Researchers studied Philadelphia-based Thomas Jefferson University Hospital’s discharge program, which included numerous interventions, such as a consultation with a pharmacist, discharge education provided by a nursing team and, if necessary, assistance from a care team in finding a primary care physician.
The research team examined 304 heart attack patients who went through the discharge program at Jefferson. They compared their outcomes to 192 patients who were enrolled in the study eight months before the new discharge program was implemented.
The study shows the rate of 30-day readmissions in the group that went through the discharge program dropped 48 percent.
Readmissions occurred in 11.8 percent of the discharge group and 18 percent of patients who were enrolled before the program was implemented.
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