Abstract

Thorough patient teaching decreases a patient's anxiety, prepares the patient for discharge, and leads to fewer hospital readmissions.3,4,5 Studies have found that no one tool or factor alone can prevent readmissions because a combination of patient and healthcare worker factors can contribute to readmission rates. Patient factors include a lack of comprehension of the discharge instructions due to poor patient health literacy and language barriers. Healthcare worker factors include patient acuity, staffing ratios, and a nurse's teaching ability.