Implementation of the Acute Care for Elders Strategy to Improve the Quality of Care Transitions in Quebec and Ontario: a Retrospective Multiple Case Study

Background

In 2016, two Canadian hospitals participated in a quality improvement (QI) program, the International Acute Care for Elders (ACE) Collaborative, and sought to adapt and implement a transition coach intervention (TCI). Both hospitals were challenged to provide optimal continuity of care for an increasing number of older adults. The two hospitals received initial funding, coaching, educational materials, and tools to adapt the TCI to their local contexts, but the QI project teams achieved different results. We aimed to compare the implementation of the ACE TCI in these two Canadian hospitals to identify the factors influencing the adaptation of the intervention to the local contexts and to understand their different results.

Methods

We conducted a retrospective multiple case study, including documentary analysis, 21 semi-structured individual interviews, and two focus groups. We performed thematic analysis using a hybrid inductive-deductive approach.

Results

Both hospitals met initial organizational goals to varying degrees. Our qualitative analysis highlighted certain factors that were critical to the effective implementation and achievement of the QI project goals: the magnitude of changes and adaptations to the initial intervention; the organizational approaches to the QI project implementation, management, and monitoring; the organizational context; the change management strategies; the ongoing health system reform and organizational restructuring. Our study also identified other key factors for successful care transition QI projects: minimal adaptation to the original evidence-based intervention; use of a collaborative, bottom-up approach; use of a theoretical model to support sustainability; support from clinical and organizational leadership; a strong organizational culture for QI; access to timely quality measures; financial support; use of a knowledge management platform; and involvement of an integrated research team and expert guidance.

Conclusion

Many of the lessons learned and strategies identified from our analysis will help clinicians, managers, and policymakers better address the issues and challenges of adapting evidence-based innovations in care transitions for older adults to local contexts.

A prospective, descriptive study to assess the reliability and usability of a rapid foot screen for patients with diabetes mellitus in a complex continuing care setting

Inlow's 60-second Diabetic Foot Screen is a paper-pencil tool developed to guide professionals in the completion of a quick foot assessment of persons with diabetes mellitus to determine recommended frequency of assessments. The tool has been used in various healthcare settings and its reliability and validity previously tested in acute and long-term care settings. The purpose of this study was to assess content, time to complete assessment, ease of use, and reliability of the tool in a complex continuing care setting. The tool includes questions about 10 variables; skin, nails, deformities, footwear, temperature, range of motion, sensation, pulses, dependent rubor, and erythema. Answers convert to a score ranging from 0 (low risk, yearly screenings) to 23 (high risk, weekly screenings). Using the tool, the study questionnaire, and a watch, three nurse assessors experienced in assessing the feet of persons with diabetes completed 70 assessments on 35 patients during a period of 30 days. Content areas assessed included significance of comorbidities and interval screening times. Mean time to complete the assessment was 7 minutes (range 2 to 21 minutes); 39% of assessments took 6 to 7 minutes. Times to perform assessment varied widely due to the functional and cognitive well-being of the patient. Inter-rater reliability was low (ICC 0.608 [95% confidence interval 0.349-0.781]), perhaps due to varying interpretations of assessment parameters related to the complexity of the study patient population. Comments suggest that some tool revisions may increase ease of use as well as tool validity and reliability, especially for complex care patients with multiple comorbidities.

Desulfovibrio longus sp. nov., a sulfate-reducing bacterium isolated from an oil-producing well

A novel type of sulfate-reducing bacteria with unusual morphology was isolated from an oil-producing well in the Paris Basin. The cells of this bacterium, strain SEBR 2582T (T = type strain), are long, thin, flexible rods, contain desulfoviridin, and are physiologically similar to members of the genus Desulfovibrio. On the basis of 16S rRNA sequence data, this strain should be included in the genus Desulfovibrio. However, strain SEBR 2582T differs from other members of this genus morphologically, physiologically, and phylogenetically. Thus, a new species, Desulfovibrio longus sp. nov., is proposed for this organism.