Hospitalist home visit program identifies medication errors in a vulnerable general medicine population

Post-discharge home visits may allow for early identification of medical complications after hospital discharge. The hospitalist home visit program (HHVP) was started with the intention of facilitating communication between primary care providers and hospitalists and reducing hospital utilization post-discharge by earlier identification of nonadherence to discharge treatment recommendations. During our pilot study with 15 patients, participants were visited in their homes after discharge prior to their first visit with their primary care provider. During each visit, HHVP staff performed a brief clinical evaluation, a home safety assessment, and a review of all medications being taken. At least one medication discrepancy was found among 67% of visited patients, resulting in several different interventions made by the HHVP staff. There was a nonsignificant reduction in 15-day rates of hospital readmissions and emergency department visits. Hospitalist-sponsored home visit programs may be an effective means of helping patients during their transition to outpatient care after hospitalization. (April 2003)