Newswise, April 20, 2017 – Heart
disease is one of the most common chronic
Results from the Missouri Quality Initiative
for Nursing Homes (MOQI), a partnership between the University of Missouri and
the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, indicate that advanced
practice registered nurses (APRNs) working in nursing homes to perform primary
care duties are improving health outcomes for nursing home residents with heart
disease.
MOQI provides full-time APRNs who
work in participating nursing home facilities to coordinate care and help staff
detect health changes early. In the first three years of the program,
potentially avoidable hospitalizations have decreased by 34.5 percent, saving
money and reducing stress for residents and their families.
“Cardiovascular disease is a highly
prevalent problem in nursing homes; however, through the MOQI project we are
seeing significant improvements in the management of care as APRNs are
available to assist the medical care of residents,” said Marilyn Rantz,
Curators Professor in the Sinclair School of Nursing and lead researcher for
MOQI.
“When you get APRNs into nursing
homes, they help improve the overall quality of care because they have advanced
knowledge of the best evidence-based practices.”
Launched in 2012, MOQI has provided
data to Rantz and her team that can help nursing homes improve care for
patients. Rantz says nursing homes need to pay attention not only to the
symptoms associated with a resident’s heart failure, but also any early signs
and symptoms.
In particular, homes should pay attention to
the hydration needs of residents with heart disease as many cardiovascular
medications can cause severe dehydration.
“The same advice goes to anyone
living with heart disease; they should pay attention to the dehydration risks
associated with their medications,” Rantz said. “Anyone taking heart medication
should prioritize drinking fluids not only at meal times, but in between meals
as well.”
Rantz is a member of the Institute
of Medicine, executive director of Aging in Place at TigerPlace and associate
director for the Interdisciplinary Center on Aging. She serves as the
University Hospitals and Clinics Professor Emerita of Nursing and was the Helen
E. Nahm Chair from 2008-2015 within the Sinclair School of Nursing.
