The investigators propose a pilot randomized controlled trial of a care transitions intervention in which trained Community Health Workers will act as supports for socioeconomically vulnerable patients who are being discharged from the Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania and Presbyterian Hospital. CHWs or IMPaCT Partners will help patients to overcome the challenges of transition, including arranging primary care provider (PCP) follow-up, filling medication prescriptions and obtaining referrals to community-based social services. As our primary outcome, the investigators will examine the effect of the IMPaCT intervention on rates of primary care follow-up. The investigators will also examine the effect of IMPaCT on secondary outcome variables including patients' satisfaction with the experience of transition, quality of discharge communication, medication adherence, self- rated health, and inpatient readmission within 30 days after discharge.
Study Type
INTERVENTIONAL
Allocation
RANDOMIZED
Purpose
HEALTH_SERVICES_RESEARCH
Masking
SINGLE
Enrollment
513
Community Health Workers will act as PaCT Partners for uninsured/Medicaid patients who are being discharged from the Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania and Presbyterian Hospital. PaCT Partners will help patients to overcome the challenges of transition, including arranging primary care provider (PCP) follow-up, filling medication prescriptions and obtaining referrals to community-based social services.
University of Pennsylvania
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States
Completion of Follow-up Appointment with PCP
We hypothesize that compared to patients who receive usual discharge planning, PaCT patients will have a higher proportion of follow-up to PCP within two weeks post-discharge, compared with usual discharge planning.
Time frame: 14 days post discharge
Morisky Medication Adherence scale.
We hypothesize that compared to patients with usual discharge planning, PaCT patients will have higher medication adherence as measured by the Morisky Medication Adherence scale.
Time frame: 14 days post-discharge
Patient Activation Measure
We hypothesize that compared to patients with usual discharge planning, PaCT patients will exhibit a higher level of patient activation as measured by the Patient Activation Measure.
Time frame: 14 days post discharge
Self-rated Health
We hypothesize that compared with usual discharge planning, PaCT patients will report better health as measured by the Short Form Health Survey (SF-12) at 14 days post-discharge.
Time frame: 14 days post-discharge
Patient Satisfaction Questionnaire
We hypothesize that compared with usual discharge planning, PaCT patients will report higher satisfaction as measured by the Patient Satisfaction Questionnaire (PSQ) at 14 days post-discharge.
Time frame: 14 days post discharge
Acute Care Reutilization
We hypothesize that compared with usual discharge planning, PaCT patients will have lower combined rates of unplanned readmissions at 30 days post-discharge
Time frame: 30 days post-discharge
Quality of Discharge Planning
Hospital Consumer Assessment of Healthcare Providers and Systems Survey item pertaining to quality of verbal discharge communication
Time frame: 14 days post-discharge
This platform is for informational purposes only and does not constitute medical advice. Always consult a qualified healthcare professional.