Long-Term Care Providers' Perspectives on Health Information Exchange During Patient Transitions Into Long-Term Care:...

Area of Science:

• Healthcare Management
• Gerontology
• Health Informatics

Background:

• Informational continuity is vital for effective care transitions in Long-Term Care (LTC).
• Older adults often experience fragmented information transfer during transitions from community or hospital settings to LTC.

Purpose of the Study:

• To explore how Long-Term Care teams in Ontario, Canada, manage informational continuity for transitioning older adults.
• To identify challenges and facilitators in the information exchange process during LTC transitions.

Main Methods:

• A multiple case study design was employed.
• Interviews were conducted with 20 healthcare professionals across five LTC homes in Ontario, Canada.
• Participants represented diverse roles including nursing, medicine, rehabilitation, and administration.

Main Results:

• LTC providers require comprehensive biopsychosocial information, but data from community and hospital sources is frequently incomplete or outdated.
• Staff actively sought missing information from various sources like electronic health records, families, and other healthcare professionals.
• Information acquisition was influenced by factors such as organizational capacity, provider dynamics, family support, and access to electronic health records.

Conclusions:

• Improving informational continuity requires addressing gaps in data transfer during transitions to LTC.
• Enhanced primary/hospital-LTC collaboration, incentives for continuity, and dedicated transition management staff could optimize information exchange.
• Addressing these factors is essential for ensuring effective and safe care for older adults entering LTC.