Editor's Note
Discontinuity in nursing care in hospitals was high and negatively impacted patient clinical conditions in this study.
Discontinuity in care declined from nearly 100% in the first 24 hours, to 70% at 36 hours, and to 50% by the 10th day after admission. Each instance of discontinuity lead to a 0.12-0.23 point decline in the Rothman Index score, with more pronounced effects for older and high-mortality risk patients.
Improved continuity of provider-patient assignments should be advocated to improve patient outcomes, the researchers note.
Background: Continuity of nursing care in hospitals remains poor and not prioritized, and we do not know whether discontinuous nursing care is negatively impacting patient outcomes. Objectives: This study aims to examine nursing care discontinuity and its effect on patient clinical condition ove...
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