COordiNated CommuNication, Education, and Care Transitions After Acute Kidney Injury (CONNECT-AKI)- A Pilot Randomized Controlled Trial

Acute kidney injury, also called AKI, is a common complication during hospitalization andis associated with increased risk of poor outcomes after discharge, including incompletekidney recovery, medication‐related safety concerns, emergency department visits, andhospital readmissions. Despite these risks, information about AKI and recommendedfollow‐up care may not always be communicated clearly to patients or outpatientclinicians during the transition from hospital to home.This pilot randomized clinical trial will evaluate the feasibility and preliminaryeffects of two care transition strategies for adults hospitalized with AKI. Thestrategies include an AKI discharge summary template designed to improve communicationwith outpatient clinicians, and a chat‐based educational messaging program designed toprovide patients with AKI‐related information after discharge.Participants will be assigned to one of four study groups: usual care, the AKI dischargesummary template, the chat‐based educational messaging program, or both the dischargesummary template and chat‐based messaging. The study will assess whether these strategiesare feasible to deliver and acceptable to participants, and whether they improve patientknowledge, perceived preparedness, communication about AKI, and completion of recommendedfollow‐up care after hospital discharge.Participants will complete study questionnaires and allow the research team to reviewtheir medical records for information related to kidney function monitoring, follow‐upcare, emergency department visits, and hospital readmissions. The results of this pilotstudy will help inform the design of a larger future trial to improve care transitionsfor patients recovering from AKI.