Cut Readmissions with Discharge 'Passports,' Communication

Discharge planning and provider communication helped Philadelphia hospitals reduce readmissions by 7 percent, according to a report released last week by The Health Care Improvement Foundation. Most of the hospitals involved screened patients that are at risk for readmissions and provided them with checklists and reminders about medications and appointments, developing what they call "passports."

Twenty-nine Philadelphia area hospitals participating in the Preventing Avoidable Episodes (PAVE) Project tested strategies for care transition and readmission prevention and found that discharge planning and provider communication processes showed significant improvements; they prevented 400 patients from unnecessary hospitalizations...