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Background: Delirium is a serious complication in patients in the critical care unit (CCU) that may lead to prolonged hospitalization if left undetected. The CCU at our hospital does not have a framework for determining delirium that could affect patient outcomes and discharge planning., Primary Practice Setting: CCU in a community hospital., Method: A posttest-only design was used for this study. We established a framework for the early assessment of delirium, educated and trained nurses to detect delirium, collaborated with the informatics department, intensivist, nursing, respiratory therapy and worked with case management to deploy the Confusion Assessment Method for the Intensive Care Unit (CAM-ICU). We used a one-tailed independent t test to determine the impact of CAM-ICU on length of stay (LOS). Cross-tabulation and chi-square tests were used to examine the impact of CAM-ICU tool on home care utilization between the intervention and comparison groups., Results: There was a 3.12% reduction in LOS after implementing the CAM-ICU tool. Also, a reduction in home care service utilization demonstrated statistical significance ( p = .001) between the intervention group (62.5%; n = 177) and the comparison group (37.5%; n = 106)., Implications for Case Management Practice: Case managers are essential in improving care transitions. Case managers need to become competent in understanding the implications of the CAM-ICU tool because of their relevant role in the multidisciplinary rounds as advocates to improve care transitions across the continuum of care. Case managers need to have an understanding on how to escalate when changes in the Richmond Agitation-Sedation Scale scores occur during the multidisciplinary rounds because it can affect care coordination throughout the hospital., Conclusions: Implementing the CAM-ICU decreased LOS, and reduced health care utilization. The early identification of patients with delirium can affect the outcomes of critically ill patients and entails multidisciplinary collaboration., Competing Interests: The authors report no conflicts of interest., (Copyright © 2024 Wolters Kluwer Health, Inc. All rights reserved.)

Competing Interests: The author reports no conflicts of interest.

Purpose of Study: The project aimed to determine the impact of a standardized bowel regimen protocol for patients receiving opioids on the rate of stool softener prescription, occurrence of bowel movements of oncology patients, and improving the length of stay (LOS)., Primary Practice of Setting: Oncology unit in a community hospital., Methodology and Sample: A posttest design was utilized, and a prospective medical record review of patients was completed after 8 weeks of the pilot study. The study sample (N = 164) included oncology patients admitted to a community hospital in the Southeast. The χ2 test was used to determine the impact of implementing a bowel panel order on the rate of stool softener prescriptions, the occurrence of bowel movements, and the LOS., Results: Only 43% (n = 40) of the patients from the comparison group were ordered laxatives, and more patients from the intervention group (68%; n = 49) received the bowel regimen protocol, whereas 26% (n = 19) of the patients used a laxative or stool softener using providers' preference and demonstrated statistical significance (p = .001). In the intervention group, 93% of the patients (n = 67) reported having bowel movements compared with the comparison group, whereas only 32% (n = 32) demonstrated statistical significance (p = .001). The average LOS in the intervention group is less than 9 days compared with the comparison group, which was at 9 days (p = .001)., Implications to Case Management Practice: Case managers play a critical role in coordinating care, improving transitions of care, and reducing LOS. Case managers can have a significant impact by monitoring and reminding nurses to report the gastrointestinal movements of oncology patients and then escalate opioid-induced constipation with the providers immediately. Case managers can facilitate the implementation of bowel regimen protocols, which may reduce hospitalizations and enhance patient outcomes, by taking this action., Competing Interests: The authors report no conflicts of interest., (Copyright © 2024 Wolters Kluwer Health, Inc. All rights reserved.)

Background: Delirium is defined as a sudden onset of confusion due to disruption in normal brain functioning. Although it is highly prevalent in post-operative patients, most significantly the older adult population, limited information exists explaining why its onset occurs., Purpose: This integrative review aimed to synthesise specific comorbidities that can contribute to the development of post-operative delirium in older adult cardiac surgical patients., Methods: PRISMA statement was used to report the identification, selection, appraisal and synthesis of articles and the PRISMA diagram reports the selection process. The Johns Hopkins Evidence-Based Practice Tools were used as guide in literature review, critical analysis, levelling of evidence and quality rating. PubMed, ProQuest, CINAHL plus, EMBASE, MEDLINE, Ovid Nursing Collection and Cochrane databases were searched from 2015 to 2020., Results: The initial search yielded 1529 articles. Following the removal of duplicates and screening, 14 articles were included for this review. The following comorbidities were identified in the studies: Diabetes mellitus, atrial fibrillation, depression, impaired olfaction, pre-existing cerebrovascular disease, pre-existing cardiovascular disease, insomnia and frailty., Conclusion: There was a strong indication of the development of post-operative delirium among older adult cardiac surgical patients with comorbidities., Relevance to Clinical Practice: Awareness of the impact of comorbidities in developing post-operative delirium may help healthcare providers to plan and implement proper care management among older adult cardiac surgical patients with comorbidities., (© 2022 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.)

Purpose of Study: The specific aims of this study were to examine whether sociodemographic variables and medical-surgical diagnoses were associated with telephone follow-up (TFU) reach rates, emergency department visits, and hospital readmissions., Primary Practice of Setting: Acute care inpatient units in an academic medical center., Methodology and Sample: A correlational design was utilized, and a prospective medical record review of patients was conducted while implementing face-to-face prehospital discharge meeting interventions. The study sample (N = 176) included adult patients in two neurosurgical wards who were admitted between June 2016 and September 2016. Parametric and nonparametric tests were used to explore the balance between the intervention group receiving a face-to-face prehospital discharge meeting and comparison group receiving standard prehospital discharge care. Bivariate statistics were employed to determine associations between variables., Results: A total of 15 sociodemographic and medical-surgical variables were used to correlate TFU reach rates, emergency department (ED) visits, and readmission rates. Educational attainment (p = .002), employment status (p = .014), parental status (p = .010), and hospital service (p = .039) had significant differences between the intervention and comparison groups. Results demonstrated an improved reach rate for the intervention group but despite the differences in the groups, phi and Cramer's V coefficients did not correlate any associations with TFU reach rate, ED visits, and readmission rates with sociodemographic and surgical variables. This outcome affirmed that despite the similarities and differences in the sample, a face-to-face meeting prehospital discharge is an effective intervention to improve telephone outreach., Implications to Case Management Practice: There is a need to determine the most cost-effective way to increase TFU reach rates to prevent subsequent ED visits and hospital readmissions. There is also a need to develop a tool that can predict the hardest-to-reach patients posthospital discharge, so that case managers can meet those patients before leaving the hospital. In addition, it is important to identify alternative methods of "face-to-face" interactions during the COVID-19 pandemic crises. Case managers must explore ways with caution to leverage secured digital technology to bridge the gap of communicating with patients and family members when hospital visitations are limited., Competing Interests: The authors reports no conflicts of interest., (Copyright © 2021 Wolters Kluwer Health, Inc. All rights reserved.)

Background: Patients continue to utilize physician review websites (PRWs) to assist in their selection of a health care provider. Studies on PRWs and how they affect patient care have recently become popular in the literature. This study analyzes PRW ratings of a previously unexamined subspecialty, pediatric orthopaedic surgeons., Methods: Three hundred ninety-nine randomly selected Pediatric Orthopaedic Society of North America member's PRW ratings were examined from May 4, 2020 to July 18, 2020. Healthgrades.com, Vitals.com, RateMDs.com, and Google.com were reviewed. Number of ratings and average ratings (0 to 5.0) were recorded. Provider sex, years in practice (0 to 10, 11 to 20, and 21+), practice type (academic, private), geographic location (Northeast, Southeast, Midwest, Southwest, West), degree (Medical Doctor, Doctor of Osteopathic Medicine), and fellowship training (yes, no) were recorded. Kruskal-Wallis testing was performed to determine factors affecting positive surgeon ratings., Results: 98.5% (393) of Pediatric Orthopaedic Society of North America surgeons were rated on a PRW at least once and were highly rated with an average rating of 4.14 of 5.0. Surgeons in practice 1 to 10 years had higher ratings than those in practice 11 to 20 and 21+ years, on Healthgrades.com (P=0.049) and RateMDs.com (P=0.011). Academic surgeons were found to have higher ratings than those in private practice on Google.com (P=0.007). Sex, region of practice, degree type, and fellowship training status did not have an effect on online ratings across all PRWs., Conclusions: Pediatric orthopaedic surgeons are frequently and highly rated, similar to other orthopaedic subspecialties. Surgeons in practice 1 to 10 years were found to have statistically higher ratings on some websites. Academic surgeons were found to have statistically higher ratings on some websites., Competing Interests: The authors declare no conflicts of interest., (Copyright © 2021 Wolters Kluwer Health, Inc. All rights reserved.)

The objective of this literature review and evaluation project was to determine what evidence exists on the use of interactive digital learning and gamification for adult learners in nursing, for the purpose of guiding a redesign of our organization's online clinical education courses. The Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses was used in the literature search, with the critical analysis and leveling of evidence. After determining the search terms, four electronic databases (PubMed, CINAHL, ERIC, and Cochrane) were searched with the guidance of a medical librarian. Eight reviewers participated, and an evidence-based practice specialist served as auditor. Twenty-three articles were included in the review, which revealed overall support for the gamification process with specific findings about optimizing the process. The review further suggested that interactive digital learning in the form of games, gamification, or scenario-based learning has a positive effect on learner engagement and satisfaction; however, none of the studies were able to quantify objective data about knowledge retention. Further research is needed to test different modalities that improve both learner engagement and knowledge retention. [J Contin Educ Nurs. 2020;51(11):509-515.]., (Copyright 2020, SLACK Incorporated.)

Background: Public domain physician review websites (PRWs) and personal websites are extremely popular measures that patients use to evaluate physicians before receiving care. Few studies have examined how orthopedic surgeons are rated on PRWs and personal websites. This study examines the online ratings of hip and knee replacement subspecialists., Methods: The American Association of Hip and Knee Surgeons (AAHKS) fellow's ratings were examined from October 1st, 2018 to December 31st, 2018, on Healthgrades.com, Vitals.com, RateMDs.com, Google.com, and personal websites. Number of responses and average ratings (0.0-5.0) were recorded, along with provider gender, years in practice (0-10, 11-20, and 21+), practice type (academic, private), geographic region (NE, SE, MW, SW, W), degree (MD, DO), and fellowship training (yes, no). The Kruskal-Wallis testing was performed to determine factors affecting positive surgeon ratings., Results: 98.3% (483) of 490 AAHKS surgeons were rated at least once. No significant differences in average ratings were identified between websites. Surgeons in practice 1-10 years had significantly higher ratings than those in practice 11-20 and 21+ years (P < .01). Fellowship-trained surgeons in practice 1-10 years also showed significantly higher ratings. No differences in average ratings were found between gender, practice type, and geographic region., Conclusions: AAHKS surgeons have high average ratings and are rated online frequently. Surgeons in practice 1-10 years had statistically higher overall average ratings. Adult reconstruction fellowship training was also associated with higher average ratings for surgeons in practice 1-10 years. Public domain PRWs and personal websites showed no difference in average ratings., (Copyright © 2019 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

The Johns Hopkins Community Health Partnerships (JCHiP) was developed in 2010 within the Johns Hopkins Health Systems. As part of JCHiP, the Patient Access Line call center was created. The average telephone reach rate at The Johns Hopkins Hospital in 2014 was only 53%. In a population of adult neurosurgical patients, this study aimed to: determine the impact of face-to-face meetings with neurosurgical patients before hospital discharge on telephone follow-up (TFU) reach rates, and determine the association between TFU reach rates and subsequent emergency department (ED) visits and hospital readmission rates. This quasi-experimental study used a posttest-only research design with a comparison group. Two adult inpatient neurosurgical units at the Johns Hopkins Hospital were selected as the intervention and comparison groups. A convenience sampling technique was used. Face-to-face meetings pre hospital discharge resulted in a TFU reach rate of 97.7% on the intervention unit while the comparison unit had only a 76.1% TFU reach rate ( P  < .001). Reached patients had fewer ED visits (7.8%) than not reached patients (17.4%); however, the difference was not statistically significant ( P  = .138). Reached patients also had fewer hospital readmissions (3.3%) than not reached patients (8.7%); this also was not statistically significant ( P  = .214). This study demonstrated that face-to-face meetings with neurosurgical patients prior to discharge increased TFU rates. Results were statistically significant. ED visits and hospital readmissions were also reduced in reached patients and the findings were clinically significant.

Purpose of Study: Many hospitals established telephone follow-up (TFU) programs to improve care transitions and reduce hospital readmissions. However, there is a lack of knowledge on how to increase the outreach of TFU programs. This integrative review aims to answer the clinical practice question, "What is the best practice for increasing telephone follow-up reach rates post-hospital discharge?", Primary Practice Setting: The primary setting evaluated in this review was hospital-based phone call programs that are conducting post-hospital discharge TFU., Methodology: In this integrative review, we searched studies published between January 2003 and November 2017. We searched 5 electronic databases including PubMed, EMBASE, CINAHL, Web of Science, and Cochrane. The Johns Hopkins Nursing Evidence-Based Practice model was used to critically analyze and synthesize the selected articles., Results: Nine articles were reviewed, and this study uncovered that pre-hospital face-to-face meeting might increase TFU reach rates. However, most studies calculated reach rates using only frequencies/percentages. This contributed to our low-quality rating on most of the reviewed studies., Implications for Case Management Practice: This review identified that TFU, as a component of a care coordination program, may reduce hospital readmissions and control health care utilization. However, few studies (n = 2) used TFU reach rates as a major study outcome to determine the impact of face-to-face meetings on phone outreach. Therefore, the evidence is limited to inform case management practice to increase phone outreach post-hospital discharge. It is recommended to conduct further research and test different methods that may increase phone outreach.

Purpose of the Study: The purpose of this study was to determine whether a face-to-face meeting with patients by a telephonic case manager prehospital discharge would result in increased telephone follow-up (TFU) reach rates posthospital discharge., Primary Practice Setting: Acute care adult medicine inpatient units., Methodology and Sample: A quasiexperimental design was utilized. Two adult inpatient medicine units were selected as the intervention and comparison groups. The framework of the study is the transitions theory. A convenience sampling technique was used, whereby 88 eligible patients on the intervention unit received face-to-face meetings prehospital discharge whereas 123 patients on the comparison unit received standard care (no face-to-face meetings). Cross-tabulation and chi-square tests were employed to examine the association of face-to-face meeting intervention and TFU reach rates., Results: Implementing brief (<10 min) face-to-face meetings by a telephonic case manager prehospital discharge resulted in a TFU reach rate of 87% on the intervention unit, whereas the comparison unit only had a 58% TFU reach rate (p < .001)., Implications for Case Management Practice: Increasing reach rates by a telephonic case manager facilitates communication with more patients posthospital discharge. A brief prehospital discharge face-to-face meeting with patients assisted them to understand the reasons for a posthospital discharge telephone call, identified the best times to call using accurate telephone numbers, and taught patients how best to prepare for the call. In addition, by meeting patients face-to-face, the telephonic case manager was no longer an unknown person on the telephone asking them questions about their medical condition. These factors combined may have significantly helped to increase TFU reach rates.