Daniel W. Markwalter MD , Jared Lowe MD , Ming Ding MBBS, ScD , Michelle Lyman MD, MPH , Kyle Lavin MD, MPH
{"title":"急诊科直接向临终关怀机构出院:简化转介计划的纵向评估","authors":"Daniel W. Markwalter MD , Jared Lowe MD , Ming Ding MBBS, ScD , Michelle Lyman MD, MPH , Kyle Lavin MD, MPH","doi":"10.1016/j.ajem.2024.09.049","DOIUrl":null,"url":null,"abstract":"<div><h3>Introduction</h3><div>80 % of Americans wish to die somewhere other than a hospital, and hospice is an essential resource for providing such care. The emergency department (ED) is an important location for identifying patients with end-of-life care needs and providing access to hospice. The objective of this study was to analyze a quality improvement (QI) program designed to increase the number of patients referred directly to hospice from the ED, without the need for an observation stay and without access to in-hospital hospice.</div></div><div><h3>Methods</h3><div>We implemented a QI program in September 2021 consisting of three components: (1) clarification and streamlining of referral workflows, (2) staff/provider education on hospice and workflows, and (3) electronic medical record (EMR) tools to facilitate hospice transitions. The primary outcome was the change in monthly ED-to-hospice cases pre- and post-implementation. We also calculated the monthly incidence rate of ED-to-hospice transfers. The secondary outcome was ED length of stay (LOS).</div></div><div><h3>Results</h3><div>202 patients completed ED-to-hospice transfers from January 1, 2019 to February 29, 2024. 98 patients transitioned from the ED to hospice before QI implementation, and 104 patients transitioned after implementation. We observed a slight but insignificant increase in the mean monthly ED-to-hospice cases from 3.16 patients per month pre-implementation to 3.47 patients per month post-implementation (<em>P</em> = 0.46). We found no significant difference in the monthly incidence rate of ED-to-hospice cases before and after implementation (<em>P</em> = 0.78). ED LOS was unaffected (<em>P</em> = 0.21).</div></div><div><h3>Conclusion</h3><div>In this largest study to date on direct ED-to-hospice discharges, a QI program focused on workflow optimization, education, and EMR modification was insufficient to significantly impact ED-to-hospice discharges. Future efforts to increase hospice transitions from the ED should investigate methods to improve patient identification, the impact of in-hospital hospice programs, and coordination with hospital and community teams to support home-based care for those desiring to remain there.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":55536,"journal":{"name":"American Journal of Emergency Medicine","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":2.7000,"publicationDate":"2024-09-20","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":"0","resultStr":"{\"title\":\"Emergency department discharges directly to hospice: Longitudinal assessment of a streamlined referral program\",\"authors\":\"Daniel W. Markwalter MD , Jared Lowe MD , Ming Ding MBBS, ScD , Michelle Lyman MD, MPH , Kyle Lavin MD, MPH\",\"doi\":\"10.1016/j.ajem.2024.09.049\",\"DOIUrl\":null,\"url\":null,\"abstract\":\"<div><h3>Introduction</h3><div>80 % of Americans wish to die somewhere other than a hospital, and hospice is an essential resource for providing such care. The emergency department (ED) is an important location for identifying patients with end-of-life care needs and providing access to hospice. The objective of this study was to analyze a quality improvement (QI) program designed to increase the number of patients referred directly to hospice from the ED, without the need for an observation stay and without access to in-hospital hospice.</div></div><div><h3>Methods</h3><div>We implemented a QI program in September 2021 consisting of three components: (1) clarification and streamlining of referral workflows, (2) staff/provider education on hospice and workflows, and (3) electronic medical record (EMR) tools to facilitate hospice transitions. The primary outcome was the change in monthly ED-to-hospice cases pre- and post-implementation. We also calculated the monthly incidence rate of ED-to-hospice transfers. The secondary outcome was ED length of stay (LOS).</div></div><div><h3>Results</h3><div>202 patients completed ED-to-hospice transfers from January 1, 2019 to February 29, 2024. 98 patients transitioned from the ED to hospice before QI implementation, and 104 patients transitioned after implementation. We observed a slight but insignificant increase in the mean monthly ED-to-hospice cases from 3.16 patients per month pre-implementation to 3.47 patients per month post-implementation (<em>P</em> = 0.46). We found no significant difference in the monthly incidence rate of ED-to-hospice cases before and after implementation (<em>P</em> = 0.78). ED LOS was unaffected (<em>P</em> = 0.21).</div></div><div><h3>Conclusion</h3><div>In this largest study to date on direct ED-to-hospice discharges, a QI program focused on workflow optimization, education, and EMR modification was insufficient to significantly impact ED-to-hospice discharges. Future efforts to increase hospice transitions from the ED should investigate methods to improve patient identification, the impact of in-hospital hospice programs, and coordination with hospital and community teams to support home-based care for those desiring to remain there.</div></div>\",\"PeriodicalId\":55536,\"journal\":{\"name\":\"American Journal of Emergency Medicine\",\"volume\":null,\"pages\":null},\"PeriodicalIF\":2.7000,\"publicationDate\":\"2024-09-20\",\"publicationTypes\":\"Journal Article\",\"fieldsOfStudy\":null,\"isOpenAccess\":false,\"openAccessPdf\":\"\",\"citationCount\":\"0\",\"resultStr\":null,\"platform\":\"Semanticscholar\",\"paperid\":null,\"PeriodicalName\":\"American Journal of Emergency Medicine\",\"FirstCategoryId\":\"3\",\"ListUrlMain\":\"https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0735675724004893\",\"RegionNum\":3,\"RegionCategory\":\"医学\",\"ArticlePicture\":[],\"TitleCN\":null,\"AbstractTextCN\":null,\"PMCID\":null,\"EPubDate\":\"\",\"PubModel\":\"\",\"JCR\":\"Q1\",\"JCRName\":\"EMERGENCY MEDICINE\",\"Score\":null,\"Total\":0}","platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":null,"PeriodicalName":"American Journal of Emergency Medicine","FirstCategoryId":"3","ListUrlMain":"https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0735675724004893","RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":null,"EPubDate":"","PubModel":"","JCR":"Q1","JCRName":"EMERGENCY MEDICINE","Score":null,"Total":0}
Emergency department discharges directly to hospice: Longitudinal assessment of a streamlined referral program
Introduction
80 % of Americans wish to die somewhere other than a hospital, and hospice is an essential resource for providing such care. The emergency department (ED) is an important location for identifying patients with end-of-life care needs and providing access to hospice. The objective of this study was to analyze a quality improvement (QI) program designed to increase the number of patients referred directly to hospice from the ED, without the need for an observation stay and without access to in-hospital hospice.
Methods
We implemented a QI program in September 2021 consisting of three components: (1) clarification and streamlining of referral workflows, (2) staff/provider education on hospice and workflows, and (3) electronic medical record (EMR) tools to facilitate hospice transitions. The primary outcome was the change in monthly ED-to-hospice cases pre- and post-implementation. We also calculated the monthly incidence rate of ED-to-hospice transfers. The secondary outcome was ED length of stay (LOS).
Results
202 patients completed ED-to-hospice transfers from January 1, 2019 to February 29, 2024. 98 patients transitioned from the ED to hospice before QI implementation, and 104 patients transitioned after implementation. We observed a slight but insignificant increase in the mean monthly ED-to-hospice cases from 3.16 patients per month pre-implementation to 3.47 patients per month post-implementation (P = 0.46). We found no significant difference in the monthly incidence rate of ED-to-hospice cases before and after implementation (P = 0.78). ED LOS was unaffected (P = 0.21).
Conclusion
In this largest study to date on direct ED-to-hospice discharges, a QI program focused on workflow optimization, education, and EMR modification was insufficient to significantly impact ED-to-hospice discharges. Future efforts to increase hospice transitions from the ED should investigate methods to improve patient identification, the impact of in-hospital hospice programs, and coordination with hospital and community teams to support home-based care for those desiring to remain there.
期刊介绍:
A distinctive blend of practicality and scholarliness makes the American Journal of Emergency Medicine a key source for information on emergency medical care. Covering all activities concerned with emergency medicine, it is the journal to turn to for information to help increase the ability to understand, recognize and treat emergency conditions. Issues contain clinical articles, case reports, review articles, editorials, international notes, book reviews and more.