Qualitative experiential analysis of the BRASS scale

Background. Hospital discharge can potentially represent an issue. Therefore, it is important to early identify patients at higher risk. A valid tool in this field is the Blaylock Risk Assessment Screening Score (BRASS). Aims. The study aims to elaborate a simplified score system, throughout the contribution of healthcare professionals considering the single items of the original score. Methods. The study included a qualitative analysis, conducted in order to draft the synthetic tool. Alongside, a statistical analysis was carried out. The findings of these two works were compared and joined in the realization of the proposed evaluation tool. Results. The synthetic tool, developed by the working team, is composed by 20 items. The qualitative analysis agrees with the statistical approach. Moreover, the qualitative analysis consented to redefine some items, especially considering social support, and to include some additional information e.g. clinical problems. Limitations. The analysis considered only General Medicine wards, all located in the same Hospital. Therefore, generalisation to other settings or patients should be further tested. Conclusions. The synthetic tool, realized during the study, aims to improve the individuation of at-risk inpatients. The agreement between statistical and qualitative analysis can be considered a point of strength of our work. Our analysis consented to include some new items, improving overall organization. In conclusion, the working group aims to conduct further study in order to individuate the more appropriate cut-off of the new scoring method.