READI (Readiness Evaluation And Discharge Interventions): Implementation as a Standard Nursing Practice for Hospital Discharge

Welcome to the READI Study homepage.

The READI Study is registered with www.ClinicalTrials.gov:  NCT01873118

The READI study is a multi-site study of Magnet® that was commissioned by the American Nurse Credentialing Center (ANCC) following a competitive application process. The study is funded through participation fees from participating Magnet® Hospitals.

Study Aims

The study tests, in a stepped approach, the impact of implementing discharge readiness assessment by the discharging nurse as standard nursing practice, and the incremental value of informing the nurse assessment with the patient’s perspective, and of requiring that the nurse initiates and documents risk-mitigating actions for patients with low readiness scores.

Aim 1: Determine if discharge readiness assessment by the discharging nurse using the RN-RHDS-short form (RN-RHDS protocol), when implemented as a standard pre-discharge nursing practice, contributes to reduced readmissions and ED visits within 30 days post-discharge.

Aim 2: Determine if nurse assessment informed by patient self-assessment using the PT-RHDS short form contributes to improved post-discharge outcomes (readmission and ED use within 30 days post-discharge) by adding patient’s perspective to the RN-RHDS protocol (RN-RHDS+PT-RHDS protocol).

Aim 3: Determine if adding a structured format for documenting nurse actions triggered by low discharge readiness assessment scores improves patient outcomes (readmission and ED use within 30 days post-discharge

Aim 4: Conduct cost-benefit analysis of implementing discharge readiness assessment as standard practice, by comparing cost-savings from reduced post-discharge utilization against implementation costs.

READI Study Background

Study Participation

32 hospitals from the U.S. and two hospitals from Saudi Arabia have been recruited for the READI study. To participate, hospitals must be:

• Magnet®-designated acute care hospitals with adult medical-surgical units interested in improving the discharge process.
• Willing to commit to a 3-year research project and integrate discharge readiness assessment into standard patient care.

READI Study Research Team

Study Progress

The study was published in the Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA) Network Open on January 25, 2019 and is available to read. 

Contact Us

For information about the study, contact:

Marianne Weiss, D.N.Sc., RN
Professor and Wheaton Franciscan Healthcare, St. Joseph / Sister Rosalie Klein Professor of Women's Health
Marquette University College of Nursing
P.O. Box 1881
Milwaukee, WI, 53201-1881
phone (414) 288-3855
fax (414) 288-1939
cell (847) 514-2798
marianne.weiss@marquette.edu