The Particulars: Although post-discharge clinics (PDCs) run by hospitalists appear to hold promise for improving access to care and reducing transitional care errors, they require additional responsibilities for hospitalists. Little is known about hospitalists’ attitudes toward PDCs and few data characterize their experiences with them.
Data Breakdown: Among hospitalists responding to a survey, 61% did not feel hospitalists should see patients after discharge, with 29% reporting that their patient responsibilities ended at discharge. However, 74% thought a PDC would decrease ED visits, with 76% stating they would require extra compensation to staff a PDC. Among hospitalists who had worked in PDCs, 83% were satisfied with their experiences and 92% felt patients seen there were satisfied with their experiences.
Take Home Pearls: Although many hospitalists appear to believe their patient responsibilities end at discharge, most seem to be confident in the ability of PDCs to reduce ED visits. Hospitalists and patients with experience at PDCs appear to report high satisfaction rates.
