Social Work Intervention Reduces Hospital Readmission Rates By Half

Following hospital discharge, elderly patients who received a social work intervention to assess their home safety, respond to questions about medication, and encourage keeping follow-up appointments had a 30-day hospital readmission rate of seven percent, compared to a 15% readmission rate for patients in a control group who were discharged during the same period and met the same criteria. The national average of readmission among elderly Medicare patients within 30 days of discharge is about 19%.

The social work intervention follow-ups were provided by social work students. The interventions included the following: