Inpatient to Outpatient Transfer of Care in Urban Patients With Diabetes

Patterns and Determinants of Immediate Postdischarge Follow-up

This research article from the Archives of Internal Medicine stressed the importance of follow-up, especially tracking patients with diabetes after discharge...

Results Patients were stratified into outpatient follow-up (69%), acute care follow-up (15%), and those with no follow-up (16%). ...

Conclusions In this patient cohort, most individuals accomplished a postdischarge visit, but a substantial percentage had an acute care visit or no documented follow-up. New efforts need to be devised to track patients after discharge to assure care is achieved, especially in this patient population particularly vulnerable to diabetes.

K. Wheeler, R. Crawford, D. McAdams, S. Benel, V. G. Dunbar, J. M. Caudle, C. George, I. El-Kebbi, D. L. Gallina, D. C. Ziemer, and C. B. Cook

Arch Intern Med 2004 164: 447-453