Clinician-initiated written communication for families of patients at a long-term acute care hospital.
Ontology highlight
ABSTRACT: Objective
To assess the experience of families and clinicians at a long term acute care hospital (LTACH) after implementing a written communication intervention.Methods
Written communication templates were developed for six clinical disciplines. LTACH clinicians used templates to describe the condition of 30 mechanically ventilated patients at up to three time points. Completed templates were the basis for written summaries that were sent to families. Impressions of the intervention among families (n = 21) and clinicians (n = 17) were assessed using a descriptive correlational design. Interviews were analyzed using thematic content analysis.Results
We identified four themes during interviews with families: Written summaries 1) facilitated communication with LTACH staff, 2) reduced stress related to COVID-19 visitor restrictions, 3) facilitated understanding of the patient condition, prognosis, and goals and 4) facilitated communication among family members. Although clinicians understood why families would appreciate written material, they did not feel that the intervention addressed their main challenge - overly optimistic expectations for patient recovery among families.Conclusion
Written communication positively affected the experience of families of LTACH patients, but was less useful for clinicians.Innovation
Use of written patient care updates helps LTACH clinicians initiate communication with families.
SUBMITTER: Schwartz NH
PROVIDER: S-EPMC10782111 | biostudies-literature | 2023 Dec
REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature
Publications
Clinician-initiated written communication for families of patients at a long-term acute care hospital.
Schwartz Nathaniel H NH Teed Don N DN Glover Crystal M CM Basapur Santosh S Blodgett Carly C Giesing Connor C Lawm Gerald G Podzimek Glenn G Reeter Roger R Schorfheide Laura L Swiderski Sara S Greenberg Jared A JA
PEC innovation 20230614
<h4>Objective</h4>To assess the experience of families and clinicians at a long term acute care hospital (LTACH) after implementing a written communication intervention.<h4>Methods</h4>Written communication templates were developed for six clinical disciplines. LTACH clinicians used templates to describe the condition of 30 mechanically ventilated patients at up to three time points. Completed templates were the basis for written summaries that were sent to families. Impressions of the intervent ...[more]
Similar Datasets
Project description:ImportanceLong-term acute care hospitals (LTCHs) are common sites of postacute care for patients recovering from severe respiratory failure requiring mechanical ventilation (MV). However, federal payment reform led to the closure of many LTCHs in the US, and it is unclear how closure of LTCHs may have affected upstream care patterns at short-stay hospitals and overall patient outcomes.ObjectiveTo estimate the association between LTCH closures and short-stay hospital care patterns and patient outcomes.Design, setting, and participantsThis retrospective, national, matched cohort study used difference-in-differences analysis to compare outcomes at short-stay hospitals reliant on LTCHs that closed during 2012 to 2018 with outcomes at control hospitals. Data were obtained from the Medicare Provider Analysis and Review File, 2011 to 2019. Participants included Medicare fee-for-service beneficiaries aged 66 years and older receiving MV for at least 96 hours in an intensive care unit (ie, patients at-risk for prolonged MV) and the subgroup also receiving a tracheostomy (ie, receiving prolonged MV). Data were analyzed from October 2022 to June 2023.ExposureAdmission to closure-affected hospitals, defined as those discharging at least 60% of patients receiving a tracheostomy to LTCHs that subsequently closed, vs control hospitals.Main outcomes and measuresUpstream hospital care pattern outcomes were short-stay hospital do-not-resuscitate orders, palliative care delivery, tracheostomy placement, and discharge disposition. Patient outcomes included hospital length of stay, days alive and institution free within 90 days, spending per days alive within 90 days, and 90-day mortality.ResultsBetween 2011 and 2019, 99 454 patients receiving MV for at least 96 hours at 1261 hospitals were discharged to 459 LTCHs; 84 LTCHs closed. Difference-in-differences analysis included 8404 patients (mean age, 76.2 [7.2] years; 4419 [52.6%] men) admitted to 45 closure-affected hospitals and 45 matched-control hospitals. LTCH closure was associated with decreased LTCH transfer rates (difference, -5.1 [95% CI -8.2 to -2.0] percentage points) and decreased spending-per-days-alive (difference, -$8701.58 [95% CI, -$13 323.56 to -$4079.60]). In the subgroup of patients receiving a tracheostomy, there was additionally an increase in do-not-resuscitate rates (difference, 10.3 [95% CI, 4.2 to 16.3] percentage points) and transfer to skilled nursing facilities (difference, 10.0 [95% CI, 4.2 to 15.8] percentage points). There was no significant association of closure with 90-day mortality.Conclusions and relevanceIn this cohort study, LTCH closure was associated with changes in discharge patterns in patients receiving mechanical ventilation for at least 96 hours and advanced directive decisions in the subgroup receiving a tracheostomy, without change in mortality. Further studies are needed to understand how LTCH availability may be associated with other important outcomes, including functional outcomes and patient and family satisfaction.
| S-EPMC10663966 | biostudies-literature
Project description:Rationale: Patients managed at a long-term acute-care hospital (LTACH) for weaning from prolonged mechanical ventilation are at risk for profound muscle weakness and disability. Objectives: To investigate effects of prolonged ventilation on survival, muscle function, and its impact on quality of life at 6 and 12 months after LTACH discharge. Methods: This was a prospective, longitudinal study conducted in 315 patients being weaned from prolonged ventilation at an LTACH. Measurements and Main Results: At discharge, 53.7% of patients were detached from the ventilator and 1-year survival was 66.9%. On enrollment, maximum inspiratory pressure (Pimax) was 41.3 (95% confidence interval, 39.4-43.2) cm H2O (53.1% predicted), whereas handgrip strength was 16.4 (95% confidence interval, 14.4-18.7) kPa (21.5% predicted). At discharge, Pimax did not change, whereas handgrip strength increased by 34.8% (P < 0.001). Between discharge and 6 months, handgrip strength increased 6.2 times more than did Pimax. Between discharge and 6 months, Katz activities-of-daily-living summary score improved by 64.4%; improvement in Katz summary score was related to improvement in handgrip strength (r = -0.51; P < 0.001). By 12 months, physical summary score and mental summary score of 36-item Short-Form Survey returned to preillness values. When asked, 84.7% of survivors indicated willingness to undergo mechanical ventilation again. Conclusions: Among patients receiving prolonged mechanical ventilation at an LTACH, 53.7% were detached from the ventilator at discharge and 1-year survival was 66.9%. Respiratory strength was well maintained, whereas peripheral strength was severely impaired throughout hospitalization. Six months after discharge, improvement in muscle function enabled patients to perform daily activities, and 84.7% indicated willingness to undergo mechanical ventilation again.
| S-EPMC6580672 | biostudies-literature
Project description:ICU providers may invite families to participate in daily rounds to inform them of the patient's condition and to support their emotional well-being. Daily written summaries of care may provide complementary benefits.DesignQualitative interviews with surrogates of ICU patients who received daily written summaries of care.SettingSingle, urban academic medical center.Patients/subjectsA convenience sample of 30 surrogates of nondecisional, medical ICU patients.InterventionsDaily written summaries detailed each of the patient's main ICU problems, the presumed causes of each of the problems, and the medical team's plan to address each of the problems for each ICU day.Measurements and main resultsThere were four ways that written summaries affected the participant's experience: 1) providing clarity to participants regarding the patient's condition, 2) facilitating participant understanding of the patient's clinical course, 3) facilitating communication between participants and medical providers, and 4) facilitating communication between participants and other family members. Overarching themes were that summaries were understandable, had appropriate level of detail, and added value to the ICU experience.ConclusionsIn this pilot study, family members had positive impressions of receiving daily written summaries of care. Further study is needed to determine the extent to which written communication may affect family and patient outcomes.
| S-EPMC8280084 | biostudies-literature
Project description:Background:Residents of long-term acute care hospitals (LTACHs) are considered important reservoirs of multidrug-resistant organisms, including Carbapenem-resistant Enterobacteriaceae (CRE). We conducted this study to define the characteristics of CRE-infected/colonized patients admitted to an LTACH and the molecular characteristics of the CRE isolates. Methods:This retrospective study was conducted to collect information on demographic and comorbid conditions in CRE-colonized/infected patients admitted to a 77-bed LTACH in Detroit between January 2011 and July 2012. Data pertaining to hospital-related exposures were collected for 30 days before positive CRE culture. Polymerase chain reaction (PCR) gene amplification, repetitive sequence-based PCR, and multilocus sequence typing (MLST) were performed on 8 of the CRE isolates. Results:The study cohort included 30 patients with CRE-positive cultures, 24 (80%) with infections, and 6 (20%) with colonization. The mean age of cohort was 69 ±12.41 years; 19 (63%) patients were ventilator-dependent, and 20 (67%) were treated with at least 1 antibiotic. Twenty-three (77%) patients had CRE detected following LTACH admission, and the median days from admission to CRE detection in these patients (interquartile range) was 25 (11-43). Seven more patients were already positive for CRE at the time of LTACH admission. Molecular genotyping and MLST of 8 CRE isolates demonstrated that all isolates belonged to the same strain type (ST258) and contained the bla KPC-3 sequence. Conclusions:The majority of patients with CRE presented several days to weeks after LTACH admission, indicating possible organism acquisition in the LTACH itself. The genetic similarity of the CRE isolates tested could further indicate the occurrence of horizontal transmission in the LTACH or simply be representative of the regionally dominant strain.
| S-EPMC6168706 | biostudies-other
Project description:ObjectivesAvailability of long-term acute care hospitals has been associated with hospital discharge practices. It is unclear if long-term acute care hospital availability can influence patient care decisions. We sought to determine the association of long-term acute care hospital availability at different hospitals with the likelihood of tracheostomy.DesignRetrospective cohort study.SettingCalifornia Patient Discharge Database, 2016-2018.PatientsAdult patients receiving mechanical ventilation for respiratory failure.InterventionsNone.Measurements and main resultsUsing the California Patient Discharge Database 2016-2018, we identified all mechanically ventilated patients and those who received tracheostomy. We determine the association between tracheostomy and the distance between each hospital and the nearest long-term acute care hospital and the number of long-term acute care hospital beds within 20 miles of each hospital. Among 281,502 hospitalizations where a patient received mechanical ventilation, 22,899 (8.1%) received a tracheostomy. Patients admitted to a hospital closer to a long-term acute care hospital compared with those furthest from a long-term acute care hospital had 38.9% (95% CI, 33.3-44.6%) higher odds of tracheostomy (closest hospitals 8.7% vs furthest hospitals 6.3%, adjusted odds ratio = 1.65; 95% CI, 1.40-1.95). Patients had a 32.4% (95% CI, 27.6-37.3%) higher risk of tracheostomy when admitted to a hospital with more long-term acute care hospital beds in the immediate vicinity (most long-term acute care hospital beds within 20 miles 8.9% vs fewest long-term acute care hospital beds 6.7%, adjusted odds ratio = 1.54; 95% CI, 1.31-1.80). Distance to the nearest long-term acute care hospital was inversely correlated with hospital risk-adjusted tracheostomy rates (ρ = -0.25; p < 0.0001). The number of long-term acute care hospital beds within 20 miles was positively correlated with hospital risk-adjusted tracheostomy rates (ρ = 0.22; p < 0.0001).ConclusionsProximity and availability of long-term acute care hospital beds were associated with patient odds of tracheostomy and hospital tracheostomy practices. These findings suggest a hospital effect on tracheostomy decision-making over and above patient case-mix. Future studies focusing on shared decision-making for tracheostomy are needed to ensure goal-concordant care for prolonged mechanical ventilation.
| S-EPMC9078375 | biostudies-literature
Project description:ObjectiveWe investigated concurrent outbreaks of Pseudomonas aeruginosa carrying blaVIM (VIM-CRPA) and Enterobacterales carrying blaKPC (KPC-CRE) at a long-term acute-care hospital (LTACH A).MethodsWe defined an incident case as the first detection of blaKPC or blaVIM from a patient's clinical cultures or colonization screening test. We reviewed medical records and performed infection control assessments, colonization screening, environmental sampling, and molecular characterization of carbapenemase-producing organisms from clinical and environmental sources by pulsed-field gel electrophoresis (PFGE) and whole-genome sequencing.ResultsFrom July 2017 to December 2018, 76 incident cases were identified from 69 case patients: 51 had blaKPC, 11 had blaVIM, and 7 had blaVIM and blaKPC. Also, blaKPC were identified from 7 Enterobacterales, and all blaVIM were P. aeruginosa. We observed gaps in hand hygiene, and we recovered KPC-CRE and VIM-CRPA from drains and toilets. We identified 4 KPC alleles and 2 VIM alleles; 2 KPC alleles were located on plasmids that were identified across multiple Enterobacterales and in both clinical and environmental isolates.ConclusionsOur response to a single patient colonized with VIM-CRPA and KPC-CRE identified concurrent CPO outbreaks at LTACH A. Epidemiologic and genomic investigations indicated that the observed diversity was due to a combination of multiple introductions of VIM-CRPA and KPC-CRE and to the transfer of carbapenemase genes across different bacteria species and strains. Improved infection control, including interventions that minimized potential spread from wastewater premise plumbing, stopped transmission.
| S-EPMC10933503 | biostudies-literature
Project description:ObjectivesTo determine why non-mechanically ventilated hospitalized older adults are transferred to long-term acute care (LTAC) hospitals rather than remaining in the hospital.DesignObservational cohort.SettingNational Medicare data.ParticipantsNon-mechanically ventilated hospitalized adults aged 65 and older with fee-for-service Medicare in 2012 who were transferred to an LTAC hospital (n=1,831) or had a prolonged hospitalization without transfer (average hospital length of stay or longer of those transferred to an LTAC hospital) and had one of the 50 most common hospital diagnoses leading to LTAC transfer (N=12,875).MeasurementsWe assessed predictors of transfer using a multilevel model, adjusting for patient-, hospital-, and hospital referral region (HRR)-level factors. We estimated proportions of variance at each level and adjusted hospital- and HRR-specific LTAC transfer rates using sequential models.ResultsThe strongest predictor of transfer was being hospitalized near an LTAC hospital (<1.4 vs > 33.6 miles, adjusted odds ratio=6.2, 95% confidence interval (CI)=4.2-9.1). After adjusting for case mix, differences between hospitals explained 15.4% of the variation in LTAC use and differences between regions explained 27.8%. Case mix-adjusted LTAC use was high in the South, where many HRRs had rates between 20.3% and 53.1%, whereas many HRRs were less than 5.4% in the Pacific Northwest, North, and New England. From our fully adjusted model, the median adjusted hospital LTAC transfer rate was 7.2% (interquartile range 2.8-17.5%), with substantial within-region variation (intraclass coefficient=0.25, 95% CI=0.21-0.30).ConclusionsNearly half of the variation in LTAC use is independent of illness severity and is explained by which hospital and what region the individual was hospitalized in. Because of the greater fragmentation of care and Medicare spending with LTAC transfers (because LTAC hospitals generate a separate bundled payment from the hospital), greater attention is needed to define the optimal role of LTAC hospitals in caring for older adults. J Am Geriatr Soc 66:2112-2119, 2018.
| S-EPMC6239216 | biostudies-literature
Project description:ObjectiveTo assess the projected effect of the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services new site-neutral payment policy, which aims to decrease unnecessary long-term acute care hospital (LTACH) admissions by reducing reimbursements for less-ill individuals by 2020.DesignObservational.SettingNational 5% Medicare data (2011-12).MeasurementsWe examined the proportion of site-neutral LTACH admissions. Regional LTACH market supply was defined as LTACH beds per 100,000 residents, categorized according to tertile. We conducted a hospital-level analysis to compare the projected effect of site-neutral payment on "propensity score" matched high- and low-LTACH-use hospitals.ResultsForty-one percent of LTACH admissions would be subjected to site-neutral payment. The proportion of site-neutral admissions was large, varied considerably according to LTACH (median 40%, interquartile range 22-60%), and was only modestly greater with greater market supply (Pearson correlation coefficient=0.23, p<.001; coefficient of determination=0.10). The site-neutral payment policy would affect 47% of admissions from the highest-supply regions, versus 30% from the lowest-supply regions (p<.001); and 43% from high-use hospitals versus 36% from propensity score-matched low-use hospitals (p<.001).ConclusionA considerable proportion of LTACH admissions will be subjected to lower site-neutral payments. Although the policy will disproportionately affect high-use regions and hospitals, it will also affect nearly one-third of the current LTACH population from low-use hospitals and regions. As such, the site-neutral payment policy may limit LTACH access in existing LTAC-scarce markets, with potential adverse implications for recovery of hospitalized older adults. J Am Geriatr Soc 66:2104-2111, 2018.
| S-EPMC6382068 | biostudies-literature
Project description:BackgroundLong-term acute care hospital (LTACH) use varies considerably across the U.S., which may reflect uncertainty about the effectiveness of LTACHs vs. skilled nursing facilities (SNF), the principal post-acute care alternative. Given that LTACHs provide more intensive care and thus receive over triple the reimbursement of SNFs for comparable diagnoses, we sought to compare outcomes and spending between LTACH versus SNF transfer.MethodsUsing Medicare claims linked to electronic health record (EHR) data from six Texas Hospitals between 2009 and 2010, we conducted a retrospective cohort study of patients hospitalized on a medicine service in a high-LTACH use region and discharged to either an LTACH or SNF and followed for one year. The primary outcomes included mortality, 60-day recovery without inpatient care, days at home, and healthcare spending RESULTS: Of 3503 patients, 18% were transferred to an LTACH. Patients transferred to LTACHs were younger (median 71 vs. 82 years), less likely to be female (50.5 vs 66.6%) and white (69.0 vs. 84.1%), but were sicker (24.3 vs. 14.2% for prolonged intensive care unit stay; median diagnosis resource intensity weight of 2.03 vs. 1.38). In unadjusted analyses, patients transferred to an LTACH vs. SNF were less likely to survive (59.1 vs. 65.0%) or recover (62.5 vs 66.0%), and spent fewer days at home (186 vs. 200). Adjusting for demographic and clinical confounders available in Medicare claims and EHR data, LTACH transfer was not significantly associated with differences in mortality (HR, 1.12, 95% CI, 0.94-1.33), recovery (SHR, 1.07, 0.93-1.23), and days spent at home (IRR, 0.96, 0.83-1.10), but was associated with greater Medicare spending ($16,689 for one year, 95% CI, $12,216-$21,162).ConclusionLTACH transfer for Medicare beneficiaries is associated with similar clinical outcomes but with higher healthcare spending compared to SNF transfer. LTACH use should be reserved for patients who require complex inpatient care and cannot be cared for in SNFs.
| S-EPMC7656509 | biostudies-literature
Project description:ObjectivesTo describe the clinical characteristics and outcomes of adult patients with coronavirus disease 2019 requiring weaning from prolonged mechanical ventilation.DesignObservational cohort study of patients admitted to two long-term acute care hospitals from April 1, 2020, to March 31, 2021.SettingTwo long-term acute care hospitals specialized in weaning from prolonged mechanical ventilation in the Chicagoland area, Illinois, United States.PatientsAdult (≥ 18 yr old) ICU survivors of respiratory failure caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 pneumonia receiving prolonged mechanical ventilation.InterventionsNone.Measurements and main resultsDuring the study period, 158 consecutive patients were transferred to the long-term acute care hospitals for weaning from prolonged ventilation. Demographic, clinical, and laboratory data were collected and analyzed. Final date of follow-up was June 1, 2021. Prior to long-term acute care hospital transfer, median length of stay at the acute care hospital was 41.0 days and median number of ventilator days was 35. Median age was 60.0 years, 34.8% of patients were women, 91.8% had a least one comorbidity, most commonly hypertension (65.8%) and diabetes (53.2%). The percentage of weaning success was 70.9%. The median duration of successful weaning was 8 days. Mortality was 9.6%. As of June 1, 2021, 19.0% of patients had been discharged home, 70.3% had been discharged to other facilities, and 1.3% were still in the long-term acute care hospitals.ConclusionsMost patients with coronavirus disease 2019 transferred to two Chicago-area long-term acute care hospitals successfully weaned from prolonged mechanical ventilation.
| S-EPMC8796832 | biostudies-literature