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Nurses help navigate patient’s recovery

January 19, 2024

More than 34 million people will be admitted into a hospital this year throughout the United States. Although the average stay is five days, that’s just the beginning of the recovery process. The NIH reports that 15% of discharged elderly patients end up back at the hospital.

A Harvard study found half of all patients who were discharged had medication errors when they went home. That’s just one of the major hurdles patients face. Now, one hospital is hoping to change that by creating healthcare coaches to guide patients who are recovering at home.

The new initiative is part of a larger program that began in 2017, where each year nurses are trained on post-discharge transitional care management. So far, more than 430 nurses have participated in the course.