No abstract

PURPOSE We aimed to determine the impact of transitional care interventions (TCIs) on acute health service use by patients with congestive heart failure in primary care and to identify the most effective TCIs and their optimal duration. METHODSWe conducted a systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials, searching the Medline, PsycInfo, EMBASE, and Cochrane Library databases. We performed a meta-analysis to assess the impact of TCI on all-cause hospital readmissions and emergency department (ED) visits. We developed a taxonomy of TCIs based on intensity and assessed the methodologic quality of the trials. We calculated the relative risk (RR) and a 95% confidence interval for each outcome. We conducted a stratified analysis to identify the most effective TCIs and their optimal duration. RESULTSWe identified 41 randomized controlled trials. TCIs significantly reduced risks of readmission and ED visits by 8% and 29%, respectively (relative risk = 0.92; 95% CI, 0.87-0.98; P = .006 and relative risk = 0.71; 95% CI, 0.51-0.98; P = .04). High-intensity TCIs (combining home visits with telephone followup, clinic visits, or both) reduced readmission risk regardless of the duration of follow-up. Moderate-intensity TCIs were efficacious if implemented for a longer duration (at least 6 months). In contrast, low-intensity TCIs, entailing only followup in outpatient clinics or telephone follow-up, were not efficacious. CONCLUSIONS Clinicians and managers who implement TCIs in primary carecan incorporate these results with their own health care context to determine the optimal balance between intensity and duration of TCIs. High-intensity interventions seem to be the best option. Moderate-intensity interventions implemented for 6 months or longer may be another option. INTRODUCTIONC ongestive heart failure (CHF) imposes an increasingly heavy burden on health care systems, most of which can be attributed to numerous hospital readmissions and emergency department (ED) visits. [1][2][3] Multiple exacerbations of CHF result in frequent use of acute health care services by these patients, known as revolving door users. After discharge, 25% of patients are readmitted within the first 30 days, 4,5 and 50% within the first 6 months. 6,7 This frequent use of health care services is mainly due to lack of understanding of a treatment plan, nonadherence to medical therapy, unawareness of CHF symptom exacerbation, and irregular follow-up. [8][9][10][11][12] Lack of coordination and communication between hospitalists and primary care physicians (PCPs) has been documented. 13,14 PCPs too often do not receive discharge summaries, 15 and when they do receive them, the summaries often lack appropriate documentation of medication indication and advice for follow-up. It is therefore difficult for PCPs to plan an appropriate follow-up after hospital discharge. 16To address these issues, transitional care interventions (TCIs) have been implemented with a common objective of reducing the rate of hos- 563pital readmis...

PURPOSE Dementia case management (CM) in primary care is a complex intervention aimed at identifying the various needs of patients with dementia and their caregivers, as well as the organization and coordination of care. A key element of CM is the collaboration of family physicians with case managers. We conducted a systematic mixed-studies review to identify the needs of the patientcaregiver dyad and the effects of CM. METHODSWe searched MEDLINE, PsycINFO, and EMBASE up to October 2014, regardless of the study design. Our main outcomes were needs of patients and their caregivers and the effects of CM on these needs. We used narrative syntheses to develop a taxonomy of needs and to describe the effects of CM on those needs. We used meta-analysis to calculate the prevalence of needs and the standardized mean differences to evaluate the effects of CM on the needs identified.RESULTS Fifty-four studies were included. We identified needs of the patientcaregiver dyad and needs of the patient and caregiver individually. CM addressed the majority of the identified needs. Still, some very common needs (eg, early diagnosis) are overlooked while other needs (eg, education on the disease) are well addressed. Fully establishing the value of CM is difficult given the small number of studies of CM in primary care.CONCLUSIONS There is good evidence that case managers, in collaboration with family physicians, have a pivotal role in addressing the needs of the patientcaregiver dyad. 2016;14:166-177. doi: 10.1370/afm.1898. Ann Fam Med INTRODUCTIONT he proportion of people with dementia is growing dramatically. According to the US Alzheimer's Association, by 2030, 50% of Americans aged 65 years and older will be diagnosed with dementia. 1 In Canada in 2011, 747,000 Canadians lived with cognitive impairment.2 Today, the combined costs are $33 billion per year, 1 and they are projected to increase to $872 billion by 2038. 3,4 Worldwide, dementia is the main contributor to disability-adjusted life years (11.2%), representing a greater burden than cerebral vascular accident (9.5%), heart disease (5.0%), or cancer (2.4%). 5People with dementia need help with challenging changes in behavior, memory, physical disability, and mood. 6 The main source of help is family caregivers, who often suffer from the burdens of caregiving and from depression and health problems. 7 It has been shown that early intervention makes the greatest difference in management of symptoms. 1 The World Health Organization states that it would be challenging to intervene without effective involvement of primary care. 8 Dementia case management (CM) interventions are becoming a central component of primary health care organizations in North America and Europe. [9][10][11][12] According to the 167Case Management Society of America, case management is "a collaborative process of assessment, planning, facilitation, care coordination, evaluation, and advocacy for options and services to meet an individual's and family's comprehensive health needs through communi...

BackgroundThe purpose of this study was to examine factors associated with the implementation of case management (CM) interventions in primary health care (PHC) and to develop strategies to enhance its adoption by PHC practices.MethodsThis study was designed as a systematic mixed studies review (including quantitative and qualitative studies) with synthesis based on the diffusion of innovation model. A literature search was performed using MEDLINE, PsycInfo, EMBASE, and the Cochrane Database (1995 to August 2012) to identify quantitative (randomized controlled and nonrandomized) and qualitative studies describing the conditions limiting and facilitating successful CM implementation in PHC. The methodological quality of each included study was assessed using the validated Mixed Methods Appraisal Tool.ResultsTwenty-three studies (eleven quantitative and 12 qualitative) were included. The characteristics of CM that negatively influence implementation are low CM intensity (eg, infrequent follow-up), large caseload (more than 60 patients per full-time case manager), and approach, ie, reactive rather than proactive. Case managers need specific skills to perform their role (eg, good communication skills) and their responsibilities in PHC need to be clearly delineated.ConclusionOur systematic review supports a better understanding of factors that can explain inconsistent evidence with regard to the outcomes of dementia CM in PHC. Lastly, strategies are proposed to enhance implementation of dementia CM in PHC.

Access to community-based primary health care (hereafter, ‘primary care’) is a priority in many countries. Health care systems have emphasized policies that help the community ‘get the right service in the right place at the right time’. However, little is known about organizational interventions in primary care that are aimed to improve access for populations in situations of vulnerability (e.g., socioeconomically disadvantaged) and how successful they are. The purpose of this scoping review was to map the existing evidence on organizational interventions that improve access to primary care services for vulnerable populations. Scoping review followed an iterative process. Eligibility criteria: organizational interventions in Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) countries; aiming to improve access to primary care for vulnerable populations; all study designs; published from 2000 in English or French; reporting at least one outcome (avoidable hospitalization, emergency department admission, or unmet health care needs). Sources: Main bibliographic databases (Medline, Embase, CINAHL) and team members’ personal files. Study selection: One researcher selected relevant abstracts and full text papers. Theory-driven synthesis: The researcher classified included studies using (i) the ‘Patient Centered Access to Healthcare’ conceptual framework (dimensions and outcomes of access to primary care), and (ii) the classification of interventions of the Cochrane Effective Practice and Organization of Care. Using pattern analysis, interventions were mapped in accordance with the presence/absence of ‘dimension-outcome’ patterns. Out of 8,694 records (title/abstract), 39 studies with varying designs were included. The analysis revealed the following pattern. Results of 10 studies on interventions classified as ‘Formal integration of services’ suggested that these interventions were associated with three dimensions of access (approachability, availability and affordability) and reduction of hospitalizations (four/four studies), emergency department admissions (six/six studies), and unmet healthcare needs (five/six studies). These 10 studies included seven non-randomized studies, one randomized controlled trial, one quantitative descriptive study, and one mixed methods study. Our results suggest the limited breadth of research in this area, and that it will be feasible to conduct a full systematic review of studies on the effectiveness of the formal integration of services to improve access to primary care services for vulnerable populations.