Feasibility and evaluation of a pilot community health worker intervention to reduce hospital readmissions

Authors: Marguerite E. Burns, Alison A. Galbraith, Dennis Ross-Degnan, and Richard B. Balaban

As an attempt to reduce hospital readmissions, a community health worker intervention was used to observe the feasibility and preliminary effect of such a program. The intervention included an inpatient introductory visit and weekly post-discharge telephone support for four weeks. In conclusion, hospital readmission rates were lower among CHW patients compared to usual care, though the difference was not statistically significant. This pilot study suggests that with appropriate supportive infrastructure, hospital-based CHWs may represent a feasible strategy for improving transitional care.