Preventing Hospital Readmissions in Liver Failure Patients

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to examine if liver failure patients receive adequate education related to their disease and how that education will decrease readmission rates to the hospital. Patients with cirrhosis have a high rate of 30-day hospital readmission which effects their quality of life and contributes to increased healthcare-related costs. Ten studies were explored and three were chosen in determining the reason for why patients were being readmitted to the hospital. Among the reasons in those three studies on why patients returned were because of nonadherence to medications, lack of knowledge related to their disease, decreased communication between clinician and patient, and the introduction to new medications with changes in dosages.