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A qualitative exploration of the discharge process and factors predisposing to readmissions to the intensive care unit.

ABSTRACT: Quantitative studies have demonstrated several factors predictive of readmissions to intensive care. Clinical decision tools, derived from these factors have failed to reduce readmission rates. The purpose of this study was to qualitatively explore the experiences and perceptions of physicians and nurses to gain more insight into intensive care readmissions.Semi-structured interviews of intensive care unit (ICU) and general medicine care providers explored work routines, understanding and perceptions of the discharge process, and readmissions to intensive care. Participants included ten providers from the ICU setting, including nurses (n?=?5), consultant intensivists (n?=?2), critical care fellows (n?=?3) and 9 providers from the general medical setting, nurses (n?=?4), consulting physicians (n?=?2) and senior resident physicians (n?=?3). Principles of grounded theory were used to analyze the interview transcripts.Nine factors within four broad themes were identified: (1) patient factors - severity-of-illness and undefined goals of care; (2) process factors - communication, transitions of care; (3) provider factors - discharge decision-making, provider experience and comfort level; (4) organizational factors - resource constraints, institutional policies.Severe illness predisposes ICU patients to readmission, especially when goals of care were not adequately addressed. Communication, premature discharge, and other factors, mostly unrelated to the patient were also perceived by physicians and nurses to be associated with readmissions to intensive care. Quality improvement efforts that focus on modifying or improving aspects of non-patient factors may improve outcomes for patients at risk of ICU readmission.

SUBMITTER: Ofoma UR

PROVIDER: S-EPMC5755430 | biostudies-literature | 2018 Jan

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature

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A qualitative exploration of the discharge process and factors predisposing to readmissions to the intensive care unit.

Ofoma Uchenna R UR Dong Yue Y Gajic Ognjen O Pickering Brian W BW

BMC health services research 20180105 1

<h4>Background</h4>Quantitative studies have demonstrated several factors predictive of readmissions to intensive care. Clinical decision tools, derived from these factors have failed to reduce readmission rates. The purpose of this study was to qualitatively explore the experiences and perceptions of physicians and nurses to gain more insight into intensive care readmissions.<h4>Methods</h4>Semi-structured interviews of intensive care unit (ICU) and general medicine care providers explored work ...[more]

PMID: 29304857

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Project description:BACKGROUND:Most U.S. academic medical centers employ "closed" intensive care units (ICUs), where critically ill patients are admitted under the supervision of intensivists managing dedicated ICU teams. Some centers utilize a unique "open" ICU structure, where primary services longitudinally follow patients who become critically ill into the ICU with intensivist comanagement. The impact of open ICUs on patient care and education of trainees has not been well-characterized. OBJECTIVE:The objective of this study is to characterize affordances and barriers to education and patient care, from the perspectives of hospitalists and intensivists teaching in the ICU. DESIGN:We conducted semi-structured interviews with hospitalist and intensivist faculty at a large academic medical center with an open ICU structure. We coded deidentified interview transcripts to inductively analyze the data for themes and subthemes. PARTICIPANTS:We recruited hospitalist and intensivist faculty members who attend on teaching services in the open ICU system. APPROACH:Given the complexity of multiple teachers and learners in the ICU environment, we selected shared mental models as our primary theoretical lens through which we analyzed and interpreted our data. KEY RESULTS:We identified three main themes regarding education in the open ICU system: (1) communication challenges, (2) educational barriers and affordances, and (3) structural barriers and affordances. Hospitalists and intensivists agreed on some barriers and facilitators to education, such as continuity of care, yet they disagreed on others. Specifically, hospitalists and intensivists had a shared mental model regarding barriers to patient care and education in the open ICU structure, but had divergent opinions regarding the affordances of the structure, such as continuity and availability of ICU expertise. CONCLUSIONS:The open ICU environment presents facilitators and barriers to trainee education and patient care. Our findings can be leveraged to improve communication, education, and patient care on both hospitalist and ICU teams.

Project description:PurposeTo systematically review and evaluate the effectiveness of interventions in order to improve the safety and efficiency of patient handover between intensive care unit (ICU) and general ward healthcare professionals at ICU discharge.MethodsPubMed, CINAHL, PsycINFO, EMBASE, Web of Science, and the Cochrane Library were searched for intervention studies with the aim to improve clinical handover between ICU and general ward healthcare professionals that had been published up to and including June 2013. The methods for article inclusion and data analysis were pre-specified and aligned with recommendations outlined in the PRISMA guideline. Two reviewers independently extracted data (study purpose, setting, population, method of sampling, sample size, intervention characteristics, outcome, and implementation activities) and assessed the quality of the included studies.ResultsFrom the 6,591 citations initially extracted from the six databases, we included 11 studies in this review. Of these, six (55 %) reported statistically significant effects. Effective interventions included liaison nurses to improve communication and coordination of care and forms to facilitate timely, complete and accurate handover information. Effective interventions resulted in improved continuity of care (e.g., reduced discharge delay) and in reduced adverse events. Inconsistent effects were observed for use of care, namely, reduction of length of stay versus increase of readmissions to higher care. No statistically significant effects were found in the reduction of mortality. The overall methodological quality of the 11 studies reviewed was relatively low, with an average score of 4.5 out of 11 points.ConclusionsThis review shows that liaison nurses and handover forms are promising interventions to improve the quality of patient handover between the ICU and general ward. More robust evidence is needed on the effectiveness of interventions aiming to improve ICU handover and supportive implementation strategies.

Project description:ImportanceDelays in transfer for discharge-ready patients from the intensive care unit (ICU) are increasingly described and contribute to strained capacity.ObjectiveTo describe the epidemiological features and health care costs attributable to potentially avoidable delays in ICU discharge in a large integrated health care system.Design, setting, and participantsThis population-based cohort study was performed in 17 adult ICUs in Alberta, Canada, from June 19, 2012, to December 31, 2016. Participants were patients 15 years or older admitted to a study ICU during the study period. Data were analyzed from October 19, 2018, to May 20, 2020.ExposuresAvoidable time in the ICU, defined as the portion of total ICU patient-days accounted for by avoidable delay in ICU discharge (eg, waiting for a ward bed).Main outcomes and measuresThe primary outcome was health care costs attributable to avoidable time in the ICU. Secondary outcomes were factors associated with avoidable time, in-hospital mortality, and measures of use of health care resources, including the number of hours in the ICU and the number of days of hospitalization. Multilevel mixed multivariable regression was used to assess associations between avoidable time and outcomes.ResultsIn total, 28 904 patients (mean [SD] age, 58.3 [16.8] years; 18 030 male [62.4%]) were included. Of these, 19 964 patients (69.1%) had avoidable time during their ICU admission. The median avoidable time per patient was 7.2 (interquartile range, 2.4-27.7) hours. In multivariable analysis, male sex (odds ratio [OR], 0.92; 95% CI, 0.87-0.98), comorbid hemiplegia or paraplegia (OR 1.47; 95% CI, 1.23-1.75), liver disease (OR 1.20; 95% CI, 1.04-1.37), admission Acute Physiology and Chronic Health Evaluation II score (OR, 1.03; 95% CI, 1.02-1.03), surgical status (OR, 0.90; 95% CI, 0.82-0.98), medium community hospital type (OR, 0.12; 95% CI, 0.04-0.32), and admission year (OR, 1.16; 95% CI, 1.13-1.19) were associated with avoidable time. The cumulative avoidable time was 19 373.9 days, with estimated attributable costs of CAD$34 323 522. Avoidable time accounted for 12.8% of total ICU bed-days and 6.4% of total ICU costs. Patients with avoidable time before ICU discharge showed higher unadjusted in-hospital mortality (1115 [5.6%] vs 392 [4.4%]; P < .001); however, in multivariable analysis, avoidable time was associated with reduced in-hospital mortality (adjusted hazard ratio, 0.74; 95% CI, 0.64-0.85). Results were similar in sensitivity analyses.Conclusions and relevanceIn this study, potentially avoidable discharge delay occurred for most patients admitted to ICUs across a large integrated health system and translated into substantial associated health care costs.

Project description:PurposeThe final decision for discharge from the intensive care unit (ICU) is uncertain because it is made according to various patient parameters; however, it should be made on an objective evaluation. Previous reports have been inconsistent and unreliable in predicting post-ICU mortality. To identify predictive factors associated with post-ICU mortality, we analyzed physiological and laboratory data at ICU discharge.MethodsPatients admitted to our ICU between September 2012 and August 2013 and staying for critical care>2 days were included. Sequential Organ Failure Assessment (SOFA) score; systemic inflammatory response syndrome score; white blood cell count; and serum C reactive protein, procalcitonin (PCT), interleukin-6 (IL-6), lactate, albumin, and hemoglobin levels were recorded. The primary end point was 90-day mortality after ICU discharge. Two hundred eighteen patients were enrolled (195 survivors, 23 non-survivors).ResultsNon-survivors presented a higher SOFA score and serum PCT, and IL-6 levels, as well as lower serum albumin and hemoglobin levels. Serum PCT, albumin, and SOFA score were associated with 90-day mortality in multiple logistic regression analysis. Hosmer-Lemeshow test showed chi-square value of 6.96, and P value of 0.54. The area under the curve (95% confidence interval) was 0.830 (0.771-0.890) for PCT, 0.688 (0.566-0.810) for albumin, 0.861 (0.796-0.927) for SOFA score, and increased to 0.913 (0.858-0.969) when these were combined. Serum PCT level at 0.57 ng/mL, serum albumin at 2.5 g/dL and SOFA score at 5.5 predict 90-day mortality, and high PCT, low albumin and high SOFA groups had significantly higher mortality. Serum PCT and SOFA score were significantly associated with survival days after ICU discharge in Cox regression analysis.ConclusionsSerum PCT level and SOFA score at ICU discharge predict post-ICU mortality and survival days after ICU discharge. The combination of these two and albumin level might enable accurate prediction.

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A qualitative exploration of the discharge process and factors predisposing to readmissions to the intensive care unit.

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A qualitative exploration of the discharge process and factors predisposing to readmissions to the intensive care unit.

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