We need your input!!
In Maryland, better understanding about what should be included in “information transfer” packets has been identified as important for improving nursing home care and reducing hospital readmissions. The Beacon Institute, together with Mansbach Health Tools, is looking at what cognitive and mood information is currently included in these transfers, and what additional information should be in them. We are focusing on two types of transitions: (1) from hospital to nursing home, and (2) from nursing home to the community. We are focusing on short stay residents who typically undergo both transitions in care.
For this project we are seeking input from nursing home staff in the form of a short survey. Three key nursing home staff - ideally, the facility administrator, a facility discharge planner, and a member of the rehab team - would each complete a 10-minute online survey. That’s it for your part!
The second component of the study involves our research team contacting residents discharged from the nursing home (based on facility-provided information) and asking them a few questions about their cognitive, mood, and functional status. These interviews would be via the telephone within 30 days of discharge, and can be completed in less than five minutes. Residents would complete an Informed Consent agreement prior to discharge and would only be contacted by our team with their approval.
This project has been reviewed by an Institutional Review Board (IRB) and the Maryland Office of Quality Care (OHCQ), and is funded by a grant from OHCQ. The outcomes of the project will produce a toolkit for discharge planning, which will be made available to all participating nursing facilities.
This is an opportunity to help create better discharge planning practices. Better practices yield better patient care, improved staff satisfaction, and reduced readmissions. Invest just 10 minutes now to improve transfers, and benefit both patients and staff!
To participate in this project, please contact Lesley Flaim at LifeSpan.