Capsule Commentary on Patel et al., Change in Length of Stay and Readmissions Among Hospitalized Medical Patients After Inpatient Medicine Service Adoption of Mobile Secure Text Messaging

Excerpt

In this issue, Patel et al.1 report the impact of a new provider-to-provider communication technology (secure mobile text messaging as compared to one-way alphanumeric paging) on patient length of stay and readmissions in an inpatient university-based teaching service setting. Attending and resident physicians, nurses, social workers, clinical research coordinators, pharmacists, and unit secretaries were all able to send and receive patient care communications via a smartphone application. Implementation of the text message communication decreased length of stay by approximately three-quarters of a day, a 14 % relative decrease, without increasing the odds of 30-day readmission. Rigorous statistical analysis using a difference-in-differences method to control for hospital fixed effects as well as regression analyses to control for other confounding variables substantiates the significant findings of decreased length of stay in a manner that might otherwise be less convincing and provides a useful framework for others looking to evaluate future interventions. …