Innovation in information sharing between healthcare settings

The transition from hospital to home presents particular challenges, especially for older adults, individuals with chronic conditions, and those recovering from major surgery. Studies indicate that up to one in five patients experience complications during this period, leading to avoidable emergency readmissions.

Despite the provision of written discharge information, many patients report feeling uncertain about their care after discharge, suggesting that verbal instructions alone are insufficient. The use of technology, such as mobile applications, has the potential to improve post-discharge support, enabling healthcare providers to monitor patients remotely and guide them through their recovery.

However, the effectiveness of such technology-enhanced interventions depends on patient digital literacy and staff digital readiness. It is essential to ensure that both patients and healthcare professionals possess the necessary skills and confidence to use these tools effectively.

Inadequate digital literacy among patients, particularly older individuals, may hinder the success of such interventions, while staff members must be equipped to deliver technology-supported care. Furthermore, system digital readiness to integrate these technologies into routine practice is crucial for ensuring smooth implementation within existing healthcare infrastructures.

Before implementing technology-based solutions, healthcare systems must assess both patient and staff readiness, as well as their capacity to integrate these innovations into their systems to enhance the quality of care provided.

Therefore, as part of this project, we conducted several workstreams, including scoping clinical data, systematically reviewing evidence, interviewing and surveying patients and staff on digital literacy, and designing a feasibility study to test the use of video-recorded discharge and a mobile application.