Understanding transitional care programmes for older adults who experience delayed discharge: a scoping review...

Area of Science:

• Gerontology
• Health Services Research
• Evidence Synthesis

Background:

• Hospitalized older adults often face delayed discharges due to complex post-acute care needs.
• Transitional Care Programmes (TCPs) aim to mitigate these delays by providing structured support.
• Existing knowledge gaps hinder the optimal development, implementation, and evaluation of TCPs.

Purpose of the Study:

• To conduct a scoping review to identify key characteristics of older patients served by TCPs.
• To delineate the criteria for transfer, components, and services offered within TCPs.
• To determine the outcomes utilized for evaluating the effectiveness of TCPs.

Main Methods:

• A six-step scoping review employing a collaborative/participatory approach with stakeholders.
• Comprehensive literature search across Medline, PsychINFO, Emcare, and CINAHL databases, supplemented by policy and report reviews.
• Data abstraction and analysis using descriptive and narrative methods, organized by Donabedian's model (structure, process, outcome).

Main Results:

• Identification of patient characteristics defining the target population for TCPs.
• Detailed mapping of TCP components, service delivery models, and transfer criteria.
• Synthesis of diverse outcomes used to evaluate TCP effectiveness in diverse settings.

Conclusions:

• This scoping review provides a comprehensive overview of TCPs for older adults.
• Findings will inform the development and refinement of evidence-based transitional care strategies.
• The study highlights the need for standardized outcome measures in TCP evaluation.