Video handoffs cut readmissions from post-acute providers.

When Oregon Health & Science University Hospital began video handoffs when patients were being discharged to a skilled nursing facility, readmission rates dropped. The hospital nurse goes to the bedside and connects with the nurse who will be caring for the patient at the receiving facility. The program makes patients feel more comfortable about the new facility and gives the nurse a chance to meet his or her patient. The hospital also conducts educational sessions via videoconferencing for the staff at the skilled nursing facilities.