Long-Term Care Resident Health and Quality of Care During the COVID-19 Pandemic: A Synthesis Analysis of Canadian Institute for Health Information Data Tables
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ABSTRACT: Objective:
Long-term care (LTC) homes (“nursing homes”) were challenged during the first
SUBMITTER: Turcotte L
PROVIDER: S-EPMC10196682 | biostudies-literature | 2023 Jan
REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature
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Project description:BackgroundThe precautions and restrictions imposed by the recent Covid-19 pandemic drew attention to the criticality of quality of care in long-term care facilities internationally, and in Canada. They also underscored the importance of residents' quality of life. In deference to the risk mitigation measures in Canadian long-term care settings during Covid-19, some person-centred, quality of life policies were paused, unused, or under-utilised. This study aimed to interrogate these existing but latent policies, to capture their potentiality in terms of positively influencing the quality of life of residents in long-term care in Canada.MethodsThe study analysed policies related to quality of life of long-term care residents in four Canadian provinces (British Columbia, Alberta, Ontario, and Nova Scotia). Three policy orientations were framed utilising a comparative approach: situational (environmental conditions), structural (organisational content), and temporal (developmental trajectories). 84 long term care policies were reviewed, relating to different policy jurisdictions, policy types, and quality of life domains.ResultsOverall, the intersection of jurisdiction, policy types, and quality of life domains confirms that some policies, particularly safety, security and order, may be prioritised in different types of policy documents, and over other quality of life domains. Alternatively, the presence of a resident focused quality of life in many policies affirms the cultural shift towards greater person-centredness. These findings are both explicit and implicit, and mediated through the expression of individual policy excerpts.ConclusionThe analysis provides substantive evidence of three key policy levers: situations-providing specific examples of resident focused quality of life policy overshadowing in each jurisdiction; structures-identifying which types of policy and quality of life expressions are more vulnerable to dominance by others; and trajectories-confirming the cultural shift towards more person-centredness in Canadian long-term care related policies over time. It also demonstrates and contextualises examples of policy slippage, differential policy weights, and cultural shifts across existing policies. When applied within a resident focused, quality of life lens, these policies can be leveraged to improve extant resource utilisation. Consequently, the study provides a timely, positive, forward-facing roadmap upon which to enhance and build policies that capitalise and enable person-centredness in the provision of long-term care in Canada.
| S-EPMC10252178 | biostudies-literature
Project description:BACKGROUND:A small proportion of the population consumes the majority of health care resources. High-cost health care users are a heterogeneous group. We aim to segment a provincial population into relevant homogenous sub-groups to provide actionable information on risk factors associated with high-cost health care use within sub-populations. METHODS:The Canadian Institute for Health Information (CIHI) Population Grouping methodology was used to define mutually exclusive and clinically relevant health profile sub-groups. High-cost users (> = 90th percentile of health care spending) were defined within each sub-group. Univariate analyses explored demographic, socio-economic status, health status and health care utilization variables associated with high-cost use. Multivariable logistic regression models were constructed for the costliest health profile groups. RESULTS:From 2015 to 2017, 1,175,147 individuals were identified for study. High-cost users consumed 41% of total health care resources. Average annual health care spending for individuals not high-cost were $642; high-cost users were $16,316. The costliest health profile groups were 'long-term care', 'palliative', 'major acute', 'major chronic', 'major cancer', 'major newborn', 'major mental health' and 'moderate chronic'. Both 'major acute' and 'major cancer' health profile groups were largely explained by measures of health care utilization and multi-morbidity. In the remaining costliest health profile groups modelled, 'major chronic', 'moderate chronic', 'major newborn' and 'other mental health', a measure of socio-economic status, low neighbourhood income, was statistically significantly associated with high-cost use. INTERPRETATION:Model results point to specific, actionable information within clinically meaningful subgroups to reduce high-cost health care use. Health equity, specifically low socio-economic status, was statistically significantly associated with high-cost use in the majority of health profile sub-groups. Population segmentation methods, and more specifically, the CIHI Population Grouping Methodology, provide specificity to high-cost health care use; informing interventions aimed at reducing health care costs and improving population health.
| S-EPMC6842471 | biostudies-literature
Project description:A wide array of sophisticated information technology (IT) systems are being used in nursing home (NH) resident care to improve quality. The purpose of the current study was to explore differences in NH IT sophistication, a comprehensive measure of adoption, used in resident care processes based on facility characteristics over 4 consecutive years and to examine the impact on select long-stay NH quality measures. Results indicate IT systems used in resident care are becoming increasingly sophisticated. NH bed size, type of ownership, and location were significant predictors of IT score in areas related to resident care. Results also suggest that as electronic clinical processes and documents increase (e.g., incident reporting, nursing flowsheets, care planning) in resident care, more falls with injury are detected. Continued assessments of NH IT sophistication are important as the impact of technology on quality continues to be evaluated. [Journal of Gerontological Nursing, 46(4), 15-20.].
| S-EPMC9335303 | biostudies-literature
Project description:Purpose of the studyAlthough there is substantial research on quality of care in nursing homes (NH), less is known about what contributes to quality of life (QOL) for NH residents. This study assesses multiple domains of QOL and examines facility- and resident-level correlates for different domains.Design and methodsData come from (a) self-reported resident interviews using a multidimensional measure of QOL; (b) resident clinical data from the Minimum Data Set; and (c) facility-level characteristics from Minnesota Department of Human Services. We used factor analysis to confirm domains of QOL, and then employed cross-sectional hierarchical linear modeling to identify significant resident- and facility-level predictors of each domain.ResultsWe examined six unique domains of QOL: environment, personal attention, food, engagement, negative mood, and positive mood. In multilevel models, resident-level characteristics were more reliable correlates of QOL than facility characteristics. Among resident characteristics, gender, age, marital status, activities of daily living, mood disorders, cognitive limitations, and length of stay consistently predicted QOL domains. Among facility characteristics, size, staff hours, quality of care, and percent of residents on Medicaid predicted multiple QOL domains.ImplicationsExamining separate domains rather than a single summary score makes associations with predictors more accurate. Resident characteristics account for the majority of variability in resident QOL. Helping residents maintain functional abilities, and providing an engaging social environment may be particularly important in improving QOL.
| S-EPMC4542585 | biostudies-literature
Project description:BackgroundOur purpose is to provide evidence that health information technology should be a mainstay of all future health and social support services for older people globally, both within and across community and residential care services.MethodsThis work was conducted in two phases. In phase I, the authors conducted a focused exploration by selecting a convenience sample of four long term care health information technology roadmaps, developed by members of four different long term care health information technology collaboratives in United States, Australia, United Kingdom, and New Zealand. During Phase II the research team carried out an extensive systematic review of existing literature sources (2000-2018) to support roadmap assumptions.ResultsUsing converging domains and content, we offer recommendations among five aged care roadmap domains: Strategy/Vision, Continuing Care Community, Services and Support Provided, External Clinical Support, and Administrative. Within these domains we provide recommendations in five content areas: Innovation, Policy, Evaluation, Delivery Systems and Human Resources. We recommend future strategies for LTC HIT roadmaps that include 61 emphasis areas in aged care in these content areas and domains.ConclusionsThe roadmap provides a navigation tool for LTC leaders to take a strategic and comprehensive approach as they harness the potential of health information technologies to address the challenges and opportunities of LTC in the future.
| S-EPMC7340178 | biostudies-literature
Project description:By the year 2020, potentially one-half a million hematopoietic cell transplant (HCT) recipients will need long-term follow-up care to address not only chronic GvHD but also multiple other late consequences of transplant. Despite this increase in patients, there will not be a concomitant increase in the HCT workforce. Thus, the future of long-term patient management will require a new 'next-generation' clinical model that utilizes technological solutions to make the care of the HCT patient efficient, safe and cost-effective. Guideline-based decision support will be embedded in clinical workflows. Documentation requirements will be reduced as automated data collection from electronic medical records (EMRs) will populate registries and provide feedback for a rapid learning health system. Interoperable EMRs will disseminate treatment protocols to multiple care providers in a distributed long-term clinic model, such that providers outside of the transplant center can provide services closer to the patient. Patients will increase their participatory role through patient portals and mobile devices. At Vanderbilt, we have responded to some of these future challenges by embedding guideline-based decision support, structuring clinical documentation and being early adopters of communication technology. This manuscript describes the current state of some of these innovations, and a vision for the future of the long-term transplant clinic.
| S-EPMC4915825 | biostudies-literature
Project description:ObjectivesTo examine how the COVID-19 pandemic affected the demographic and clinical characteristics, in-hospital care, and outcomes of long-term care residents admitted to general medicine wards for non-COVID-19 reasons.MethodsWe conducted a retrospective cohort study of long-term care residents admitted to general medicine wards, for reasons other than COVID-19, in four hospitals in Toronto, Ontario between January 1, 2018 and December 31, 2020. We used an autoregressive linear model to estimate the change in monthly admission volumes during the pandemic period (March-December 2020) compared to the previous two years, adjusting for any secular trend. We summarized and compared differences in the demographics, comorbidities, interventions, diagnoses, imaging, psychoactive medications, and outcomes of residents before and during the pandemic.ResultsOur study included 2,654 long-term care residents who were hospitalized for non-COVID-19 reasons between January 2018 and December 2020. The crude rate of hospitalizations was 79.3 per month between March-December of 2018-2019 and 56.5 per month between March-December of 2020. The was an adjusted absolute difference of 27.0 (95% CI: 10.0, 43.9) fewer hospital admissions during the pandemic period, corresponding to a relative drop of 34%. Residents admitted during the pandemic period had similar demographics and clinical characteristics but were more likely to be admitted for delirium (pandemic: 7% pre-pandemic: 5%, p = 0.01) and were less likely to be admitted for pneumonia (pandemic: 3% pre-pandemic: 6%, p = 0.004). Residents admitted during the pandemic were more likely to be prescribed antipsychotics (pandemic: 37%, pre-pandemic: 29%, p <0.001) and more likely to die in-hospital (pandemic:14% pre-pandemic: 10%, p = 0.04).Conclusions and implicationsBetter integration between long-term care and hospitals systems, including programs to deliver urgent medical care services within long-term care homes, is needed to ensure that long-term care residents maintain equitable access to acute care during current and future public health emergencies.
| S-EPMC9635742 | biostudies-literature
Project description:Background:Older adults living in long-term care (LTC) are nutritionally vulnerable. The purpose of this study was to determine diet quality of Canadian LTC residents and its association with malnutrition and low calf circumference. Methods:A cross-sectional study was undertaken in 32 LTC homes across four Canadian provinces. Nutrient adequacy ratios (NARs) were calculated for seventeen nutrients; mean adequacy ratio (MAR) was calculated to describe overall diet quality. Malnutrition risk was assessed with the Mini Nutritional Assessment-Short Form (MNA-SF) and diagnosis of protein/energy malnutrition with the Patient-Generated Subjective Global Assessment (PG-SGA). Calf circumference (CC) was also assessed. Linear and logistic regressions for these outcomes with diet quality as the predictor were conducted adjusting for covariates. Results:Average MNA-SF score was 10.7?±?2.5. Residents (43.5%) had mild/moderate to severe malnutrition based on the PG-SGA and 32.6% had a CC of <?31?cm. Mean MAR score was 0.79?±?0.09 with significant differences between those requiring eating assistance (0.77?±?0.11) and those that did not require assistance (0.80?±?0.07) (p?<?.05). MAR score was significantly associated with malnutrition in fully adjusted models: MNA-SF scores [??=?5.34, 95% Confidence interval (CI) (2.81, 7.85)] and PG-SGA [Odds ratio (OR)?=?0.49, 95% CI (0.38, 0.64)]. Those who had better diet quality were more likely to be well nourished or not at risk. Although several individual nutrients were associated with low CC (<?31?cm), there was no association between overall diet quality (MAR) and low CC. Conclusions:Diet quality is associated with malnutrition and individual nutrients (NARs) with a low CC. In addition to calories and protein, nutrient dense diets that promote adequate micronutrient intake are required in LTC.
| S-EPMC7050926 | biostudies-literature
Project description:BackgroundThe COVID-19 pandemic and pandemic response created novel challenges for abortion services. Canada was uniquely positioned to transition to telemedicine because internationally common restrictions on abortion medication were removed before the pandemic.ObjectiveWe sought to characterize the experiences of abortion health care professionals in Canada during the COVID-19 pandemic and the impact of the pandemic response on abortion services.MethodsWe conducted a sequential mixed methods study between July 2020 and January 2021. We invited physicians, nurse practitioners and administrators to participate in a cross-sectional survey containing an open-ended question about the impact of the pandemic response on abortion care. We employed an inductive codebook thematic analysis, which informed the development of a second, primarily quantitative survey.ResultsOur initial survey had 307 respondents and our second had 78. Fifty-three percent were family physicians. Our first survey found respondents considered abortion access essential. We identified three key topicss: access to abortion care was often maintained despite pandemic-related challenges (e.g. difficulty obtaining tests, additional costs); change of practice to low-touch medication abortion care and provider perceptions of patient experience, including shifting demand, telemedicine acceptability and increased rural access. The second survey indicated uptake of telemedicine medication abortion among 89% of participants except in Quebec, where regulations meant procedures were nearly exclusively surgical. Restrictions did not delay care according to 76% of participants.ConclusionsCanadian health care professionals report their facilities deemed abortion an essential service. Provinces and territories, except Quebec, described a robust pandemic transition to telemedicine to ensure access to services.PodcastAn accompanying podcast is available in the Supplementary Data, in which the authors Dr Madeleine Ennis and Kate Wahl discuss their research on how family planning care and access to abortion services have changed during the COVID-19 pandemic.
| S-EPMC8414916 | biostudies-literature
Project description:Today's health care environment encourages health care consumers to take an active role in managing their health. As digital natives, young educated adults do much of their health information management through the Internet and consider it a valid source of health advice. However, the quality of information on health websites is highly variable and dynamic. Little is known about the understandings and perceptions that young educated adults have garnered on the quality of information on health websites used for health care-related purposes.To fill this gap, the aim of this study was to develop a conceptual framework of health website information quality with quality dimensions (ie, criteria) and associated quality drivers (ie, attributes) specified in the context of young educated adults' use of health websites for health care-related purposes. This aim was achieved by (1) identifying information quality dimensions of health websites from the perspective of young educated adults; (2) identifying the importance ratings of these quality dimensions; and (3) constructing a framework of health website information quality with quality dimensions and associated drivers specified in the context of young educated adults' use of health websites for health care-related purposes.The study employed both qualitative and quantitative methods. Methods included semistructured group interviews and an individual quality assessment exercise grounded in visiting various websites and responding to Likert scale questions regarding the importance ratings of information quality dimensions and open-ended questions with specifying website quality drivers. Study participants included junior and senior undergraduate and graduate students in business, allied health, and public health majors. Qualitative, open-coding procedures were used to develop the conceptual framework reflecting the participants' means of assessing information quality on health websites.Five dimensions of information quality for health websites were identified: Completeness of information, Understandability of information, Relevance of information, Depth of information, and Accuracy of information. Completeness of information and Understandability of information were rated as the two most important quality dimensions by the study participants. Results indicated that these five information quality dimensions for health websites were supported by the following main driver themes: Content, Design, Links, Consumer resources, Search functionality, Supporting references, User focus, Content FAQ, Open access, Policy statements, and Site performance.This study contributes to the literature by developing a health website information quality conceptual framework with quality dimensions and associated drivers specified for a young educated adult population. The detailed quality drivers supporting the corresponding quality dimensions provide a rich picture of young educated adults' perceptions on health website information quality. This framework can be used to guide the development of health websites, as well as the foundation for a means to evaluate health information from existing health websites with young educated adults as the target audience.
| S-EPMC5650677 | biostudies-other