Free Resources Available to Help Hospitals Improve the Discharge Planning Process and Reduce Avoidable Readmissions

Free Resources Available to Help Hospitals Improve the Discharge Planning Process and Reduce Avoidable Readmissions

Free Resources Available to Help Hospitals Improve the Discharge Planning Process and Reduce Avoidable Readmissions

Reducing avoidable readmissions is a goal shared by all hospitals. The following resources are available free of charge to help improve the discharge planning process: 

The Re-Engineered Discharge (RED) Toolkit outlines 12 steps that hospitals across the country have used to successfully reduce unnecessary readmissions.  This resource from the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ) includes how-to guidance, making it easy for any facility to apply this research-based method. 

Taking Care of Myself: A Guide for When I Leave the Hospital (Cómo cuidarme: Guia para cuando salga del hospital) can be used by nurses and discharge planners to help patients care for themselves after their hospital stay. This free booklet (publication # AHRQ 10-0059) can be offered to patients and comes in a bilingual flipbook format (English/Spanish). Hospitals may order up to 500 copies of the guide at no charge. Please contact the AHRQ Clearinghouse at 1-800-358-9295 or email AHRQPubs@ahrq.hhs.gov and reference CODE 44 to receive free shipping. This is a limited-time offer while supplies last.