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Canada Research Chair in Shared Decision Making and Knowledge Translation
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France Légaré contributes to an article on a program to improve transition experiences of frail elderly patients from hospitals back into the community


Elderly patients discharged from hospital experience fragmented care, repeated and lengthy emergency department (ED) visits, relapse into their earlier condition, and rapid cognitive and functional decline. The Acute Care for Elders (ACE) program at Mount Sinai Hospital in Toronto (Canada) uses innovative strategies, such as transition coaches, to improve the care transition experiences of frail elderly patients. It reduced the lengths of hospital stay and readmission for elderly patients, increased patient satisfaction, and saved the health care system over $4.2 million in 2014. 

The objectives of this study are to:
  • Implement a context-adapted program in four hospitals in Quebec (CISSS-Chaudières-Appalaches) and measure its impact on patient, caregiver, clinical, and hospital outcomes;
  • Identify underlying mechanisms by which our context-adapted CISSS-CA ACE program improves care transitions for the elderly; 
  • Identify underlying mechanisms by which the Wiki-suite contributes to context-adaptation and local uptake of knowledge tools.

This study will provide evidence on effective knowledge translation strategies for adapting best practices to the local context in care transitions for elderly people. Data collection is projected to be completed in January 2022. Data analysis has not yet begun. Results are expected to be published in 2022.

Link to the study here

By Sébastien Drouin, 06/08/2020