International journal for quality in health care : journal of the International Society for Quality in Health Care
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Int J Qual Health Care · Aug 2014
Randomized Controlled TrialFeasibility and evaluation of a pilot community health worker intervention to reduce hospital readmissions.
To pilot-test the feasibility and preliminary effect of a community health worker (CHW) intervention to reduce hospital readmissions. ⋯ Under performance-based payment systems, identifying cost-effective solutions for reducing hospital readmissions will be crucial to the economic survival of all hospitals, especially safety-net systems. This pilot study suggests that with appropriate supportive infrastructure, hospital-based CHWs may represent a feasible strategy for improving transitional care among vulnerable populations. An ongoing, randomized, controlled trial of a CHW intervention, developed according to the lessons of this pilot, will provide further insight into the utility of this approach to reducing readmissions.