title: The Older Persons' Transitions in Care (OPTIC) study: pilot testing of the transition tracking tool.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  OPTIC is a mixed method Partnership for Health System Improvement (http://www.cihr-irsc.gc.ca/e/34348.html) study focused on improving care for nursing home (NH) residents who are transferred to and from emergency departments (EDs) via emergency medical services (EMS). In the pilot study we tested feasibility of concurrently collecting individual resident data during transitions across settings using the Transition Tracking Tool (T3).
  
  
  METHODS
  The pilot study tracked 54 residents transferred from NHs to one of two EDs in two western Canadian provinces over a three month period. The T3 is an electronic data collection tool developed for this study to record data relevant to describing and determining success of transitions in care. It comprises 800+ data elements including resident characteristics, reasons and precipitating factors for transfer, advance directives, family involvement, healthcare services provided, disposition decisions, and dates/times and timing.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Residents were elderly (mean age = 87.1 years) and the majority were female (61.8%). Feasibility of collecting data from multiple sources across two research sites was established. We identified resources and requirements to access and retrieve specific data elements in various settings to manage data collection processes and allocate research staff resources. We present preliminary data from NH, EMS, and ED settings.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  While most research in this area has focused on a unidirectional process of patient progression from one care setting to another, this study established feasibility of collecting detailed data from beginning to end of a transition across multiple settings and in multiple directions.
authors: Robert Colin
authors: RC
authors: Reid
authors: Garnet E
authors: GE
authors: Cummings
authors: Sarah L
authors: SL
authors: Cooper
authors: Stephanie L
authors: SL
authors: Abel
authors: Laura J
authors: LJ
authors: Bissell
authors: Carole A
authors: CA
authors: Estabrooks
authors: Brian H
authors: BH
authors: Rowe
authors: Adrian
authors: A
authors: Wagg
authors: Peter G
authors: PG
authors: Norton
authors: Mike
authors: M
authors: Ertel
authors: Faculty of Nursing, University of Alberta, 5-110 Edmonton Clinical Health Academy, 11405 87 Avenue, Edmonton, Alberta T6G 1C9, Canada. gretac@ualberta.ca.
authors: Greta G
authors: GG
authors: Cummings
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D000416:Alberta; D001955:British Columbia; D003266:Continuity of Patient Care / Q000592:standards; D004632:Emergency Medical Services / Q000379:methods / Q000592:standards*; D004636:Emergency Service, Hospital; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D009735:Nursing Homes; D010865:Pilot Projects; D058996:Quality Improvement / Q000458:organization & administration*; D013997:Time Factors; D014187:Transportation of Patients / Q000592:standards