Specialty Care Delivery: Bringing Infectious Disease Expertise to the Residents of a Veterans Affairs Long‐Term Care Facility. Issue 5 (16th April 2013)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Jump, Robin L. P.; Olds, Danielle M.; Jury, Lucy A.; Sitzlar, Brett; Saade, Elie; Watts, Brook; Bonomo, Robert A.; Donskey, Curtis J.
• Is Part Of: Journal of the American Geriatrics Society. Volume 61:Issue 5(2013:May)
• Page Start: 782
• Page End: 787
• Publication Date: 2013-04-16
• Subjects: Geriatrics -- Periodicals; 618.97
• DOI: 10.1111/jgs.12206
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 0002-8614

Abstract

<abstract abstract-type="main" xml:lang="en" id="jgs12206-abs-0001"> <title> <x xml:space="preserve">Abstract</x> </title> <sec id="jgs12206-sec-0001" sec-type="section"> <title>Objective</title> <p>To initiate a long‐term care facility (LTCF) infectious disease (LID) service that provides on‐site consultations to LTCF residents to improve the care of residents with possible infections.</p> </sec> <sec id="jgs12206-sec-0002" sec-type="section"> <title>Design</title> <p>Clinical demonstration project.</p> </sec> <sec id="jgs12206-sec-0003" sec-type="section"> <title>Setting</title> <p>A 160‐bed LTCF affiliated with a tertiary care Veterans Affairs (VA) hospital.</p> </sec> <sec id="jgs12206-sec-0004" sec-type="section"> <title>Participants</title> <p>Residents referred to the LID team.</p> </sec> <sec id="jgs12206-sec-0005" sec-type="section"> <title>Measurements</title> <p>The reason for and source of LTCF residents' referral to the LID team and their demographic characteristics, infectious disease diagnoses, interventions, and hospitalizations were determined.</p> </sec> <sec id="jgs12206-sec-0006" sec-type="section"> <title>Results</title> <p>Between July 2009 and December 2010, the LID consultation service provided 291 consultations for 250 LTCF residents. Referrals came from LTCF staff (75%) or the VA hospital's ID consult service (25%). The most common diagnoses were <italic>Clostridium difficile</italic> infection (14%), asymptomatic bacteriuria (10%), and urinary tract infection (10%). More than half of referred residents were receiving antibiotic therapy when they first saw the LID team; 46% of residents required an intervention. The most common interventions, stopping (32%) or starting (26%) antibiotics, were made in accordance with principles of antibiotic stewardship.</p> </sec> <sec id="jgs12206-sec-0007" sec-type="section"> <title>Conclusion</title> <p>The LID team represents a novel and effective means to bring subspecialty care to LTCF residents.</p> </sec> </abstract>