Care Transitions Innovation (C-TraIn): Study of a Multi-component Transitional Care Intervention for Uninsured and Low-income Publicly Insured Adults

The purpose of this protocol is to evaluate the Care Transitons Innovation, a quality improvement project being implemented at OHSU to improve the transition from hospital to home for uninsured and Medicaid patients admitted to general medicine and cardiology wards at OHSU. The evaluation includes a baseline in-person survey and a 30 day post-discharge phone follow-up survey. Prior to C-TraIn, the local healthcare delivery model lacked an effective way to assure timely, safe, and effective follow-up care for uninsured and underinsured hospitalized patients. Most uninsured patients have no source for primary care, and many have limited social support, complex medical problems, and are prescribed many medications. Patients are frequently discharged without any coordinated plan for follow up. Based on a needs assessment performed in 2009 (OHSU eIRB 5514) investigators developed a quality improvement program that will include three major components: 1) a care transitions RN advocate who will see patients in the hospital and after discharge, 2) a pharmacy consultation and 30 days of medications post-discharge, 3) linkages with primary care medical homes, including payment for primary care for uninsured patients who lack a usual source of care, and 4) monthly meetings that serve as a platform for continuous quality improvement. In order to measure the success of our program, investigators will track patient utilization, sociodemographic factors, and patient factors including satisfaction, activation, and self-reported health status. To be included patients must be uninsured, have Oregon Medicaid, or be low income (200% or less of federal poverty level) Medicare recipients, and live within Multnomah, Washington and Clackamas Counties in Oregon.