Objective: To initiate a long-term care facility (LTCF) infectious disease (LID) service that provides on-site consultations to LTCF residents to improve the care of residents with possible infections.
Design: Clinical demonstration project.
Setting: A 160-bed LTCF affiliated with a tertiary care Veterans Affairs (VA) hospital.
Participants: Residents referred to the LID team.
Measurements: The reason for and source of LTCF residents' referral to the LID team and their demographic characteristics, infectious disease diagnoses, interventions, and hospitalizations were determined.
Results: Between July 2009 and December 2010, the LID consultation service provided 291 consultations for 250 LTCF residents. Referrals came from LTCF staff (75%) or the VA hospital's ID consult service (25%). The most common diagnoses were Clostridium difficile infection (14%), asymptomatic bacteriuria (10%), and urinary tract infection (10%). More than half of referred residents were receiving antibiotic therapy when they first saw the LID team; 46% of residents required an intervention. The most common interventions, stopping (32%) or starting (26%) antibiotics, were made in accordance with principles of antibiotic stewardship.
Conclusion: The LID team represents a novel and effective means to bring subspecialty care to LTCF residents.
© 2013, Copyright the Authors Journal compilation © 2013, The American Geriatrics Society.