COordiNated CommuNication, Education, and Care Transitions After Acute Kidney Injury (CONNECT-AKI)

The goal of this clinical trial is to learn whether different ways of providing information and follow-up support after acute kidney injury, also called AKI, can improve care transitions for adults being discharged from the hospital. AKI is a sudden decrease in kidney function that can occur during a hospital stay. The main questions this study aims to answer are: * Does an AKI discharge summary template improve communication about AKI after hospital discharge? * Does a chat-based educational messaging program improve patient understanding of AKI and support follow-up care after hospital discharge? * Researchers will compare usual care, an AKI discharge summary template, a chat-based educational messaging program, and the combination of the discharge summary template plus chat-based messaging. Researchers will compare four groups: * Usual care * An AKI discharge summary template * A chat-based educational messaging program * Both the AKI discharge summary template and the chat-based educational messaging program Participants will complete questionnaires at the start of the study and about 4 weeks after hospital discharge. Participants will also receive a brief phone call about 3 months after discharge, and the research team will review their medical record for information about follow-up care, lab testing, emergency department visits, and hospital readmissions.

Inclusion Criteria: * Age 18 years or older * Hospitalized with Stage 2 or Stage 3 acute kidney injury * Kidney function has not returned to baseline at the time of hospital discharge * Able to communicate in English * Able to provide informed consent * Willing and able to participate in study procedures independently or with assistance from a patient-designated care partner Exclusion Criteria: * Acute kidney injury requiring ongoing dialysis at the time of hospital discharge * End-stage kidney disease * Kidney transplant recipient * Currently pregnant * Documented cognitive impairment that precludes informed consent * Receiving hospice or comfort-focused end-of-life care