Why the study?
Effective discharge planning should follow risk assessment, but whether implementing the Blaylock Risk Assessment Screening Score at admission reduces length of stay, lowers readmissions, influences discharge destination, and increases end-user satisfaction was unknown.
Does the use of the Blaylock Risk Assessment Screening Score (BRASS) at admission reduce hospital length of stay and readmission rates in neurology patients?
Does the use of the Blaylock Risk Assessment Screening Score (BRASS) at admission reduce hospital length of stay and readmission rates in neurology patients?
Implementation of the BRASS tool in neurology wards did not reduce length of stay but was associated with decreased outpatient readmissions and more frequent discharge home.
BRASS implementation was associated with longer LOS and should not change practice; leaves open readmission effects in neurology cohorts.
BACKGROUND: Effective discharge planning is an important factor of hospital care and should follow a comprehensive assessment of patients at risk for adverse events during discharge. The study's aim was to analyze whether the use of the Blaylock Risk Assessment Screening Score (BRASS) at admission leads to a reduction in the hospital length of stay (LOS), a reduction in readmission rates, an influence on the discharge destination at the University Hospital of Graz, and an increase of end user's satisfaction. METHODS: BRASS was implemented into the routine nursing assessment at admission for 3 months in 2021 at 2 Neurology wards at the University Hospital of Graz. These data were retrospectively compared to 2 previous time periods without BRASS. For the prospective part of this study, a paper-based survey was performed to analyze the satisfaction of the nurses at the 2 wards with the application of BRASS. RESULTS: The median LOS was significantly longer during the time of the assessment with BRASS as compared to the 2 years before [8 (4, 14) days in 2021, 6 (4, 10) days in 2020, 6 (4, 9) days in 2019; 2021 vs 2020: P = .002; 2021 vs 2019: P < .001]. Readmission rates did not differ significantly, but outpatient readmission decreased compared to 2019 (17% in 2021, 23% in 2019, P = .040). CONCLUSION: The use of BRASS did not reduce the length of hospital stay compared to the 2 years before, but outpatient readmission rates decreased and discharge home was more frequent. Therefore, BRASS might be a helpful tool to improve discharge management and avoid readmissions.
No takes yet. Share an insight, caveat, or question.
Streit et al. (2025) studied this question.
Synapse has enriched 5 closely related papers on similar clinical questions. Consider them for comparative context: