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An Electronic Health Record-Based Intervention to Increase Follow-Up Office Visits and Decrease Rehospitalization in Older Adults.
J Am Geriatr Soc. 2014 Apr 29;
Authors: Gurwitz JH, Field TS, Ogarek J, Tjia J, Cutrona SL, Harrold LR, Gagne SJ, Preusse P, Donovan JL, Kanaan AO, Reed G, Garber L
Abstract
OBJECTIVES: To assess the effect of an electronic health record-based transitional care intervention involving automated alerts to primary care providers and staff when older adults were discharged from the hospital.
DESIGN: Randomized controlled trial.
SETTING: Large multispecialty group practice.
PARTICIPANTS: Individuals aged 65 and older discharged from hospital to home.
INTERVENTION: In addition to notifying primary care providers about the individual's recent discharge, the system provided information about new drugs added during the inpatient stay, warnings about drug-drug interactions, recommendations for dose changes and laboratory monitoring of high-risk medications, and alerts to the primary care provider's support staff to schedule a posthospitalization office visit.
MEASUREMENTS: An outpatient office visit with a primary care provider after discharge and rehospitalization within 30 days after discharge.
RESULTS: Of the 1,870 discharges in the intervention group, 27.7% had an office visit with a primary care provider within 7 days of discharge. Of the 1,791 discharges in the control group, 28.3% had an office visit with a primary care provider within 7 days of discharge. In the intervention group, 18.8% experienced a rehospitalization within the 30-day period after discharge, compared with 19.9% in the control group. The hazard ratio for an office visit with a primary care physician did not significantly differ between the intervention and control groups. The hazard ratio for rehospitalization in the 30-day period after hospital discharge in the intervention versus the control group was 0.94 (95% confidence interval = 0.81-1.1).
CONCLUSION: This electronic health record-based intervention did not have a significant effect on the timeliness of office visits to primary care providers after hospitalization or risk of rehospitalization.
PMID: 24779524 [PubMed - as supplied by publisher]