Effect of Nurse Practitioner Interventions on Hospitalizations in the Community Transitions Intervention Trial.

Hospitalization counts came from patient reports at interviews, so recall bias is possible. This was a post-hoc analysis of the randomized trial, not its planned main outcome. The sample was Black and Hispanic home care patients after stroke or TIA with high blood pressure, so it may not apply to other home care populations. The study was single-site, and home care practices may differ elsewhere. The reduction over time could partly reflect regression to the mean, where patients with many prior hospital stays have fewer later stays. The study did not identify which components of usual home care, such as skilled nursing, rehabilitation therapy, social work, or home health aide services, were responsible for the reductions.

The authors report no conflicts of interest. The publication types list NIH extramural research support.

Do not read the fall in hospitalizations as proof that nurse practitioner transitional care works. The reduction occurred in all three groups, including usual home care alone, and there was no significant difference between groups.