ABSTRACT
OBJECTIVE: To design and evaluate, through a human-centered design approach, a multispeciality clinic for patients with central sensitization syndromes that combined virtual previsit consultations, traditional face-to-face appointments, and technology-enabled educational programming. PATIENTS AND METHODS: Patients with suspected fibromyalgia and chronic abdominal pain were seen in a multispecialty practice, and the performance of the clinic was evaluated against a contemporary cohort. Quantitative and qualitative evaluation measures included team estimates of time spent on care-related tasks, physician rank of alignment of patient need with clinic design, major appointment changes, and nonvisit care tasks. Members of the care team also evaluated strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats to the success of the clinic. RESULTS: The pilot clinic was operated from April 1, 2020, to April 30, 2021, and included 34 patients with suspected fibromyalgia/chronic abdominal pain. During the pilot period, physicians ranked the value of the virtual previsit consultations in providing care as 7.5 on a scale of 0 to 10 and reported an average of 50 minutes in preparation for the appointment, execution of the appointment, and postvisit documentation. We did not observe substantial differences in the number of added appointments or messages received within the patient portal when compared with a comparison cohort. Patients who participated in the combination nurse educator-led and digital education program provided positive feedback about their experience. CONCLUSION: Our clinic model provides a framework for the treatment of patients with debilitating centrally sensitized conditions and future expansion of virtual care delivery models to better meet patient care and educational needs.
ABSTRACT
Factors intrinsic to local practice, but not captured by the medical record, contribute to readmissions. Frontline providers familiar with their practice systems can identify these. The objective was to decrease 30-day hospital readmissions. The intervention involved retrospective review by hospitalists of their own patients' readmissions, using reflective practice guided by a chart review tool. Subjects were patients discharged by hospitalists and readmitted to a tertiary care academic medical center. Hospitalists reviewed 193 readmissions of 170 patients. Factors contributing to readmission were grouped under patient characteristics, operational factors, and care transition. After reflection, physicians scheduled earlier follow-up appointments while nurse practitioners and physician assistants improved discharge instructions. Readmissions decreased during the review period, and the decrease sustained for one year after the review period. Hospitalists reflected on and identified local practice factors that contributed to their own patients' 30-day readmissions. Reflective practice may be an effective strategy to decrease hospital readmissions.
