The Impact of Telephonic Follow-Up Within 2 Business Days Postdischarge on 30-Day Readmissions for Patients With Heart Failure

Document Type

Article

Publication Date

1-19-2021

Publication Title

Journal of doctoral nursing practice

E-ISSN

2380-9426

Department(s)

Administration and Leadership; Health Care Informatics; Quality and Patient Safety; Department of Medicine; Hematology-Medical Oncology Division; Department of Pediatrics

Keywords

care coordination, care transitions, heart failure, readmissions

Abstract

BACKGROUND: Heart failure (HF) is a chronic condition associated with high rates of hospital readmissions. The prevalence and costs of HF are expected to rise dramatically by 2030 (Heidenreich,et al., 2013). OBJECTIVE: A 24-month, retrospective study was conducted using electronic medical record (EMR) chart review, seeking to identify if postdischarge follow-up phone calls decreased 30-day readmissions in individuals with HF. METHODS: The study included 705 adult participants who were admitted to the hospital for HF. Some received a postdischarge call within 2 business days of discharge, and some did not. RESULTS: Participants who received the postdischarge call were less likely to be readmitted (20.1%) than participants who did not receive a postdischarge call (28.8%; = .007). Participants who received the postdischarge call were more likely to have a follow-up visit within 14 days (70.1%) than participants who did not receive a postdischarge call (30.2%; < .001). CONCLUSIONS: The findings from this study may help to drive future transitional care strategies for individuals diagnosed with HF. IMPLICATIONS FOR NURSING: Nurse-led transitional care interventions offer potential solutions to ensure safe, effective hospital discharges.

DOI

10.1891/JDNP-D-19-00079

PubMed ID

33468613

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