What exactly is Post-hospital Syndrome? Dr. Harlan Krumholz, who is a cardiologist and medicine professor at Yale’s School of Medicine, developed the term post-hospital syndrome (PHS). It’s a period of time where there’s an increased chance for illness after a hospital stay that can lead to readmittance. In some cases, it’s due to the original reason for hospitalization, in others the patient got an infection during the hospital stay.
Patients are at a greater risk of readmission because they can be exposed to secondary infections when they’re in the hospital. Things like their diet and sleep schedules may be disrupted, which can cause problems once they go home.
A recent study by the University of California San Francisco in JAMA Internal Medicine uncovers that more than a quarter of readmissions of Medicare patients who were discharged within 30 days were actually preventable.
The causes for preventable readmissions ranged from patients not knowing who to contact if they had trouble or missing follow-up appointments, to patients never filling their prescriptions.
Another factor that can affect readmissions is that forty-three percent of Americans are not capable of fully comprehending written instructions for their care and recovery.
At eVideon, we believe that delivering information in an understandable format, like videos, can make a big difference in lowering readmittance rates. Features are designed to help patients relax in the hospital, and help the staff prepare them for discharge:
- eVideon’s Quiet Time is a feature that helps mask normal hospital sounds with calming sounds like static (brown noise), a fan, waves or a peaceful forest
- Patients can automatically be assigned to watch infection prevention videos, such as hand washing and MRSA prevention, which can help prevent infections
Relaxation videos, movies and HD television help patients relax during their hospital stay – relieving stress by keeping them entertained
Questionnaires and service recovery help hospitals identify and address a patient’s needs faster, reducing stress
Although eVideon can’t help prevent PHS. It helps the patient and their family understand what they need to do, allowing them to rest and recover as well as giving them more control over their health.
“eVideon gives patients and their families the peace of mind that they know what to do when they return home. They understand when to call the doctor and are given the information they need to handle their recovery,” says eVideon’s Customer Success Advocate, Kristi Floriana.
Learn more about how eVideon can help you achieve your patient education and patient satisfaction goals on our website or contact us.
