SynthesisAnnals of internal medicine2025
Effectiveness of Synchronous Postdischarge Contacts on Health Care Use and Patient Satisfaction : A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis.
Synthesis in Annals of internal medicine, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 3 papers.
What it found
Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.
The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.
The trial behind it
Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.
Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.
Who cites it
3 citing papers in PubMed.
- Best Practices for Optimizing Recovery from Sepsis; Results of an Expert Panel.Journal of general internal medicine · 2026Article
- Article
- Perspectives of Nurses in the VA Coordinated Transitional Care (CTraC) Program: A Qualitative Study.Journal of the American Geriatrics Society · 2025Article
Corrections and comments
PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.
Authors and funding
20 authors.
Funding
Abstract
backgroundPostdischarge contacts (PDCs) after hospitalization are common practice, but their effectiveness in reducing use of acute care after discharge remains unclear. PURPOSE: To assess the effects of PDC on 30-day emergency department (ED) visits, 30-day hospital readmissions, and patient satisfaction. DATA SOURCES: MEDLINE, Embase, and CINAHL searched from 2012 to 25 May 2023. STUDY SELECTION: Randomized and nonrandomized trials of PDC within 7 days. DATA EXTRACTION: Two investigators independently screened articles and assessed risk of bias (ROB). Single reviewers extracted data, with verification by second investigators. Random-effects meta-analyses were done on outcomes shared by at least 3 studies, and the certainty of evidence was assessed using the GRADE (Grading of Recommendations Assessment, Development and Evaluation) framework. DATA SYNTHESIS: Of 13 included studies (11 randomized trials [RTs]), 12 delivered PDCs via telephone. Three of 11 RTs were rated as having low ROB, with 1 rated high. Most PDC interventions ( LIMITATION: Adherence and fidelity to PDC interventions were poorly described, and only 1 study investigated nontelephone PDC.
conclusionPostdischarge contacts within 7 days of discharge were not associated with reductions in 30-day ED use or readmissions compared with usual care. Health systems should reconsider the utility of universal PDCs because multifaceted interventions targeting higher-risk patients may be necessary to reduce use of acute care after discharge. PRIMARY FUNDING SOURCE: Department of Veterans Affairs. (PROSPERO: CRD42023465675).
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Registered trials
Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.