Revolutionizing Patient Transitions: How AI Is Reshaping Hospital Discharge

According to an article in JAMA, unplanned hospital readmissions cost Medicare over $26 billion annually. A significant portion of the total readmission costs may be attributed to preventable readmissions. Traditional discharge planning relies on manual processes, outdated protocols and fragmented communication.As per a WHO report, up to 80% of patients "had at least one mediation discrepancy or failure to communicate in-hospital medication changes at discharge." This is often because critical information slips through the cracks. Patients may be discharged without fully understanding their medication schedules, necessary lifestyle changes or follow-up appointment details.Hospitals are overwhelmed, staff are stretched thin and care coordination is challenging. Often, patients are discharged with generic or minimal guidance that could lead to inconsistent follow-up and preventable readmissions.