Edinburgh Napier University

  Australian data report that up to 1 in 5 acute coronary syndrome (ACS) patients are readmitted within 30-days.[1] It is estimated that between 2017-18, ACS events cost Australia $1,930 million.[2] Internationally, Hospital Readmissions Reduction Programs,[3] that penalise acute-care hospitals whose 30-day readmission rates are high have made discharge strategies an economic priority.
Shorter lengths of stay have significantly reduced the time available for beside education. Instead, patients are usually provided with pamphlets, booklets or referred to websites. A mis-match often exists between the printed education materials and the health literacy levels of the intended audience this includes patients who have English as a second language (1 in 5 Australians). [4] Innovative discharge education interventions are urgently needed. Modern technology can provide solutions for clinicians. [5]
There are also 2 important evidence-based practice gaps that underpin the justification for this study.
1) There is limited evidence for the effectiveness of current ACS discharge strategies or their cost effectiveness. [6]
2) A Cochrane review from 2012 suggests that when used alone and compared to no intervention, there was insufficient information to estimate the effect of printed education materials on patient outcomes. [7]

Expected cardiovascular health outcomes
Our project will address the above practice gaps by consumer co-creation and feasibility testing, of standardised discharge and medication education (including the six key steps to recovery after a heart attack) using Avatar technology, for patients and families with English as a second language and/or low health literacy. The Avatar will also be programmed to speak the six most frequently spoken languages in Australia. [4] We will evaluate the impact of this discharge strategy on knowledge and 30-day readmission