inventory.

RESULTS

The mean age of the patients was 53.16 ± 15.51 years and 56.72% were women, 75.43% of transfers were performed during the day and 64.32% of patients were transferred to an in-patient ward. Factors affecting transfer anxiety were gender, employment status, timing, and purpose of transfer (p < 0.05). Blood pressures and heart rates tended to increase during transfer and decrease again after transfer, while oxygen saturation decreased during transfer (p = 0.035) and increased again after transfer (p < 0.001). State anxiety levels were moderate before transfer and decreased to mild level after transfer (p < 0.001).

CONCLUSIONS

The transfer process increased anxiety and caused changes in the vital signs of intensive care patients. Individual and transfer-related factors may influence transfer anxiety. Patients should be monitored for transfer anxiety and nursing interventions to reduce anxiety should be planned.

IMPLICATIONS FOR CLINICAL PRACTICE

The patients' demographics and transfer details can influence transfer anxiety. Transfer anxiety can affect both subjective parameters and objective measures such as vital signs. Patients at risk of transfer anxiety should be identified before transfers so that nursing interventions to reduce anxiety can therefore be planned.

Quality of care during rural care transitions: a qualitative study on structural conditions

BACKGROUND

Registered nurses are critical for the delivery of high-quality healthcare during care transitions from hospital to home. Older co-morbid patients are most vulnerable during these transitions. A growing population of older adults with a higher prevalence of diseases implies increased demands on healthcare and its quality, which is affected by the environment where healthcare is provided. One can draw inferences on the quality of care when classified into structure, process, and outcome. This study explored registered nurses' perspectives on structural conditions that promote or hinder good quality care during transitions from hospital to home healthcare in rural areas.

METHODS

We conducted a reflexive thematic analysis of interviews with 21 registered nurses experienced in care transitions from hospital to home healthcare in a rural area of Sweden. We based the theoretically driven analysis on Donabedian's definition of structures regarding the quality of care.

RESULTS

The structural conditions were represented by three themes; (I) "Distances and inaccessibility" explains physical matters such as geographical (in)accessibility, bed (un)availability and electronic aids. (II) "Competence of the actors" explains continuity, knowledge and collaboration among the individuals involved. (III) "Levels of organizational governance" explains laws, expectations, values, and agreements regarding care transitions. All themes involved promoting and hindering factors, mutually influencing aspects of the others.

CONCLUSIONS

Care actors, educators, managers, and decision-makers need to understand how structures in the physical, social and symbolic environment interactively affect the quality of care during care transitions since understanding this is a prerequisite for improvements. These aspects must be considered to optimize conditions for high-quality care transitions from hospital to rural home healthcare and implemented continuously to improve transitions within the respective organization and inter-organizationally. According to this study, these aspects are critical in a rural context due to structural care quality influencers such as geographical challenges, difficulties in finding competent staff members, development of technical devices, and access to the Internet.

Characterizing the process of urgent referrals and transfers to a large tertiary care apheresis centre in Ontario: A retrospective database review

BACKGROUND

Therapeutic plasma exchange (TPE) and red blood cell exchange (RBCX) are life-saving apheresis procedures offered in 7 Ontario hospitals. Most referrals are directed by CritiCall Ontario (CritiCall), a 24/7 service funded by the Ontario Ministry of Health and Long-Term Care. We used CritiCall data to examine referral requests, acceptances, and transfers for urgent apheresis to our centre.

METHODS

Retrospective CritiCall referral and transfer data for urgent apheresis between October 2013 and December 2018 were included. Continuous variables were analyzed by linear regression. Categorical variables were analyzed using nonparametric tests.

RESULTS

Eighty-five cases (52 TPE, 33 RBCX) were identified. Median patient age was 52 years (interquartile range [IQR] 32) for TPE, 29 years (IQR 18) for RBCX. Most patients (58%) were female. Total time from referral to arrival at our centre was 243 (IQR 166) minutes. The greatest proportion of this total was from patient acceptance to arrival (169 [IQR 112] minutes). Median distance between referring and accepting centres was 39 (IQR 30) kilometres, with ground transportation used most often. Multiple linear regression examining factors that contribute to total time demonstrated that the number of physicians contacted prior to patient acceptance and inter-hospital distance were independently associated (p = 0.007 and p = 0.048, respectively).

INTERPRETATION

Addressing modifiable factors to reduce time is important given that time to initiate treatment is associated with better outcomes. Quality improvement strategies should be aimed at coordinated provincial resource sharing, pairing referrals with nearest available apheresis centres, and creating efficiency in the interval between patient acceptance and arrival.

In patients with suspected immune TTP, admission source impacts hospital length of stay and time to therapeutic plasma exchange impacts clinical outcomes

INTRODUCTION

When immune thrombotic thrombocytopenic purpura (TTP) is suspected, outcomes are impacted by time to therapeutic plasma exchange (TPE). We evaluated the impact of time to TPE on outcomes in suspected TTP cases admitted through the Emergency Department (ED) vs. transferred from another facility (Transfer).

MATERIALS AND METHODS

In a retrospective analysis of the National Inpatient Sample, we examined the association between TTP outcomes and admission source (ED vs. Transfer) for the primary outcome of time to TPE. A second stratified analyses within each analytic group examined the association of time to TPE (<1 day, 1 day, 2 days, and >2 days) and outcomes for the composite outcome of mortality, major bleeding and thrombosis.

RESULTS

Of 1195 cases, 793 (66 %) were admitted through the ED and 402 (34 %) were transferred. Compared to ED cases, Transfers had a longer hospital length of stay (14.69 vs. 16.65 days, p = 0.0060). For ED cases, TPE after >2 days was associated with higher odds of the composite outcome (OR = 1.68 95 % CI: 1.11-2.54; p = 0.0150) and mortality (OR = 3.01 95 % CI: 1.38-6.57; p = 0.0056). For Transfers, TPE on day 2 was associated with higher odds of the composite outcome (OR = 3.00 95 % CI: 1.31-6.89; p = 0.0096) and mortality (OR = 4.95 95 % CI: 1.12-21.88; p = 0.0350).

CONCLUSIONS

In suspected TTP admitted through the ED or transferred, there was no significant difference in time to TPE. A longer time to TPE was associated with worse outcomes. Future studies should evaluate strategies to decrease initial time to TPE.

The differences between normal and obese patient handling: re- structural analysis of two questionnaires

BACKGROUND

Precise causes of musculoskeletal complaints among nurses are not known well, but many studies have pointed to manual patient handling tasks. Subjective judgment and decision-making process for patient lifting is crucial for gathering data regards patient handling. The aim of this study was to consider reliability and validity and re-structure of two special tools for patient handling's tasks.

METHODS

In this cross- sectional study 249 nurses were fully participated. As recommended by literature for cultural adaptation of instruments, forward/backward translation method was applied. Reliability of the translated version was assessed by Cronbach's alpha coefficient. Validity testing for the two scales was based on content validity index/ratio analysis and also Exploratory Factor Analysis was run to extract latent factors.

RESULTS

Reliability estimated by internal consistency reached a Cronbach's Alpha of above 0.7 for all subscales of two questionnaires. After testing the validity, the final version of questionnaires was remained by 14 and 15 questions respectively.

CONCLUSIONS

These instruments evaluated for manual handling of normal and obese patients had acceptable validity and reliability in Iranian Nursing context. So, these tools can be used in further studies with the same cultures.

Nurse-to-family telehealth for pediatric transfers: protocol for a feasibility and pilot cluster randomized controlled trial

BACKGROUND

Children presenting to emergency departments of community hospitals may require transfer to a children's hospital for more definitive care, but the transfer process can be distressing and burdensome to patients, families, and the healthcare system. Using telehealth to bring the children's hospital nurse virtually to the bedside of the child in the emergency department has the potential to promote family-centered care and minimize triage issues and other transfer-associated burdens. To explore the feasibility of the nurse-to-family telehealth intervention, we are conducting a pilot study.

METHODS

This parallel cluster randomized controlled feasibility and pilot trial will randomize six community emergency departments to use either nurse-to-family telehealth (intervention) or usual care (control) for pediatric inter-facility transfers. All eligible children presenting to a participating site during the study period who require inter-facility transfer will be included. Eligibility requires that there be an English-speaking adult parent or guardian at the emergency department bedside. We will examine feasibility objectives that assess protocol assignment adherence, fidelity, and survey response rates. We will measure subject-level exploratory outcome data to test feasibility of data collection and to obtain effect size estimates; exploratory outcomes include family-centered care, family experience, parent acute stress, parent distress, and change in level of care. Additionally, we will conduct a mixed methods implementation evaluation using the RE-AIM (Reach, Effectiveness, Adoption, Implementation, Maintenance) framework.

DISCUSSION

The findings from this trial will increase our understanding about nurse-to-family telehealth during pediatric transfers. The mixed methods implementation evaluation will provide relevant insight about the contextual factors that influence the implementation and rigorous evaluation of our intervention.

TRIAL REGISTRATION

ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier: NCT05593900. First Posted: October 26, 2022. Last Update Posted: December 5, 2022.

Inter-Hospital Transfer of Patients With Ruptured Abdominal Aortic Aneurysm in Switzerland

OBJECTIVE

To analyse the association between inter-hospital transfer and hospital mortality in patients with ruptured abdominal aortic aneurysms (rAAA) in Switzerland.

METHODS

Secondary data analysis of case related hospital discharge data from the Swiss Federal Statistical Office for the years 2009 - 2018. All cases with rAAA as primary or secondary diagnosis were included. Cases with rAAA as a secondary diagnosis without surgical treatment and cases that had been transferred to another hospital without surgical treatment at the referring hospital were excluded. Logistic regression models for hospital mortality were constructed with age, sex, type of admission, van Walraven comorbidity score, type of treatment, insurance class, hospital level, and year of treatment as independent variables.

RESULTS

A total of 1 798 cases with rAAA were treated either surgically (62.5%) or palliatively (37.5%) in Switzerland from 1 January 2009 to 31 December 2018. Of these cases, 72.9% were treated directly (surgically or palliatively) at the hospital of first presentation, whereas 27.1% of all cases with rAAA were transferred between hospitals. The overall crude hospital mortality was 50.3%; being 23.1% in the surgically treated cohort and 95.7% in the palliatively treated cohort. Inter-hospital transfer was associated with better survival compared with patients who were admitted directly (OR 0.52; 95% CI 0.36 - 0.75; p < .001). Treatment in major hospitals was associated with significantly higher mortality rate compared with university hospitals (OR 1.98; 1.41 - 2.79; p < .001). There was no evidence of an association between open repair and hospital mortality (OR 1.06; 0.77 - 1.48; p = .72) compared with endovascular repair.

CONCLUSION

In a healthcare system such as Switzerland's with a highly specialised rescue chain, transfer of haemodynamically stable patients with rAAA is probably safe. In this setting, centralised medical care might outweigh the potential disadvantages of a short delay due to patient transfer. Further studies are needed to address potential confounding factors such as haemodynamic and anatomical features.

Shift change handovers between nurses in Critical Care Units

AIM

To know the characteristics of the handover performed by nurses working in Critical Care Units in Spain.

METHODS

Descriptive and cross-sectional study, whose population was nurses working in Critical Care Units in Spain. An ad hoc questionnaire was used to explore the characteristics of the process, the training received, the information forgotten and the influence of this activity on patient care. The questionnaire was online and dissemination was done through social networks. The sample was selected by convenience. A descriptive analysis was performed according to the nature of the variables and comparison of groups through ANOVA with R software version 4.0.3 (R Project for Statistical Computing).

RESULTS

The sample was 420 nurses. Most of them answered that (79,5%) perform this activity in an individual way, from outgoing nurse to incoming nurse. Location varied according to the size of the unit (p<0,05). Interdisciplinary handover was rare (p<0.05). In the last month, with regard to the time of data collection, 29,5% had to contact the unit due to forgetting relevant information, using WhatsApp as the first channel to transmit this information.

CONCLUSIONS

There is a lack of standardization in the handoff between shifts, in terms of the physical space where it is done, tools to structure the information, participation of other professionals and the use of unofficial communication channels to contact for omitted information during the handover. Shift change was identified as a vital process to ensure continuity of care and patient safety, so further researchs are important for patients handoffs.

The decision-making process of transferring patients home to die from an intensive care unit in mainland China: A qualitative study of family members' experiences

OBJECTIVES

To map the decision-making process of family members involved in transferring a critically ill patient home to die from an intensive care unit in mainland China and to explore the experiences of those family members.

DESIGN

A constructivist qualitative study.

SETTING

One hospitals intensive care unit in Southeast China.

METHODS

Thirteen adult family members (of ten patients) who participated in decision-making related to transferring a relative home to die from the intensive care unit were purposively selected. Data were collected via interviews and analysed applying thematic analysis.

FINDINGS

A two-stage decision-making process was identified. Family decision-making was mediated by factors including: accepting the impending death and hope that the patient would not die; time pressures in which decisions had to be made, and the challenges of meeting cultural expectations of a home death. Transfer home was a family-centred decision constrained by a gender-based hierarchy restricting the involvement of different family members.

CONCLUSION

The stages and key factors in the decision-making process of family members when involved in transferring a patient home to die from an intensive care unit in China are rooted and informed by cultural expectations and limits in the current healthcare system regarding end-of-life care options. Understanding the climate in which family members must make decisions will facilitate supportive interventions to be implemented by healthcare professionals. Further empirical research is needed to explore family members' needs when the patient has been transferred and dies at home in mainland China.

IMPLICATIONS FOR CLINICAL PRACTICE

Healthcare professionals need to understand the challenges family members face when deciding to transfer a relative home to die from an intensive care unit. For example time pressures can limit the choices of family members so that to provide them with timely, ongoing, realistic updates for a greater involvement of family members in generating end of life care plans could be beneficial.¹.

A qualitative study exploring hospital-based team dynamics in discharge planning for patients experiencing delayed care transitions in Ontario, Canada

BACKGROUND

In attempt to improve continuity of patient care and reduce length of stay, hospitals have placed an increased focus on reducing delayed discharges through discharge planning. Several benefits and challenges to team-based approaches for discharge planning have been identified. Despite this, professional hierarchies and power dynamics are common challenges experienced by healthcare providers who are trying to work as a team when dealing with delayed discharges. The objective of this study was to explore what was working well with formal care team-based discharge processes, as well as challenges experienced, in order to outline how teams can function to better support transitions for patients experiencing a delayed discharge.  METHODS: We conducted a descriptive qualitative study with hospital-based healthcare providers, managers and organizational leaders who had experience with delayed discharges. Participants were recruited from two diverse health regions in Ontario, Canada. In-depth, semi-structured interviews were conducted in-person, by telephone or teleconference between December 2019 and October 2020. All interviews were recorded and transcribed. A codebook was developed by the research team and applied to all transcripts. Data were analyzed inductively, as well as deductively through directed content analysis.

RESULTS

We organized our findings into three main categories - (1) collaboration with physicians makes a difference; (2) leadership should meaningfully engage with frontline providers and (3) partnerships across sectors are critical. Regular physician engagement, as equal members of the team, was recommended to improve consistent communication, relationship building between providers, accessibility, and in-person communication. Participants highlighted the need for a dedicated senior leader who ensured members of the team were treated as equals and advocated for the team. Improved partnerships across sectors included the enhanced integration of community-based providers into discharge planning by placing more focus on collaborative practice, combined discharge planning meetings, and having embedded and physically accessible care coordinators in the hospital.

CONCLUSIONS

Team-based approaches for delayed discharge can offer benefits. However, to optimize how teams function in supporting these processes, it is important to consistently collaborate with physicians, ensure senior leadership engage with and seek feedback from frontline providers through co-design, and actively integrate the community sector in discharge planning.

The effect of patient transfer type to the operating room on surgical site infection: Concerns versus evidence

BACKGROUND

Concerns about surgical site infection (SSI) give rise to practices and procedures not evidence-based.

OBJECTIVES

This study investigates whether the type of patient transfer to operating rooms plays a role in developing surgical site infection.

METHODS

Three thousand four hundred and seventy-one patients were divided into two groups: transfer group with stretcher (ST) (n = 1699) and patient bed transfer group (PBT) (n = 1772). The data of the two groups and the SSI rates were comparatively analyzed.

RESULTS

The SSI rate was 2.5% (n = 43) in the ST group and 2.8% (n = 49) in the PBT group, and there was no statistically significant difference. Both types of patient transfer had similar effects on the probability of SSI development. The odds ratio was 1.095 for stretcher transfer while 0.913 for patient bed transfer.

CONCLUSION

Patients transfer to operating rooms on their beds are comfortable and safe. Furthermore, it has a similar effect to stretcher transfer on the probability of surgical site infection. Therefore, it is safer and cheaper to act based on evidence instead of trusting our concerns.

Level-loading a health system by transferring emergency department patients to a community hospital: Prospective cohort study

BACKGROUND

Emergency department boarding and crowding lead to worse patient outcomes and patient satisfaction.

OBJECTIVE

We describe the implementation of a program to transfer patients requiring medical admission from an academic emergency department to a community hospital's medical floor and analyze its effects on patient outcomes.

METHODS

A prospective cohort study was performed. Data was collected on patient flow through the transfer program. Patient characteristics, boarding time in the emergency department, and hospital-based outcome measures were compared between patients in the transfer program who were successfully transferred to the community hospital and patients who were admitted to the academic medical center.

RESULTS

79 patients were successfully transferred to the community hospital between November 23, 2020 and August 5, 2021, resulting in 279 bed days in the community hospital. Successfully transferred patients experienced a statistically shorter ED boarding time (5.7 vs. 10.9 h, p < 0.0001), ED length of stay (10.5 vs 16.1 h, p < 0.0001), and hospital length of stay (3.5 vs 5.7 days, p < 0.0001) compared to patients initially referred to the transfer program who were admitted to the academic medical center. There were no reported adverse events during transfer, upgrades to the ICU within 24 h of admission, or inpatient deaths for patients who were transferred.

CONCLUSION

We implemented an academic emergency department to partner community hospital transfer program that safely level-loads medical patients in a healthcare system.

Patient deaths during the period of prolonged stay in cases of delayed discharge for nonclinical reasons at a university hospital: a cross sectional study

Background

Delayed discharge for non-clinical reasons also affects patients in need of palliative care. Moreover, the number of people dying in hospitals has been increasing in recent years. Our aim was to describe characteristics of patients who died during prolonged stay, in comparison with the rest of patients with delayed discharge, in terms of length of hospital stay, patient characteristics and the context of care.

Methods

A descriptive cross-sectional study at a high complexity public hospital in Northern Spain (2007-2015) was conducted. To compare the differential characteristics of the groups of patients died during delayed discharge with the rest, Student's T test and Pearson's chi-square test (χ ²) were used.

Results

A total of 198 patients died (6.57% of the total), with a mean total stay of 27.45 days and a prolonged stay of 10.69 days. Mean age 77.27 years. These were highly complex cases, 77.79% resided in the urban area, were admitted urgently (95.45%), to internal medicine or oncology wards, and the most common diagnosis was pneumonia. In people with terminal illness, clinicians can better identify when therapeutic possibilities are exhausted and acute hospitalization is not an adequate resource for their needs. Living in an urban area with the availability of palliative care hospital beds is related to the decision to die in hospital.

Recommendations made by patients, caregivers, providers, and decision-makers to improve transitions in care for older adults with hip fracture: a qualitative study in Ontario, Canada

Background

Older adults frequently experience fall-related injuries, including hip fractures. Following a hip fracture, patients receive care across a number of settings and from multiple different providers. Transitions between providers and across settings have been noted as a vulnerable time, with potentially negative impacts. Currently, there is limited research on how to improve experiences with transitions in care following a hip fracture for older adults from the perspectives of those with lived experienced. The purpose of this study was to explore service recommendations made by patients, caregivers, healthcare providers, and decision-makers for improving transitions in care for older adults with hip fracture.

Methods

This descriptive qualitative study was part of a larger longitudinal qualitative multiple case study. Participants included older adults with hip fracture, caregivers supporting an individual with hip fracture, healthcare providers, and decision-makers. In-depth, semi-structured interviews were conducted with all participants, with patients and caregivers having the opportunity to participate in follow-up interviews as they transitioned out of hospital. All interviews were audio-recorded, transcribed verbatim, and analyzed thematically.

Results

A total of 47 participants took part in 65 interviews. We identified three main categories of recommendations: (1) hospital-based recommendations; (2) community-based recommendations; and (3) cross-sectoral based recommendations. Hospital-based recommendations focused on treating patients and families with respect, improving the consistency, frequency, and comprehensiveness of communication between hospital providers and between providers and families, and increasing staffing levels. Community-based recommendations included the early identification of at-risk individuals and providing preventative and educational programs. Cross-sectoral based recommendations were grounded in enhanced system navigation through communication and care navigators, particularly within primary and community care settings.

Conclusions

Our findings highlighted the central role primary care can play in providing targeted, integrated services for older adults with hip fracture. The recommendations outlined have the potential to improve experiences with care transitions for older adults with hip fracture, and thus, addressing and acting on them should be a priority.

A focus group interview with health professionals: establishing efficient transition care plan for older adult patients in Korea

Background

Although transition care planning can affect the functional status and quality of life after acute hospitalization in older adults, little is known on problems associated with discharge planning in acute care hospitals in Korea. We aimed to investigate barriers and possible solutions on transfer planning of complex older patients in this study.

Methods

We used focus group interviews with the application of framework analysis. Twelve physicians providing inpatient care from 6 different institutions in Korea participated in the interview. Facilitating questions were extracted from 2 roundtable meetings prior to the primary interview. From transcribed verbatim, themes were constructed from corresponding remarks by participants.

Results

We revealed two main domains of the barrier, which included multiple subdomains for each of them. The first domain was a patient factor barrier, a composite of misperception of medical providers’ intentions, incomprehension of the healthcare system, and communication failure between the caregivers or decision-makers. The second domain, institutional factors included different fee structures across the different levels of care, high barrier to accessing health service in tertiary hospitals or to be referred to, the hardship of communication between institutions, and insufficient subacute rehabilitation service across the country.

Conclusions

Through the interview, physicians in the field recognized barriers to a smooth transition care process from tertiary level hospitals to community care, especially for older adults. Participants emphasized both the patients and hospital sides of adjustment on behaviors, communication, and greater attention for the individuals during the transition period.

Understanding secondary overtriage for neurosurgical patients in a rural tertiary care setting

OBJECTIVE

Excessive interfacility transfer to a tertiary care facility of minimally injured patients for subspecialty evaluation leads to overuse of resources and is referred to as secondary overtriage (SO). Little is known regarding the epidemiology of SO in rural settings, particularly for patients with a mild head injury who may be safely managed without admission to level I trauma centers.

METHODS

In order to determine the rate of SO for neurosurgical patients with Glasgow Coma Scale (GCS) of 13-15 referred to a rural level 1 trauma center, we conducted a retrospective chart review of 224 patients evaluated for potential transfer to Dartmouth-Hitchcock Medical Center from January 1, 2014 through December 31, 2014. SO was defined as any admission where a patient was transferred from an outside facility, had a length of stay shorter than 48 h, did not require neurosurgical intervention, and was alive at the time of discharge.

RESULTS

Of the 224 patients evaluated, 163 patients were transferred. Of the 163 patients included in this study, 43 (26.4%) met criteria for SO, 59 (36.2%) patients met criteria for intervention, and 61 (37.2%) patients met criteria for observation.

CONCLUSIONS

Approximately a quarter of the total patients who are transferred to a rural level I trauma center for neurosurgical evaluation are minimally injured, do not require neurosurgical intervention, and are discharged within 48 h of presentation. Management at their referring facility with remote neurosurgical consultation is likely safe in this population. Understanding the rate of SO in neurosurgical patients and risk factors present in this group can better guide future transfer policies at rural medical centers.

Standardized Transfer Process for a Neurointensive Care Unit and Assessment of Patient Bounceback

Background

Patients who require readmission to an intensive care unit (ICU) after transfer to a lower level of care (“bounceback”) suffer from increased mortality and longer hospital stays. We aimed to create a multifaceted standardized transfer process for patients moving from the neurointensive care unit (neuro-ICU) to a lower level of care. We hypothesized that this process would lead to improvement in provider-rated safety and a decreased rate of bouncebacks to the neuro-ICU after transfer.

Methods

The study took place at the Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania from October 2018 to October 2020. A standardized five-step transfer process was created and implemented for transferring patients from the neuro-ICU to a lower level of care. Patient care providers completed a survey before and after implementation of the protocol to assess a variety of components related to safety concerns when transferring patients. The rate of bouncebacks pre and post intervention was calculated by using a two-sample Wilcoxon rank-sum test, and disposition at discharge was calculated by using Fisher’s exact test.

Results

Of the 1176 total patient transfers out of the neuro-ICU, 29 patients bounced back within 48 h. The average age of patients who bounced back was 63.3 years old, with a similar distribution among men and women. The most common reason for bounceback was respiratory distress, followed by cardiac arrhythmia, stroke, and sepsis. Implementation of the standardized process led to a decrease in provider-rated concern of overall safety (5 to 3, p = 0.008). There was improvement in transfer delays due to bed availability (3 to 4.5, p = 0.020), identification of high-risk patients (5 to 6, p = 0.021), patient assignment to the appropriate level of care (5 to 6, p = 0.019), and use of the electronic medical record handoff indicator (5 to 6, p = 0.003). There was no statistically significant difference in terms of patient bounceback rate after implementation of the process (2.4% vs. 2.5%, p = 1.00) or patient disposition at discharge (p = 0.553).

Conclusions

Patients who bounceback to the neuro-ICU within 48 h had an increased length of hospital stay, had an increased length of ICU stay, and were more likely to be intubated for more than 96 h. Implementation of a standardized five-step transfer process from the neuro-ICU to a lower level of care resulted in improvement in multiple provider-rated safety outcomes and identification of high-risk patients but led to no difference in the patient bounceback rate or patient disposition at discharge.

Supplementary Information

The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s12028-021-01385-z.

Assessment of requests for medication-related follow-up after hospital discharge, and the relation to unplanned hospital revisits, in older patients: a multicentre retrospective chart review

BACKGROUND

The discharge of older hospitalised patients is critical in terms of patient safety. Inadequate transfer of information about medications to the next healthcare provider is a known problem, but there is a lack of understanding of this problem in settings where shared electronic health records are used. The aims of this study were to evaluate the prevalence of patients for whom hospitals sent adequate requests for medication-related follow-up at discharge, the proportion of patients with unplanned hospital revisits because of inadequate follow-up requests, and the association between medication reviews performed during hospitalisation and adequate or inadequate follow-up requests.

METHODS

We conducted a retrospective chart review. The study population was randomly selected from a cluster-randomised crossover trial which included patients 65 years or older who had been admitted to three hospitals in Sweden with shared electronic health records between hospital and primary care. Each patient was assessed with respect to the adequacy of the request for follow-up. For patients where the hospitals sent inadequate requests, data about any unplanned hospital revisits were collected, and we assessed whether the inadequate requests had contributed to the revisits. The association between medication reviews and adequate or inadequate requests was analysed with a Chi-square test.

RESULTS

A total of 699 patients were included. The patients' mean age was 80 years; an average of 10 medications each were prescribed on hospital admission. The hospitals sent an adequate request for 418 (60%) patients. Thirty-eight patients (14%) had a hospital revisit within six months of discharge which was related to an inadequate request. The proportion of adequate or inadequate requests did not differ between patients who had received a medication review during hospitalisation and those who had not (p = 0.83).

CONCLUSIONS

The prevalence of patients for whom the hospitals sent adequate follow-up requests on discharge was low. More than one in every ten who had an inadequate request revisited hospital within six months of discharge for reasons related to the request. Medication reviews conducted during hospitalisation did not affect the proportion of adequate or inadequate requests sent. A communication gap still exists despite the usage of a shared electronic health record between primary and secondary care levels.

Patient Transfers and Their Impact on Gaps in Clinical Care: Differences by Gender in a Large Cohort of Adults Living with HIV on Antiretroviral Therapy in South Africa

For people living with HIV (PLWH), patient transfers may affect engagement in care. We followed a cohort of PLWH in Cape Town, South Africa who tested positive for HIV in 2012-2013 from ART initiation in 2012-2016 through December 2016. Patient transfers were defined as moving from one healthcare facility to another on a different day, considering all healthcare visits and recorded HIV-visits only. We estimated incidence rates (IR) for transfers by time since ART initiation, overall and by gender, and associations between transfers and gaps of > 180 days in clinical care. Overall, 4,176 PLWH were followed for a median of 32 months, and 8% (HIV visits)-17% (all healthcare visits) of visits were patient transfers. Including all healthcare visits, transfers were highest through 3 months on ART (IR 20.2 transfers per 100 visits, 95% CI 19.2-21.2), but increased through 36 months on ART when only HIV visits were included (IR 9.7, 95% CI 8.8-10.8). Overall, women were more likely to transfer than men, and transfers were associated with gaps in care (IR ratio [IRR] 3.06 95% CI 2.83-3.32; HIV visits only). In this cohort, patient transfers were frequent, more common among women, and associated with gaps in care.

Health care transition for patients with vascular malformations: a French multicenter cross-sectional study

BACKGROUND

Health care transition (i.e., transition from pediatric to adult care) is challenging in chronic conditions but has been poorly studied in rare chronic skin diseases. We investigated the proportion of lost to follow-up among patients with superficial vascular malformations after health care transition. We also collected patients' opinions. This prospective, multicenter, cross-sectional study was performed at 7 French hospitals. We included patients aged 19-25 years, who were followed for a superficial vascular malformation before age 16, and who had completed the transition period in 2020. Data were collected from medical records and a questionnaire was sent to included patients asking about the health care transition.

RESULTS

Among the 90 patients included, 41 (46%) were lost to follow-up after health care transition period. The age at diagnosis was significantly higher for lost to follow-up than non- lost to follow-up patients. The lost to follow-up proportion was similar between patients who changed and did not change hospitals during the transition. Responses to the questionnaire were obtained for 47 of 90 patients (52.2% response rate); most were satisfied with their care (n = 31/36, 86.1%); however, a lack of psychological support was reported.

CONCLUSIONS

Health care transition is associated to a high rate of lost to follow-up. Early management seems associated to less lost to follow-up. Further studies are needed to better understand risk factors for a failed health care transition and its consequences.

Unplanned hospital transfers from nursing homes: who is involved in the transfer decision? Results from the HOMERN study

Background

Emergency department visits and hospital admissions are common among nursing home residents (NHRs) and seem to be higher in Germany than in other countries. Yet, research on characteristics of transfers and involved persons in the transfer decision is scarce.

Aims

The aim of this study was to analyze the characteristics of hospital transfers from nursing homes (NHs) focused on contacts to physicians, family members and legal guardians prior to a transfer.

Methods

We conducted a multi-center study in 14 NHs in the regions Bremen and Lower Saxony (Northwestern Germany) between March 2018 and July 2019. Hospital transfers were documented for 12 months by nursing staff using a standardized questionnaire. Data were derived from care records and perspectives of nursing staff and were analyzed descriptively.

Results

Among 802 included NHRs, n = 535 unplanned hospital transfers occurred of which 63.1% resulted in an admission. Main reasons were deterioration of health status (e.g. fever, infections, dyspnea and exsiccosis) (35.1%) and falls/accidents/injuries (33.5%). Within 48 h prior to transfer, contact to at least one general practitioner (GP)/specialist/out-of-hour-care physician was 46.2% and varied between the NHs (range: 32.3–83.3%). GPs were involved in only 34.8% of transfer decisions. Relatives and legal guardians were more often informed about transfer (62.3% and 66.8%) than involved in the decision (21.8% and 15.1%).

Discussion

Contacts to physicians and involvement of the GP were low prior to unplanned transfers. The ranges between the NHs may be explained by organizational differences.

Conclusion

Improvements in communication between nursing staff, physicians and others are required to reduce potentially avoidable transfers.

Electronic supplementary material

The online version of this article (10.1007/s40520-020-01751-5) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.

Factors impacting hospital avoidance program utilisation in the care of acutely unwell residential aged care facility residents

Background

An existing hospital avoidance program, the Aged Care Rapid Response Team (ARRT), rapidly delivers geriatric outreach services to acutely unwell or older people with declining health at risk of hospitalisation. The aim of the current study was to explore health professionals’ perspectives on the factors impacting ARRT utilisation in the care of acutely unwell residential aged care facility residents.

Methods

Semi-structured interviews were conducted with two Geriatricians, two ARRT Clinical Nurse Consultants, an ED-based Clinical Nurse Specialist, and an Extended Care Paramedic. Interview questions elicited views on key factors regarding care decisions and care transitions for acutely unwell residential aged care facility residents. Thematic analysis was undertaken to identify themes and sub-themes from interviews.

Results

Analysis of interviews identified five overarching themes affecting ARRT utilisation in the care of acutely unwell residents: (1) resident care needs; (2) family factors; (3) enabling factors; (4) barriers; and (5) adaptability and responsiveness to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Conclusion

Various factors impact on hospital avoidance program utilisation in the care of acutely unwell older aged care facility residents. This information provides additional context to existing quantitative evaluations of hospital avoidance programs, as well as informing the design of future hospital avoidance programs.

Supplementary Information

The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1186/s12913-021-06575-1.

Medication discrepancy rates and sources upon nursing home intake: A prospective study

BACKGROUND

Medication discrepancies at nursing home intake increase the risk of drug-related adverse events. Measuring discrepancy incidence rates and locating the origins of discrepancies can assist in identifying information exchange deficits for high-risk medications.

OBJECTIVE

To determine class-specific discrepancy rates, to determine discordance between medication lists, and to explore patient and system-level factors associated with medication discrepancies discovered between the first and second medication reconciliations conducted at nursing home intake.

METHODS

Medication discrepancy data were prospectively collected from four long-term care facilities over a 9-month period. Medication discrepancies were defined as mismatched prescribing orders between at least two medication history lists. Discrepancy locations were defined as the pairs or triads of facilities between which medication history lists were discordant. Unadjusted logistic regressions were used to identify medication classes with the highest discrepancy rates and patient factors significantly associated with any medication discrepancy.

RESULTS

40.8% of newly admitted or re-admitted residents and 6.3% of medications reviewed had at least one medication discrepancy discovered during the second medication reconciliation conducted at nursing home intake. Residents prescribed fewer than 14 medications were at less risk of discrepancies. Residents with Charlson Comorbidity Index of 5, COPD, HF, anemia or HTN were at greater risk of discrepancies. Respiratory and analgesic medications were twice as likely as other medication classes to be discrepant (OR = 2.2, 95% CI 1.2-4.4; OR = 2.2, 95% CI 1.3-3.5). Most discrepancies occurred between hospital and nursing home lists (44.9%), or between the hospital, nursing home, and community pharmacy lists (39.3%) CONCLUSIONS: Given the higher risk of discrepancies within respiratory or analgesics, transitions of care teams need to prioritize residents with respiratory conditions or pain. Although re-admitted residents' increased discrepancy risk is likely due to poorer health status, miscommunications across the nursing home, hospital and community pharmacy require further research to clarify system failures.

Rates and clinical impact of discordant X-ray and CT imaging in transfers to a pediatric emergency department

OBJECTIVES

Children are often transferred to a Pediatric Emergency Department (PED) for definitive care after completion of diagnostic imaging. There is a paucity of data on the concordance rates of interpretation of imaging studies between referral and PED. Our objective is to describe the rates and clinical impact of discordant interpretation of X-rays and CT in children transferred to a PED.

METHODS

This was a retrospective cohort study of patients over a 12-month period from 12/1/2017-11/30/2018 with X-ray (XR) and CT performed prior to transfer to our PED. We compared referral radiology interpretations to those of pediatric radiologists to determine concordance. Encounters with discordant imaging interpretations were further evaluated for clinical impact (none, minor or major) based on need for additional laboratory workup, consultation, and changes in management and disposition.

RESULTS

We analyzed 899 patient encounters. There were high rates of concordance in both XR and CT interpretation (668/743; 89.9%, 95% CI 0.87-0.91 and 205/235; 87.2%, 95% CI 0.82-0.91, respectively). XR discordance resulted in minor clinical impact in 34 patients (45%, 95% CI 0.35-0.57) and a major clinical impact in 28 patients (37%, 95% CI 0.27-0.49). CT discordance resulted in minor clinical impact in 10 patients (33%, 95% CI 0.19-0.51) of patients and major clinical impact in 15 patients (50%, 95% CI 0.33-0.67). The most common discordances with major clinical impact were related to pneumonia on XR chest and appendicitis or inflammatory bowel disease on CT abdomen.

CONCLUSIONS

In patients transferred to the PED, concordance of XR and CT interpretations was high. A majority of discordant interpretations led to clinical impact meaningful to the patient and emergency medicine (EM) physician. Referring EM physicians might consider the benefit of pediatric radiology consultation upon transfer, especially for imaging diagnoses related to pneumonia, appendicitis, or inflammatory bowel disease.

An observational study of postoperative handoff standardization failures

BACKGROUND

Patient handoffs from an operating room (OR) to an intensive care unit (ICU) require precise coordination among surgical, anesthesia, and critical care teams. Although several standardized handoff strategies have been developed, their sustainability remains is poor. Little is known regarding factors that impede handoff standardization.

PURPOSE

Our objectives are three-fold: (1) highlight compliance failures with standardized handoffs; (2) identify factors contributing to compliance failures; and (3) develop guidelines for sustainable handoff interventions and processes.

METHODS

We used ethnographic data collection methods-general observations, handoff shadowing, and semi-structured clinician interviews-with 84 participants from OR, ICU, and telemedicine teams at a large academic medical center. We conducted thematic analysis supported by inductive and deductive coding using the Systems Engineering Initiative for Patient Safety (SEIPS) framework.

RESULTS

Post-operative handoffs can be characterized into four phases: pre-transfer preparation, transfer and setup, report preparation and delivery, and post-transfer care. We identified compliance failures with standardized handoff protocols and associated risk factors within the OR-ICU work system including limited teamwork, absence of handoff-specific tools, and poor clinician buy-in. To improve handoffs, clinicians provided suggestions for developing collaborative Electronic Health Record (EHR)-integrated handoff tools and re-engineering the handoff process.

CONCLUSIONS

Compliance failures are prevalent in all handoff phases, leading to poor adherence with standardization. We propose theoretically grounded guidelines for designing "flexibly standardized" bundled handoff interventions for ensuring care continuity in OR to ICU transitions of care.

[The disaster task force medical officer as a pivotal decision maker in the superordinate pandemic hospital capacity management : A field report covering the initial COVID-19 surge in a Bavarian district]

Hintergrund und Zielsetzung

Von März bis Juni 2020 hatte Bayern die erste Welle der SARS-CoV-2-Pandemie zu bewältigen.

Material und Methoden

Es werden Erfahrungen mit der Steuerung der stationären Behandlungskapazitäten für COVID-19-Patienten durch die Ärztlichen Leiter der Führungsgruppen Katastrophenschutz (ÄL-FüGK) und den Ärztlichen Bezirksbeauftragten Rettungsdienst (ÄBRD) in der Oberpfalz im Kontext des Notfallplan Corona-Pandemie der bayerischen Staatsregierung dargestellt.

Ergebnisse

Durch Einstellen des Routineprogramms und Aufbau zusätzlicher Beatmungsbetten wurden Intensivkapazitäten geschaffen, welche insbesondere im Rettungsdienstbereich (RDB) Nordoberpfalz kurzfristig annähernd ausgelastet waren. Bei sich abzeichnendem Verlegungsbedarf von Intensivpatienten wählten die ÄL-FüGK bzw. der ÄBRD Zielkliniken im Sinne von Verlegungskorridoren aus. Dies erfolgte in drei eskalierenden Stufen: auf lokaler Ebene (RDB), auf regionaler Ebene (Regierungsbezirk) und auf überregionaler Ebene (zwischen Regierungsbezirken). Als Datengrundlage wurde u. a. die tägliche Bettenmeldung der Kliniken herangezogen. Normalstationskapazitäten waren stets frei, sodass Hilfskrankenhäuser nicht in Betrieb genommen werden mussten. Zum Schutz von Pflegeeinrichtungen verhängte die Staatsregierung einen Aufnahmestopp. Während des Abebbens der ersten Welle konnte die Routineversorgung schrittweise wieder aufgenommen werden.

Diskussion

Die Steuerung der Patientenströme lehnte sich weitgehend an die Abläufe des Normalbetriebs an, was Abläufe verschlankte und Handlungsfähigkeit sicherstellte. Vereinzelt wurden Schnittstellenprobleme zu anderen Regierungsbezirken beobachtet, welche andere Managementgrundsätze verfolgten. Der Aufnahmestopp für Pflegeeinrichtungen und widerstreitende finanzielle Interessen der Klinikbetreiber stellten die ÄL-FüGK vor Herausforderungen.

Biomechanical comparison between manual and motorless device assisted patient handling: sitting to and from standing position

Although lots of assistive devices have been studied to fight against caregivers' work-related musculoskeletal disorders, stand-and-turn devices effects on biomechanical constraints are still unknown. The aim of this study is to provide and compare quantitative data on loads in the low back area resulting from the use of a motorless stand-and-turn device and from manual patient handling. Nine caregivers participated to motion capture and ground reaction forces measurement sessions of three cases of handling: manual handling with one caregiver, manual handling with two caregivers, motorless device assisted handling. Forces and torques at the L5/S1 joint were computed through Inverse Dynamics process. Motorless device assisted handling required the smallest loads whereas manual handling with one caregiver required the biggest loads, the latter being in some cases twice as big as the former. Caregivers should use a stand-and-turn device when handling a patient from sitting/standing to standing/sitting position whenever it is possible.

Risk factors for hospital readmission in older adults within 30 days of discharge - a comparative retrospective study

BACKGROUND

The area of hospital readmission in older adults within 30 days of discharge is extensively researched but few studies look at the whole process. In this study we investigated risk factors related, not only to patient characteristics prior to and events during initial hospitalisation, but also to the processes of discharge, transition of care and follow-up. We aimed to identify patients at most risk of being readmitted as well as processes in greatest need of improvement, the goal being to find tools to help reduce early readmissions in this population.

METHODS

This comparative retrospective study included 720 patients in total. Medical records were reviewed and variables concerning patient characteristics prior to and events during initial hospital stay, as well as those related to the processes of discharge, transition of care and follow-up, were collected in a standardised manner. Either a Student's t-test, χ²-test or Fishers' exact test was used for comparisons between groups. A multiple logistic regression analysis was conducted to identify variables associated with readmission.

RESULTS

The final model showed increased odds of readmission in patients with a higher Charlson Co-morbidity Index (OR 1.12, p-value 0.002), excessive polypharmacy (OR 1.66, p-value 0.007) and living in the community with home care (OR 1.61, p-value 0.025). The odds of being readmitted within 30 days increased if the length of stay was 5 days or longer (OR 1.72, p-value 0.005) as well as if being discharged on a Friday (OR 1.88, p-value 0.003) or from a surgical unit (OR 2.09, p-value 0.001).

CONCLUSION

Patients of poor health, using 10 medications or more regularly and living in the community with home care, are at greater risk of being readmitted to hospital within 30 days of discharge. Readmissions occur more often after being discharged on a Friday or from a surgical unit. Our findings indicate patients at most risk of being readmitted as well as discharging routines in most need of improvement thus laying the ground for further studies as well as targeted actions to take in order to reduce hospital readmissions within 30 days in this population.

Prevalence of medication discrepancies in pediatric patients transferred between hospital wards

Background Children are more susceptible to harm from medication errors and adverse drug reactions when compared to adults. Such events may occur from medication discrepancies while transitioning patients throughout the healthcare system. Contributing factors include medication discontinuity and lack of information by the healthcare team. Objective To analyze the prevalence of medication discrepancies in transition points of care in a pediatric department. Setting Pediatric department of a public hospital in Northeast Brazil. Method A cross-sectional study was carried out from August 2017 to March 2018. Data collection consisted of the following steps: collection of sociodemographic data, clinical interview with the patient's caregiver, registration of patient prescriptions, and evaluation of medical records. Medication discrepancies were classified as intentional and unintentional. The unintentional medication discrepancies were classified as omission of medication, therapeutic duplicity, and differences in dose, frequency, or route of administration. Main outcomes measure Discrepancy profile identified at admission, internal transfer and hospital discharge. Results Among the 114 patients included in the study, 85 (74.5%) patients had at least one unintentional medication discrepancy, of which 16 (14.0%) patients presented medication discrepancies at hospital admission, 42 (36.8%) patients at internal transfer, and 52 (45.6%) patients during discharge. Omission of medication represented 20 (74.1%) errors at admission, 26 (37.7%) errors at internal transfer, and 80 (100.0%) errors at hospital discharge. Conclusions The main transition points of care where unintentional discrepancies occurred in the studied pediatric department were at internal transfer and hospital discharge, with omission being the most common type of unintentional discrepancy.

Physical exposure during patient transfer and risk of back injury & low-back pain: prospective cohort study

BACKGROUND

Work-related musculoskeletal disorders (MSDs) are common among healthcare workers. Because frequent patient transfer has been associated with increased risk of MSDs, we aim to quantify the physical load associated with commonly-used assistive devices and to investigate associations between accumulated physical exposure and risk of MSDs.

METHODS

By applying an exposure matrix based on objective measurements of electromyography and trunk flexion on a large (n = 1285) prospective cohort, intensity of low-back pain (LBP) and odds of back injury at 1-year follow-up were modelled using linear models and logistic regressions, respectively. The cohort was divided into groups according to physical exposure; i.e. low (1st quartile), moderate (2nd and 3rd quartiles) and high (4th quartile) exposure.

RESULTS

Exposure profiles are provided for 9 groups of assistive devices, with ceiling lifts and intelligent beds eliciting the lowest physical exposure. In the fully-adjusted model, we report differences in LBP intensity at follow-up between the low and moderate exposure groups (p = 0.0085). No difference was found between the moderate and high exposure groups (p = 0.2967). Likewise, we find no associations between physical exposure and odds of back injury at 1-year follow-up, with a prevalence of 11, 13 and 11% for the three groups, respectively.

CONCLUSIONS

Low physical exposure during patient transfer was prospectively associated with lower intensity of LBP. Consistent use of assistive devices associated with low physical exposure, namely ceiling-lifts and intelligent beds, may play a role in reducing the incidence of MSDs among healthcare workers.

The mortality of critically ill patients was not associated with inter-hospital transfer due to a shortage of ICU beds - a single-centre retrospective analysis

Background

Patients in the intensive care unit (ICU) are increasingly being transferred between ICUs due to a shortage of ICU beds, although this practice is potentially harmful. However, in tertiary units, the transfer of patients who are not in need of highly specialized care is often necessary. The aim of this study was to assess the association between a 90-day mortality and inter-hospital transfer due to a shortage of ICU beds in a tertiary centre.

Methods

Data were retrieved from the local ICU database from December 2011 to September 2019. The primary analysis was a risk-adjusted logistic regression model. Secondary analyses comprised case/control (transfer/non-transfer) matching.

Results

A total of 573 patients were transferred due to a shortage of ICU beds, and 8106 patients were not transferred. Crude 90-day mortality was higher in patients transferred due to a shortage of beds (189 patients (33%) vs 2188 patients (27%), p = 0.002). In the primary, risk-adjusted analysis, the risk of death at 90 days was similar between the groups (odds ratio 0.923, 95% confidence interval 0.75–1.14, p = 0.461). In the secondary analyses, a 90-day mortality was similar in transferred and non-transferred patients matched according to SAPS 3-score, age, days in the ICU and ICU diagnosis (p = 0.407); SOFA score on the day of discharge, ICU diagnosis and age (p = 0.634); or in a propensity score model (p = 0.229).

Conclusion

Mortality at 90 days in critically ill patients treated in a tertiary centre was not affected by transfer to another intensive care units due to a shortage of beds. We found this conclusion to be valid under the assumption that patients are carefully selected and that the transports are safely performed.

Supplementary Information

The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1186/s40560-020-00501-z.

[Exit wave plan for structured secondary patient distribution : Logistic concept for mass victims of terrorist attacks]

BACKGROUND

Following a terrorist attack a second hit is to be feared. The adequate reaction of the emergency services on site is to clear the scene. Since in such cases no treatment areas are set up at the scene of the incident, the injured are quickly admitted to the nearest hospital, either by themselves or by the emergency services and are largely untreated. Therefore, the hospital has to be ready to take in a significantly larger number of injured people in a very short period of time than after a conventional mass casualty incident. Due to the conceivably large number of wounded persons the emergency department can ensure primary medical care but nowhere near all casualties admitted to the hospital can be definitively treated.

OBJECTIVE

In order to provide injured patients with individual medical care after initial treatment according to the criteria of damage control resuscitation, a concept should be developed that enables a well-organized secondary transfer to receiving hospitals with appropriate equipment.

MATERIAL AND METHODS

Within a radius of 100 km from Ulm, all hospitals certified by the German Society for Trauma Surgery were contacted and asked to indicate how many emergency patients of the triage categories T1 (red), T2 (yellow) and T3 (green) could be admitted and treated around the clock (24/7). Special features such as a helicopter landing pad, neurosurgical care and pediatric traumatology care were considered.

RESULTS

Of the 32 hospitals within a 100 km radius of Ulm 29 (91%) provided information on the admission capacity. In these hospitals 45 T1, 121 T2 and 333 T3 patients could be admitted around the clock (24/7). A helicopter landing pad is available at 26 of the 29 hospitals (90%), 11 hospitals (38%) can treat patients for emergency neurosurgery and 18 hospitals (62%) have the possibility of pediatric traumatological emergency care. Based on this information the structured exit wave plan was developed, which enables a secondary transfer of at least 100 patients to qualified trauma centers.

CONCLUSION

The University Hospital of Ulm has made preparations to admit at least 100 injured patients for initial medical treatment following a terrorist attack. This corresponds to 10% of the hospital beds as required in the literature. Together with the neighboring Military Hospital and the University and Rehabilitation Hospital Ulm up to 300 injured patients can be treated; however, the number of available intensive care unit (ICU) beds and capacities in normal wards for definitive care is much lower, therefore, patients treated according to the principles of damage control resuscitation have to be relocated. By documenting the capacity of the hospitals within a 100 km radius around Ulm and taking their specific features into account, an exit wave plan could be created that enables patient distribution for definitive care without time-consuming procedures.

Critical care nurses' lived experiences of interhospital intensive care unit-to-unit transfers: A phenomenological hermeneutical study

OBJECTIVE

To explore critical care nurses' lived experiences of transferring intensive care patients between hospitals.

METHODS

A phenomenological hermeneutic approach using data generated through individual interviews with 11 critical care registered nurses.

SETTING

Two general intensive care units in Sweden.

FINDINGS

Five themes were identified: it depends on me; your care makes a difference; being exposed; depending on interprofessional relationships; and sensing professional growth. These themes were synthesised into a comprehensive understanding showing how transferring intensive care patients between hospitals meant being on an ambivalent journey together with the patient but also on a journey within yourself in your own development and growth, where you, as a nurse, constantly are torn between contradictory feelings and experiences.

CONCLUSION

Interhospital intensive care unit-to-unit transfers can be a challenging task for critical care nurses but also an important opportunity for professional growth. During the transfer, nurses become responsible for the patient, their colleagues and the entire transfer process. In a time of an increasing number of interhospital intensive care unit-to-unit transfers, this study illuminates the risk for missed nursing care, showing that the critical care nurse has an important role in protecting the patient from harm and safeguarding dignified care.

Incidence and Risk Factors of Clinical Deterioration during Inter-Facility Transfer of Critically Ill Patients; a Cohort Study

INTRODUCTION

Critically ill and injured patients are at a higher risk of developing clinical deterioration during inter-facility transfers. This study aimed to determine the incidence rate and risk factors of clinical deterioration among critically ill patients during inter-facility transfers in Thailand.

METHODS

The present cohort study was conducted in 22 referring hospitals and 7 receiving hospitals under the supervision of Ministry of Public Health, Thailand, between March 15 and December 31, 2018. The subjects were comprised of 839 critically ill patients aged 18 and over, 63 coordinator nurses in referral centers, and 312 referral team leaders. Data collected included pre-transfer risk score, clinical data of patient during transfer, characteristics of referral team leader, ambulance type, preparation time, time to definitive care, transfer distance, and National Early Warning Score (NEWS) (clinical deterioration). Multilevel mixed-effects regression analysis was performed.

RESULTS

The incidence rate of clinical deterioration was 28.69%. The most common types of clinical deterioration were hemodynamic instability, respiratory instability, and neurological alteration. Time between 31-45 minutes was significantly associated with clinical deterioration (β 0.133, P value 0.027). The following illnesses were associated with higher probability of clinical deterioration: body region injuries/head injury/burn/ingested poison (β 0.670, P value 0.030), respiratory distress/convulsion (β 0.919, P value 0.001), shock/ arrhythmias/chest pain/hemorrhage (β 1.134, P value <0.001), comatose/alteration of consciousness/syncope (β 1.343, P value <0.001), and post-cardiac arrest (β 2.251, P value <0.001). Patients with unstable conditions (β 1.689, P value 0.001) and pre-transfer risk score of 8 or higher (β 0.625, P value 0.001) had a higher rate of deterioration. Transfer by non- emergency room (ER) nurses (β 0.495, P value 0.008) and transportation in a mobile intensive care unit (ICU) were associated with a higher rate of deterioration (β 0.848, P value 0.001).

CONCLUSION

The incidence of clinical deterioration during inter-facility transfer in Thailand was high. Illnesses involving circulatory, respiratory, and neurological systems, clinical instability, high pre-transfer risk score, transport time of 31-45 minutes, transportation by non-ER nurse, and mobile ICU were associated with a higher rate of clinical deterioration.

Interhospital transfer vs. direct presentation of patients with a large vessel occlusion not eligible for IV thrombolysis

Background and purpose

Direct presentation of patients with acute ischemic stroke to a comprehensive stroke center (CSC) reduces time to endovascular treatment (EVT), but may increase time to treatment for intravenous thrombolysis (IVT). This dilemma, however, is not applicable to patients who have a contraindication for IVT. We examined the effect of direct presentation to a CSC on outcomes after EVT in patients not eligible for IVT.

Methods

We used data from the MR CLEAN Registry (2014–2017). We included patients who were not treated with IVT and compared patients directly presented to a CSC to patients transferred from a primary stroke center. Outcomes included treatment times and 90-day modified Rankin Scale scores (mRS) adjusted for potential confounders.

Results

Of the 3637 patients, 680 (19%) did not receive IVT and were included in the analyses. Of these, 389 (57%) were directly presented to a CSC. The most common contraindications for IVT were anticoagulation use (49%) and presentation > 4.5 h after onset (26%). Directly presented patients had lower baseline NIHSS scores (median 16 vs. 17, p = 0.015), higher onset-to-first-door times (median 105 vs. 66 min, p < 0.001), lower first-door-to-groin times (median 93 vs. 150 min; adjusted β = − 51.6, 95% CI: − 64.0 to − 39.2) and lower onset-to-groin times (median 220 vs. 230 min; adjusted β = − 44.0, 95% CI: − 65.5 to − 22.4). The 90-day mRS score did not differ between groups (adjusted OR: 1.23, 95% CI: 0.73–2.08).

Conclusions

In patients who were not eligible for IVT, treatment times for EVT were better for patients directly presented to a CSC, but without a statistically significant effect on clinical outcome.

Electronic supplementary material

The online version of this article (10.1007/s00415-020-09812-5) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.