About 80% of emergency department visits of terminally ill nursing home residents are potentially avoidable, according to a study published July 7 in the Journal of the American Medical Directors Association.
Researchers analyzed Interventions to Reduce Acute Care Transfers program data of more than 6,000 residents from 264 nursing homes across the U.S. to identify the specific medical conditions associated with potentially avoidable and unnecessary emergency department visits.
Here are five notes on the analysis:
- Of the more than 6,000 severely impaired residents, 34% experienced a hospitalization. Of those hospitalizations, more than one-third were potentially avoidable.
- About 18% of residents visited the ED without being admitted, of which 70% were deemed preventable.
Among the ED visits of terminally ill residents, 80% were potentially avoidable. - The medical conditions associated with potentially avoidable hospitalizations of severely impaired residents were urinary tract infection, seizure and low blood pressure.
For terminally ill residents, the medical conditions associated with potentially avoidable hospitalizations were pneumonia, urinary tract infection, and kidney and heart failure.
Common diagnoses across both groups were shortness of breath, respiratory failure and altered mental status.
- Among severely impaired residents, potentially avoidable emergency department visits were most commonly associated with feeding tube problems.
Among terminally ill residents, the most common condition associated with potentially avoidable emergency department visits was fall-related trauma. - The study’s findings “highlight some clear, actionable opportunities to improve care,” Joseph Ouslander, MD, a senior author of the study, said in a July 24 news release from Boca Raton-based Florida Atlantic University. “These are conditions we know how to manage better in nursing homes, using existing guidelines, care paths and preventive strategies. With the right tools and staffing, many of these hospital transfers could be avoided, reducing both resident suffering and unnecessary health care costs.”
Read the full study here.
At the Becker's 11th Annual IT + Revenue Cycle Conference: The Future of AI & Digital Health, taking place September 14–17 in Chicago, healthcare executives and digital leaders from across the country will come together to explore how AI, interoperability, cybersecurity, and revenue cycle innovation are transforming care delivery, strengthening financial performance, and driving the next era of digital health. Apply for complimentary registration now.
