Screening by Social Workers in Medical Patients with Risk of Post-Acute Care Needs: A Stepped Wedge Cluster Randomized Trial / Evaluation eines Screenings durch Sozialarbeiter bei medizinischen Patienten mit einem Risiko für post-akuten Nachsorgebedarf: eine stepped wedge clusterrandomisierte Studie

Abstract Background Elderly patients often need post-acute care after hospital discharge. Involvement of social workers can positively affect the discharge planning process. Aim To investigate the effect of screening patients at risk for post-acute care needs by social workers on time with respect to social workers’ notification, length of stay and delays in discharge compared to usual care. Methods Cluster randomized stepped wedge trial design for five clusters (wards) and two steps (control to intervention) was used. A total of 400 patients (200 per period) with high risk of post-acute care needs (defined as Post-Acute Care Discharge score, PACD ≥ 7) were included. Social workers performed a screening to decide about self-referral to their services (intervention period), which was compared to a highly structured standard SW notification by physicians and nurses (control period). A Generalized Estimating Equations model adjusted the clustering and baseline differences. Results A total of 139 patients were referred to social services (intervention: n = 76; control: n = 63). Time to social workers’ notification was significantly shorter in the intervention period when adjusted for all the differences in baseline (Mdn 1.2 vs 1.7, Beta = -0.73, 95%-CI 1.39 to -0.09). Both the length of stay and the delayed discharge time in nights showed no significant differences (Mdn 10.0 vs 9.1, Beta = -0.12, 95%-CI 0.46 to .22 nights 95%-CI, resp. Mdn 0.0 vs 0.0, Beta = .11, 95%-CI -0.64 to 0.86). Conclusion Screening speeded up social workers’ notification but did not accelerate the discharge processes. The screening by social workers might show process improvement in settings with less structured discharge planning.