How Grady Health System used AI to reduce preventable readmissions

Preventing avoidable readmissions is a focal point of most, if not all health systems big and small. These episodes are often costly to the patient and provider and open up additional opportunities for exposure to hospital-acquired infections. However, some patient populations, especially those with chronic disease and those impeded by socioeconomic factors, are even more at risk. Grady Health, like most systems, has an expected percentage of readmissions based on their history and patient population. Robin Frady, Grady's executive director of business and clinical intelligence information services, said when they started focusing on their data and wanted to use AI, they focused in on readmission. They used AI and patient data to deduce which recently discharged patients were at risk of coming back to them for something preventable and started reaching out to those patients via in-person visits from their Mobile Integrated Health Unit, comprised of their EMS staff.