Exercising body and mind: an integrated approach to functional independence in hospitalized older people

OBJECTIVES: To evaluate the effect of a structured, multi-component, early rehabilitation program on functional status, delirium, and discharge outcomes of older acute medical inpatients.
DESIGN: Prospective controlled trial with blinded outcome evaluation.
SETTING: Internal medicine service of a metropolitan tertiary teaching hospital in Brisbane, Australia.
PARTICIPANTS: One hundred twenty-four consecutive inpatients aged 65 and older admitted from the emergency department to control or intervention medical ward. Exclusions included patients completely dependent before admission or admitted from a nursing home, patients too ill to participate or terminally ill, and patients with length of stay less than 72 hours.
INTERVENTION: Early physiotherapy review with provision of an individualized graduated exercise program and activity diary, progressive encouragement of functional independence by nursing staff and other members of the multidisciplinary team, and cognitive stimulation sessions.
MEASUREMENTS: Modified Barthel Index (MBI) at admission and discharge, timed up-and-go at admission and discharge, incidence of delirium and falls, measured activity, length of hospital stay, discharge destination, 30-day readmission rate.
RESULTS: Intervention and control participants were well matched in terms of age, sex, diagnosis, and functional status. The intervention group had greater improvement in functional status than the control group, with a median MBI improvement of 8.5 versus 3.5 points ( P =.03). In the intervention group, there was a reduction in delirium (19.4% vs 35.5%, P =.04) and a trend to reduced falls (4.8% vs 11.3%, P =.19). Length of stay, timed up-and-go, discharge destination, and readmissions did not differ between the groups.
CONCLUSION: This intervention was effective in improving function in a vulnerable patient group.     

A randomized trial of a screening, case finding, and referral system for older veterans in primary care

OBJECTIVES: To test whether a system of screening, assessment, referral, and follow-up provided within primary care for high-risk older outpatients improves recognition of geriatric conditions and healthcare outcomes. DESIGN: Controlled clinical trial with 3-year follow-up; intervention versus control group allocation based on practice group assignment. SETTING: Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) ambulatory care center. PARTICIPANTS: Seven hundred ninety-two community-dwelling patients aged 65 and older identified by postal screening survey. INTERVENTION: The intervention combined a structured telephone geriatric assessment by a physician assistant, individualized referrals and recommendations, selected referral to outpatient geriatric assessment, and ongoing telephone case management. MEASUREMENTS: Main outcomes were VA medical record evidence of recognition and evaluation of target geriatric conditions (depression, cognitive impairment, urinary incontinence, falls, functional impairment), functional status (Functional Status Questionnaire, FSQ), and hospitalization (VA databases and self-reported non-VA usage). RESULTS: Intervention participants were more likely to have target conditions recognized, evaluated, and referred to specialized services within 12 months of enrollment, although there were no significant differences in FSQ scores or acute hospitalization between intervention and control groups at 1, 2, or 3 years follow-up. Subgroup analyses suggested improvements in depression symptoms and functional impairment at 1-year follow-up in intervention participants with these problems at baseline, but these findings were not evident at later follow-up. CONCLUSION: The intervention increased recognition and evaluation of target geriatric conditions but did not improve functional status or decrease hospitalization. Innovative screening methods can identify older people in need of geriatric services, but achieving measurable improvement in functional status or hospitalization rates will likely require a more-intensive intervention than a program involving primarily unsolicited referrals and short-term consultations.     

A practical randomized trial to improve diabetes care

OBJECTIVE: There is a well-documented gap between diabetes care guidelines and the services received by patients in almost all health care settings. This project reports initial results from a computer-assisted, patient-centered intervention to improve the level of recommended services received by patients from a wide variety of primary care providers. DESIGN AND SETTINGS: Eight hundred eighty-six patients with type 2 diabetes under the care of 52 primary care physicians participated in the Diabetes Priority Program. Physicians were stratified and randomized to intervention or control conditions and evaluated on 2 primary outcomes: number of recommended laboratory screenings and recommended patient-centered care activities completed. Secondary outcomes were evaluated using the Problem Areas in Diabetes scale and the Patient Health Questionnaire (PHQ)-9 depression scale, and the RE-AIM framework was used to evaluate potential for dissemination. RESULTS: The program was well-implemented and significantly improved both number of recommended laboratory assays (3.4 vs 3.1; P <.001) and patient-centered aspects of diabetes care patients received (3.6 vs 3.2; P <.001) compared to those in randomized control practices. Activities that were increased most were foot exams (follow-up rates of 80% vs 52%; P <.003) and nutrition counseling (76% vs 52%; P <.001). CONCLUSIONS: Patients are very willing to participate in a brief computer-assisted intervention that is effective in enhancing quality of diabetes care. Staff in primary care offices can consistently deliver an intervention of this nature, but most physicians were unwilling to participate in this translation research study.     

A Randomized Trial Comparing Digital Video Disc with Written Delivery of Falls Prevention Education for Older Patients in Hospital

OBJECTIVES: To compare the effectiveness of a digital video disc (DVD) with that of a written workbook delivering falls prevention education to older hospital patients on self-perceived risk of falls, perception of falls epidemiology, knowledge of prevention strategies, and motivation and confidence to engage in self-protective strategies. To compare the effect of receiving either education approach versus no education on patients' perception of falls epidemiology.
DESIGN: Randomized trial (DVD vs workbook) with additional quasi-experimental control group.
SETTINGS: Geriatric, medical, and orthopedic wards in Perth and Brisbane, Australia.
PARTICIPANTS: One hundred (n=51 DVD, n=49 workbook) hospital inpatients aged 60 and older receiving an intervention (mean age 75.3±10.1) and 122 in the control group (mean age 79.3±8.3).
INTERVENTION: Participants randomly assigned to receive identical educational material on falls prevention delivered on a DVD or in a workbook. Control group received usual care.
MEASUREMENTS: Custom-designed survey addressing elements of the Health Belief Model of health behavior change.
RESULTS: Participants randomized to DVD delivery had a higher self-perceived risk of falling ( P =.04) and higher levels of confidence ( P =.03) and motivation ( P =.04) to engage in self-protective strategies than participants who received the workbook. A higher proportion of participants who received either form of the education provided "desired" responses than of control group participants across all knowledge items ( P <.001).
CONCLUSION: Delivery of falls prevention education on a DVD compared to a written workbook is more likely to achieve important changes in parameters likely to affect successful uptake of falls prevention messages in the hospital setting.     

Cost Analysis of the Geriatric Resources for Assessment and Care of Elders Care Management Intervention

OBJECTIVES: To provide, from the healthcare delivery system perspective, a cost analysis of the Geriatric Resources for Assessment and Care of Elders (GRACE) intervention, which is effective in improving quality of care and outcomes.
DESIGN: Randomized controlled trial with physicians as the unit of randomization.
SETTING: Community-based primary care health centers.
PARTICIPANTS: Nine hundred fifty-one low-income seniors aged 65 and older; 474 participated in the intervention and 477 in usual care.
INTERVENTION: Home-based care management for 2 years by a nurse practitioner and social worker who collaborated with the primary care physician and a geriatrics interdisciplinary team and were guided by 12 care protocols for common geriatric conditions.
MEASUREMENTS: Chronic and preventive care costs, acute care costs, and total costs in the full sample (n=951) and predefined high-risk (n=226) and low-risk (n=725) groups.
RESULTS: Mean 2-year total costs for intervention patients were not significantly different from those for usual care patients in the full sample ($14,348 vs $11,834; P =.20) and high-risk group ($17,713 vs $18,776; P =.38). In the high-risk group, increases in chronic and preventive care costs were offset by reductions in acute care costs, and the intervention was cost saving during the postintervention, or third, year ($5,088 vs $6,575; P <.001). Mean 2-year total costs were higher in the low-risk group ($13,307 vs $9,654; P =.01).
CONCLUSION: In patients at high risk of hospitalization, the GRACE intervention is cost neutral from the healthcare delivery system perspective. A cost-effectiveness analysis is needed to guide decisions about implementation in low-risk patients.     

The health consequences of peripheral neurological deficits in an elderly cohort: an Oklahoma Physicians Resource/Research Network Study

OBJECTIVES: To determine whether the belief that loss of deep tendon reflexes and vibratory sensation in the ankles in older patients is of no great consequence is valid.
DESIGN: Four-year longitudinal cohort study.
SETTING: Primary care practice–based research network.
PARTICIPANTS: Six hundred four noninstitutionalized individuals aged 65 and older with no self-reported medical conditions known to cause peripheral neuropathy (PN), recruited from the practices of 23 primary care physicians in central Oklahoma.
MEASUREMENTS: Annual standardized peripheral neurological examination performed by two research nurses plus a questionnaire that included self-reported measures of health, health-related quality of life (HRQoL Quality of Well-Being—Self Administered (QWB-SA) and Health Utilities Index-3 (HUI-3), physical functioning—(Medical Outcomes Study 36-item Short Form Survey (SF-36)), falls, and use of healthcare services. Deaths were determined from participant contacts, primary care physicians, and the Social Security death index.
RESULTS: One hundred sixty of 604 participants had symmetrical peripheral neurological deficits (SPNDs). After controlling for age, sex, race, education, income, body mass index, HRQoL, physical functioning, self-rated health, cognitive test score, and a variety of medical conditions, SPNDs were associated with earlier hospitalization ( P =.03); greater mortality ( P <.001); and declines in HRQoL (QWB-SA, P <.001), self-rated health ( P =.02) physical functioning (SF-36, P =.005), and bodily pain (SF-36, P =.001).
CONCLUSION: SPNDs of undetermined cause, found in older patients on physical examination, appear to be associated with greater morbidity and mortality.     

An educational intervention to improve antimicrobial use in a hospital-based long-term care facility

OBJECTIVES: To improve antimicrobial use in patients receiving long-term care (LTC).
DESIGN: Prospective, quasi-experimental before–after assessment of the effects of physician education and guideline implementation.
SETTING: Public LTC and acute care hospital.
PARTICIPANTS: Twenty salaried internists who provided most of the medical care to LTC patients.
INTERVENTION: National guidelines, hospital resistance data, and physician feedback were incorporated into a series of four teaching sessions presented over 18 months and into booklets detailing institutional guidelines on the optimal management of common LTC infection syndromes.
MEASUREMENTS: One hundred randomly selected LTC patients treated with antimicrobials were reviewed before these interventions were implemented and 100 after, and measures of the quality of care were compared. The effect of the interventions on antimicrobial days and starts were also assessed using interrupted time series analysis.
RESULTS: Charted clinical abnormalities met guideline diagnostic criteria (62% vs 38%, P =.006), and initial therapy agreed with guideline recommendations (39% vs 11%, P <.001), more often in the post- than in the preintervention cohort. Mean census-adjusted monthly LTC antimicrobial days fell 29.7%, and antimicrobial starts fell 25.9% during the intervention period; both decreases were sustained during the 2-year postintervention period.
CONCLUSION: The teaching and guideline intervention improved the quality and reduced the quantity of antimicrobial use in LTC patients.     

Delivering effective primary care to older adults: a randomized, controlled trial of the senior resource team at group health cooperative

OBJECTIVES: To assess the effect of a team of geriatrics specialists on the practice style of primary care providers (PCPs) and the functioning of their patients aged 75 and older.
DESIGN: Randomized, controlled trial.
SETTING: Two primary care clinics in the Seattle, Washington, area.
PARTICIPANTS: Thirty-one PCPs and 874 patients aged 75 and older.
INTERVENTION: An interdisciplinary team of geriatrics specialists worked with patients and providers to enhance the geriatric focus of care.
MEASUREMENTS: Main outcomes were a practice style reflecting a geriatric orientation and patient scores on the physical and affect subscales of the Arthritis Impact Measurement Scale 2—Short Form. Secondary outcomes were hospitalizations, incident disability in activities of daily living (ADLs), and PCP perceptions of the intervention. Death rates were also assessed.
RESULTS: Intervention providers screened significantly more for geriatric syndromes at 12 months, but this finding did not persist at 24 months. There were no significant differences in adequate hypertension control or high-risk prescribing at 12 or 24 months of follow-up. There were no significant differences in patient functioning or significant differences in hospitalization rates at either time point. Meaningful differences were observed in ADL disability at 12 but not 24 months. PCPs viewed the intervention favorably. Seventy-eight participants died over the 24 months of follow-up; the proportion dying was higher in the intervention group (11.4% in intervention group vs 7.1% of controls, P =.03).
CONCLUSION: The addition of an interdisciplinary geriatric team was acceptable to PCPs and had some effect on care of geriatric conditions but little effect on patient function or the use of inpatient care and was associated with greater mortality.     

Reduced mortality in treating acutely sick,frail older patients in a geriatric evaluation and management unit. A prospective randomized trial

OBJECTIVES: Documentation of treatment effects in acutely sick frail older patients in geriatric evaluation and management units (GEMUs) is scarce. The present study evaluated whether treatment in a GEMU would reduce mortality as compared to traditional treatment delivered in the Department of Internal Medicine. DESIGN: Prospective randomized trial. SETTING: GEMU or general medical ward. PARTICIPANTS: Acutely sick frail patients aged 75 and older who had been admitted to the Department of Internal Medicine were randomly assigned to treatment in the GEMU (n = 127) or to the general medical wards (n = 127). The following inclusion criteria were used to target frail patients: chronic disability, acute impairment of single activity of daily living, mild/moderate dementia, confusion, depression, imbalance/dizziness, falls, impaired mobility, urinary incontinence, malnutrition, polypharmacy, vision or hearing impairment, social problems, or prolonged bedrest. INTERVENTION: In the GEMU, the treatment strategy emphasized interdisciplinary assessment of all relevant disorders, prevention of complications and iatrogenic conditions, early mobilization/rehabilitation, and comprehensive discharge planning. The control group received treatment as usual from the Department of Internal Medicine. After discharge neither group received specific follow-up. MEASUREMENTS: Mortality and causes of death. RESULTS: Mortality in the intervention and control groups, respectively, was 12% and 27% at 3 months (P =.004), 16% and 29% (P =.02) at 6 months, and 28% and 34% (P =.06) at 12 months. The hazard ratio was 0.39 (95% confidence interval = 0.21-0.72) at 3 months. The main cause of death was cardiovascular disease. CONCLUSION: Treatment of acutely sick, frail, older patients in a GEMU substantially reduced mortality.     

The effect of Evercare on hospital use

Objectives: To examine the use of hospital and related medical care services of a novel managed care program using nurse practitioners (NPs) and directed specifically at long-stay nursing home residents.
Design: Quasi-experimental posttest design with two control groups to minimize selection bias.
Setting: Nursing homes.
Participants: Evercare enrollees in five sites were compared with two sets of controls: nursing home residents in the same nursing homes who did not enroll in Evercare (control-in) and residents of nursing homes that did not participate in Evercare (control-out).
Measurements: Utilization data from Medicare and United Healthcare (the parent corporation for Evercare) were obtained for slightly more than 2 years. Patterns of use were assessed by calculating the monthly use rate for each group and aggregating to form annual rates. Usages addressed included hospital admissions and days, emergency room visits, therapy services, mental health services, and podiatry. Adjustments were made to correct for age, race, and sex. Because the groups differed in terms of the rate of cognitive impairment, the analysis was stratified on this variable.
Results: The incidence of hospitalizations was twice as high in control residents as in Evercare residents (4.63 and 4.67 per 100 enrollees per month vs 2.43 in the 15 months after census, P <.001). This difference corresponded to Evercare's use of intensive service days. The same pattern held for preventable hospitalizations (0.80 and 0.86 vs 0.28, P <.001). The pattern held when residents were stratified by cognitive status. On average, using a NP is estimated to save about $103,000 a year in hospital costs per NP.
Conclusion: The use of active primary care provided by NPs may have prevented the occurrence of some hospitalizable events, but its major effect was allowing cases to be managed more cost-effectively.     

The yield,reliability, and validity of a postal survey for screening community-dwelling older people

OBJECTIVES: To assess the yield, reliability, and validity of a postal survey developed to identify older persons in need of outpatient geriatric assessment and follow-up services. DESIGN: A longitudinal cohort study. SETTING: Outpatient primary care clinic at a Department of Veterans Affairs teaching ambulatory care center. PARTICIPANTS: Patients (N = 2,382) aged 65 and older who returned a Geriatric Postal Screening Survey (GPSS) that screened for common geriatric conditions (depression, cognitive impairment, urinary incontinence, falls, and functional status impairment). Validity and reliability testing was performed with subsamples of patients classified as high or lower risk based on responses to the GPSS. MEASUREMENTS: Test-retest reliability was measured by percentage agreement and kappa statistic. The diagnostic validity of the 10-item GPSS was tested by comparing single GPSS items to standardized geriatric assessment instruments for depression, mental status and functional status, as well as direct questions regarding falls, urinary incontinence, and use of medications. Validity was also tested against clinician evaluation of the specific geriatric conditions. Predictive validity was tested by comparing GPSS score with 1-year follow-up data on functional status, survival, and healthcare use. RESULTS: Respondents identified as high risk by the GPSS had scores that indicated significantly greater impairment on structured assessment instruments than those identified as lower risk by GPSS. The overall mean percentage agreement between the test and retest surveys was 88.3%, with a mean weighted kappa of 0.70. In comparison with a structured telephone interview and with a clinical assessment, individual items of the GPSS showed good accuracy (range 0.71-0.78) for identifying symptoms of depression, falls, and urinary incontinence. Over a 1-year follow-up period, the GPSS-identified high-risk group had significantly (P <.05) more hospital admissions, hospital days and nursing home admissions than the lower-risk group. CONCLUSION: A brief postal screening survey can successfully target patients for geriatric assessment services. In screening for symptoms of common geriatric conditions, the GPSS identified a subgroup of older outpatients with multiple geriatric syndromes who were at increased risk for hospital use and nursing home admission and who could potentially benefit from geriatric intervention.     

Dementia undiagnosed in poor older adults with functional impairment

OBJECTIVES: To identify variables associated with diagnosing dementia in poor older adults by comparing older people with dementia who were diagnosed by their primary care physicians (PCPs) with those not diagnosed by their PCP.
DESIGN: Observational study.
SETTING: Community-based, in-home cognitive assessment program.
PARTICIPANTS: Four hundred eleven adults aged 55 and older with cognitive impairment.
MEASUREMENTS: Instrumental activities of daily living (IADLs), activities of daily living (ADLs), Mini-Mental State Examination, Short Blessed Memory Orientation and Concentration Test, and Clinical Dementia Rating.
RESULTS: Alzheimer's disease was the most common diagnosis in this group of primarily African-American (73%) older people. Of the 411 participants, 232 (56%) were not diagnosed by their PCP. Participants without a previous diagnosis were older (mean age 81.7 vs 78.7, P =.01), more independent in IADLs ( P <.001), and more likely to live alone ( P =.001) than persons diagnosed by their PCP. Of the 201 who lived alone, 66% were not diagnosed with dementia by their PCP. Variables associated with PCP diagnosis were more severe cognitive impairment ( P <.001), spouse caregiver ( P =.009), younger age ( P =.02) and care from a university-based PCP ( P =.04).
CONCLUSION: Persons with dementia who were older and lived alone were less likely to be diagnosed by their PCP. Although persons not diagnosed by their PCP had less cognitive impairment, they had substantial impairment in activities, including handling finances, cooking, and managing medications.     

A Novel Interdisciplinary Analgesic Program Reduces Pain and Improves Function in Older Adults After Orthopedic Surgery

OBJECTIVES: To examine the effect of a multicomponent intervention on pain and function after orthopedic surgery.
DESIGN: Controlled prospective propensity score–matched clinical trial.
SETTING: New York City acute rehabilitation hospital.
PARTICIPANTS: Two hundred forty-nine patients admitted to rehabilitation after hip fracture repair (n=51) or hip (n=64) or knee (n=134) arthroplasty.
INTERVENTION: Pain assessment at rest and with physical therapy (PT) by staff using numeric rating scales (1 to 5). Physician protocols for standing analgesia and preemptive analgesia before PT were implemented on the intervention unit. Control unit patients received usual care.
MEASUREMENTS: Pain, analgesic prescribing, gait speed, transfer time, and percentage of PT sessions completed during admission. Pain and difficulty walking at 6, 12, 18, and 24 weeks after discharge.
RESULTS: In multivariable analyses intervention patients were significantly more likely than controls to report no or mild pain at rest (66% vs 49%, P =.004) and with PT (52% vs 38%, P =.02) on average for the first 7 days of rehabilitation, had faster 8-foot-walk times on Days 4 (9.3 seconds vs 13.2 seconds, P =.02) and 7 (6.9 vs 9.2 seconds, P =.02), received more analgesia (23.6 vs 15.6 mg of morphine sulfate equivalents per day, P <.001), were more likely to receive standing orders for analgesia (98% vs 48%, P <.001), and had significantly shorter lengths of stay (10.1 vs 11.3 days, P =.005). At 6 months, intervention patients were less likely than controls to report moderate to severe pain with walking (4% vs 15%, P =.02) and that pain did not interfere with walking (7% vs 18%, P =.004) and were less likely to be taking analgesics (35% vs 51%, P =.03).
CONCLUSION: The intervention improved postoperative pain, reduced chronic pain, and improved function.     

A randomized, controlled trial of comprehensive geriatric assessment and multidisciplinary intervention after discharge of elderly from the emergency department--the DEED II study

OBJECTIVES: To study the effects of comprehensive geriatric assessment (CGA) and multidisciplinary intervention on elderly patients sent home from the emergency department (ED). DESIGN: Prospective, randomized, controlled trial with 18 months of follow-up. SETTING: Large medical school-affiliated public hospital in an urban setting in Sydney, Australia. PARTICIPANTS: A total of 739 patients aged 75 and older discharged home from the ED were randomized into two groups. INTERVENTION: Patients randomized to the treatment group underwent initial CGA and were followed at home for up to 28 days by a hospital-based multidisciplinary outreach team. The team implemented or coordinated recommendations. The control group received usual care. MEASUREMENTS: The primary outcome measure was all admissions, to the hospital within 30 days of the initial ED visit. Secondary outcome measures were elective and emergency admissions, and nursing home admissions and mortality. Additional outcomes included physical function (Barthel Index (total possible score=20) and instrumental activities of daily living (/12) and cognitive function (mental status questionnaire (/10)). RESULTS: Intervention patients had a lower rate of all admissions to the hospital during the first 30 days after the initial ED visit (16.5% vs 22.2%; P=.048), a lower rate of emergency admissions during the 18-month follow-up (44.4% vs 54.3%; P=.007), and longer time to first emergency admission (382 vs 348 days; P=.011). There was no difference in admission to nursing homes or mortality. Patients randomized to the intervention group maintained a greater degree of physical and mental function (Barthel Index change from baseline at 6 months: -0.25 vs -0.75; P<.001; mental status questionnaire change from baseline at 12 months: -0.21 vs -0.64; P<.001). CONCLUSION: CGA and multidisciplinary intervention can improve health outcomes of older people at risk of deteriorating health and admission to hospital. Patients aged 75 and older should be referred for CGA after an ED visit.     

An Evaluation of an Adapted U.S. Model of Pharmaceutical Care to Improve Psychoactive Prescribing for Nursing Home Residents in Northern Ireland (Fleetwood Northern Ireland Study)

OBJECTIVES: To test the effect of an adapted U.S. model of pharmaceutical care on prescribing of inappropriate psychoactive (anxiolytic, hypnotic, and antipsychotic) medications and falls in nursing homes for older people in Northern Ireland (NI).
DESIGN: Cluster randomized controlled trial.
SETTING: Nursing homes randomized to intervention (receipt of the adapted model of care; n=11) or control (usual care continued; n=11).
PARTICIPANTS: Residents aged 65 and older who provided informed consent (N=334; 173 intervention, 161 control).
INTERVENTION: Specially trained pharmacists visited intervention homes monthly for 12 months and reviewed residents' clinical and prescribing information, applied an algorithm that guided them in assessing the appropriateness of psychoactive medication, and worked with prescribers (general practitioners) to improve the prescribing of these drugs. The control homes received usual care.
MEASUREMENTS: The primary end point was the proportion of residents prescribed one or more inappropriate psychoactive medicine according to standardized protocols; falls were evaluated using routinely collected falls data mandated by the regulatory body for nursing homes in NI.
RESULTS: The proportion of residents taking inappropriate psychoactive medications at 12 months in the intervention homes (25/128, 19.5%) was much lower than in the control homes (62/124, 50.0%) (odds ratio=0.26, 95% confidence interval=0.14–0.49) after adjustment for clustering within homes. No differences were observed at 12 months in the falls rate between the intervention and control groups.
CONCLUSION: Marked reductions in inappropriate psychoactive medication prescribing in residents resulted from pharmacist review of targeted medications, but there was no effect on falls.     

The effects of a targeted multicomponent delirium intervention on postdischarge outcomes for hospitalized older adults

PURPOSE: We sought to determine whether a multicomponent hospital-based intervention targeted toward risk factors for delirium had any effect on patient outcomes 6 months later. METHODS: We studied 705 patients aged 70 years or older who had been enrolled in a controlled trial of a multicomponent intervention at an academic medical center and who survived for at least 6 months after hospitalization. Outcomes included self-rated health, functional status, incontinence, depression, cognitive status, delirium, home health visits, homemaker visits, rehospitalization, and nursing home placement. RESULTS: Overall, there were no differences between the intervention and control groups for any of the 10 outcomes, except that incontinence was slightly less common in the intervention group (30% [103/344] vs. 37% [132/354], P = 0.02). Among high-risk patients, those in the intervention group had better self-rated health (among those with poor/bad self-rated health at baseline, P <0.001) and better functional status (among those with baseline functional impairment, P <0.001). There were no effects in the other six high-risk subgroups, including cognitive and behavioral outcomes (Folstein Mini-Mental State Examination, Geriatric Depression Scale, incontinence, and delirium) and health care utilization. CONCLUSION: In the group as a whole, we were unable to identify a lasting beneficial effect of the multicomponent intervention, although further efforts to identify appropriate subgroups for targeted interventions may be worthwhile. Other strategies are needed after hospital discharge to deter deterioration in susceptible elderly people.     

Comparison of stress experienced by family members of patients treated in hospital at home with that of those receiving traditional acute hospital care

OBJECTIVES: To compare differences in the stress experienced by family members of patients cared for in a physician-led substitutive Hospital at Home (HaH) and those receiving traditional acute hospital care.
DESIGN: Survey questionnaire completed as a component of a prospective, nonrandomized clinical trial of a substitutive HaH care model.
SETTING: Three Medicare managed care health systems and a Veterans Affairs Medical Center.
PARTICIPANTS: Two hundred fourteen community-dwelling elderly patients who required acute hospital admission for community-acquired pneumonia, exacerbation of chronic heart failure, exacerbation of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, or cellulitis.
INTERVENTION: Treatment in a substitutive HaH model.
MEASUREMENTS: Fifteen-question survey questionnaire asking family members whether they experienced a potentially stressful situation and, if so, whether stress was associated with the situation while the patient received care.
RESULTS: The mean and median number of experiences, of a possible 15, that caused stress for family members of HaH patients was significantly lower than for family members of acute care hospital patients (mean ± standard deviation 1.7 ± 1.8 vs 4.3 ± 3.1, P <.001; median 1 vs 4, P <.001). HaH care was associated with lower odds of developing mean levels of family member stress (adjusted odds ratio=0.12, 95% confidence interval=0.05–0.30).
CONCLUSION: HaH is associated with lower levels of family member stress than traditional acute hospital care and does not appear to shift the burden of care from hospital staff to family members.     

Fast Forward Rounds: An Effective Method for Teaching Medical Students to Transition Patients Safely Across Care Settings

Adverse events commonly occur during hospital-to-home transitions and cause substantial morbidity. This study evaluated the effectiveness of Fast Forward Rounds (FFR), a novel educational intervention that aims to foster awareness of the essential elements of transitional care in 3rd-year medical students. FFR consists of two 90-minute sessions using lectures, an interactive video, small-group discussion, and a team-based learning exercise. It emphasizes functional assessment to identify patients at risk for poor discharge outcomes, promotes interdisciplinary collaboration to link vulnerable patients with appropriate services, reviews Medicare and Medicaid reimbursement, and teaches development of comprehensive care plans. Using a pre/posttest design, participants' knowledge, attitudes and behaviors within the domains of transitional care, functional assessment, interdisciplinary team, community resources, and reimbursement were assessed. Of 103 students, 99.0% attended Session 1 and 97.1% attended Session 2 (pretest completion rate 99.0%, posttest 94.1%). Significant improvements were found in all domains, with the largest gains seen in transitional care. After the intervention, 56.0% identified medication errors as the most common source of adverse events after discharge (vs 14.9% before the intervention, P <.001). Significantly more participants reported feeling competent or expert in safely discharging chronically ill patients (66.3% vs 9.8%, P <.001) and in educating patients about discharge medications (75.8% vs 28.4%, P <.001). Participants also reported changes in transitional care behaviors (e.g., 71.6% now review the discharge medication list with patients and caregivers ≥50% of the time (vs 42.3%, P =.002)). A multimodal educational intervention for medical students increased their transitional care knowledge, reported frequency of transitional care behaviors, and perceived competence in managing the discharge process.