The Re-Engineered Hospital Discharge (Project RED) re-engineers the workflow process and improves patient safety by using a nurse discharge advocate who follows specific steps shown to improve the discharge process and decrease hospital readmissions.
Overview
The Re-Engineered Hospital Discharge (Project RED) intervention redesigns the workflow process and improves patient safety by using a nurse discharge advocate who follows 11 discrete, mutually reinforcing action steps shown to improve the discharge process and decrease hospital readmissions. Patients who have a clear understanding of their after-hospital care instructions, including how to take their medicines and when to make follow-up appointments, are 30 percent less likely to be readmitted or visit the emergency department than patients who lack this information, according to a study published in the Annals of Internal Medicine (February 3, 2009).
Project RED was developed for the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ) by Brian Jack, M.D., Associate Professor of Family Medicine at Boston University, and Timothy Bickmore, Ph.D., Assistant Professor in the College of Computer and Information Science at Northeastern University.
During the Web conference, Dr. Jack provides an overview of the Project RED toolkit and focuses on sharing practical tips for implementing the toolkit in hospitals nationwide.
The toolkit includes the following:
- After Hospital Care Plan Sample Form—The After Hospital Care Plan is designed to clearly present the information needed by patients to prepare them for the days between discharge and the first visit with their ambulatory care physician.
- Training Manual—This workbook, targeting health professionals, details how to deliver a safe and effective hospital discharge.
- Computerized Workstation to Print the After Hospital Care Plan—This document describes the computerized workstation and the process used to create and print the After Hospital Care Plan.
Frequently Asked Questions
The following frequently asked questions focus on implementing the Re-engineered Hospital Discharge (Project RED) intervention. Project RED re-engineers the workflow process and improves patient safety by using a nurse discharge advocate who follows specific steps shown to improve the discharge process and decrease hospital readmissions.
Web Conference
On March 31, 2009, AHRQ sponsored a Web conference presentation by Dr. Brian Jack and Dr. Timothy Bickmore on "Implementing the Re-Engineered Hospital Discharge." Please select the following link to access the streamed archive of the Web conference.
Note: This Web conference requires registration; javascript and cookies must be enabled.
Current as of June 2009
Internet Citation:
Implementing Re-Engineered Hospital Discharges (Project RED). Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality, Rockville, MD. http://www.ahrq.gov/news/kt/red/
540 Gaither Road Rockville, MD 20850 