Extension for Community Healthcare Outcomes—Care Transitions: Enhancing Geriatric Care Transitions Through a Multidisciplinary Videoconference

• Published in: Journal of the American Geriatrics Society (JAGS) 2017-03, Vol.65 (3), p.598-602
• Main Authors: Farris, Grace, Sircar, Mousumi, Bortinger, Jonathan, Moore, Amber, Krupp, J. Elyse, Marshall, John, Abrams, Alan, Lipsitz, Lewis, Mattison, Melissa
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Aged; Cohort Studies; Communication; Community health care; Continuity of Patient Care - organization & administration; Drug stores; Female; Geriatrics; hospital medicine; Humans; Interdisciplinary aspects; Interdisciplinary Communication; Long-Term Care; Male; Medical errors; Medical personnel; Medicare; Medication Errors - prevention & control; Medication Reconciliation; Nursing; Patient Care Team; Patient Discharge; postacute care; Program Evaluation; Quality of care; readmissions; Skilled Nursing Facilities; Subacute care; Subacute Care - organization & administration; United States; Video teleconferencing; Videoconferencing
• ISSN: 0002-8614; 1532-5415
• DOI: 10.1111/jgs.14690

Objectives To examine whether a novel videoconference that connects an interdisciplinary hospital‐based team with clinicians at postacute care sites improves interprofessional communication and reduces medication errors. Design Prospective cohort. Setting One tertiary care medical center and eight postacute care sites. Participants Hospital‐based providers (hospitalists, geriatricians, pharmacists, social workers, medical trainees, and subspecialists) and postacute care clinicians. Intervention All patients discharged to eight postacute care sites were discussed in a weekly videoconference. Measurement Preliminary data including demographic characteristics of the patients discussed, postacute care provider satisfaction survey results, and data on medication errors are reported. Results Over 2 years, 907 patients were discussed; 84.6% were discussed with staff at subacute skilled nursing facilities and the remainder with clinicians at one long‐term acute care facility. They had an average hospital length of stay of 6.8 days. Postacute care providers felt that the videoconference enhanced communication and provided much‐needed access to information and hospital staff. Of the 106 pharmacy discrepancies identified, 16% involved an omission of a medication. Conclusion As increasing numbers of older adults are discharged to postacute care facilities, they face high‐risk care transitions. Extension for Community Healthcare Outcomes—Care Transitions (ECHO‐CT) facilitates interdisciplinary communication between hospital and postacute care providers, who normally have minimal interaction. Preliminary data suggests that ECHO‐CT may improve the transitions of care processes between these sites.