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Any clinician who has cared for hospitalized patients understands that discharge is a precarious time — processes can go wrong. When patients leave the hospital without clear understanding of their diagnoses, medication instructions, or need for primary care follow-up, chances are that they will wind up back in the emergency department (ED). Many will be readmitted.
In this randomized controlled trial, investigators at Boston Medical Center compared a standardized discharge intervention with usual care for 749 patients who were admitted to the medical teaching service. The intervention had three main components:
Nurse discharge advocates who coordinated discharge plans with the hospital team and educated and prepared patients for discharge
Aft…