scholarly journals Expanding Post-discharge Readmission Metrics in Patients with Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease

Author(s):  
Laura C. Myers ◽  
Carlos Camargo ◽  
Gabriel Escobar ◽  
Vincent X. Liu
2020 ◽  
pp. 1357633X2097040
Author(s):  
Hanadi Y Hamadi ◽  
Dayana Martinez ◽  
Jing Xu ◽  
Geoffrey A Silvera ◽  
Jorge M Mallea ◽  
...  

Introduction Much attention has been focused on decreasing chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) hospital readmissions. The US health system has struggled to meet this goal. The objective of this study was to assess the efficacy of telehealth services on the reduction of hospital readmission and mortality rates for COPD. Methods We used a cross-sectional design to examine the association between hospital risk-adjusted readmission and mortality rates for COPD and hospital use of post-discharge telemonitoring (TM). Data for 777 hospitals were sourced from the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services and the American Hospital Association annual surveys. Propensity score matching using the kennel weights method was applied to calculate the weighted probability of being a hospital that offers post-discharge TM services. Results Hospitals with post-discharge TM had about 34% significantly higher odds (adjusted odds ratio (AOR) = 1.34; 95% confidence interval (CI) 1.06–1.70) of 30-day COPD readmission and 33% significantly lower odds (AOR = 0.67; 95% CI 0.50–0.90) of 30-day COPD mortality compared to hospitals without post-discharge TM services. Discussion Overall, hospitals that offer post-discharge TM services have seen an improvement in 30-day COPD mortality rates. However, those same hospitals have also experienced a significant increase in 30-day COPD readmissions. TM can potentially decrease mortality in patients recently admitted for acute exacerbation of COPD. The results provide further evidence that readmissions present a problematic assessment of health-care quality, as the need for readmission may or may not be directly related to the quality of care received while in hospital.


2020 ◽  
Vol 14 (3) ◽  
pp. 156-161
Author(s):  
Marco Candela ◽  
Claudio Norbiato ◽  
Mauro Campanini ◽  
Antonio Luca Brucato ◽  
Salvatore Di Simone ◽  
...  

The purpose of this study was to have a nationwide snapshot of the characteristics of patients hospitalized in Internal Medicine Units (IMUs) for exacerbation of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), and to assess applicability and contents of a specific Hospital Discharge Form for the patient with exacerbation of COPD discharged from IMUs. This was a prospective study in 44 IMUs in Italy, enrolling patients hospitalized with a diagnosis of COPD exacerbation. Information concerning clinical characteristics of patients, and treatment for COPD at discharge was collected. Specific documents for monitoring of clinical conditions and adherence to therapies as well as a form including individual indications for clinical controls, instrumental tests, etc. were provided upon discharge. Four hundred and seventy-two patients were enrolled (68% male). According to GOLD classification 2015, patients with classes A to D were 12%, 27%, 31%, and 30%, respectively. Triple therapy was prescribed in 14% of GOLD A and 51% of GOLD D patients. Around 10% of patients for each GOLD class received no specific therapy. The vast majority of patients (85%) received instructions on the correct use of inhalers, and in most cases (85%), the quality of counseling was considered optimal/adequate. Indication for performing chest X-ray, spirometry, or blood gas analysis following discharge was addressed to 29%, 59% and 52.1% of patients, respectively. The follow-up sheet for COPD used in our study was shown as applicable. This highlighted the need for greater awareness and more standardized procedures within IMUs in the post-discharge phase.


2020 ◽  
Vol 17 ◽  
pp. 147997312091282 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jessica S DeGaris ◽  
Christian R Osadnik

Evidence supports an important role for pulmonary rehabilitation (PR) after acute exacerbations of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (AECOPD); however, the role of physical exercise during hospitalisation is less clear. This study evaluated Australian physiotherapy practice and clinical perspectives regarding exercise and physical activity for patients with AECOPD. A national survey of 123 Australian public hospitals was conducted from 2016 to 2017 using a purpose-designed survey measuring self-reported physical exercise prescription, objective measure use, referral patterns and factors influencing service delivery. The response rate was 72% (88 hospitals; 176 physiotherapists). Most physiotherapists (92%) prescribed physical exercise frequently for patients with AECOPD and perceived their role to be important (81%). The most commonly prescribed modalities were ground walking (94%), sit-to-stand (89%) and non-equipment-based lower limb strengthening (79%). Only 32% of respondents offered physiotherapy evaluation during post-discharge outpatient clinic appointments at their hospital. While 71% of respondents indicated they frequently referred patients to PR after AECOPD, rates were significantly higher in those with more cardiorespiratory experience (82%) than those with less experience (66%; p = 0.026). Australian physiotherapists frequently prescribe simple physical exercise modalities for patients with AECOPD. PR referral rates appear influenced by clinician experience, which may need consideration in future remedial strategies.


CJEM ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 21 (S1) ◽  
pp. S56
Author(s):  
D. Moussienko ◽  
D. Lang ◽  
L. Skeith ◽  
E. Lang

Introduction: Patients with Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD) often present to the ED with acute exacerbations (AE-COPD) of the disease. A potential occult yet fatal disease that might contribute or accompany an AE-COPD presentation is a pulmonary embolism (PE). Previous studies have investigated and report rates of PE in up to 29% of patients presenting with AE-COPD. Misdiagnoses of PE leads to poor outcomes, however, over-testing for PE also presents with substantial risks to the patient and strain on acute care resources. The goal of this study was to pragmatically identify the prevalence and 30-day incidence of PE in patients presenting with AE-COPD to EDs, as well as the burden and yield of PE investigations. Methods: We conducted a retrospective analysis of extracted data for patients □50 years old presenting to one of four emergency departments in Calgary with an AE-COPD since 2013. Patients with a history of outpatient anticoagulation therapy from a community pharmacy were excluded. Each patient chart was reviewed to identify a diagnosis of PE during the admission for an AE-COPD, or 30 days post discharge from an AE-COPD admission or ED presentation. An AE-COPD diagnosis was defined as a primary. Results: A total of 9554 AE-COPD ED patient visits were included in the study. 0.69% (95%CI 0.54 to 0.88) were identified to have a PE. 26 of the 66 (39.4%) were diagnosed during an AE-COPD inpatient admission, while 43 (65.2%) were diagnosed within 30 days post-discharge from an AE-COPD admission or ED presentation. Since 2016, 7.4% of AE-COPD patients underwent a CT-PE, while 16.7% underwent a d-dimer. The most common chief complaint in PE patients was dyspnea (75.8%). The mean age of the PE diagnosed was 73.4, with nearly equal representation of both sexes. Many patients had underlying comorbidities, such as hypertension, diabetes, and cancer of various sites, all of which are risk factors for developing a PE. Conclusion: The prevalence and 30-day incidence of PE in AE-COPD patients appears to be lower than what was previously reported in the literature. Despite this, a significant proportion of AE-COPD patients were exposed to the risks and burden of a PE work up, with low diagnostic yield. PE investigations in AE-COPD should be used selectively and could inform a quality improvement indicator. A future prospective study would drastically contribute to whether a PE clinical work up should be recommended and of value to patients.


2020 ◽  
Vol 29 (2) ◽  
pp. 864-872
Author(s):  
Fernanda Borowsky da Rosa ◽  
Adriane Schmidt Pasqualoto ◽  
Catriona M. Steele ◽  
Renata Mancopes

Introduction The oral cavity and pharynx have a rich sensory system composed of specialized receptors. The integrity of oropharyngeal sensation is thought to be fundamental for safe and efficient swallowing. Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) patients are at risk for oropharyngeal sensory impairment due to frequent use of inhaled medications and comorbidities including gastroesophageal reflux disease. Objective This study aimed to describe and compare oral and oropharyngeal sensory function measured using noninstrumental clinical methods in adults with COPD and healthy controls. Method Participants included 27 adults (18 men, nine women) with a diagnosis of COPD and a mean age of 66.56 years ( SD = 8.68). The control group comprised 11 healthy adults (five men, six women) with a mean age of 60.09 years ( SD = 11.57). Spirometry measures confirmed reduced functional expiratory volumes (% predicted) in the COPD patients compared to the control participants. All participants completed a case history interview and underwent clinical evaluation of oral and oropharyngeal sensation by a speech-language pathologist. The sensory evaluation explored the detection of tactile and temperature stimuli delivered by cotton swab to six locations in the oral cavity and two in the oropharynx as well as identification of the taste of stimuli administered in 5-ml boluses to the mouth. Analyses explored the frequencies of accurate responses regarding stimulus location, temperature and taste between groups, and between age groups (“≤ 65 years” and “> 65 years”) within the COPD cohort. Results We found significantly higher frequencies of reported use of inhaled medications ( p < .001) and xerostomia ( p = .003) in the COPD cohort. Oral cavity thermal sensation ( p = .009) was reduced in the COPD participants, and a significant age-related decline in gustatory sensation was found in the COPD group ( p = .018). Conclusion This study found that most of the measures of oral and oropharyngeal sensation remained intact in the COPD group. Oral thermal sensation was impaired in individuals with COPD, and reduced gustatory sensation was observed in the older COPD participants. Possible links between these results and the use of inhaled medication by individuals with COPD are discussed.


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