
An Inpatient Treatment and Discharge Planning Protocol for Alcohol Dependence: Efficacy in Reducing 30-Day Readmissions and Emergency Department Visits. Alcohol dependence results in multiple hospital readmissions, but no discharge planning protocol has been studied to improve outcomes. The inpatient setting is a frequently missed opportunity to discuss treatment of alcohol dependence and initiate medication-assisted treatment, which is effective yet rarely utilized. Our aim was to implement and evaluate a discharge planning protocol for patients admitted with alcohol dependence. The study took place at the San Francisco General Hospital (SFGH), a university-affiliated, large urban county hospital. Learner participants included Internal Medicine residents at the University of California, San Francisco (UCSF) who staff the teaching service at SFGH. Patient participants included inpatients with alcohol dependence admitted to the Internal Medicine teaching service. developed and implemented a discharge planning protocol for patients admitted with alcohol dependence that included eligibility assessment and initiation of medication-assisted treatment.