Why the study?
Does a documented hospital follow-up appointment reduce hospital readmission, emergency department visits, and mortality in general medicine patients?
Population
4,989 general medicine patients dismissed in 2006 from Mayo Clinic hospitals in Rochester, Minnesota
Comparison
Documented specific appointment details for… vs No documented follow-up appointment in dismissal…
Design
Cohort
Follow-up
30 and 180 days
Authors
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Documented follow-up appointments were not associated with reduced 30-day outcomes; leaves open whether mandating this practice improves results in general medicine.
Does a documented hospital follow-up appointment reduce hospital readmission, emergency department visits, and mortality in general medicine patients?
Arranging hospital follow-up appointments at discharge does not appear to improve 30-day readmission rates or survival in general medicine patients, challenging national efforts to mandate this practice.
C. A. Grafft (2010) studied this question.
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