Bridging the Gap: Optimizing OPAT Transitions to Skilled Nursing Facilities

TL;DR

The study shows that patients on OPAT transitioning to skilled nursing facilities often face medication errors and need close monitoring to ensure safety.

Contribution

The study highlights the prevalence of discharge medication errors and interventions in OPAT transitions, emphasizing the need for structured oversight.

Findings

36% of patients had at least one documented discharge medication error.

A total of 44 medication errors were identified across 89 patients.

Common OPAT-related interventions included lab monitoring and therapeutic adjustments.

Abstract

We evaluated patients discharged to skilled nursing facilities for outpatient parenteral antimicrobial therapy (OPAT). Among 89 patients, discharge medication errors and OPAT-related interventions were common, including laboratory monitoring, therapeutic adjustments, and adverse event management; 32 patients (36%) experienced at least 1 documented discharge medication error, with a total of 44 errors identified across the cohort. These findings highlight transition-of-care vulnerabilities and underscore the importance of structured OPAT oversight to improve patient safety.

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