A post-discharge needs assessment within one week of patient discharge may help reduce risk of unnecessary readmissions, according to a study published in the Journal of Hospital Medicine.
For their study, researchers assessed the impact of a needs assessment telephone call to chronically ill patients one week after discharge from seven hospitals. Trained medical assistants conducted the brief phone calls to identify and resolve near-term concerns with patients. In addition, a group of patients from three hospitals served as the control group.
The researchers found patients who received a needs assessment call experienced lower 60-day readmission rates compared to patients in the control group.
For their study, researchers assessed the impact of a needs assessment telephone call to chronically ill patients one week after discharge from seven hospitals. Trained medical assistants conducted the brief phone calls to identify and resolve near-term concerns with patients. In addition, a group of patients from three hospitals served as the control group.
The researchers found patients who received a needs assessment call experienced lower 60-day readmission rates compared to patients in the control group.
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