Variations in the High Impact Change Model for Managing Transfers of Care in England and Their Association With Delayed Discharges

Integrated care has been proposed as a solution for caring for an aging population with limited health- and social-care resources. Many of these policies have tried to reduce delayed discharges, including the High Impact Change Model (HICM). This model identified several integrated activities that may improve the transition from hospital to community with social care support. However, little is known about its uptake and if it is associated with delayed discharge rates. This study uses the first 6 quarters of reporting to 1) examine HICM uptake, 2) explore implementation patterns, and 3) determine if there are certain patterns or dimensions that are associated with local rates of delayed discharges.