The Power of Feeling Seen: Supporting Patients After Discharge |
Ideally, getting discharged from the hospital should be a happy time for most patients. However, transitioning to outpatient care is often challenging—and all too often, there are gaps that keep patients from getting the level of support they need.
For example, a recent study of patients discharged from psychiatric hospitals found that 37.1 percent experienced depression, 56.4 percent experienced anxiety, and 48.3 percent reported poor overall well-being.
For many patients and their families, leaving the hospital comes as an emotional shock because they often no longer have the full-time support available. Therefore, hospital staff play a central role in bridging this gap and ensuring patients feel seen, supported, and guided after leaving the hospital.
To better understand this transition, I spoke with Lukas Klaiber, co-founder, CPO, and COO of KaigoHealth, an artificial intelligence (AI)-driven care management platform for high-risk older adults. His research at Stanford’s Center for Design Research, AI training at Technical University of Munich, and personal experience caring for his grandmother give him unique expertise in identifying practical, innovative ways to support patients after discharge.
For many patients, the feeling that they’re no longer truly being adequately cared for starts well before they ever leave the hospital. Studies show that when patients aren’t given results or receive follow-up about biopsies and lab testing, they feel vulnerable and uncertain about their discharge.
A separate study found that up to 30 percent of critically ill patients are readmitted........