PRADO (Programmes d’accompagnement du retour à domicile après hospitalisation) is a program that aims to shorten the length of hospital stays to meet the needs of patients who wish to return home sooner. It is means of reducing the average hospital stay, in order to improve cost efficiency in hospitals and the quality of overall patient care.

PRADO was implemented in 2010. It relies on:

• intervention of counsellors from the National Sickness Insurance Fund (Caisse national d’assurance maladie (CNAM)) during the hospital stay;
   
• voluntary registration of eligible patients (depending on the specific program and its progress) with the consent of the medical team;
   
• coordination of independent homecare professionals intervention following hospitalisation, in addition to social services, if required.

PRADO consists of several programs, each with a distinct focus depending on the type of hospitalization:

1. maternity, launched in 2010 and completed in 2012;
    
2. orthopaedic, launched in 2012 and completed in December;
    
3. cardiac insufficiency , launched in December 2013;
    
4. chronic obstructive pulmonary disease and chronic wounds trialled in May and December 2015 respectively.