Postdischarge Recovery Research Articles

Association of Wearable Derived Pulse Rate Variability With Pediatric Appendectomy Complications

IntroductionPostoperative recovery of children is difficult to gauge by parents after hospital discharge. Consumer wearable devices (CWD) generate valid and near real-time pulse rate data, integer pulse rate variability (PRVi), that can serve as digital biomarkers for the onset of complications during post-discharge recovery. This study sought to explore whether pediatric patients with surgical complications after appendectomy exhibited a CWD-derived PRVi trajectory that differs from the normative PRVi recovery trajectory. MethodsIn this retrospective analysis, children aged 3–17 undergoing appendectomy for complicated appendicitis was invited to participate. Participants wore a Fitbit device for 21 days postoperatively. PRVi was calculated as the variance, defined as the sum of the squared differences of each value from the mean, of the heart rate in beats per minute measured over 5 consecutive minutes. The mean daily PRVi was calculated for patients recovering with and without complications. ResultsNinety-eight patients were enrolled in the study; 60 (61 %) were ages 3–11, 54 (55 %) were female, and 57 (58 %) were Caucasian. Eleven (11 %) developed surgical complications. Those with complications experienced a slower increase in the mean PRVi over the 21-day period. ConclusionsIn this prospective observational study, it was demonstrated that PRVi derived from CWD data can be used as an objective digital biomarker to profile surgical complications. This finding provides clinicians with an additional tool for monitoring children during the postoperative period, enhancing their ability to proactively detect and address complications. Level of EvidenceIV.

The Use of Multifamily Discharge Preparation Groups in the Discharge Process of Patients with Schizophrenia.

After acute treatment, patients with schizophrenia return to their original living environment for further rehabilitation, which not only determines the quality of life of the patients and their families but also has an important impact on society. However, patients often find it difficult to adapt to changes in the environment when they are discharged from the hospital. This may be related to the incompleteness of China's mental health service system, as many services for schizophrenia patients are only in the treatment stage. In China, schizophrenia is traditionally associated with poor moral quality, and patients find it difficult to obtain support. Many patients have trouble reintegrating into the community after treatment. Schizophrenic multifamily teams gather families affected by the same illness and pain together to promote healing together in an environment that allows mutual sharing, understanding and transparency, maximizes the use of family resources for support, improves discharge readiness, and better deals with post-discharge recovery. The multifamily group intervention method was used to improve the motivation of the patients' family motivation as well as the discharge readiness and self-efficacy of the patient. After the intervention, the motivation of the family and discharge readiness of the patient were improved compared with that of the baseline period; however, the improvement was not significant. The self-efficacy of the patients was significantly improved (P=0.042). In the discharge preparation of schizophrenia patients, multifamily teams can be used to help patients and their families share resources, enhance support and prepare for discharge. Patients will have better support following discharge for recovery in the community. Additional consideration should be given to the impact of the environment on patient services, and the evaluation of the service process is key to continuously improving the service effect.

Paediatric laceration repair in the emergency department: post-discharge pain and maladaptive behavioural changes

BackgroundPaediatric laceration repair procedures are common in the ED; however, post-discharge recovery remains understudied. Perioperative research demonstrates that children exhibit maladaptive behavioural changes following stressful and painful medical procedures. This...

Post-discharge 6-Month Functional Recovery of Traumatic Brain Injury Survivors with Unfavorable Functional Status at Discharge: A Registry-Based Cohort Study

BackgroundTraumatic Brain Injury (TBI) is a major cause of physical disabilities worldwide. Herein, we aimed to investigate the factors contributing to post-discharge recovery in patients who were discharged with an unfavorable outcome. MethodsWe collected data on the characteristics of patients, with a focus on those who survived TBI but had an unfavorable outcome at discharge as measured by Glasgow Outcome Scale Extended; GOSE categories two, three, and four. Post-discharge recovery was defined as achieving a favorable functional status at six months (GOSE of five or more) with a minimum two-point increase in GOSE. ResultsOf 4011 TBI patients in our registry, 797 had an unfavorable discharge functional status. In severe TBI, 51% achieved recovery, while in mild to moderate TBI, 57% achieved recovery after six months. Older patients and those with shorter intensive care unit length of stay were more likely to experience post-discharge recovery in both mild to moderate and severe TBI groups. The presence of base of skull fracture was also associated with post-discharge recovery in severe TBI patients. Lastly, we showed that, after adjustment for potential confounders, GOSE at discharge is associated with post-discharge recovery in both mild to moderate and severe TBI patients. ConclusionThis study found that the majority of the patients who were discharged with an unfavorable functional status were able to achieve a favorable outcome within six months. The novel post-discharge recovery in TBI patients might be a useful toll for illuminating the factors associated with a significant improvement after discharge.

Biopsychosocial Factors Influencing Mortality and Functional Recovery in COVID-19 Patients Undergoing Prone Positioning: A Prospective Observational Study

To identify social, health, and hospital factors associated with mortality and functional recovery in activities of daily living (ADL) in patients admitted to the ICU due to COVID-19 who were in the prone position. We conducted a prospective observational study between June 2021 and March 2022 at the San José Clinical Hospital. The study included people 18 years of age or older admitted to the ICU due to COVID-19 who were in the prone position. Using logistic regression, we searched for factors associated with the risk of in-hospital mortality. Using linear regression, we also analyzed factors associated with functional recovery in ADL at discharge and post-discharge. In 85 patients included, being men, older age, history of mental health, cardiorespiratory disease, and living in a commune of high social priority were associated with a higher risk of in-hospital mortality. A greater number of days of hospitalization was associated with less functional recovery at discharge and post-discharge. In contrast, more cycles in prone position during hospitalization and higher education level were associated with greater post-discharge functional recovery. The survival and functional prognosis of patients with severe COVID-19 can be predicted early through a biopsychosocial evaluation of their characteristics. Intrahospital actions could improve functional recovery in ADL in the short term in critically ill patients surviving COVID-19.

Barriers to Postdischarge Smartphone App Use Among Patients With Traumatic Rib Fractures.

Rib fractures commonly result from traumatic injury and often require hospitalization for pain control and supportive pulmonary care. Although the use of mobile health technology to share patient-generated health data has increased, it remains limited in patients with traumatic injuries. We sought to assess the feasibility of mobile health tracking in patients with rib fractures by using a smartphone app to monitor postdischarge recovery. We encountered patient, institutional, and process-related obstacles that limited app use. The success of future work requires the acknowledgment of these limitations and the use of an implementation science framework to effectively integrate technological tools for personalized trauma care.

Readmissions trends following radical cystectomy for bladder cancer unchanged in the era of enhanced recovery after surgery (ERAS) protocols.

To provide nationally representative estimates of contemporary trends in readmission rates, readmission location (index vs. nonindex hospital), and causes of readmission following radical cystectomy (RC) in the era of enhanced recovery after surgery (ERAS) protocol implementation. Patients with bladder cancer who underwent RC were identified in the Nationwide Readmissions Database (2016-2019). Yearly trends in 30-day and 90-day readmission rates and readmission causes were assessed in the whole cohort and subset of patients who underwent RC at high volume centers (>22 RCs/year). Multivariable logistic regression was used to determine predictors of index readmission, nonindex readmission, death during readmission, and experiencing a second readmission. Among the 20,957 RC patients, the 30-day and 90-day readmission rates were 23.5% (n = 4,931) and 39.1% (n = 7,987), respectively. For 90-day readmissions, 27.6% (n = 2,206) were to nonindex hospitals. During the study period, there was no significant change in the yearly 30-day or 90-day readmission rates and percentage of readmissions to nonindex hospitals (all p > 0.05). This was also true in the subset of patients who underwent RC at high volume centers. The only significant change in causes of readmission during the study period was wound readmissions (2.7% in 2016 vs. 5.1% of readmissions in 2019, p = 0.02). During the era of ERAS protocol implementation, in this nationally representative study, most causes of readmission and both 30 and 90-day readmission rates were unchanged, even at high volume RC centers. Moving forward, novel interventions are needed which focus on the postdischarge recovery period to help decrease readmission rates following RC.

Spontaneous physical functional recovery after hospitalization for COVID-19: insights from a 1 month follow-up and a model to predict poor trajectory.

Long COVID syndrome has emerged as a new global healthcare challenge, with impaired physical performance being a prominent debilitating factor. Cardiopulmonary rehabilitation is a mainstay of management of symptomatic post-COVID patients, and optimization of candidate selection might allow for more effective use of available resources. In order to study the natural dynamics and to identify predictors of physical functional recovery following hospitalization for COVID-19, 6 min walk test was performed pre-discharge in 176 patients (40% hypertensive, 53% female, mean age 53.2 ± 13.5 years) with re-evaluation at 1 month. Six min walk distance and the reached percent of predicted distance (6MWD%) were suboptimal at both visits-396 ± 71 m (68.7 ± 12.4%) pre-discharge and 466 ± 65 m (81.8 ± 13.6%) at 1 month. Associated changes included significant oxygen desaturation (2.9 ± 2.5 and 2.3 ± 2.2%, respectively) and insufficient increment of heart rate during the test (24.9 ± 17.5 and 28.2 ± 12.0 bpm) that resulted in low reached percent of individual maximum heart rate (61.1 ± 8.1 and 64.3 ± 8.2%). Automatic clusterization of the study cohort by the 6MWD% changes has allowed to identify the subgroup of patients with poor "low base-low increment" trajectory of spontaneous post-discharge recovery that were characterized by younger age (38.2 ± 11.0 vs. 54.9 ± 12.1, p < 0.001) but more extensive pulmonary involvement by CT (43.7 ± 8.8 vs. 29.6 ± 19.4%, p = 0.029) and higher peak ESR values (36.5 ± 9.7 vs. 25.6 ± 12.8, p < 0.001). Predictors of poor recovery in multivariate logistic regression analysis included age, peak ESR, eGFR, percentage of pulmonary involvement by CT, need for in-hospital oxygen supplementation, SpO2 and mMRC dyspnea score pre-discharge, and history of hypertension. COVID-19 survivors were characterized by decreased physical performance pre-discharge as assessed by the 6 min walk test and did not completely restore their functional status after 1 month of spontaneous recovery, with signs of altered blood oxygenation and dysautonomia contributing to the observed changes. Patients with poor "low base-low increment" trajectory of post-discharge recovery were characterized by younger age but more extensive pulmonary involvement and higher peak ESR values. Poor post-discharge recovery in the study cohort was predictable by the means of machine learning-based classification model that used age, history of hypertension, need for oxygen supplementation, and ESR as inputs.

Psychological Trauma of COVID-19 in Pregnancy: Diagnosis, Treatment, and Recovery [ID: 1378016

INTRODUCTION: The objective of this study was to delineate birthing persons' accounts of COVID-19 diagnosis, inpatient treatment, and recovery from infection and the effect on mental health. METHODS: This is a prospective qualitative study of English-speaking birthing people hospitalized for treatment of COVID-19 during pregnancy at a single quaternary care center from August 2021 to March 2022. Semistructured interviews were conducted to examine emotional reactions to developing COVID-19 during pregnancy, experiences with hospital admission and inpatient care, and effect on mental health after recovery. All interviews were audio-recorded, professionally transcribed, and iteratively coded for inductive narrative analysis. RESULTS: Eight birthing people participated in interviews. Universally, participants experienced feelings of fear, panic, and frustration with the diagnosis of COVID-19 infection and their need to be hospitalized. Inpatient care engendered feelings of isolation and disconnection due to separation from family and limited interaction with health care team members. Compared to non-Hispanic White participants, non-Hispanic Black participants were more likely to express feelings of discrimination and disrespectful care. After discharge, participants described intentionally avoiding people to minimize risk of reinfection, further increasing fears of anxiety and isolation even months after diagnosis. Postdischarge recovery also included ongoing recovery from physical symptoms, including breathing and activities of daily living. CONCLUSION: Birthing people reported significant psychological trauma after their diagnosis, treatment, and recovery from COVID-19 infection in pregnancy. These experiences highlight the importance of focusing on mental health as part of recovery and outline opportunities to improve the provision of respectful, equitable care.

Critical illness myopathy and trajectory of recovery in acute kidney injury requiring continuous renal replacement therapy: a prospective observational trial protocol

IntroductionAcute kidney injury requiring renal replacement therapy (AKI-RRT) is common in the intensive care unit (ICU) and is associated with significant morbidity and mortality. Continuous RRT (CRRT) non-selectively removes large...

Frequency, duration, and type of physiotherapy in the week after hip fracture surgery – analysis of implications for discharge home, readmission, survival, and recovery of mobility

PurposeTo examine the association between physiotherapy access after hip fracture and discharge home, readmission, survival, and mobility recovery. MethodsA 2017 Physiotherapy Hip Fracture Sprint Audit was linked to hospital records for 5383 patients. Logistic regression was used to estimate the association between physiotherapy access in the first postoperative week and discharge home, 30-day readmission post-discharge, 30-day survival and 120-days mobility recovery post-admission adjusted for age, sex, American Society of Anesthesiology grade, Hospital Frailty Risk Score and prefracture mobility/residence. ResultsOverall, 73% were female and 40% had high frailty risk. Patients who received ≥2 hours of physiotherapy (versus less) had 3% (95% Confidence Interval: 0–6%), 4% (2–6%), and 6% (1–11%) higher adjusted probabilities of discharge home, survival, and outdoor mobility recovery, and 3% (0–6%) lower adjusted probability of readmission. Recipients of exercise (versus mobilisation alone) had 6% (1–12%), 3% (0–7%), and 11% (3–18%) higher adjusted probabilities of discharge home, survival, and outdoor mobility recovery, and 6% (2–10%) lower adjusted probability of readmission. Recipients of 6–7 days physiotherapy (versus 0–2 days) had 8% (5–11%) higher adjusted probability of survival. For patients with dementia, improved probability of survival, discharge home, readmission and indoor mobility recovery were observed with greater physiotherapy access. ConclusionGreater access to physiotherapy was associated with a higher probability of positive outcomes. For every 100 patients, greater access could equate to an additional eight patients surviving to 30-days and six avoiding 30-day readmission. The findings suggest a potential benefit in terms of home discharge and outdoor mobility recovery. Contribution of the Paper•To substantiate a case for additional physiotherapy, evidence for an association with improved outcomes is needed.•Analysis of 5383 patients suggests greater access to physiotherapy was associated with higher probability of positive outcomes.•For every 100 patients, this could equate to six more patients avoiding 30-day readmission and eight more patients surviving to 30-days.•The association between access to physiotherapy and survival persisted irrespective of dementia diagnosis.•For other outcomes, associations varied by the presence/absence of dementia and should be explored by future cohort studies.

1415 NOVEL APPROACHES TO POST DISCHARGE CARE. REMOTE HEALTHCARE MONITORING SYSTEMS FOLLOWING TRAUMATIC BRAIN INJURY IN OLDER ADULTS

Abstract Introduction Major trauma including Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI) is an increasingly common cause of hospitalisation in older adults (OAs). We studied post-discharge recovery from TBI using a remote healthcare monitoring system that captures data on activity and sleep. We aim to assess the feasibility and acceptability of this technology to monitor recovery at home following a significant acute health event in OAs. Methods We installed Minder, a remote healthcare monitoring system, in recently discharged patients &amp;gt;60 years with moderate-severe TBI. We present descriptive analyses of post-discharge recovery for two males, corroborating data from Minder against verified activities and events. We recorded semi-structured interviews assessing acceptability. Both participants have similar household set-up, multimorbidity profiles and clinical frailty scores; however, one participant has prior cognitive impairment (PAT1), and one does not (PAT2). Results We present 10 weeks of sleep and activity data from Minder and feedback from interviews. Data observed from PAT1 revealed habitual patterns of activity and sleep. These remained stable, despite discrete clinical events. Conversely, PAT2's data revealed irregular sleep patterns that became increasingly fragmented. Activity was detected in multiple rooms throughout the house at night, consistent with carer reports of night-time wandering. Increased overnight activity coincided with multiple falls, prompting increased care provision. Initial feedback from interviews was the technology helped participants and those involved in their care feel supported. Conclusions As pressure on services mounts, novel approaches to post-discharge care are of increasing importance. Remote healthcare monitoring can provide high temporal resolution data offering ‘real world’ insights into the effects of significant health events in OAs. Our provisional results support our hypothesis that use of this technology is feasible and acceptable for frail, multimorbid participants and highlights the substantial potential of this technology to help clinicians improve community-based care and more effectively monitor interventions and chronic conditions.

Predictors of Recovery Expectancy in Preparation for Pelvic Reconstructive Surgery in Women With Pelvic Organ Prolapse: A Prospective Cohort Study.

Recovery expectancy is a modifiable predictor of actual recovery after surgery. Identifying predictors of recovery expectancy will allow clinicians to preoperatively modify recovery expectancy and optimize actual recovery. The primary objective was to identify patient characteristics that predict a patient's recovery expectancy. The secondary objective was to validate previous research demonstrating that recovery expectancy predicted actual recovery. This is a prospective cohort study of women undergoing pelvic reconstructive surgery. Patients completed a preoperative survey to collect data on potential sociodemographic, clinical, and psychosocial, including investment in life roles, predictors of recovery expectancies. Actual recovery was measured at postoperative weeks 2 and 6. Predictors of recovery expectancy were identified. Two hundred one women were recruited with 174 included in the final analysis. Variables significantly associated with recovery expectancy during bivariate analysis (P < 0.05) were education level, total prior surgical procedures, pelvic pain, back pain, bodily pain, sick role investment, optimism, satisfaction with participation in social roles, overall social support, job satisfaction, and professionalism. Sick role investment was the only independent predictor of recovery expectancy (F = 3.46, df = 13, P < 0.001). Greater sick role investment was associated with increased probability of prolonged recovery. Patients with low recovery expectancies had less actual recovery compared with patients with high recovery expectancies (P = 0.014). This study confirmed prior work that recovery expectancy predicts actual recovery after reconstructive pelvic surgery and may establish recovery expectancy as a mediator between sick role investment and actual postdischarge surgical recovery.

Enhanced recovery after surgery improves postdischarge recovery after pulmonary lobectomy

ObjectiveEnhanced recovery after surgery protocols are known to accelerate immediate postoperative recovery and to facilitate healing. Our purpose was to further characterize benefits after discharge from the hospital. MethodsAn institutional database was queried to identify patients with clinical stage I non–small cell lung cancer who were classified as Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group performance status 0 and received a lobectomy between January 1, 2000, and August 31, 2020. The presence or absence of symptoms (ie, pain, shortness of breath, fatigue, among others) and performance status were recorded by clinic staff at the time of follow-up. Cox proportional hazards regression was used to identify factors associated with postdischarge recovery, which was defined as a return to Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group performance status 0 in the follow-up clinic. ResultsA total of 935 patients were identified (pre-enhanced recovery after surgery, 523; transition period, 222; enhanced recovery after surgery, 190). Outpatient performance status data were recorded in 774 of 935 patients (83%). The number of patients reporting symptoms at the 1-month follow-up appointment decreased from the pre-enhanced recovery after surgery to transition to the enhanced recovery after surgery period (60%, 50%, and 33%, respectively, P < .001), predominately due to less pain reported (43%, 35%, and 23%, respectively, P = .001). At 6-month follow-up, these differences were no longer statistically significant. Surgery during the enhanced recovery after surgery period was independently associated with significant improvements in postdischarge recovery (hazard ratio, 1.60, 95% confidence interval, 1.29-2.00), and the presence of coronary artery disease (hazard ratio, 0.69, P = .006) and receipt of thoracotomy (hazard ratio, 0.84, P = .036) were independently associated with delayed postdischarge recovery. ConclusionsEnhanced recovery is associated with significant improvements in postdischarge recovery of performance status.

The PSR13, a tool for evaluating patient-perceived recovery after vaginal prolapse repair surgery.

Surgical recovery is the return to preoperative functional, psychologic, and social activity, or a return to normalcy. To date, little is known about the global post-surgical recovery experience from the patients' perspective. The aim of this study was to validate the Post-Discharge Surgical Recovery scale 13 (PSR13) in women undergoing vaginal prolapse repair procedures and evaluate the patient-perceived postoperative recovery experience over a 12-week period. Fifty women undergoing vaginal prolapse repairs completed the PSR13 and global surgical recovery scale (GSR) at 1, 2, 4, 6, and 12 weeks post-surgery. Validity, the minimal clinically important difference (MCID), and responsiveness to change over time of the PSR13 was evaluated using descriptive statistics and linear regression models. The proportion of patients deemed fully recovered at each time point (defined as PSR13 score ≥ 80) was also assessed. The PSR13 correlated significantly (p < 0.001) with the single-item recovery scale and showed excellent internal consistency reliability (Cronbach α = 0.91, range 0.77 to 0.93). The MCID was estimated at 7.0 points. The PSR13 scores improved at varying rates over time, with the greatest amount of patient-perceived recovery occurring between 4 and 6 weeks after surgery. The proportion of patients deemed fully recovered at 6- and 12- weeks postoperatively was 37% and 56%, respectively. The PSR13 is a useful instrument to assess overall return to normalcy from the patient's perspective and can be applied to evaluate the recovery experience among women undergoing vaginal prolapse repairs, in both the research and clinical setting.

Treatment-seeking and recovery among young undernourished children post-hospital discharge in Bangladesh: A qualitative study.

IntroductionPost-hospital discharge mortality is high among undernourished children in many low and middle-income countries. Although a number of quantitative studies have highlighted a range of potential socio-cultural, economic and health system factors influencing paediatric post-discharge treatment-seeking and recovery, few studies have explored family and provider perspectives of the post-discharge period in-depth.MethodsThis work was part of a large, multi-country prospective cohort study, the Childhood Acute Illness and Nutrition (CHAIN) Network. We conducted a qualitative sub-study to understand the post-discharge treatment-seeking and recovery experiences of families of undernourished children aged 2–23 months admitted in a rural and urban icddr,b (International Centre for Diarrhoeal Disease Research, Bangladesh) hospital. Methods included repeat in-depth interviews (73 interviews in total) with 29 family members of 17 purposively selected children. These data were supplemented by interviews with 33 health workers, and by observations in hospitals and homes.ResultsImportant drivers of treatment-seeking perceived to support recovery included advice provided to family members while in hospital, media campaigns on hygiene practice, availability of free treatment, and social and financial support from family members, relatives and neighbours. Key perceived challenges included low household incomes, mothers having to juggle multiple responsibilities in addition to caring for the sick child, lack of support (sometimes violence) from the child’s father, and family members’ preference for relatively accessible drug shops, physicians or healers over hospital admission.ConclusionDevelopment of interventions that address the challenges that families face is essential to support post-discharge adherence to medical advice and recovery. Potential interventions include strengthening information giving during hospitalization on what post-discharge care is needed and why, reducing direct and indirect costs associated with hospital visits, engaging fathers and other ‘significant others’ in post-discharge advice, and building mobile phone-based support for follow-up care.

Barriers to Successful Discharge After Cardiac Surgery: A Focus Group Study and Cross-Sectional Survey

At present, there is a lack of information on patient and caregiver values, and perceived priorities and barriers, to guide successful post-discharge recovery. This was a single center, multiple methods study that investigated patient, caregiver, and health care provider perceptions of the discharge process after cardiac surgery. Themes emerging from focus group discussions with patients and caregivers were used to develop surveys relating to values, barriers, and challenges relating to the discharge process. Thirty-two patients (n=16) and caregivers (n=16) participated in four separate focus groups. Four themes emerged from these discussions: (1) a lack of understanding about what the discharge process entails and when discharge is appropriate, (2) issues relating to the information provided to patients at the time of discharge, (3) participant experiences with the health care system, and (4) the experiences of caregivers. Seventy-eight patients, 34 caregivers, 53 nurses and/or other allied health professionals, and 8 surgeons completed the cross-sectional surveys. The most important component of the discharge process for patients and caregivers was "knowing what to do in an emergency." Health care providers less accurately identified what caregivers perceived as the most important aspects of the discharge process.Statements relating to informational barriers to discharge were the most discordant among patient and caregiver respondents. After discharge, patients and caregivers identified the need for longer-term follow up with the surgeon and more support in the community. Incorporation of patient and caregiver values to guide the post-cardiac surgery discharge process is essential to promote successful recovery.

Post-discharge rehabilitation and functional recovery after pediatric injury

IntroductionVariability in rehabilitation disposition has been proposed as a trauma center quality metric. Benchmarking rehabilitation disposition is limited by a lack of objective measures of functional impairment at discharge. The primary aim of this study was to determine the relative contribution of patient characteristics and hospitalization factors associated with inpatient and outpatient rehabilitation after discharge. The secondary aims were to evaluate the sensitivity of the Functional Status Scale (FSS) score for identifying functional impairments at hospital discharge and track post-discharge recovery. Patients and methodsWe report a planned secondary analysis of a prospective observational study of seriously injured children (<15 years old) enrolled at seven pediatric trauma centers. Functional Status Scale (FSS) score was measured for pre-injury, hospital discharge, and 6-month follow-up timepoints. Multinomial logistic regression identified factors associated with three dispositions: home without rehabilitation services, home with outpatient rehabilitation, and inpatient rehabilitation. Relative weight analysis was used to identify the impact of individual factors associated with inpatient or outpatient rehabilitation disposition. ResultsWe analyzed 427 children with serious injuries. Functional impairment at discharge was present in 103 (24.1%) children, including 43/337 (12.8%) discharged without services, 12/38 (31.6%) discharged with outpatient rehabilitation, and 44/47 (93.6%) discharged to inpatient rehabilitation. In multivariable modeling, variables most contributing to prediction of inpatient rehabilitation were severe initial Glasgow coma scale (GCS), injured body region, and functional impairment at discharge. Severe initial GCS, private insurance, and extremity injury were independently associated with disposition with outpatient rehabilitation. Patients discharged without services or with outpatient rehabilitation most frequently had motor impairments that improved during the next 6 months. Patients discharged to inpatient rehabilitation had impairments in all domains, with many improving within 6 months. A higher proportion of patients discharged to inpatient rehabilitation had residual impairments at follow-up. ConclusionInjury characteristics and discharge impairment were associated with discharge to inpatient rehabilitation. The FSS score identified impairments needing inpatient rehabilitation and characterized improvements after discharge. Less severe impairments needing outpatient rehabilitation were not identified by the FSS score.

Planning for Safe Hospital Discharge by Identifying Patients Likely to Fall After Discharge.

Acute care physical therapists recommend discharge locations and services in part to help prevent falls during post-discharge recovery. Therapists may use standardized tests to inform their recommendation decisions, but evidence linking test scores with fall risk after discharge is lacking. The primary purpose of this study was to explore the associations between Tinetti Performance-Oriented Mobility Assessment (POMA) and Activity Measure for Post-Acute Care Inpatient Mobility Short Form (AM-PAC IMSF) scores and falls in the first 30days after hospital discharge. Anticipating that agreement between therapist recommendations and discharge locations and services (discharge agreement), age, and sex could impact those associations, these factors were included in this investigation. In this observational cohort study, 258 hospitalized patients consented to medical record data extraction and answered a phone survey 30days after discharge to report whether they had experienced a fall since leaving the hospital. POMA and AM-PAC IMSF tests were administered for every patient. Participants' age, sex, diagnosis, last POMA score, last AM-PAC IMSF score, physical therapist discharge recommendations, actual discharge location and services, discharge date, and phone number were collected from their medical records. When analyzed alone, higher POMA scores were associated with lower odds of falling, but the association was not significant after adjustment for other factors. Neither AM-PAC IMSF scores, age, nor sex were associated with falls. Discharge agreement, however, was associated with 59% lower odds of falling after adjustment for other factors. Participants, who were discharged to the location with the services recommended by their physical therapist, were less likely to fall. Tinetti POMA and AM-PAC IMSF scores did not discriminate well participants who would fall. Findings in this study inform those involved in discharge planning on the value of implementing physical therapist recommendations in reducing fall risk after hospital discharge. If physical therapist discharge recommendations are implemented, patients are less likely to fall during the month after hospital discharge. Balance and mobility test scores may provide therapists valuable information, but they are limited in their ability to identify who will fall after discharge.

Strengthening the role of community health workers in supporting the recovery of ill, undernourished children post hospital discharge: qualitative insights from key stakeholders in Bangladesh and Kenya

BackgroundUndernourished children in low- and middle-income countries remain at elevated risk of death following hospital discharge, even when treated during hospitalisation using World Health Organisation recommended guidelines. The role of community health workers (CHWs) in supporting post-discharge recovery to improve outcomes has not been adequately explored.MethodsThis paper draws on qualitative research conducted as part of the Childhood Acute Illnesses and Nutrition (CHAIN) Network in Bangladesh and Kenya. We interviewed family members of 64 acutely ill children admitted across four hospitals (a rural and urban hospital in each country). 27 children had severe wasting or kwashiorkor on admission. Family members were interviewed in their homes soon after discharge, and up to three further times over the following six to fourteen months. These data were supplemented by observations in facilities and homes, key informant interviews with CHWs and policy makers, and a review of relevant guidelines.ResultsGuidelines suggest that CHWs could play a role in supporting recovery of undernourished children post-discharge, but the mechanisms to link CHWs into post-discharge support processes are not specified. Few families we interviewed reported any interactions with CHWs post-discharge, especially in Kenya, despite our data suggesting that opportunities for CHWs to assist families post-discharge include providing context sensitive information and education, identification of danger signs, and supporting linkages with community-based services and interventions. Although CHWs are generally present in communities, challenges they face in conducting their roles include unmanageable workloads, few incentives, lack of equipment and supplies and inadequate support from supervisors and some community members.ConclusionA multi-pronged approach before or on discharge is needed to strengthen linkages between CHWs and children vulnerable to poor outcomes, supported by clear guidance. To encourage scale-ability and cost-effectiveness of interventions, the most vulnerable, high-risk children, should be targeted, including undernourished children. Intervention designs must also take into account existing health worker shortages and training levels, including for CHWs, and how any new tasks or personnel are incorporated into hospital and broader health system hierarchies and systems. Any such interventions will need to be evaluated in carefully designed studies, including tracking for unintended consequences.