Pharmacist-led program to improve transitions from acute care to skilled nursing facility care. 2020

Maria Achilleos, and Jordan McEwen, and Megan Hoesly, and Mark DeAngelo, and Tim Jennings
Inpatient Pharmacy Department, Sentara Leigh Hospital, Norfolk, VA.

A pharmacist-led process to improve medication management in transitions from acute care to skilled nursing facility (SNF) care is described. The process of transitioning patients from an acute care facility to a SNF involves multiple steps, with the potential for delays in medication administration. As part of a health system's effort to evaluate barriers to timely first-dose administration after hospital-to-SNF transfers, a multidisciplinary team was tasked with defining the frequency of missed doses of high-risk medications and identifying reasons for medication administration delays. A retrospective review was conducted to evaluate medication orders for patients discharged from a community hospital and admitted to a SNF from January through June 2017 (the baseline period). This review found that 60% of first doses of high-risk medications were given after the scheduled administration time. One major barrier identified was a delay in entering medication orders in the SNF electronic medical record after SNF admission. It was also observed that 30-day readmission rates for transferred patients exceeded established readmission rate targets. To address identified process barriers, a pharmacist-led pilot program was developed. The program focused on process improvements at the same 2 hospitals and SNF sites during the period of March through May 2018. The pharmacist reviewed, reconciled, and entered medication orders prior to patient arrivals to the SNF. After pharmacist implementation, order entry delays were eliminated, and the mean delay from medication due time to administration was decreased by 68% relative to baseline data. The discharge summaries of 51% of transferred patients were found to contain medication errors, most of which were clarified and resolved prior to SNF admission. It was observed that the 30-day all-cause readmission rate after SNF transfers during the pilot program was 10.4% lower than during the same timeframe of the previous year. By implementing a pharmacist-led process for medication management in transitions from acute care to SNF care, major barriers such as delayed medication administration and medication order entry were reduced. In addition, discharge medication errors were addressed and resolved prior to patients' admission to the SNF.

UI MeSH Term Description Entries
D008297 Male Males
D008875 Middle Aged An adult aged 45 - 64 years. Middle Age
D010343 Patient Admission The process of accepting patients. The concept includes patients accepted for medical and nursing care in a hospital or other health care institution. Voluntary Admission,Admission, Patient,Admission, Voluntary,Admissions, Patient,Admissions, Voluntary,Patient Admissions,Voluntary Admissions
D010360 Patient Transfer Interfacility or intrahospital transfer of patients. Intrahospital transfer is usually to obtain a specific kind of care and interfacility transfer is usually for economic reasons as well as for the type of care provided. Patient Dumping,Care Transition,Health Care Transition,Patient Transition,Patient Turfing,Transition of Care,Care Transition, Health,Care Transitions,Care Transitions, Health,Dumping, Patient,Health Care Transitions,Patient Transfers,Patient Transitions,Patient Turfings,Transfer, Patient,Transfers, Patient,Transition, Care,Transition, Health Care,Transition, Patient,Transitions, Care,Transitions, Health Care,Transitions, Patient,Turfing, Patient,Turfings, Patient
D010595 Pharmacists Those persons legally qualified by education and training to engage in the practice of pharmacy. Clinical Pharmacists,Community Pharmacists,Retail Pharmacists,Clinical Pharmacist,Community Pharmacist,Pharmacist,Pharmacist, Clinical,Pharmacist, Community,Pharmacist, Retail,Pharmacists, Clinical,Pharmacists, Community,Pharmacists, Retail,Retail Pharmacist
D010865 Pilot Projects Small-scale tests of methods and procedures to be used on a larger scale if the pilot study demonstrates that these methods and procedures can work. Pilot Studies,Pilot Study,Pilot Project,Project, Pilot,Projects, Pilot,Studies, Pilot,Study, Pilot
D005260 Female Females
D006801 Humans Members of the species Homo sapiens. Homo sapiens,Man (Taxonomy),Human,Man, Modern,Modern Man
D000328 Adult A person having attained full growth or maturity. Adults are of 19 through 44 years of age. For a person between 19 and 24 years of age, YOUNG ADULT is available. Adults
D000368 Aged A person 65 years of age or older. For a person older than 79 years, AGED, 80 AND OVER is available. Elderly

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