Registered Nurse-Led Interdisciplinary Care: A Single Case Study of a Young Woman With Intellectual Disability and Chronic and Complex Health Problems.
Nathan J Wilson, Peter Lewis, Cheryll Apostol and 2 others
PMID 39921327WHAT IT FOUND
In one young woman with profound intellectual disability, moving to a nurse-led residential model coincided with fewer unplanned hospital admissions despite worsening health.
Nurses coordinated daily complex care and avoided transfers by managing issues in-house.
Key findings
01Unplanned acute hospital admissions decreased from 16 in the five years before the nurse-led model to 2 in the five years after, despite the patient's health deteriorating.
02Registered nurses coordinated interdisciplinary care to manage a bone fracture at home, avoiding hospital transfer through mobile x-rays, virtual assessments, and modified handling plans.
STILL TO COME
How it was doneWhat they foundWhat it means for RNs
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What it does not show
This is a single case report, so the results cannot be generalized to other patients or settings. The reduction in hospital admissions is an observation of association over time, not a controlled comparison, and could be influenced by factors other than the care model, such as the patient's age or specific circumstances. The study relies on proxy consent and parent interviews, which may introduce bias in how care experiences are described. The patient's identity poses a confidentiality risk, as acknowledged by the authors.
Declared interests
The authors declared no conflicts of interest.
The easy way to misread this
Do not interpret the reduction in hospital admissions as proof that nurse-led models work for all patients with intellectual disability. This is a single case report with no control group, so the outcome may be due to chance, individual factors, or changes in health status unrelated to the care model.