Optimizing Post-Discharge Outreach: Ensuring Safe Discharges through a Patient-Centered Technology

John Dodd, Program Manager, Office of PX and Engagement, University of Alabama-Birmingham Health
Kristen Noles, Nurse Manager, University of Alabama-Birmingham Health

A hospital admission and discharge is a significant event in a person’s life. Unfortunately, the transition home often involves patients trying to comprehend multiple pages of instructions while feeling exhausted, eager, and nervous. While these transitions remain a key challenge for hospitals, one organization has leveraged innovative technology to help enhance the process and improve patient outcomes. This organization, by recording components of a patient’s discharge plan, provides a way for patients to re-listen to their clinical course in a digestible format. These audio instructions are sent out to patients via phone 24 hours after discharge and can be accessed for 30 days. During this webinar, the presenters will convey: challenges related to the discharge process, key strategies in implementing new technology into nurse’s workflows, successes in engaging stakeholders, their PDSA iterations and positive results realized.