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. 2022 Nov;30(6):e4223-e4238.
doi: 10.1111/hsc.13816. Epub 2022 May 4.

Improving transitional care communication for older Australians from hospital to home: Co-design of the TRANSITION tool

Jacqueline Allen  1 , Alison M Hutchinson  2 , Rhonda Brown  3 , Patricia M Livingston  2
Affiliations

Improving transitional care communication for older Australians from hospital to home: Co-design of the TRANSITION tool

Jacqueline Allen et al. Health Soc Care Community. 2022 Nov.

Abstract

This study aimed to develop and evaluate a communication tool to guide transitional care for older patients. Using experience-based co-design, a communication tool resulted from the triangulation of data collected from three study phases. From 2015 to 2016, semi-structured interviews and co-design focus groups were undertaken with older patients, carers and healthcare practitioners across acute, rehabilitation and community settings. The evaluation phase, conducted in 2017-2018, involved use of the communication tool by healthcare practitioners in a multidisciplinary care team with older patients in acute care and semi-structured interviews with healthcare practitioners about the acceptability and feasibility of the tool. A total of 103 patients, carers and healthcare practitioners took part. In semi-structured interviews, patients and carers reported needing to become independent in care transitions, which was supported by discussing the transitional care plan with healthcare practitioners. Interviews with healthcare practitioners identified that their need for fast and safe care transitions was supported by team discussion and by engaging patients and carers in their transitional care plan. Co-design focus group participants identified principles guiding transitional care including patient-centred communication. Data collected from semi-structured interviews and co-design focus groups were used to develop a prototype communication tool to guide conversations about discharge care between healthcare practitioners and older patients. Following use, healthcare practitioners reported that the communication tool was feasible and acceptable although some nurses perceived that transitional care was not their role. The communication tool provides an evidence-based resource for ward nurses to support transitional care continuity in multidisciplinary models.

Keywords: co-design; communication; older adults; qualitative methods; transitional care.

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Conflict of interest statement

The authors have no conflict of interest in this study.

References

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    1. Allen, J. , Hutchinson, A. M. , Brown, R. , & Livingston, P. M. (2017). User experience and care integration in transitional care for older people from hospital to home: A meta‐synthesis. Qualitative Health Research, 27(1), 24–36. 10.1177/1049732316658267 - DOI - PubMed
    1. Allen, J. , Hutchinson, A. M. , Brown, R. , & Livingston, P. M. (2018). User experience and care for older people transitioning from hospital to home: Patients’ and carers’ perspectives. Health Expectations, 21, 518–527. 10.1111/hex.12646 - DOI - PMC - PubMed
    1. Allen, J. , Hutchinson, A. M. , Brown, R. , & Livingston, P. M. (2020). Communication and coordination processes supporting integrated transitional care: Australian Healthcare practitioners’ perspectives. International Journal of Integrated Care, 20(2), 1–10. 10.5334/ijic.4685 - DOI - PMC - PubMed
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