Abstract

Background

Approximately 100,000 people in the United States are affected by Sickle Cell Disease (SCD). Sickle Cell Disease represents the second highest readmitting diagnosis at Houston Methodist Hospital. The purpose of this study is to determine the impact of implementing care coordination interventions to reduce hospital readmissions of patients with SCD.

PICOT

In adult patients with SCD in the acute care hospital setting, how does care coordination intervention compared to no care coordination intervention affect the readmission rate for patients with SCD over a 3 – 6-month period?

Body of Evidence

Eleven studies were critical appraised and included in the body of evidence: One Randomized Control Trial, seven Cohort Studies, and three Quality Improvement Projects. Four evidence-based interventions were found to reduce readmissions for SCD patients.

Implementation

Two interventions were implemented: Disease-specific discharge education and scheduling post-discharge follow-up appointments prior to discharge. These interventions were conducted by bedside nurses, case managers, and SCD champions over six-months.

Outcomes/Evaluation

The 30-day readmission rate for SCD was reduced by 22%. There was also a 0.9-day reduction in length of stay and a 17% reduction in Emergency, Observation, and Inpatient encounters.

Impact

This project found that implementing evidence-based care coordination interventions can reduce the 30-day readmission rate for patients with SCD.

Sustainability

Effective care coordination is a key aspect to mitigation of hospital readmissions. Establishing processes to incorporate these strategies into the daily work of care coordinators may serve as the springboard for additional EBP interventions and further support continued quality improvement.

Date of publication

Winter 2-27-2021

Document Type

DNP Scholarly Project

Language

english

Persistent identifier

http://hdl.handle.net/10950/3666

Committee members

Dr. Roberta Schwartz, Dr. Nicole Twine, Dr. Kathleen Helgesen, Dr. Sander Peterson, Dr. Jennifer Chilton, & Dr. Barbara Haas

Degree

Doctor of Nursing Practice

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