A Care Transitions Electronic Clinical Pathway for Patients With Chronic Conditions: Qualitative Secondary Analysis

Background: Understanding patient educational requirements for care transitions is crucial for ensuring safe and effective care for patients with multiple chronic conditions (MCCs). Objective: Within a larger study developing an electronic clinical (e-clinical) pathway to support the safe transition for patients with MCCs from hospital to home and then to primary care, this study identified, evaluated, and integrated content to meet the educational requirements of potential end users of the e-clinical pathway. Participants in the primary study described preferred education content, education considerations, and education presentation and display. Methods: This study conducted a secondary qualitative analysis of transcripts from individual interviews (n=12 health care providers and staff) and focus groups (n=11 patient advisors) by using an inductive/deductive hybrid thematic analysis to explore the educational requirements of patients with MCCs for the e-clinical pathway. Results: We identified the following themes regarding specific education requirements for MCC transitions: (1) essential end-user education includes condition-specific, nutrition-specific, and medication-related content; (2) education must be truthful, accessible, and consider end-user health literacy; and (3) education presentation can be enhanced with graphics, reminders, and end-user resources. Conclusions: The findings were used to develop an educational pathway with targeted and tailored content to support patients with MCCs as they transition from acute hospitalization back to their primary care provider, which was implemented in the study app. Study findings contribute to a more nuanced understanding of end-user education requirements and informed enhancements to the patient-facing app used in the primary study.