UC San Diego Health reduced hospital readmissions by 26% through its virtual transition of care clinic, according to a Sept. 23 study published in JMIR Medical Informatics.
Launched in 2021, the virtual clinic connects moderate- to high-risk patients with care teams within one week of hospital discharge, the health system said in a Sept. 24 news release.
Among more than 25,000 patients included in the study, the 30-day readmission rate was 14.9% for those seen in the virtual clinic, compared to 20.1% in a benchmark group.
The initiative is supported by 12 hospitalists, two medical assistants, a pharmacist and an on-demand interpreter service. Most visits were conducted via telemedicine, with phone visits used for patients lacking video access. The no-show rate was less than 5%.
The clinic is ongoing at UC San Diego’s Hillcrest and Jacobs medical centers, with plans to expand to the East Campus Medical Center, the release said.
