Interdisciplinary Rounds on a Hospitalist Service: Impact on Palliative Care Measures, Quality, and Utilization Outcomes.
J Nurs Care Qual. 2019 Jan 17;:
Authors: Smith CV, Maduro RS, Morgan MK, Ver Schneider P, Rutledge CM, Zimbro KS
Abstract
BACKGROUND: Despite growth in service availability, palliative care (PC) referrals are often underutilized or delayed, which may compromise patient outcomes.
LOCAL PROBLEM: Underutilized or delayed PC referrals among hospitalized adults prompted this project aimed at improving PC measures, quality, and utilization outcomes.
METHODS: Data extracted from the electronic medical record were used to identify needed improvements in PC.
INTERVENTION: Interdisciplinary rounds (IDRs) were implemented on the hospitalist service in a nonintensive care setting.
RESULTS: Following implementation, median time to PC referral decreased by 2 days. Length of stay (LOS), direct cost, and 30-day mortality also decreased. Postintervention patients were more likely to transition home compared with another facility.
CONCLUSIONS: Results support IDRs as a mechanism to improve time to PC referral, decrease LOS, direct cost, and 30-day mortality among hospitalized adults. A more objective method of identifying patients with unmet PC needs may be warranted.
PMID: 30664038 [PubMed - as supplied by publisher]