Ensuring Continuity of Care: Effective Strategies for the Post-hospitalization Transition of Psychiatric Patients in a Family Medicine Outpatient Clinic

In healthcare, continuity of care is a crucial element, especially for patients in the field of psychiatry who have recently been discharged from a hospital. The shift from inpatient to outpatient care poses challenges for patients and healthcare providers, including openness to treatment, competing priorities, financial insecurity, concerns and dilemmas faced by patients regarding their post-hospitalization life after improvements in symptoms, lack of social support, poor patient-doctor relationships, lack of insight, and stigma associated with mental illness. Therefore, it is vital to employ effective strategies to ensure patients receive the required care and support during this transition. This review delves into the significance of continuity of care for psychiatric patients post-hospitalization, effective strategies for the transition, and the challenges and barriers to implementation from the perspective of a family medicine practice. To analyze physicians' role in managing psychiatric patients post-hospitalization, we developed a comprehensive search strategy. This involved extracting relevant data, updates, guidelines, and recommendations. Our search spanned various online repositories, such as PubMed and Google Scholar, specifically focusing on US-based guidelines aligned with our objectives. The search was conducted using medical subject headings (MeSH) and combinations of "OR," "AND," and "WITH." We crafted keywords to optimize our search strategy, including psychiatric illness, post-hospitalization, follow-up, follow-up care, primary care follow-up, and guidelines. Exploring online repositories yielded 132 articles, and we identified some guidelines that addressed our objectives. We established inclusion and exclusion criteria for our review and reviewed 21 papers. Post-hospitalization follow-up is a critical facet of psychiatric care, aligning with guidelines from the American Psychiatric Association and other relevant sources. Emphasizing continuity of care ensures a smooth transition from inpatient to outpatient settings, sustaining therapeutic momentum and minimizing the risk of relapse. This comprehensive approach involves careful medication management, regular mental health assessments, education on condition-specific coping strategies, and coordinated care between healthcare providers. It includes conducting risk assessments, safety planning, building social support and community integration, prompt post-hospitalization follow-up, and tailored treatment plans. Together, these measures enhance overall wellness for recently discharged patients. This holistic strategy tackles pressing short-term needs while facilitating long-term stability, promoting resilience and successful community reintegration, reducing readmission likelihood, and ultimately supporting sustained recovery.

Post-Hospitalization Home Monitoring Programs During the COVID-19 Pandemic: Survey Results from the Hospital Medicine Re-engineering Network (HOMERuN)

BACKGROUND

During the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic, hospitals and healthcare systems launched innovative responses to emerging needs. The creation and use of programs to remotely follow patient clinical status and recovery after COVID-19 hospitalization has not been thoroughly described.

OBJECTIVE

To characterize deployment of remote post-hospital discharge monitoring programs during the COVID-19 pandemic METHODS: Electronic surveys were administered to leaders of 83 US academic hospitals in the Hospital Medicine Re-engineering Network (HOMERuN). An initial survey was completed in March 2021 with follow-up survey completed in July 2022.

RESULTS

There were 35 responses to the initial survey (42%) and 15 responses to the follow-up survey (43%). Twenty-two (63%) sites reported a post-discharge monitoring program, 16 of which were newly developed for COVID-19. Physiologic monitoring devices such as pulse oximeters were often provided. Communication with medical teams was often via telephone, with moderate use of apps or electronic medical record integration. Programs launched most commonly between January and June 2020. Only three programs were still active at the time of follow-up survey.

CONCLUSIONS

Our findings demonstrate rapid, ad hoc development of post-hospital discharge monitoring programs during the COVID-19 pandemic but with little standardization or evaluation. Additional study could identify the benefits of these programs, instruct their potential application to other disease processes, and inform further development as part of emergency preparedness for upcoming crises.

Assessment of Variation in Care Following Hospital Discharge for Children with Acute Asthma

Purpose

To evaluate potential variation in care management pathways following hospital discharge for children with asthma in New South Wales, Australia.

Methods

A cross-sectional web-based survey was conducted in emergency departments (EDs) and paediatric units of public hospitals with more than five paediatric beds within New South Wales, Australia, between July 2018 and March 2019. Nursing and medical staff in EDs and paediatric units who had cared for children aged under 18 years with asthma in the preceding 12 months were invited to participate in this study. Outcome measures included use of clinical practice guidelines and asthma action plan (AAP); advice on post-hospitalization follow-up; provision of asthma education for parents/carers; availability of community-based asthma services; communication with schools/childcare services.

Results

A total of 502 participants (236 nursing and 266 medical staff, response rate=22%) from 37 hospitals were included. Overall, the use of AAP was not universal (median=90%; IQR=81–96%) with significant difference across local health districts (LHDs) (88.6%, 95% CI=85.4–91.3) and between EDs and paediatric wards (p=9.4×10⁻⁹); and a range of asthma clinical practice guidelines were used. Post-hospitalization follow-up within 2–3 days was recommended by 70% of the respondents, but only 8% reported that hospitals had a system in place to ensure follow-up compliance. Formal asthma education sessions (27% respondents) were seldom provided to parents/carers during hospital stays, especially in EDs (14% respondents). Less than 50% of the respondents were aware of any asthma community services for children and only 4% reported that schools/childcare services were notified about the child’s hospital admission for an asthma flare up.

Conclusion

There are marked variations in the post-hospitalization asthma care and community management for children in NSW. An integrated standardized model of care may improve health outcomes in children with asthma.

Readmission Risk Factors and Complications in Stevens-Johnson Syndrome and Toxic Epidermal Necrolysis

Stevens-Johnson syndrome (SJS) and toxic epidermal necrolysis (TEN) are mucocutaneous hypersensitivity reactions that cause necrosis of the epidermis, often at multiple sites. This process is frequently caused by medications and is associated with significant complications and mortality during hospitalization. However, increasing attention has been drawn to the less studied area of post-hospitalization complications leading to multiple readmissions. We present a patient diagnosed with trimethoprim-sulfamethoxazole induced SJS/TEN, who was readmitted within one week with sepsis. We also discuss the readmission risk factors and post-hospitalization features and complications of SJS/TEN.

Multicomponent Physical Exercise in Older Adults after Hospitalization: A Randomized Controlled Trial Comparing Short- vs. Long-Term Group-Based Interventions

Multicomponent physical exercise is effective in curbing the effect of hospitalization in older adults. However, it is not well established which characteristics of the exercise interventions would optimize intervention sustainability and efficacy. This study compared the effects of two group-based multicomponent exercise interventions of different lengths in older adults after hospitalization. Fifty-five participants were randomly assigned to a short-term group-based branch (SGB, n = 27) or to a long-term group-based branch (LGB, n = 28). The SGB participated in a six-week multicomponent group-based exercise-training program followed by 18 weeks of home-based exercise. The LGB completed 12 weeks of each phase. Physical function, physical activity, quality of life, anthropometrics, and nutritional status were assessed at baseline, after 12 weeks, and after 24 weeks of intervention. Both groups improved physical function and nutritional status and increased physical activity after 12 weeks of intervention (paired student’s t-test, p < 0.01), and maintained the positive effects during the following 12 weeks. No group-by-time interaction was observed in any of the studied variables using mixed-model ANOVA. Based on these findings, we determined that 6 weeks of a group-based exercise intervention caused similar functional and nutritional benefits to a longer group-based intervention of 12 weeks when both are continued at home until 24 weeks.

Self-management after hospitalisation

AIMS AND OBJECTIVES

The aim of this research was to explore the processes used by older individuals to self-manage their health during the first 30 days after being discharged from the hospital. The underlying philosophy for this research was symbolic interactionism. From this perspective, individuals make meaning out of their experiences and act on the basis of those meanings.

BACKGROUND

Little is known about the processes older adults use to adjust to and self-manage their evolved health status after returning home from the hospital. Few studies have explored this period from the perspective of the older individual living in the situation.

METHODS

We used case study method to develop a collective, instrumental case to explain the phenomena of older individuals self-managing their health after hospitalisation. Data included interviews, participant diaries and researcher field notes.

RESULTS

The sample included three women who were at least 75 years old, had been hospitalised for at least 24 hr and had been discharged within the week prior to the first interview. Data from the participants were used to create a composite case, Mrs. C. She managed her autonomy, activity, attitude, health and relationships across three phases of posthospitalisation, returning home, adjusting and the evolved normal.

CONCLUSIONS

This study provides insight into the experience of older individuals during the first 30 days after a stay in a healthcare facility and supports previous research findings regarding hospitalisation and self-management of chronic health problems.

IMPLICATIONS FOR PRACTICE

The findings provide evidence that returning home is a process that usually takes about a month to get into a new routine. Nurses can use this case study to describe some people's experience after discharge, and to help the older individual to identify friends and family who can provide physical and emotional support during the time immediately after discharge.

Evaluation of Structured Assessment and Mediating Factors of Suicide-Focused Group Therapy for Veterans Recently Discharged from Inpatient Psychiatry

The current study investigated the impact of adding the Suicide Status Form (SSF) to a suicide-focused group therapy for veterans recently discharged from an inpatient psychiatry setting. A sample of 141 veterans was enrolled and randomized into a Usual Assessment Group Therapy or SSF-Assessment Group Therapy. Participants completed interviews at baseline, 1, and 3 months. No significant differences were observed between groups regarding group attendance (IRR = 1.01, Std. Err = 0.08, 95% CI = 0.87, 1.18) or client satisfaction (β = 0.23, Std. Err = 0.66, p = 0.73, d = -.25). No main effects were observed across the study on secondary outcomes of interest for suicidal ideation and overall symptom distress, although participants in both treatment conditions reported significant improvements on these outcomes over the course of the study. Patients in the Usual Assessment Group Therapy demonstrated greater reductions in overall symptom distress across the 3-month follow-up window (β = 6.08, Std. Err = 2.04, p = 0.003; f² = 0.05). Follow-up path analyses revealed that more frequent session attendance was significantly related to less suicidal ideation at 1-month, higher working alliance between individual members and group facilitators was associated with greater suicidal ideation at 1-month, and higher group cohesion among group members at 1-month was significantly associated with less thwarted belongingness at 1-month. Although the SSF did not improve the impact of an existing suicide-focused group therapy, the study findings support future research on group treatments for suicidal veterans.