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Automated telephone follow-up programs after hospital discharge: Do older adults engage with these programs?

ABSTRACT: Health systems have developed automated telephone call programs to screen and triage patients' post-hospital discharge issues and concerns. The aims of our study were to determine whether and how older adults engage with automated post-hospital discharge telephone programs and to describe the prevalence of patient-reported post-discharge issues. We identified all telephone calls made by an urban academic medical center as part of a post-hospital discharge program between May 1, 2018 and April 30, 2019. The program used automated telephone outreach to patients or their caregivers that included 11 distinct steps 3 days post-discharge. All adults discharged home from the hospital, were included, and we categorized patients into ≤64 years, 65-84 years, and ≥85 years age groups. We then compared call reach rate, completeness of 11-step calls and patient-reported issues between age groups. Eighteen thousand and seventy six patients were included. More patients 65-84 years old were reached compared to patients ≤64 years old (84.3% vs. 78.9%, AME 5.52%; 95%CI: 3.58%-7.45%). Completion rates of automated calls for those ≥85 years old were also high. Patients ≥85 years old were more likely to have questions about their follow-up plans and need assistance scheduling appointments compared to those ≤64 years old (19.0% vs. 11.9%, AME 7.0% (95%CI: 2.7%-11.3%). Post-hospital automated telephone calls are feasible and effective at reaching older adults. Future work should focus on improving discharge communication to ensure older adults are aware of their follow-up plan and appointments.

SUBMITTER: Harrison JD

PROVIDER: S-EPMC9588657 | biostudies-literature | 2022 Oct

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature

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Automated telephone follow-up programs after hospital discharge: Do older adults engage with these programs?

Harrison James D JD Sudore Rebecca L RL Auerbach Andrew D AD Shah Sachin S Oreper Sandra S Wheeler Margaret Meg MM Fang Margaret C MC

Journal of the American Geriatrics Society 20220629 10

<h4>Background</h4>Health systems have developed automated telephone call programs to screen and triage patients' post-hospital discharge issues and concerns. The aims of our study were to determine whether and how older adults engage with automated post-hospital discharge telephone programs and to describe the prevalence of patient-reported post-discharge issues.<h4>Methods</h4>We identified all telephone calls made by an urban academic medical center as part of a post-hospital discharge progra ...[more]

PMID: 35767470

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Project description:Background/objectivesTelephone follow-up calls could optimize the transition from the emergency department (ED) to home for older patients. However, the effects on hospital return rates are not clear. We investigated whether telephone follow-up reduces unplanned hospitalizations and/or unplanned ED return visits within 30 days of ED discharge.DesignPragmatic randomized controlled trial with allocation by month; odd months intervention group, even months control group.SettingTwo ED locations of a non-academic teaching hospital in The Netherlands.ParticipantsCommunity-dwelling adults aged ≥70 years, discharged home from the ED were randomized to the intervention group (N = 4732) or control group (N = 5104).InterventionIntervention group patients: semi-scripted telephone call from an ED nurse within 24 h after discharge to identify post-discharge problems and review discharge instructions. Control group patients: scripted satisfaction survey telephone call.MeasurementsPrimary outcome: total number of unplanned hospitalizations and/or ED return visits within 30 days of ED discharge.Secondary outcomesseparate numbers of unplanned hospitalizations and ED return visits. Subgroup analysis by age, sex, living condition, and degree of crowding in the ED at discharge.ResultsOverall, 42% were males, and median age was 78 years. In the intervention group, 1516 of 4732 patients (32%) consented, and in the control group 1659 of 5104 (33%) patients. Unplanned 30-day hospitalization and/or ED return visit was found in 16% of intervention group patients and 14% of control group patients (odds ratio 1.16; 95% confidence interval: 0.96-1.42). Also, no statistically significant differences were found in secondary outcome measures. Within the subgroups, the intervention did not have beneficial effects for the intervention group.ConclusionTelephone follow-up after ED discharge in older patients did not result in reduction of unplanned hospital admissions and/or ED return visits within 30 days. These results raise the question of whether other outcomes could be improved by post-discharge ED telephone follow-up.

Project description:BackgroundThe continued increase in hospital admissions is a significant and complex issue facing health services. There is little research exploring patient perspectives or examining individual admissions among patients with frequent admissions for chronic ambulatory care sensitive (ACS) conditions. This paper aims to describe characteristics of older, rural patients frequently admitted with ACS conditions and identify factors associated with their admissions from the patient perspective.MethodsPatients aged 65+ resident in North Coast NSW with three or more admissions for selected ACS chronic conditions within a 12 month period, were invited to participate in a postal survey and follow up telephone call. Survey and telephone data were linked to admission and health service program data. Descriptive statistics were generated for survey respondents; logistic regression models developed to compare characteristics of patients with 3 or with 4+ admissions; and comparisons made between survey respondents and non-respondents.ResultsSurvey respondents (n=102) had a mean age of 77.1 years (range 66-95 years), and a mean of 4.1 admissions within 12 months; 49% had at least three chronic conditions; the majority had low socioeconomic status; one in five (22%) reported some difficulty affording their medication; and 35% lived alone. The majority reported psychological distress with 31% having moderate or severe psychological distress. While all had a GP, only 38% reported having a written GP care plan. 22% of those who needed regular help with daily tasks did not have a close friend or relative who regularly cared for them. Factors independently associated with more frequent (n=4+) relative to less frequent (n=3) admissions included having congestive heart failure (p=0.003), higher social isolation scores (p=0.040) and higher Charlson Comorbidity Index scores (p=0.049). Most respondents (61%) felt there was nothing that could have avoided their most recent admission, although some potential avoidability of admission was described around medication and health behaviours. Respondents were younger and less sick than non-respondents.ConclusionsThis study provides a detailed description of older patients with multiple chronic conditions and a history of frequent admission in rural Australia. Our results suggest that programs targeting medication use, health behaviours and social isolation may help reduce multiple hospital admissions for chronic disease.

Project description:Rehospitalizations within 30 days of discharge are responsible for a large portion of healthcare spending. One approach to preventing rehospitalizations is early follow-up, usually defined as an office visit with a primary care physician within 7 days of discharge--an approach that is being incentivized by health plans. However, evidence regarding its effectiveness is limited.We aimed to determine whether an office visit with a primary care physician within 7 days after discharge is associated with 30-day rehospitalization.This was an observational study set within a randomized trial.The study included patients age 65 and older receiving care from a multi-specialty group practice and discharged from hospital to home between 26 August 2010 and 25 August 2011. To control for confounding, we identified characteristics of patients and hospital stays that are predictive of rehospitalization, and also developed high-dimensional propensity scores. Analyses used Cox proportional hazards models and took into account varying amounts of opportunity time for office visits.We looked at 30-day rehospitalizations at any hospital.Of 3,661 patients discharged to home during the study year, 707 (19.3%) were rehospitalized within 30 days. Patients receiving an office visit within 7 days numbered 1,808 (49.4%), and of these, 1,000 (27.3%) were with a primary care physician. In models predicting rehospitalization, stratified on deciles of propensity score and controlling for additional confounders, the hazard ratios associated with office visits with a primary care physician within 7 days were 0.98 (95% CI 0.80, 1.21); for visits with any physician, the hazard ratio was HR 1.04, (95% CI 0.87, 1.25).We found no protective effect for office visits within 7 days. Such visits may need to be specifically focused on a range of issues related to the specific reasons why patients are rehospitalized. It is likely that outpatient visits will need to be set within comprehensive transition programs.

Project description:BackgroundFunctional decline is common following acute hospitalization and is associated with hospital readmission, institutionalization, and mortality. People with functional decline may have difficulty accessing post-discharge medical care, even though early physician follow-up has the potential to prevent poor outcomes and is integral to high-quality transitional care. We sought to determine whether recent functional decline was associated with lower rates of post-discharge physician follow-up, and whether this association changed during the COVID-19 pandemic, given that both functional decline and COVID-19 may affect access to post-discharge care.MethodWe conducted a retrospective cohort study using health administrative data from Ontario, Canada. We included patients over 65 who were discharged from an acute care facility during March 1st, 2019 - January 31st, 2020 (pre-COVID-19 period), and March 1st, 2020 - January 31st, 2021 (COVID-19 period), and who were assessed for home care while in hospital. Patients with and without functional decline were compared. Our primary outcome was any physician follow-up visit within 7 days of discharge. We used propensity score weighting to compare outcomes between those with and without functional decline.ResultsOur study included 21,771 (pre-COVID) and 17,248 (COVID) hospitalized patients, of whom 15,637 (71.8%) and 12,965 (75.2%) had recent functional decline. Pre-COVID, there was no difference in physician follow-up within 7 days of discharge (Functional decline 45.0% vs. No functional decline 44.0%; RR = 1.02, 95% CI 0.98-1.06). These results did not change in the COVID-19 period (Functional decline 51.1% vs. No functional decline 49.4%; RR = 1.03, 95% CI 0.99-1.08, Z-test for interaction p = 0.72). In the COVID-19 cohort, functional decline was associated with having a 7-day physician virtual visit (RR 1.15; 95% CI 1.08-1.24) and a 7-day physician home visit (RR 1.64; 95% CI 1.10-2.43).ConclusionsFunctional decline was not associated with reduced 7-day post-discharge physician follow-up in either the pre-COVID-19 or COVID-19 periods. In the COVID-19 period, functional decline was positively associated with 7-day virtual and home-visit follow-up.

Project description:PurposePatients with alcohol misuse are less likely to receive preventive health services but more likely to utilize emergency health services. However, the association between alcohol misuse and outpatient follow-up after hospitalization is unknown and may depend on whether a patient experiences a critical illness. We sought to determine whether alcohol misuse was associated with lower rates of outpatient follow-up after hospital discharge and whether the magnitude of this association differed in patients who experienced a critical illness.Materials and methodsThis was a retrospective cohort study using administrative data from an urban safety net hospital. Patients were included if they were admitted between 2011 and 2015, were between the ages of 18 and 89, resided within the safety net county, were discharged home, and were at moderate to high risk for hospital readmission within the subsequent 30 days. Alcohol misuse was identified using a combination of ICD-9 codes and response to a single screening question. The primary outcome was a combined measure of follow-up with a primary care physician or specialist provider in the 30 days following hospital discharge. Multivariable logistic regression was used to adjust for factors known to be associated with healthcare utilization.ResultsOverall, 17,575 patients were included in the analysis; 4984 (28%) had alcohol misuse. In the 30 days following hospital discharge, 46% of patients saw any outpatient provider. In an unadjusted analysis, the association between alcohol misuse and attending any outpatient follow-up was dependent on whether patients had a critical illness (p value < 0.0001) with the highest rates of follow-up in survivors of critical illness without alcohol misuse (53%, 95% CI 51%, 55%) followed by patients without alcohol misuse or critical illness (49%; 95% CI 48%, 50%), patients with alcohol misuse without critical illness (38%; 95% CI 36%, 39%), and patients with alcohol misuse and a critical illness (37%; 95% CI 35%, 40%). Adjusting for factors associated with healthcare utilization, these findings were modestly attenuated but unchanged.ConclusionsPatients with alcohol misuse who are at moderate to high risk for hospital readmission may benefit from targeted interventions to increase rates of outpatient follow-up after hospital discharge.

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Automated telephone follow-up programs after hospital discharge: Do older adults engage with these programs?

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Automated telephone follow-up programs after hospital discharge: Do older adults engage with these programs?

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