SHM Converge Scientific Abstract ePoster Gallery-Frequency and Quality Assessment of Care Transitions Within Hospitalist-Service Hospitals

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This multicenter cross-sectional study examined the frequency and quality of care transitions in four hospitalist-service hospitals in South Korea during one week in June 2022. The sample included 735 adult inpatients from internal medicine and general surgery, with a mean age of 63.7 years and a mean hospital stay of 8.1 days.<br /><br />Care transitions were classified as shift changes, service changes, and service transfers. Shift changes were temporary handoffs at the end of a shift; service changes were permanent changes in the primary physician because of department changes; and service transfers were changes within the same department, such as rotation, vacation, or ICU transfer.<br /><br />The study found that care transitions were common. Each patient experienced an average of 7.1 shift changes. Service transfers occurred in 60.0% of patients, and service changes occurred in 5.4%. Most service transfers happened at admission, especially from the emergency room or outpatient department, while most service changes were related to hospitalist rotation or ICU transfer.<br /><br />For quality assessment, written handoff documentation was reviewed. Overall, the documentation quality was low. Among 5,189 shift changes, only 255 (4.6%) had written handoff notes. For service transfers and service changes, the review checked whether the report included the patient’s progress after the visit and future treatment plans. In many cases, this information was missing, indicating poor continuity in written communication.<br /><br />The authors concluded that, in the early stage of the hospitalist system in South Korea, care transitions are frequent and the documentation quality is insufficient. They emphasized the need for further research and improvements in transition procedures to enhance patient safety and continuity of care.

Asset Subtitle

Yooju Nam

Meta Tag

Author List Se Yoon Park, Taeyoung Kyong, Yooju Nam

Category Research

Concept Care Transition

Concept Handoff Documentation

Concept Shift Change

Concept Service Change

Concept Service Transfer

Distinguished Non-Finalist

Presenter Organization Department of Hospital Medicine, Yongin Severance Hospital, College of Medicine, Yonsei University, Yongin, Korea

Presenting Author Yooju Nam

Track Transitions of Care

Keywords

care transitions

hospitalist system

South Korea

cross-sectional study

handoff documentation

patient safety

continuity of care

service transfers

shift changes

quality of care

Care Transition

Handoff Documentation

Shift Change

Service Change

Service Transfer