. 2022 Apr 22;12(4):e060974. doi: 10.1136/bmjopen-2022-060974

Table 3.

Care transitions PICO research questions

Preliminary PICO questions	Final two PICO questions
What interventions (eg, electronic medical record, coaching, follow-up; to be defined in the PICO) delivered to ED patients with impaired cognition improve ED to home transitions? (or to other settings like skilled nursing facility/nursing home/hospice) What components of interventions delivered to ED patients with impaired cognition improve ED to home transitions? What interventions delivered to caregivers of ED patients with impaired cognition improve ED to home transitions? (or to other settings like skilled nursing facility/nursing home/hospice) What components of interventions delivered to caregivers of ED patients with impaired cognition improve ED to home transitions. What elements of care transitions have the greatest negative impact when it comes to the care of PLWD transitioning from ED to a new place (home, facility, unit)? What are patient-centred metrics of quality transitions for ED patients with impaired cognition? What predicts an ED patient with impaired cognition for needing support with care transitions/having poor outcomes from care transitions? Would prioritising ED care for patients with impaired cognition (similar to trauma/stroke) lead to a more positive transition to home (or to other settings)? What are characteristics of the care partner that enable or impede effective care transitions? What are interventions that can be applied across multiple transitions longitudinally that improve the care of PLWD? How do PLWD, care partners and other stakeholders define care needs and goals specific to ED transitions? Who are the essential personnel required to optimise ED care transitions for PLWD (social work, nursing, ED physician, primary care/inpatient team, care partner, others)? What decisions around care transitions should cognitively impaired patients make? How can ED providers determine if the patient has a safe living environment and, if needed, improve the living situation? What is the most effective form of follow-up for persons with dementia and at what time interval? What interventions optimise ED physician communication to inpatient and primary care providers regarding concerns related to cognition of ED patients?	Question 1: What interventions delivered to ED patients with impaired cognition and their care partners improve ED discharge transitions? Question 2: What measures of quality ED discharge transitions are important to varying groups of ED patients with impaired cognition and their care partners?

Preliminary PICO questions

Final two PICO questions

What interventions (eg, electronic medical record, coaching, follow-up; to be defined in the PICO) delivered to ED patients with impaired cognition improve ED to home transitions? (or to other settings like skilled nursing facility/nursing home/hospice)
What components of interventions delivered to ED patients with impaired cognition improve ED to home transitions?
What interventions delivered to caregivers of ED patients with impaired cognition improve ED to home transitions? (or to other settings like skilled nursing facility/nursing home/hospice)
What components of interventions delivered to caregivers of ED patients with impaired cognition improve ED to home transitions.
What elements of care transitions have the greatest negative impact when it comes to the care of PLWD transitioning from ED to a new place (home, facility, unit)?
What are patient-centred metrics of quality transitions for ED patients with impaired cognition?
What predicts an ED patient with impaired cognition for needing support with care transitions/having poor outcomes from care transitions?
Would prioritising ED care for patients with impaired cognition (similar to trauma/stroke) lead to a more positive transition to home (or to other settings)?
What are characteristics of the care partner that enable or impede effective care transitions?
What are interventions that can be applied across multiple transitions longitudinally that improve the care of PLWD?
How do PLWD, care partners and other stakeholders define care needs and goals specific to ED transitions?
Who are the essential personnel required to optimise ED care transitions for PLWD (social work, nursing, ED physician, primary care/inpatient team, care partner, others)?
What decisions around care transitions should cognitively impaired patients make?
How can ED providers determine if the patient has a safe living environment and, if needed, improve the living situation?
What is the most effective form of follow-up for persons with dementia and at what time interval?
What interventions optimise ED physician communication to inpatient and primary care providers regarding concerns related to cognition of ED patients?

Question 1: What interventions delivered to ED patients with impaired cognition and their care partners improve ED discharge transitions?
Question 2: What measures of quality ED discharge transitions are important to varying groups of ED patients with impaired cognition and their care partners?

ED, emergency department; PICO, Population, Intervention, Comparison, Outcome; PLWD, persons living with dementia.