Bridging the Gap: A Mixed Methods Study Investigating Caregiver Integration for People with Geriatric Syndrome

Transitions of care between acute hospital and community settings are points of vulnerability for people with geriatric syndrome. Routinely including informal caregivers into the transition processes may mitigate risk. Guidance for operational aspects of caregiver inclusion is currently lacking in healthcare policy and fails to address the barriers faced by caregivers and healthcare professionals.

This pilot mixed method study adopts an implementation science lens to “bridge the gap” between top-down policy recommendations and the realities experienced by healthcare professionals who provide transitional care. It explores how informal caregiver integration can be better achieved. In the past, caregiver integration literature has focused the role of nurses and case managers in this role. However, in true person-centred integrated care, discharge planning and caregiver inclusion is the responsibility of every healthcare professional. This study conducted a pilot to explore these concepts and challenges in physiotherapists at a private hospital in New South Wales ...

Transitional Care Experiences of Patients with Hip Fracture Across Different Health Care Settings

Transitions of care often result in fragmented care, leading to unmet patient needs and poor satisfaction with care, especially in patients with multiple chronic conditions.

This project aimed to understand how experiences of patients with hip fracture, caregivers, and healthcare providers differ across different points of transition.

Exploring the Evidence: Using Technology to Improve Integrated Care Coordination

A transition of care is defined as a change in level of health care services, as patient care needs change from one location to another during acute or chronic illness. The location of services can vary from the hospital, skilled nursing facility, an outpatient setting, a primary care provider's office, or home health. Care coordination gaps can occur due to a lack of information exchange through the electronic health record, a lack of evidence-based standards, and poor communication among providers. Often, clinicians work with a silo mentality, resulting in poor health outcomes and negatively impacting the patient care experience. Patients with chronic kidney disease (CKD) are vulnerable to suboptimal integrated care coordination during transitions of care, as individuals seek treatment from diverse practitioners within multiple settings to meet their medical needs. This article discusses methods to improve integrated care, emphasizing the use of technology-based interventions to facilitate care transitions ...