Poster Presentation
Thursday, 20 July 2006
10:00 AM - 10:30 AM
Thursday, 20 July 2006
3:00 PM - 3:30 PM
Stopping the Revolving Door: A Collaborative Initiative to Decrease Readmissions in Heart Failure Patients from Subacute to Hospital
Lenore Blank, RN, MSN and Michele Gilbert, RN, MSN, CCRN. Heart Failure Program, Hackensack University Medical Center, hackensack, NJ, USA
| Learning Objective #1: Identify the most common causes of heart failure exacerbations in the elderly. |
| Learning Objective #2: Discuss how collaboration throughout the continuum can improve the care of heart failure patients and reduce rehospitalizations. |
It is well documented in the literature that within six months, 50% of patients discharged from acute care facilities are rehospitalized for a heart failure exacerbation (Ashton, 1995). In our northern New Jersey hospital, there was a high occurrence of readmission of heart failure patients who had been discharged from the hospital to subacute nursing facilities (SNF) because of exacerbation of heart failure symptoms. The purpose of this study is to discover whether a collaborative effort between a hospital-based HF program and a skilled Nursing facility could improve heart failure care and decrease rehospitalizations for HF patients in SNFs.
The research hypothesis is: patients who receive the HF intervention will have a lower rate of hospital readmissions than patients who receive standard care. Benner’s theory of novice to expert is being utilized as well as teaching learning theory. A quasi-experimental design is being employed. The estimated sample size is 100 patients. The experimental group is receiving the heart failure program intervention. The control group is receiving standard care.
Data collection is in progress. All staff members of the SNF, from the administration to the ancillary staff were given didactic education on the heart failure intervention by the hospital-based professionals. In addition to education, heart failure patients have been placed on a sodium restricted diet, daily weights are being done and early interventions are instituted in the event of weight gain. Weekly rounds with the whole team continues to be done. A questionnaire is being used to collect demographic data.
Data will be analyzed by comparing the readmission rate of patients who received the HF intervention with patients who received standard care. Findings of this study may provide supportive evidence for a collaborative HF intervention to decrease readmission to the hospital for these patients.
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