Journal of the American Geriatrics Society
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To assess the content validity and psychometric characteristics of the Knowledge about Older Patients Quiz (KOP-Q), which measures nurses' knowledge regarding older hospitalized adults and their certainty regarding this knowledge. ⋯ The final 30-item KOP-Q is a valid, psychometrically sound, comprehensive instrument that can be used to assess the knowledge of nursing students, hospital nurses, and nurse specialists in geriatrics regarding older hospitalized adults. It can identify knowledge and certainty deficits for research purposes or serve as a tool in educational or quality improvement programs.
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To determine whether 30-day readmissions were associated with presence of cognitive impairment more in elderly adults with heart failure (HF) than in those with other diagnoses and whether medical teams recognized cognitive impairment. ⋯ Cognitive impairment, which is frequently undocumented, may indicate greater risk of readmission for individuals with HF than those without. Screening for cognitive impairment, adapting discharge for it, and involving family and caregivers in discharge education may help reduce readmissions.
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To compare the FRAIL-NH scale with the Frailty Index in assessing frailty in residential aged care facilities. ⋯ The FRAIL-NH scale is a simple and practical method to screen for frailty in residential aged care facilities.
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To investigate factors associated with place of death of individuals in the Mount Sinai Visiting Doctors Program (MSVD). ⋯ Home-based primary and palliative care results in a high likelihood of nonhospital death, although certain demographic characteristics are strong predictors of death in the hospital. For MSVD participants, home visits in the last month of life were not associated with death outside the hospital.
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Observational Study
Effect of a Home-Based Palliative Care Program on Healthcare Use and Costs.
To evaluate the nonclinical outcomes of a proactive palliative care program funded and operated by a health system for Medicare Advantage plan beneficiaries. ⋯ In the context of an alternative payment model in which the provider was "at risk" of bearing the costs of care, a proactive PC program helped to avoid the escalation in hospital use and costs commonly seen in the final months of life.