Patient Perspectives on Care Transitions

Low-quality care transitions from hospitals or skilled nursing facilities to home are associated with poor outcomes, including emergency department visits and hospital readmissions within 30 days of discharge. To determine patients' perceptions about their transitions, researchers conducted a telephone survey of 1257 patients (or their caregivers) with congestive heart failure or chronic obstructive pulmonary disease within 8 to 12 days after discharge from hospitals and skilled nursing facilities in Michigan.

According to survey responses, most patients received postdischarge follow-up telephone calls, and almost 90% found them to be valuable. Compared with other ethnic groups, Black patients were less likely to receive follow-up telephone …