The Winchester District Memorial Hospital (WDMH), Kemptville District Hospital (KDH), and Arnprior Regional Health (ARH) have received a grant to evaluate and improve transitions in care for elderly patients leaving the hospital to go home.
According to a media release from the WDMH it is a $196,000 grant. The hospital says transitions in care happen as patients move from one setting to the next. WDMH also says transitions are times when patients can fall through the cracks and experience setbacks that can result in unnecessary re-admissions and complications and the new multi-site evaluation and quality improvement study is hoping to change that.
The TiC Evaluations Rural Network Study will be conducted over the next two years and will gather valuable, real-world information and find solutions for the hospitals and their patients.
WDMH CEO, Cholly Boland, says the hospital is proud to lead the research study.
WDMH’s Chief Research Officer Mohamed Gazarin is leading the study with WDMH’s Chief of Staff Dr. Brian Devin. Gazarin says the study will involve patient partners, physicians, researchers, front-line staff, and key managers.
“The study will have multiple phases using different approaches such as patient, caregiver and care provider surveys, outcome and operational evaluations, and a knowledge translation component.”
KDH CEO Frank Vassallo says they are pleased to be collaborating with WDMH and ARH because it has the potential to help make care more seamless for patients and families in the communities served by the hospitals.
Cathy Burke, VP of Nursing and Clinical Services at KDH says research shows one out of seven patients may be readmitted within 30 days of being discharged from the hospital.
Doctor Christine Schriver, Chief of Staff at ARH, says they are grateful to the PSI Foundation for their support of this research and look forward to working with other rural hospitals in the region on this important study that will provide insights about how they can enhance the patient experience and outcomes.
Eric Hanna, President and CEO of ARH adds the study will give their regional group evidence-based findings about the unique healthcare needs of rural communities versus urban communities, which will help inform how they best deliver care.