Phase 3 N=835 Single-blind Health Services Research

Virtual Continuity and Its Impact on Complex Hospitalized Patients' Care

Automated Communication Tools · Complex Medical Patients

Bottom Line

View on ClinicalTrials.gov: NCT01397253 ↗

Enrolled (actual)

835

Serious AEs

0.0%

Results posted

Mar 2015

Primary outcome: Primary: Medication Errors at Hospital Discharge — 645; 359 Errors

Study Design & Population

Study type: Interventional
Phase: Phase 3
Interventions: Automated communication tools (Other)
Age: Adult, Older Adult · 18+ yrs
Sex: All
Sponsor: University of Pittsburgh
Primary completion: Jan 2013

Outcome Measures

Outcome	Result	p-value
PRIMARY Medication Errors at Hospital Discharge	645; 359	—
SECONDARY Patient PCP Visits, Emergency Room Visits and Rehospitalizations Within 30 Days Post-discharge.	—	—

Summary

Communication between physicians caring for a patient in the hospital and that patient's primary care provider is less than optimal, and can lead to diminished health care quality and safety. This project will lead to better communication between physicians and could decrease medication errors that tend to occur as the patient goes from hospital to home.

Eligibility Criteria

Inclusion Criteria

Are admitted to UPMC Presbyterian General Medicine, Geriatrics, Cardiology, or Surgery inpatient services;
Are 18 years of age or older;
Are currently receiving 5 or more medications;
Have 2 or more comorbid conditions present, defined using the Elixhauser comorbidity system (Med Care 1998;36:8-27 and Med Care. 2005 Nov; 43(11): 1130-9 ). These comorbidities are: congestive heart failure, cardiac arrhythmias, valvular disease, pulmonary circulation disorders, peripheral vascular disorders, hypertension, paralysis, other neurologic disorders, chronic pulmonary disease, diabetes uncomplicated, diabetes complicated, hypothyroidism, renal failure, liver disease, peptic ulcer disease excluding bleeding, AIDS/HIV disease, lymphoma, metastatic cancer, solid tumor without metastasis, rheumatoid arthritis/collagen vascular diseases, coagulopathy, obesity, weight loss, fluid and electrolyte disorders, blood loss anemia, deficiency anemias, alcohol abuse, drug abuse, psychoses, and depression
Have a Primary Care Physician who has outpatient data included on EPIC electronic health record.

Exclusion Criteria

Are admitted to critical care units;
Are admitted from skilled nursing facilities;
Have dementia;
Were previously enrolled in the study
Are organ transplant recipients

View full record on ClinicalTrials.gov →

Data sourced from ClinicalTrials.gov (NCT01397253). Outcome figures and adverse-event rates are extracted automatically from the registry's posted results and are provided for clinician reference, not as a substitute for the primary publication.