Reducing heart failure readmissions by teaching patient-centered care to internal medicine residents.

摘要

Approximately 1 of every 5 Medicare patients is rehospitalized within 30 days of discharge, and heart failure (HF) is the most common reason for these readmissions. Despite advances in the care of patients with HF, 30-day readmission rates have actually increased in recent years.We developed and implemented a patient-centered care curriculum for residents on the inpatient general medicine service that focuses on the importance of knowing patients as individuals to achieve safer transitions out of the hospital. We hypothesized that this curriculum would reduce 30-day rehospitalizations for patients with HF, since effective daily self-management plays an especially crucial role in avoiding the complications of this condition.