TY - JOUR
T1 - Exploration of risk factors for high-risk adverse events in elderly patients after discharge and comparison of discharge planning screening tools
AU - Yen, Hsin Yen
AU - Lin, Siou Chun
AU - Chi, Mei Ju
N1 - Funding Information:
This work was supported by Ministry of Science and Technology, Taiwan under grant [MOST 106‐2314‐B‐038‐082‐MY2] and [MOST 108‐2314‐B‐038‐074‐MY3].
Publisher Copyright:
© 2021 Sigma Theta Tau International
PY - 2022
Y1 - 2022
N2 - Objectives: Discharge planning is an effective strategy to prevent adverse health events and reduce medical expenditures. The high-risk target populations of discharged elderly patients and important predictors for the occurrence of adverse events are still not clear. Therefore, the purposes of this study were to examine the validity of discharge planning screening tools in sufficiently identifying high-risk adverse events to health after discharge and to compare two screening tools with our study model. Design: We conducted a prospective study and recruited elderly patients who had had no hospitalization within 3 months before admission to 13 general wards of a medical center in northern Taiwan from November 2018 to May 2020. Methods: Elderly patients were randomly selected during the study period. Within 24 h of admission, patients were asked to consent to join this study. After the patient was discharged, the patient's health and hospitalization for the next year were tracked by telephone interviews. Results: In total, 300 participants were recruited for this study. Incidences of high-risk adverse events within 30 days, 60 days, and 12 months after discharge were 20.3%, 25.7%, and 48.7% respectively. A logistic regression showed that an increased age, physical or mental disabilities or a major illness, a low body-mass index, and having been hospitalized in the past year were significantly related to the occurrence of high-risk events among elderly discharge patients. The pooled sensitivity of the Pra was 52% and the specificity was 72%; the pooled sensitivity of the LACE index was 67% and the specificity was 36%. The predictive model of this study had a higher discriminatory power than the Pra and LACE index for high-risk events after discharge. Conclusions: Elderly patients are more vulnerable to high-risk adverse events after discharge. Both the LACE index and Pra are useful discharge planning screening tools to screen for high-risk adverse events after discharge. Elderly patients need more-active and complete continuity of care plans and discharge planning services to ensure that the overall quality of patient care can be improved and readmissions and mortality reduced. Clinical relevance: The findings of this study can provide information for discharge planning managers to identify high-risk elderly patients during hospitalization and promptly offer care education or resources to improve care management.
AB - Objectives: Discharge planning is an effective strategy to prevent adverse health events and reduce medical expenditures. The high-risk target populations of discharged elderly patients and important predictors for the occurrence of adverse events are still not clear. Therefore, the purposes of this study were to examine the validity of discharge planning screening tools in sufficiently identifying high-risk adverse events to health after discharge and to compare two screening tools with our study model. Design: We conducted a prospective study and recruited elderly patients who had had no hospitalization within 3 months before admission to 13 general wards of a medical center in northern Taiwan from November 2018 to May 2020. Methods: Elderly patients were randomly selected during the study period. Within 24 h of admission, patients were asked to consent to join this study. After the patient was discharged, the patient's health and hospitalization for the next year were tracked by telephone interviews. Results: In total, 300 participants were recruited for this study. Incidences of high-risk adverse events within 30 days, 60 days, and 12 months after discharge were 20.3%, 25.7%, and 48.7% respectively. A logistic regression showed that an increased age, physical or mental disabilities or a major illness, a low body-mass index, and having been hospitalized in the past year were significantly related to the occurrence of high-risk events among elderly discharge patients. The pooled sensitivity of the Pra was 52% and the specificity was 72%; the pooled sensitivity of the LACE index was 67% and the specificity was 36%. The predictive model of this study had a higher discriminatory power than the Pra and LACE index for high-risk events after discharge. Conclusions: Elderly patients are more vulnerable to high-risk adverse events after discharge. Both the LACE index and Pra are useful discharge planning screening tools to screen for high-risk adverse events after discharge. Elderly patients need more-active and complete continuity of care plans and discharge planning services to ensure that the overall quality of patient care can be improved and readmissions and mortality reduced. Clinical relevance: The findings of this study can provide information for discharge planning managers to identify high-risk elderly patients during hospitalization and promptly offer care education or resources to improve care management.
KW - care delivery system
KW - case management
KW - gerontology/geriatrics
KW - patient outcomes/health care outcomes/treatment outcomes
KW - survey methodology/data collection
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U2 - 10.1111/jnu.12705
DO - 10.1111/jnu.12705
M3 - Article
AN - SCOPUS:85119972270
SN - 1527-6546
VL - 54
SP - 7
EP - 14
JO - Journal of Nursing Scholarship
JF - Journal of Nursing Scholarship
IS - 1
ER -