Background: There is increasing emphasis on timely outpatient follow‐up visits after hospital discharge. However, there is little consensus regarding what should take place in the follow‐up visit. In this study, we described the content documented in postdischarge follow‐up visits. Methods: We reviewed the medical records of all adult patients discharged to home from the general […]

Background: Substantial efforts are being made to reduce readmissions. However, previous studies of causes for readmissions have not solicited input from physicians involved with patient care both in the hospital and in primary care settings. Methods: This was an observational study of patients readmitted within 30 days to general medical services at 13 academic medical […]

Background: Transitions of care have become more frequent as our health care system becomes more complex. In addition, the communication of clinical patient information across the continuum of care is variable and nonstandardized and can often be inadequate. Although there is a growing body of evidence about handoff communication, one area that has not been […]

Background: Targeting opportunities for improving the patient experience is challenging, as providers often lack the patient and family perspective. Multiple studies show that clinician perceptions of patients' priorities do not match actual patient priorities. Patient satisfaction surveys are limited in providing specific information to drive improvement. More detail about the most salient areas and specific […]

Background: Physician awareness of tests pending at discharge (TPADs) is poor, a potential patient safety concern. Inpatient physicians who order these tests and primary care physicians (PCPs) who follow up the results may have differing opinions about whether a specific TPAD result is actionable. Lack of agreement may affect subsequent communication and follow‐up actions. We […]

Background: The Institute of Medicine (IOM) has highlighted the importance of patient‐centered care (PCC) to health care quality. We hypothesized that patients cared for by residents exposed to a curriculum that teaches elements of PCC would report a greater level of information, support, and sense of partnership with their hospital physician. Methods: The study setting […]

Background: Hospitalizations are increasingly viewed as an opportunity to optimize issues related and unrelated to a patient's reason for admission. The degree to which hospitalists and primary care physicians (PCPs) are comfortable with hospital‐based chronic disease management during a discrete episode of illness has not yet been examined. Through a case‐based survey, we compared PCP […]

Background: Repeated hospitalizations are frequent toward the end of life, and each admission may be an opportunity to initiate advanced care planning to ensure that care continues to be consistent with patient/caregiver wishes, to address issues such as pain, and to reduce future unnecessary readmissions. Because resources are limited, there is a need to prioritize […]

Background: Readmissions to the hospital are costly and sometimes avoidable. A better understanding of the reasons for readmission among different patient populations (e.g., those with different chronic conditions) may lead to more targeted and successful interventions. We aim to describe the proportion and pattern of 30‐day readmissions and potentially avoidable readmissions (PAR) of medical patients […]

Background: The New York State Palliative Care Information Act, passed in 2011, mandates that physicians offer terminally ill patients information and counseling on palliative care and end‐of‐life options. The Allen Hospital of New York Presbyterian serves a population of generally elderly, ethnically diverse patients with multiple comorbidities, many of whom would benefit from discussion about […]