E-Coaching: IVR-Enhanced Care Transition Support for Complex Patients

For complex medical patients, the transition from hospital to home-based care is a vulnerable period, placing the patient at high risk for adverse events, including the experience of a medical error or loss of community tenure. Recent successful studies have used a Care Transition Intervention (CTI), using a nurse who conducts home visits, telephone follow-up, and provides assistance at and after discharge. Although successful, this model is costly and and not feasible in settings serving geographically dispersed populations. We propose a cost-efficient technological solution to the problems presented by the traditional CTI through "e-Coach," an Interactive-Voice-Response-supported (IVR) Care Transition coaching intervention. We propose to develop and evaluate "e-Coach," by performing a randomized controlled trial of this intervention versus a usual care comparison group. Our Specific Aims are to: 1) Randomize 720 patients at high risk of transition-related errors (complex adult patients discharged alive after a hospitalization with congestive heart failure (CHF) or chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), from a geographically diverse area including many rural areas across Alabama and the South) to an IVR-supported care transition program ("e-Coach") versus a usual care comparison group. The IVR system will actively call patients at multiple intervals after discharge. In a stepped-care approach, the IVR will be further supported by a Care Transition nurse who monitors patient symptoms through the e-Coach IVR and supports patient self management through telephone-based interactions when needed, up to 3 months after discharge; 2) Evaluate use of the e-Coach by patients and healthcare providers; 3) Evaluate the impact of the e-Coach on patient outcomes, including 90 day rehospitalizations, successful community tenure over a 3 month period, medication discrepancies, and patient self-efficacy based on the previously validated Care Transition Measure; and 4) Quantify the cost associated with the e-Coach.