transition of care Flashcards
Which of the following factors contributes to almost half of all medication errors during transitions of care?
A) Failure to provide discharge education
B) Inaccurate or incomplete information transfer
C) Delayed hospital admission
D) Patient non-compliance with medication regimens
Correct answer: B) Inaccurate or incomplete information transfer
Question 2:
Which of the following is a recommended strategy to improve transitions of care during hospital discharge?
A) Scheduling the follow-up appointment for the patient before discharge
B) Providing verbal discharge instructions only
C) Encouraging patients to schedule their own follow-up appointments
D) Waiting until the day of discharge to begin discharge planning
Correct answer: A) Scheduling the follow-up appointment for the patient before discharge
Question 3:
Which patient is at the highest risk for experiencing a suboptimal transition of care?
A) A 60-year-old patient with stable hypertension transitioning from hospital to home
B) An 80-year-old patient with multiple chronic conditions and limited support at home
C) A 75-year-old patient transitioning from hospital to skilled nursing with adequate home care services arranged
D) A 65-year-old patient with a strong support system transitioning from hospital to rehab
Correct answer: B) An 80-year-old patient with multiple chronic conditions and limited support at home
Question 4:**
What is a key component of the Community-Based Care Transitions Program (CCTP) aimed at reducing hospital readmissions?
A) Providing nurse-led education to patients only during their hospital stay
B) Coordinating care among medical and community resources post-discharge
C) Reducing the length of hospital stay
D) Discharging patients without follow-up to ensure quick bed turnover
Correct answer: B) Coordinating care among medical and community resources post-discharge
Question 5:
Which of the following steps is crucial for preventing hospital readmissions within 30 days of discharge?
A) Initiating discharge planning immediately before discharge
B) Ensuring accurate and timely transfer of patient information to the next provider
C) Encouraging patients to follow up with their providers at their convenience
D) Discharging patients as quickly as possible to reduce hospital costs
Correct answer: B) Ensuring accurate and timely transfer of patient information to the next provider
Question 6:
What is one benefit of initiating discharge planning at the beginning of a patient’s hospital stay?
A) Reduces the need for follow-up appointments
B) Prevents the development of multimorbidities
C) Enhances the coordination of post-discharge care and reduces readmission risk
D) Ensures that all care is provided within the hospital setting
Correct answer: C) Enhances the coordination of post-discharge care and reduces readmission risk
Question 8:
Which of the following is a significant barrier to safe transitions of care?
A) Early discharge planning
B) Proper medication reconciliation
C) Lack of provider education and feedback
D) Adequate follow-up support after discharge
Correct answer: C) Lack of provider education and feedback
Question 7:
Which of the following is a characteristic of suboptimal transitions of care?
A) Thorough medication reconciliation during discharge
B) Early involvement of home-care services
C) Delayed or lack of follow-up care after discharge
D) Comprehensive patient education before discharge
Correct answer: C) Delayed or lack of follow-up care after discharge
Question 9:
In the Re-Engineered Discharge (RED) Project, which intervention was shown to reduce hospital readmissions?
A) Providing patient-centered discharge instructions and follow-up calls
B) Delaying discharge until all tests are completed
C) Allowing patients to self-manage their medications without review
D) Reducing the length of hospital stay without further coordination
Correct answer: A) Providing patient-centered discharge instructions and follow-up calls
Question 10:
What is one of the goals of the Geriatric Resources for Assessment and Care of Elders (GRACE) initiative?
A) Increasing emergency department visits for early intervention
B) Reducing nursing home admissions and improving care transitions
C) Encouraging patients to rely more on emergency services
D) Eliminating the need for interprofessional team collaboration
Correct answer: B) Reducing nursing home admissions and improving care transitions
Question 11:
Which of the following patient factors increases the risk of a suboptimal transition?
A) Stable income and strong family support
B) Multiple chronic conditions and lack of home-care services
C) Being discharged to a skilled nursing facility with a coordinated care plan
D) High health literacy and regular primary care follow-up
Correct answer: B) Multiple chronic conditions and lack of home-care services
Question 12:
Which step is critical for ensuring an optimal transition from hospital to home?
A) Providing the patient with verbal instructions only
B) Scheduling a follow-up appointment for the patient with their primary care provider
C) Allowing patients to arrange their own care after discharge
D) Reducing the discharge process to save time
Correct answer: B) Scheduling a follow-up appointment for the patient with their primary care provider
Question 13:**
Which of the following is an example of suboptimal care during transitions?
A) Initiating discharge planning during admission
B) Failing to transfer accurate medication information during handoff
C) Scheduling follow-up appointments for patients prior to discharge
D) Coordinating community resources to assist with post-discharge care
Correct answer: B) Failing to transfer accurate medication information during handoff
Question 14:
What is a key intervention to reduce hospital readmissions within 30 days of discharge?
A) Conducting a thorough comprehensive assessment only at the time of discharge
B) Providing patients with written instructions but no follow-up
C) Ensuring continuity of care by involving both hospital and community-based providers
D) Delaying discharge until all diagnostic tests are completed, regardless of patient status
Correct answer: C) Ensuring continuity of care by involving both hospital and community-based providers
Question 15:
The Community-Based Care Transitions Program (CCTP) primarily targets which population to improve care transitions?
A) Pediatric patients with complex care needs
B) Medicare beneficiaries at risk for hospital readmission
C) Patients requiring emergency care frequently
D) Young, healthy adults with no chronic conditions
Correct answer: B) Medicare beneficiaries at risk for hospital readmission
Question 16:
Which of the following is a patient-level risk factor for suboptimal transitions of care?
A) High socioeconomic status
B) Poor self-management ability
C) Comprehensive discharge instructions
D) Early identification of home-care needs
Correct answer: B) Poor self-management ability
Question 17:
Which of the following interventions is part of a comprehensive medication review to improve care transitions?
A) Allowing patients to self-administer medications without review
B) Discontinuing all medications after hospital discharge
C) Reconciling pre-hospital medications with discharge medications
D) Providing verbal-only medication instructions
Correct answer: C) Reconciling pre-hospital medications with discharge medications
Question 19:
Which of the following strategies is most effective in minimizing medication errors during transitions of care?
A) Waiting until discharge to perform medication reconciliation
B) Conducting a thorough medication reconciliation at admission, discharge, and follow-up
C) Relying on patients to remember their medications after discharge
D) Discontinuing all previous medications when new medications are prescribed
Correct answer: B) Conducting a thorough medication reconciliation at admission, discharge, and follow-up
Question 18:
What is the primary goal of discharge planning for older adults?
A) Reducing hospital length of stay
B) Preventing 30- and 90-day hospital readmissions
C) Transitioning patients to skilled nursing facilities quickly
D) Ensuring patients manage all aspects of care on their own
Correct answer: B) Preventing 30- and 90-day hospital readmissions
Question 20:
What is one of the main goals of the Affordable Care Act (ACA) related to transitions of care?
A) Increasing hospital admissions for Medicare beneficiaries
B) Reducing 30-day readmission rates and improving care coordination
C) Delaying discharge to avoid premature transitions
D) Encouraging patients to manage their transitions independently without provider input
Correct answer: B) Reducing 30-day readmission rates and improving care coordination
Question 21:
Which of the following elements is critical to ensuring an optimal transition of care for older adults?
A) Educating only the patient about their diagnosis
B) Coordinating logistics for follow-up care, such as home health or medical equipment
C) Assuming the patient will manage their own medication regimen
D) Discharging patients with verbal instructions and no written discharge summary
Correct answer: B) Coordinating logistics for follow-up care, such as home health or medical equipment
Question 22:
Which of the following is a systems-level risk factor for suboptimal transitions?
A) Low hospital readmission rates
B) High hospital admission rates and insufficient communication between settings
C) Comprehensive discharge planning
D) Adequate support and care coordination post-discharge
Correct answer: B) High hospital admission rates and insufficient communication between settings
Question 23:
Which of the following programs focuses on reducing emergency department visits, hospital readmissions, and nursing home placements for older adults with complex needs?
A) Community-Based Care Transitions Program (CCTP)
B) Re-Engineered Discharge (RED) Project
C) Geriatric Resources for Assessment and Care of Elders (GRACE)
D) Medicare Beneficiary Care Program (MBCP)
Correct answer: C) Geriatric Resources for Assessment and Care of Elders (GRACE)
Question 24:
What role does patient empowerment play in optimizing transitions of care?
A) It removes the need for follow-up care.
B) It helps patients take ownership of their health and assert their preferences.
C) It allows healthcare providers to minimize communication with the patient.
D) It eliminates the need for medication reconciliation.
Correct answer: B) It helps patients take ownership of their health and assert their preferences.
Question 25:
Which of the following is a common adverse event associated with suboptimal transitions of care?
A) Increased patient satisfaction
B) Timely follow-up appointments
C) Delayed diagnosis and treatment
D) Comprehensive patient education
Correct answer: C) Delayed diagnosis and treatment
Question 26:
The process of ensuring that all patient care information is communicated effectively during transitions is known as:
A) Patient advocacy
B) Care coordination
C) Medication reconciliation
D) Discharge planning
Correct answer: B) Care coordination
Question 27:
A follow-up phone call after discharge is primarily intended to:
A) Reduce hospital stay length
B) Replace the need for outpatient visits
C) Ensure the patient understands discharge instructions and is managing care
D) Encourage patients to seek care only when symptoms worsen
Correct answer: C) Ensure the patient understands discharge instructions and is managing care
Question 28
Which of the following interventions is essential for a patient transitioning to a skilled nursing facility?
A) Immediate discharge without a care plan
B) Detailed transfer of medical records and care instructions
C) Allowing the facility to create a care plan independently after the patient arrives
D) Minimizing communication between hospital and facility staff
Correct answer: B) Detailed transfer of medical records and care instructions
Question 29:
What is a primary focus of the Community-Based Care Transitions Program (CCTP)?
A) To increase the number of patients receiving home health services
B) To enhance hospital revenue through longer patient stays
C) To prevent hospital readmissions by improving post-discharge care coordination
D) To reduce the role of primary care providers in follow-up care
Correct answer: C) To prevent hospital readmissions by improving post-discharge care coordination
Question 30:**
Which patient scenario is most likely to result in a suboptimal transition of care?
A) A patient with a clear, written discharge plan and scheduled follow-up
B) A patient discharged with incomplete medication information and no follow-up appointment
C) A patient who receives a home health visit within 24 hours of discharge
D) A patient whose primary care provider is updated promptly with discharge information
Correct answer: B) A patient discharged with incomplete medication information and no follow-up appointment
Question 31:
Which statement best describes the impact of suboptimal transitions on healthcare costs?
A) They decrease overall healthcare costs by reducing unnecessary care.
B) They have no significant impact on healthcare costs.
C) They increase costs due to higher rates of readmission and adverse events.
D) They only impact costs for patients without insurance.
Correct answer: C) They increase costs due to higher rates of readmission and adverse events
Question 32:
What is one of the main reasons older adults are particularly vulnerable to suboptimal transitions of care?
A) They often have a single, well-managed chronic condition.
B) They typically have fewer medications to manage.
C) They are less likely to experience communication gaps between providers.
D) They often have multiple chronic conditions and complex care needs.
Correct answer: D) They often have multiple chronic conditions and complex care needs.
Question 33:
Which of the following best represents a systems-level intervention to improve transitions of care?
A) Encouraging patients to create their own discharge plans
B) Implementing standardized handoff protocols and checklists
C) Limiting the number of medications prescribed at discharge
D) Reducing the frequency of follow-up appointments
Correct answer: B) Implementing standardized handoff protocols and checklists
Scenario 1:
Mr. Johnson, a 78-year-old male with congestive heart failure (CHF) and diabetes, is being discharged from the hospital after a 5-day stay for an exacerbation of CHF. The hospital discharge team provided Mr. Johnson with verbal instructions to follow up with his primary care provider (PCP) in two weeks. The hospital failed to coordinate home health services, even though Mr. Johnson is reliant on assistance for daily activities.
Question:
What aspect of this discharge process is most likely to lead to a suboptimal transition of care?
A) Verbal discharge instructions
B) No home health services coordinated
C) Scheduling a PCP follow-up in two weeks
D) Hospital admission for CHF exacerbation
Correct answer: B) No home health services coordinated
Scenario 2:
Ms. Lee, a 72-year-old woman with multiple chronic conditions, is transferred from the hospital to a skilled nursing facility (SNF) following a stroke. Upon arrival, the SNF staff receives incomplete medication information, leading to a delay in administering her prescribed medications.
Question:
Which of the following could have prevented this delay and ensured a smoother transition of care?
A) Providing verbal-only discharge instructions
B) Conducting a comprehensive medication reconciliation before discharge
C) Allowing the SNF to create a care plan without discharge information
D) Relying on the patient to manage their medications
Correct answer: B) Conducting a comprehensive medication reconciliation before discharge
Mr. Garcia, a 68-year-old patient with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), is discharged from the hospital after being treated for pneumonia. His discharge plan includes a new medication regimen, a follow-up appointment with his pulmonologist, and home oxygen therapy. However, the discharge team did not schedule his pulmonologist appointment or arrange for his oxygen delivery.
Question:
Which of the following best describes the error in Mr. Garcia’s transition of care?
A) Failure to conduct a proper discharge summary
B) Lack of comprehensive medication reconciliation
C) Incomplete coordination of follow-up care and medical equipment
D) Providing the patient with a discharge plan
Correct answer: C) Incomplete coordination of follow-up care and medical equipment