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A Survey of Nursing Home Organizational Characteristics Associated with Potentially Avoidable Hospital Transfers and Care Quality in One Large British Columbia Health Region

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  08 December 2011

Margaret J. McGregor ,
Jennifer Baumbusch ,
Riyad B. Abu-Laban ,
Kimberlyn M. McGrail ,
Dug Andrusiek ,
Judith Globerman ,
Shannon Berg ,
Michelle B. Cox ,
Kia Salomons  and
Jan Volker
...Show all authors
Margaret J. McGregor*
Affiliation:
Department of Family Practice, University of British Columbia (UBC) Vancouver Coastal Health Research Institute Centre for Clinical Epidemiology & Evaluation UBC Centre for Health Services and Policy Research
Jennifer Baumbusch
Affiliation:
UBC School of Nursing
Riyad B. Abu-Laban
Affiliation:
Vancouver Coastal Health Research Institute Centre for Clinical Epidemiology & Evaluation UBC Division of Emergency Medicine
Kimberlyn M. McGrail
Affiliation:
UBC Centre for Health Services and Policy Research
Dug Andrusiek
Affiliation:
British Columbia Ambulance Service Medical Programs
Judith Globerman
Affiliation:
Dr. Irving & Phyliss Snider Campus for Jewish Seniors
Shannon Berg
Affiliation:
UBC Centre for Health Services and Policy Research
Michelle B. Cox
Affiliation:
Department of Family Practice, University of British Columbia (UBC)
Kia Salomons
Affiliation:
Department of Family Practice, University of British Columbia (UBC)
Jan Volker
Affiliation:
Department of Family Practice, University of British Columbia (UBC)
Lisa Ronald
Affiliation:
Department of Family Practice, University of British Columbia (UBC) Vancouver Coastal Health Research Institute Centre for Clinical Epidemiology & Evaluation
*
*Correspondence and requests for offprints should be sent to / La correspondance et les demandes de tirés-à-part doivent être adressées à: Margaret J. McGregor, M.D., MHSc Department of Family Practice University of British Columbia Room 713, 828 West 10th Avenue Vancouver, BC V5Z 1L8([email protected])
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Abstract

Hospitalization of nursing home residents can be futile as well as costly, and now evidence indicates that treating nursing home residents in place produces better outcomes for some conditions. We examined facility organizational characteristics that previous research showed are associated with potentially avoidable hospital transfers and with better care quality. Accordingly, we conducted a cross-sectional survey of nursing home directors of care in Vancouver Coastal Health, a large health region in British Columbia. The survey addressed staffing levels and organization, physician access, end-of-life care, and factors influencing facility-to-hospital transfers. Many of the modifiable organizational characteristics associated in the literature with potentially avoidable hospital transfers and better care quality are present in nursing homes in British Columbia. However, their presence is not universal, and some features, especially the organization of physician care and end-of-life planning and services, are particularly lacking.

Résumé

L’hospitalisation des résidents en maisons de soins infirmiers peut être futile aussi bien que coûteux, et il y a maintenant des preuves qui indiquent que le traitement des résidents des maisons de soins infirmiers en place donne de meilleurs résultats pour certaines conditions. Nous avons examiné les caractéristiques organisationnelles des installations que des récherches précédentes ont montré sont associées à des transferts de l’hôpital potentiellement évitables et avec une meilleure qualité de soins. En conséquence, nous avons mené une enquête transversale de l’administration des maisons de soins infirmiers dans Vancouver Coastal Health, une grande région sanitaire en la Colombie-Britannique. Le sondage portait sur les niveaux de dotation de personnel et l’organisation, l’accès aux médecins, les soins au fin de vie, et les facteurs influençant transferts de l’installation à l’hôpital. Un bon nombre des caractéristiques organisationnels modifiables, associés dans la littérature avec les transferts hospitaliers potentiellement évitables, et de meilleure qualité de soins, sont présents dans les maisons de soins infirmiers en la Colombie-Britannique. Cependant, leur présence n’est pas universelle, et certaines fonctionnalités sont particulièrement en défaut, en particulier l’organisation des soins médicaux et le planification et les services pour la fin de vie.

Keywords

vieillissementmaison de soins infirmierssoins résidentiels de longue duréetransfert à hôpitalsoins de qualitédotation en personnelfin de vieagingnursing homeresidential long-term carehospital transfercare qualitystaffingend-of-life
Type
Articles
Information
Canadian Journal on Aging / La Revue canadienne du vieillissement , Volume 30 , Issue 4 , December 2011 , pp. 551 - 561
Copyright
Copyright © Canadian Association on Gerontology 2011

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