Structured discharge protocol reduced 30-day readmission rates for heart failure patients from 22% to 12% in a Kenyan tertiary hospital.
Does a multi-component discharge protocol reduce 30-day readmission for heart failure in adult heart failure patients?
A structured discharge protocol including education, medication reconciliation, and follow-up reduced 30-day heart failure readmissions from 22% to 12% in an East African tertiary hospital.
Absolute Event Rate: 12% vs 22%
Heart failure is a leading cause of hospitalisation and readmission in sub-Saharan Africa, imposing a substantial burden on health systems. Previous research in another setting indicated that a structured discharge protocol could reduce 30-day readmission rates. This study replicated that investigation within a busy East African tertiary hospital context. The purpose was to replicate an evaluation of a structured discharge planning protocol for heart failure patients. The objective was to determine its effect on 30-day hospital readmission rates at Kenyatta National Hospital. A quasi-experimental replication study was conducted. A cohort of adult heart failure patients was enrolled. The intervention group received a multi-component discharge protocol comprising patient education, medication reconciliation, scheduled follow-up, and post-discharge telephone support. The comparison group received standard care. The primary outcome was readmission for heart failure within 30 days of discharge. The structured discharge protocol was associated with a reduction in 30-day readmissions. The readmission rate was 12% in the intervention group, compared to 22% in the standard care group. This replication supports the original findings, indicating that a structured discharge protocol can be effective in reducing early readmissions for heart failure patients in an East African tertiary hospital setting. Hospitals in similar resource-constrained settings should consider adopting and adapting structured discharge protocols for heart failure management. Future research should examine long-term sustainability and cost-effectiveness. heart failure, patient discharge, patient readmission, replication study, sub-Saharan Africa, quality improvement This study provides replicated evidence for a clinical intervention in a context where original research is often limited, offering locally relevant data to inform policy and practice.
M.Y. Tekeste (2013) studied Heart failure. Structured discharge protocol (including patient education, medication reconciliation, scheduled follow-up, and post-discharge telephone support) vs. Standard care was evaluated on 30-day hospital readmission for heart failure. Structured discharge protocol reduced 30-day readmission rates for heart failure patients from 22% to 12% in a Kenyan tertiary hospital.