Patients who received virtual nurse discharges had a 72% relative reduction in readmission compared to traditional, in-person discharges, a recent study found.
The study, published June 12 in NPJ Digital Medicine, analyzed 4,662 adult patient discharges from inpatient units at nine Southeastern hospitals before and after virtual nursing implementation between 2022 and 2024. Research then compared data to 4,662 traditional in-person discharges using propensity score matching and difference-in-differences analyses.
The study found patients discharged through virtual nursing had a 3.7% 30-day ED readmission rate compared to 13.3% who received traditional discharge care.
Virtual nursing was also associated with lower readmission risk and absolute risk difference, with similar reductions seen in both urban and rural hospitals.
Virtual nursing has gained traction across U.S. hospitals, and health systems have reported improvements in staff satisfaction, quality and patient experience.
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