Kristopher Brickman
The University of Toledo, USA
Posters & Accepted Abstracts: Prim Health Care
Background: With Skilled Nursing Facilities (SNF) commonly having multiple chronic conditions, including dementia, this population involves increased overall case complexity. High value and high quality medical care in SNF continues to be a problem that eludes most facilities throughout North America. The largest source of cost expenditures in the management of these patients is due to relapses of acute medical problems and hospital readmissions. Objectives: While operating with a large, diverse metropolitan population of over 400 thousand people, our Midwestern city is not immune from the effects of costly nursing home and emergency department care. Our group wanted to develop an innovative framework to create value-based, high-quality SNF care at an effective cost for our community of SNF. Methods: A new model in medical care to these patients was developed in Northwest Ohio where emergency medical specialists were utilized to implement a new medical care system for residents of skilled nursing facilities. This program consisted of the implementation of acute care protocols that mandated acute intervention and medical assessment of patients with a spectrum of symptoms ranging from acute chest pain to acute neurologic complaints. Results: This program, which required in-service nursing training, education, and a significant expansion of medical providers to skilled nursing facilities, significantly reduced readmission rates greater than 50% with no increase in overall mortality rates. Conclusion: The integration of emergency care providers into SNF can significantly reduce hospital readmissions; expand the medical care provided in these facilities with an overall reduction of costs to the healthcare system.
E-mail: kris.brickman@utoledo.edu
