BackgroundThe prevention of recurrent hospitalizations in the frail elderly requires the implementation of high-intensity interventions such as case management. In order to be practically and financially sustainable, these programs require a method of identifying those patients most at risk for hospitalization, and therefore most likely to benefit from an intervention. The goal of this study is to demonstrate the use of an electronic medical record to create an administrative index which is able to risk-stratify this heterogeneous population.MethodsWe conducted a retrospective cohort study at a single tertiary care facility in Rochester, Minnesota. Patients included all 12,650 community-dwelling adults age 60 and older assigned to a primary care internal medicine provider on January 1, 2005. Patient risk factors over the previous two years, including demographic characteristics, comorbid diseases, and hospitalizations, were evaluated for significance in a logistic regression model. The primary outcome was the total number of emergency room visits and hospitalizations in the subsequent two years. Risk factors were assigned a score based on their regression coefficient estimate and a total risk score created. This score was evaluated for sensitivity and specificity.ResultsThe final model had an AUC of 0.678 for the primary outcome. Patients in the highest 10% of the risk group had a relative risk of 9.5 for either hospitalization or emergency room visits, and a relative risk of 13.3 for hospitalization in the subsequent two year period.ConclusionsIt is possible to create a screening tool which identifies an elderly population at high risk for hospital and emergency room admission using clinical and administrative data readily available within an electronic medical record.

Background Efficiently caring for frail, older adults will become an increasingly important part of healthcare reform; telemonitoring within homes may be an answer to improve outcomes. This study sought to determine the difference in hospitalizations and emergency room (ER) visits in older adults using telemonitoring versus usual care. Methods This was a randomized trial of adults older than 60 years with high-risk for rehospitalization. Subjects were randomized to telemonitoring with daily input versus patient-driven usual care. Telemonitoring was accomplished by daily biometrics, symptom reporting and videoconference. The primary outcome included a composite end-point of hospitalization and ER visits in the 12 months following enrollment. Secondary end-points included hospital days, hospital admissions, and ER visits. Intention to treat analysis was performed. Results Two hundred and five subjects were enrolled with a mean age of 80.3 years. There was no difference in hospitalizations and ER visits between the telemonitoring group (63.7%) and the group receiving usual care (57.3%) (P value 0.345). There was no difference in individual outcomes including hospital days, hospital admissions and ER visits. There also was no significant change between hospitalizations and ER visits in the pre-enrollment and post-enrollment period. Mortality was higher in the telemonitoring group (14.7%), compared to usual care (3.9%) (P value 0.008). Conclusions Among elderly patients, telemonitoring did not result in lower hospitalizations or ER visits. There were no differences determined within the secondary outcomes. The cause of the mortality difference is unknown.

BACKGROUND: Disease registries, audit and feedback, and clinical reminders have been reported to improve care processes. OBJECTIVE:To assess the effects of a registrygenerated audit, feedback, and patient reminder intervention on diabetes care. PARTICIPANTS: Seventy-eight categorical Internal Medicine residents caring for 483 diabetic patients participated. Residents randomized to the intervention (n=39) received instruction on diabetes registry use; quarterly performance audit, feedback, and written reports identifying patients needing care; and had letters sent quarterly to patients needing hemoglobin A1c or cholesterol testing. Residents randomized to the control group (n=39) received usual clinic education.MEASUREMENTS: Hemoglobin A1c and lipid monitoring, and the achievement of intermediate clinical outcomes (hemoglobin A1c <7.0%, LDL cholesterol <100 mg/dL, and blood pressure <130/85 mmHg) were assessed. RESULTS:Patients cared for by residents in the intervention group had higher adherence to guideline recommendations for hemoglobin A1c testing (61.5% vs 48.1%, p = .01) and LDL testing (75.8% vs 64.1%, p=.02). Intermediate clinical outcomes were not different between groups.CONCLUSIONS: Use of a registry-generated audit, feedback, and patient reminder intervention in a resident continuity clinic modestly improved diabetes care processes, but did not influence intermediate clinical outcomes.

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BackgroundTwo primary objectives when caring for older adults are to slow the decline to a worsened frailty state and to prevent disability. Telemedicine may be one method of improving care in this population. We conducted a secondary analysis of the Tele-ERA study to evaluate the effect of home telemonitoring in reducing the rate of deterioration into a frailty state and death in older adults with comorbid health problems.MethodsThis trial involved 205 adults over the age of 60 years with a high risk of hospitalization and emergency department visits. For 12 months, the intervention group received usual medical care and telemonitoring case management, and the control group received usual care alone. The primary outcome was frailty, which was based on five criteria, ie, weight loss, weakness, exhaustion, low activity, and slow gait speed. Participants were classified as frail if they met three or more criteria; prefrail if they met 1–2 criteria; and not frail if they met no criteria. Both groups were assessed for frailty at baseline, and at 6 and 12 months. Frailty transition analyses were performed using a multiple logistic regression method. Kaplan–Meier and Cox proportional hazards methods were used to evaluate each frailty criteria for mortality and to compute unadjusted hazard ratios associated with being telemonitored, respectively. A retrospective power analysis was computed.ResultsDuring the first 6 months, 19 (25%) telemonitoring participants declined in frailty status or died, compared with 17 (19%) in usual care (odds ratio 1.41, 95% confidence interval [CI] 0.65–3.06, P = 0.38). In the subsequent 6 months, there was no transition to a frailty state, but seven (7%) participants from the telemonitoring and one (1%) from usual care group died (odds ratio 5.94, 95% CI 0.52–68.48, P = 0.15). Gait speed (hazards ratio 3.49, 95% CI 1.42–8.58) and low activity (hazards ratio 3.10, 95% CI 1.25–7.71) were shown to predict mortality.ConclusionThis study did not provide sufficient evidence to show that the telemonitoring group did better than usual care in reducing the decline of frailty states and death. Transitions occurred primarily in the first 6 months.

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Background: Approximately 20% of seniors live with five or more chronic medical illnesses. Terminal stages of their lives are often characterized by repeated burdensome hospitalizations and advance care directives are insufficiently addressed. This study reports on the preliminary results of a Palliative Care Homebound Program (PCHP) at the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota to service these vulnerable populations. Objective: The study objective was to evaluate inpatient hospital utilization and the adequacy of advance care planning in patients who receive home-based palliative care. Methods: This is a retrospective pilot cohort study of patients enrolled in the PCHP between September 2012 and March 2013. Two control patients were matched to each intervention patient by propensity scoring methods that factor in risk and prognosis. Primary outcomes were six-month hospital utilization including ER visits. Secondary outcomes evaluated advance care directive completion and overall mortality. Results: Patients enrolled in the PCHP group (n = 54) were matched to 108 controls with an average age of 87 years. Ninety-two percent of controls and 33% of PCHP patients were admitted to the hospital at least once. The average number of hospital admissions was 1.36 per patient for controls versus 0.35 in the PCHP ( p < 0.001). Total hospital days were reduced by 5.13 days. There was no difference between rates of ER visits. Advanced care directive were completed more often in the intervention group (98%) as compared to controls (31%), with p < 0.001. Goals of care discussions were held at least once for all patients in the PCHP group, compared to 41% in the controls.

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