Robocalls linked to reduction in readmissions

Rush University Medical Center in Chicago is using robocalls to automate its post-discharge calls, freeing up staff and reducing readmissions by 6.2%. Four in five patients answer the calls and 57% of those engage with automated questions. To get patients to respond, Rush explains the purpose of the calls prior to discharge and coaches patients to answer them. Patients are greeted by a recording from the hospital’s chief nursing officer and then prompted to use their keypads to respond to a series of questions about how they are feeling. A nurse triage team follows up with patients who are not doing well. Numerous other resource-intensive methods of reaching patients were attempted before Rush implemented the robocalls. (HealthLeaders Media article, 8/25/20)