Abstract WP53: Bringing Comprehensive Stroke Care Home: Supporting Early Supported Discharge

Abstract

Background and Issues: Despite holding the highest certification as a Comprehensive Stroke Center, the project site's 'Discharge-to-Home' performance for ischemic stroke survivors ranked below the median compared to similar academic medical centers. Although an innovative Early Supported Discharge (ESD) program was available for patients who met geographical criteria, the utilization of these services was not optimal. Purpose: This Quality Improvement initiative aimed to investigate the impact of an early collaborative discharge planning process led by a multidisciplinary healthcare team on 'Discharge-to-Home' rates of ischemic stroke patients eligible for the site's ESD program, Homeward Stroke Recovery. Methods: Meleis' Transition Theory was used to shape the development of streamlined workflows, simplifying the identification of eligible patients and reducing the time taken to refer them to Homeward Stroke Recovery through enhancements to the electronic medical record system. Additionally, robust team education was provided to improve discharge coordination and improve the utilization of available ESD services. Existing system data was leveraged, and new data flows were created to monitor program-specific metrics. Descriptive statistics were used to examine the effect of an early collaborative discharge planning process on ‘Homeward Stroke Recovery Discharge Rates’ for ischemic stroke survivors. Results: There was a notable increase of 5.6% in the 'Homeward Stroke Recovery Discharge Rate' from Fiscal Year 2022 to Fiscal Year 2023 (rising from 43.9% to 49.5%). Conclusions: In conclusion, this Quality Improvement project successfully addressed the challenge of suboptimal 'Discharge-to-Home' rates for ischemic stroke patients eligible for the site’s ESD program. The observed 5.6% increase in the 'Homeward Stroke Recovery Discharge Rate' between Fiscal Year 2022 and Fiscal Year 2023 reflects the positive impact of the interventions performed, highlighting the importance of multidisciplinary teamwork and systematic improvements in healthcare delivery.