Improving Care Transitions: An Initiative between the Emergency Department and Senior Care Facilities

INTRODUCTION: The transfer of individuals (i.e., residents) between senior care facilities (SCF) and the emergency department (ED) remains an ongoing healthcare quality gap as communication of key resident information is often lost. For this study, a sample of SCF representatives were invited to join a collaborative group termed Safe Transition of All Residents For yoU and Me (STARForUM, STAR-F) to improve SCF resident transitions of care. STUDY PURPOSE: The purpose of this pilot study was to invite a convenience sample of SCF facilities to join a collaborative intervention named Safe Transition of All Residents For yoU and Me (STARForUM, STAR-F) to improve information exchange during SCF residents’ transitions of care. The potential influence of a hospital-SCF collaboration program to improve transfer of essential SCF resident information sent to the hospital ED was used as an evaluation measure. METHODS: This study project enrolled a total of 120 residents (i.e., patients) with 40 (33%) transferred from participating STAR-F facilities. RESULTS: Following the authors’ development of a transfer checklist, STAR-F facilities sent a significantly greater number of essential elements comprised of the resident’s medical history information to the ED compared to non-STAR-F facilities. Controlling for the standard classification of skill level of the individual facility, STAR-F residents had significantly higher essential information transmission composite scores (10.5 + 2.9 for STAR-F patients vs. 7.75 + 3.1 for non-STAR-Fs p = < 0.01) that may have served to reduce number of associated transition errors. CONCLUSIONS: The findings of this study suggest that a collaborative hospital-SCF initiative can significantly improve transfer of information for elderly residents during ED visits, help guide clinical decision-making and optimize care coordination.