Introduction
The readmission of patients with heart failure is a critical problem for the healthcare sector. The quality of treatment and the utilized methods of care delivery significantly impact outcomes and the quality of treatment; however, the question remains as a high number of patients have to return to medical units because of the deterioration of their states. For this reason, the paper is devoted to the literature review revolving around the issue along with the description of the methodology that can be used to collect the desired data and make certain conclusions.
Literature Review
As it has already stated, one of the central causes of the emergence of the undesired situations is related to stuffing and the caregivers’ performance. Carthon, Lasater, Sloane, and Kutney-Lee (2015) assume that missed care contributes to the increased number of patients with heart failures. Additionally, there are certain gaps in knowledge or experience that prevent nurses and specialists from providing the appropriate level of care (Saito, Negishi, & Marwick, 2016). In such a way, readmission rates directly depend on the qualifications of health workers and their ability to engage in meaningful cooperation with patients to achieve improved results (Shochat et al., 2018). One of the possible ways to reconsider the existing situation is the creation of a special intervention program aimed at the elimination of problematic areas in care delivery and establishment of the framework beneficial for patients and their complete recovery (Gupta et al., 2018). Additionally, Iyngkaran et al. (2018) state that in hospitals with effective staffing policies, the rates of the observed problem are significantly lower. These factors evidence that better employees’ educational levels preparedness and their collaboration might be considered an effective solution to the problem.
Altogether, published study results indicate the existence of a serious problem regarding the selected sphere. The majority of investigations prove that access to trained specialist heart failure team reduces hospital readmission and mortality rates (Driscoll et al., 2016). Additionally, printed research works evidence that quality improvement programs designed especially for the reconsideration of negative tendencies related to the problem contributed to the significant improvement of the quality of inpatient care (Iyngkaran et al., 2018). Furthermore, special intervention measures aimed at the elimination of the causes for high readmission rates and provision of additional knowledge to specialists show high effectiveness in various healthcare facilities (Carthon et al., 2015). In such a way, results of studies selected for the literature review prove the high potential of discussed intervention and provide the theoretical basis for its use in the healthcare sector.
Methodology and Design
Thus, considering the fact that the main goals of the proposed research include the evaluation of the effectiveness of a special intervention program presupposing the training for staff, the following research paradigm should be selected. It is essential to compare readmission rates in hospitals that adhere to different models of care delivery and transitional care. Additionally, the impact of staffing policies and educational levels of health workers should also be compared (Driscoll et al., 2016). For this reason, the quantitative methods that provide an opportunity to compare results should be used to ensure that credible data will be collected and used to formulate conclusions and recommendations about the effectiveness of the applied methods.
Regarding the prior task of the research, the statistical analysis of collected findings should be applied. It is critical to determine the effectiveness of the proposed intervention and training, their impact on staff performance, and collaboration in the delivery of care, along with the effects these interventions have on readmission rates of patients with heart failures. For this reason, numbers peculiar to the selected health facilities should be compared. The lower rates of clients with the disease, their better states, and overall results might prove the effectiveness of the proposed approach and its positive impact on the problem. The comparison of the acquired information will also help to determine the effect staffing policies might have on clients and discuss if the current need for junior medical personal remains relevant in the existing context.
Sampling and Tools
Adherence to this very method of data collection means that non-probability, purposive sampling strategy should be used. It means that hospitals with the needed characteristics should be selected to take part in the research. In other words, there are two groups of medical units that should possess elements required for the comparison. The approach to working with clients, cooperation between health workers, and special training provided to them should be analyzed. Different healthcare facilities should be chosen to acquire an opportunity to compare data and make a conclusion about the effectiveness of one or another approach. In such a way, the sampling procedure presupposes the use of non-probability sampling technique to choose two categories of facilities and workers: those who have experience in working with this cohort of clients and special training, and employees who work under usual conditions with no additional courses. This comparison will help to determine the difference in the effectiveness of various methods and conclude about the potency of the selected intervention.
Statistical analysis tools such as SPSS or the creation of tables to visualize data and compare acquired findings are also used.
Flowchart
Altogether, the following flow map can be created to demonstrate the offered approach:
The given scheme shows how the study will be conducted. The selection and comparison of data will help to conclude either about the high effectiveness of proposed measures or about the need for the choice of another intervention as this one is not effective enough to guarantee a significant improvement of the situation.
Conclusion
Altogether, the problem of the high readmission rates among patients with heart failures remains one of the important issues of the modern healthcare sector. For this reason, there is a need for a potent measure that will be able to reconsider the given situation and introduce positive shifts. The proposed project is focused on the investigation of the effectiveness of additional training and wise staffing policies that might help eliminate gaps in knowledge among health workers and guarantee their better performance. The adherence to the quantitative research methodology will help to gather the needed data and compare various models that can be used in the healthcare sector to achieve positive results, which is critical for the further investigation of the topic and solution of the problem.
References
Carthon, J. M. B., Lasater, K. B., Sloane, D. M., & Kutney-Lee, A. (2015). The quality of hospital work environments and missed nursing care is linked to heart failure readmissions: A cross-sectional study of US hospitals. BMJ Quality & Safety, 24(4), 255-263. Web.
Driscoll, A., Meagher, S., Kennedy, R., Hay, M., Banerji, J., Campbell, D., … Patsamanis, H. (2016). What is the impact of systems of care for heart failure on patients diagnosed with heart failure: A systematic review. BMC Cardiovascular Disorders, 16, 195. Web.
Gupta, A., Allen, L. A., Bhatt, D. L., Cox, M., DeVore, A. D., Heidenreich, P. A.,… Fonarow, G. C. (2018). Association of the hospital readmissions reduction program implementation with readmission and mortality outcomes in heart failure. JAMA Cardiology, 3(1), 44-53. Web.
Iyngkaran, P., Liew, D., Neil, C., Driscoll, A., Marwick, T., & Hare, D. (2018). Moving from heart failure guidelines to clinical practice: Gaps contributing to readmissions in patients with multiple comorbidities and older age. Clinical Medicine Insights: Cardiology, 12. Web.
Saito, M., Negishi, K., & Marwick, T. H. (2016). Meta-analysis of risks for short-term readmission in patients with heart failure. The American Journal of Cardiology, 117(4), 626-632. Web.
Shochat, M., Fudim, M., Shotan, A., Blondheim, D., Kazatsker, M., Dahan, I., … Meisel, S. (2018). Prediction of readmissions and mortality in patients with heart failure: Lessons from the IMPEDANCE‐HF extended trial. ESC Heart Failure, 5(5), 788-799. Web.