An Evaluation of the Maryland Hospital Discharge Pilot Program: Calendar Years 2003-2005

A goal of the Maryland Real Choice grant was to “provide information and assistance to consumer in acute care hospitals to aid decision-making and assist with transitions back to the community.” In 2003, a hospital discharge initiative was used to pay for nurses to work with patients being discharged from acute-care hospital stays. This paper reviews and answers whether there has been any change in discharge patterns from pilot sites to nursing homes relative to the rest of the state.