Predischarge Provider Visits as a Method of Improving Transitional Care Clinic Visit Rates

Abstract

Background: 

Transitional care interventions have been associated with reduced 30-day patient readmission, better quality of health care, and lower emergency department visits and health care costs.

Local Problem: 

Transition Services at a major quaternary care center was underutilized by patients who were referred to the program.

Methods: 

A pre-/postimplementation evaluation design was used to evaluate a quality improvement intervention.

Intervention: 

A face-to-face meeting between eligible patients and a Transition Services provider prior to patients being discharged from the hospital was evaluated as a process improvement intervention. The primary outcome was initial appointment attendance at the Transition Services clinic following hospital discharge.

Results: 

There was no statistically significant difference (P = .59) in patients' initial appointment attendance at Transition Services between the preintervention (48.1%) and intervention phases (54.8%).

Conclusion: 

Provider engagement during hospitalization did not increase initial appointment attendance at Transition Services. Other strategies to improve Transition Services attendance rates are needed.