The Performance Assessment of Self-Care Skills to Predict Adverse Events Post-Discharge

Abstract

Background. The Performance Assessment of Self-Care Skills (PASS) is a standardized assessment of the ability to perform daily activities. Purposes. This preliminary exploratory study aimed to 1) explore the ability of four PASS tasks to predict adverse events (readmissions and injuries) in older adults following hospitalization; 2) compare PASS's predictive validity to that of a generic tool (SMAF) and OT clinical judgement. Method.Twenty-two older patients were assessed in hospital at discharge and at home one week later. Adverse events were documented for six months post-discharge. Sensitivity and specificity analyses (ROC curves, Fisher's exact tests) were performed. Findings. Two PASS tasks (telephone, medication), the SMAF-Social and OT clinical judgement could identify individuals at risk of readmission (AUC > 0.7; p < 0.05). Implications. Using the PASS to assess more cognitively demanding tasks could be a promising way to predict adverse events after discharge, as a complement to clinical judgment.