Pilot Study of an Educational Phone Call to Support Hospital Discharge Instructions for Patients with Limited English or Communication Barriers

What this Trial Is About

Hospital discharge can be a risky time for patients, with one in five experiencing issues like medication errors and nearly 25% being readmitted within 30 days. The risk is higher for patients who face communication challenges, including those who prefer a non-English language, have low health literacy, or are elderly. This trial aims to study a post-discharge educational intervention to improve understanding and reduce risks after leaving the hospital using a randomized controlled design. Participants will be randomly assigned in a 21 ratio to either the intervention group or the control group. The control group receives the usual discharge education, which includes a nurse reviewing the After Visit Summary AVS and an automated English call to address concerns. The intervention group receives all standard care plus an additional educational phone call from a nurse or qualified health professional within 24 to 72 hours after discharge. This call reviews the AVS, including diagnosis, self-care, medication details, and follow-up, lasting about 10 to 15 minutes, with an option for translated written instructions via MyChart if available. During the study, participants will be monitored over 12 months to assess how well the intervention is followed and retained across different language groups. Researchers will evaluate the acceptability and feasibility of the intervention along with participants understanding of discharge instructions using a specific scale. This study does not involve any blinding, and participants are patients discharged from the medicine team at Boston Medical Center to their home community.

Adapted Hospital Discharge Intervention: the CONNECT Pilot