Telehealth Intervention in Cirrhotics

Patients with cirrhosis and ascites comprise a large percentage of hospital admissions. As a large transplant center, the University of Pennsylvania sees an average of 54-65 cirrhotic patients admitted to the hepatology service every month. Many of these admissions are preventable and can be attributed to poor medication adherence and late detection of clinical deterioration. By introducing a telehealth intervention following hospital discharge, investigators seek to decrease the number of readmissions for these patients by encouraging and assisting with improved adherence and by regularly tracking the progression of symptoms. This interventional study will serve a dual purpose of helping both the patient and their provider. Patients will obtain an extra line of communication to their providers that eases their ability to access resources and alert their providers to new symptoms. Similarly, by instituting a triaged system of communication with the patient, their health team is able to offer more individualized treatment while also providing more immediate attention at the first signs of clinical deterioration. This study will determine rates of 30 and 90-day readmissions in both cohorts as a way to examine the impact of a simple telehealth intervention compared to standard of care.