Impact of Nurse Case Management on Hospital Admissions
Author Information
Author(s): Huws Dyfed W, Cashmore Deborah, Newcombe Robert G, Roberts Catherine, Vincent Judith, Elwyn Glyn
Primary Institution: Cardiff University
Hypothesis
Does advanced practice nurse case management reduce unplanned hospital admissions in patients aged 50 and over?
Conclusion
The study found a reduction in unplanned admission rates in intervention practices, but this was not solely due to nurse case management.
Supporting Evidence
- The intervention group had a 9.1% reduction in unplanned admissions.
- The study included 5 intervention practices and 30 non-intervention practices.
- Most of the reduction in admissions was due to new admissions, not re-admissions.
Takeaway
Nurses helped older patients avoid going to the hospital unexpectedly, but it didn't work for everyone.
Methodology
A controlled intervention study comparing unplanned admissions between intervention and non-intervention practices over two years.
Potential Biases
The selection of practices for the intervention may have introduced bias.
Limitations
The study was not randomized, had a small number of practices, and could not control for other factors affecting admission rates.
Participant Demographics
Patients aged 50 years and over in the Swansea Local Health Board area.
Statistical Information
P-Value
0.018
Confidence Interval
0.840 to 0.984
Statistical Significance
p = 0.018
Digital Object Identifier (DOI)
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