Improving geriatric transitional care through inter-professional care teams

Objectives  The aim of this study was to examine the impact of the use of an inter-professional care team on patient length of stay and payer charges in a geriatric transitional care unit. Methods  An analysis of de-identified administrative records for transitional care patients for the 12-month period (2003–2004) cared for by the inter-professional team (n = 163) and cared for by traditional single provider care model (n = 176) was carried out. We conducted logistic regression on length of stay and charges controlling for patient demographics and acuity levels. Results  The inter-professional care team patients had significantly shorter lengths of stay, fewer patient days and lower total charges. Patient diagnosis and acuity were similar across groups. Conclusion  This study provides empirical evidence of the impact of an inter-professional care model in providing cost-effective transitional care in a nursing home setting. Evidence of shorter lengths of stay, shorter patient days and lower charges suggests benefit in the development and financing of inter-professional care teams for transitional care services.