Transitional Care for Patients with Cirrhosis: a Multidisciplinary Care Model for Prevention Complications Post-TIPS

Abstract BACKGROUND To evaluate the efficacy of transitional care interventions of multidisciplinary teams for patients with cirrhosis post-TIPS. METHODS 68 patients undergone TIPS were randomly allocated to control or intervention group. Patients in control group received conventional care, patients in the intervention group received conventional care combined with transitional care. The compliance behavior, incidence of HE and shunt dysfunction, Child-Pugh scores and ammonia of two groups were compared at 1, 3, 6 and 12 month post-TIPS. RESULTS Repeated measures analysis of variance showed significant group effects from 1, 3, 6 and 12 month post-TIPS for compliance behavior scores of the two groups. Intervention group had significant higher compliance behavior scores than control group 1, 3 and 6 month post-TIPS respectively. The incidences of HE the intervention group were significantly lower than control group 12 months after TIPS. The incidences of shunt dysfunction in the intervention group were significantly lower than control group 12 months after TIPS. The group effects, time effects and group*time interaction showed no significant difference in Child-Pugh scores and blood ammonia between the two groups. CONCLUSION Post-TIPS transitional care interventions increase the accessibility of patients to scientifically informed nursing, significantly improve patients’ compliance behavior and health, decrease the incidence of HE and shunt dysfunction. TRIAL REGISTRATION www.clinicaltrials.gov; identifier: NCT02877953(08/23/2016) KEY WORDS Transjugular intrahepatic portosystemic shunt (TIPS); Transitional care; Compliance behaviors; Hepatic function.