SHM Converge Scientific Abstract ePoster Gallery-Evaluating Strategies to Reduce Patient Mean Geometric Length of Stay: A Multi-Facility Study to Improve Patient Outcomes

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This poster describes a multi-facility quality improvement initiative aimed at improving transitions of care from hospitals to skilled nursing facilities (SNFs). The project was motivated by the fact that SNFs often manage patients needing short-term nursing or rehabilitation after discharge, but important clinical information can be lost during transfer, contributing to readmissions and longer hospital stays.<br /><br />To address this, the team developed a 6-step playbook designed to improve coordination and communication between hospital and post-acute care teams. The study evaluated two main outcomes: the geometric mean length of stay index (GMLOS), which compares actual hospital length of stay with expected length of stay for similar patients, and the 30-day all-cause readmission rate for patients discharged to SNFs.<br /><br />Data were collected across five regions. Overall, the average GMLOS index changed very little, from 1.88 pre-implementation to 1.89 post-implementation, with no statistically significant difference. Readmission rates also increased slightly overall, from 11.61% to 12.48%, again without a significant difference. Region-level results varied: some regions showed small improvements, while others worsened.<br /><br />The poster concludes that better coordination between hospitals and SNFs may improve patient outcomes, but success appears to depend on several factors. These include emergency department involvement, identifying barriers affecting length of stay, and continuous monitoring and process improvement. The authors note that natural disasters in two regions may have negatively affected results, and the absence of ED involvement in some regions may have influenced readmission trends. They suggest future studies to determine whether stronger collaboration can produce better outcomes over time.

Asset Subtitle

Aaron J. Perez

Meta Tag

Author List Aaron J. Perez, Divya W. Uppal, Ruby Ruby Sahoo

Category Research

Concept Transitional Care

Concept 90-Day Readmission Rate

Concept Information Loss

Concept Patient Safety

Concept Readmission

Distinguished Non-Finalist

Presenter Organization Texas A&M University Naresh K. Vashisht College of Medicine

Presenting Author Aaron J. Perez

Track Quality Improvement

Keywords

transitions of care

skilled nursing facilities

quality improvement

hospital discharge

readmission rates

length of stay

care coordination

post-acute care

clinical communication

patient outcomes

Transitional Care

90-Day Readmission Rate

Information Loss

Patient Safety

Readmission