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This review evaluates the published studies on how postacute care collaboration ensures a continuum of care and reduces heart failure (HF) readmissions.An integrated literature review was guided by the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) 2020 Statement. PubMed and Cumulative Index to Nursing and Allied Health were searched for the keywords heart failure AND (post-acute care OR transitional care OR skilled nursing facility OR rehabilitation facility OR home health agency) AND (readmission) AND (care coordination OR collaboration OR interprofessional OR partnerships). Seventy-nine studies were returned, and a reverse reference search yielded four studies. Of those studies, 14 were selected for critical appraisal of evidence. The practice settings of these studies were hospitals, homes, home health agencies, and skilled nursing facilities.Multidisciplinary management of HF patients, high-impact transitional care interventions, and integration with postacute care facilities decreased HF 30-day readmissions. Collaborative models involving a skilled HF team, primary care physicians, and postacute care partners, and targeting postdischarge follow-ups positively impacted outcomes. Bundling interventions, such as home visits, follow-ups (telephone and/or clinic follow-up), and telecare, significantly impacted outcomes compared with their delivery in isolation.Case management leaders are vital decision-makers and key stakeholders in building the collaboration with community partners. As case management roles extend to outpatient and ambulatory care, better opportunities emerge to coordinate services across settings. Key takeaways for the case management practice is to build a robust case management program spanning postacute care facilities, evidence-based treatment protocols, and infrastructure that supports seamless information sharing between sites.

IMPORTANCE: Older adults (age ≥65 years) are at risk for high rates of delirium and poor outcomes; however, how to improve outcomes is still being explored. OBJECTIVE: To assess whether implementation of a geriatric trauma clinical pathway was associated with reduced rates of delirium in older adults with traumatic injury. DESIGN, SETTING, AND PARTICIPANTS: A retrospective case-control study of electronic health records of patients aged 65 years or older with traumatic injury from 2018 to 2020 was conducted at a single level I trauma center. Eligible patients were age 65 years or older admitted to the trauma service and who did not undergo an operation. INTERVENTION: The implementation of a clinical pathway based on geriatric best practices, which included order sets, guidelines, automated consultations, and escalation pathways executed by a multidisciplinary team. MAIN OUTCOMES AND MEASURES: The primary outcome was delirium. The secondary outcome was hospital length of stay. Process measures for pathway compliance were also assessed. RESULTS: Of the 859 eligible patients, 712 patients were included in the analysis (442 [62.1%] in the baseline group; 270 [37.9%] in the postimplementation group; mean [SD] age: 81.4 [9.1] years; 394 [55.3%] were female). The mechanism of injury was not different between groups, with 247 in the baseline group (55.9%) and 162 in the postimplementation group (60.0%) (P = .43) experiencing a fall. Injuries were minor or moderate in both groups (261 in baseline group [59.0%] and 168 in postimplementation group [62.2%]; P = .87). The adjusted odds ratio for delirium in the postimplementation cohort was 0.54 (95% CI, 0.37-0.80; P

Introduction The risk, cost, and adverse outcomes associated with packed red blood cell (RBC) transfusions in patients with cardiopulmonary failure requiring extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO) have raised concerns regarding the overutilization of RBC products. It is, therefore, necessary to establish optimal transfusion criteria and protocols for patients supported with ECMO. The goal of this study was to establish specific criteria for RBC transfusions in patients undergoing ECMO. Methods This was a retrospective cohort study conducted at Stanford University Hospital. Data on RBC utilization during the entire hospital stay were obtained, which included patients aged ≥18 years who received ECMO support between 1 January 2017, and 30 June 2020 ( n = 281). The primary outcome was in-hospital mortality. Results Hemoglobin (HGB) levels >10 g/dL before transfusion did not improve in-hospital survival. Therefore, we revised the HGB threshold to ≤10 g/dL to guide transfusion in patients undergoing ECMO. To validate this intervention, we prospectively compared the pre- and post-intervention cohorts for in-hospital mortality. Post-intervention analyses found 100% compliance for all eligible records and a decrease in the requirement for RBC transfusion by 1.2 units per patient without affecting the mortality. Conclusions As an institution-driven value-based approach to guide transfusion in patients undergoing ECMO, we lowered the threshold HGB level. Validation of this revised intervention demonstrated excellent compliance and reduced the need for RBC transfusion while maintaining the clinical outcome. Our findings can help reform value-based healthcare in this cohort while maintaining the outcome.

11 Background: As payors introduce APMs, there is little guidance on how episodes will be defined in subspecialty areas. We set out to define clinically relevant episodes of care, develop standardized approachs toward reducing variations in care, and implement evidence-based standardized care pathways. We chose two urologic cancer procedures- Radical Cystectomy and Robotic Radical Prostatectomy. Methods: Episode timeframes were defined: Radical Cystectomy (14 days prior, index hospitalization, 90 days post) and RALP (30 days prior, index hospitalization, 30 days post). To identify variations in care, we compared evidence-based guidelines with practice patterns, analyzed episode and index hospitalization direct costs for various surgeons, and reviewed the utilization of high cost supplies and drugs. Length of stay (LOS), readmissions, complications, and acuity were benchmarked against comparable academic medical centers. Faculty, trainees, APPs, and staff collaborated to develop care pathways, modify workflows and EPIC order sets to reduce variation, improve outcomes, and increase efficiency. Results: Variation in care was reflected in wide standard deviations in episode direct costs. Six months after implementing care pathways, we achieved the following: RALP average cost per episode decreased by 15%. Standard deviation in episode direct costs decreased by 77%. The percentage of patients with 1-day LOS increased from 21% to 67%. The medical surgical supply costs during hospitalization decreased by 22.5%. Standard deviation in episode direct costs for Radical Cystectomy decreased by 27%. Readmissions to SHC decreased from 15.6% to 12.5%. The percentage of patients with less than 6-day LOS increased from 46% to 66%. Conclusions: Across two episodes, our care redesign efforts had actualized direct cost savings of $692,000 annually. As we prepare for future APMs, similar multidisciplinary approaches can be applied to other areas to reduce costs and improve quality of care.