Search Tag: readmissions

2017 08 May

New research indicates that many hospitals are burdened by persistent penalties incurred for their excess 30-day Medicare readmissions. The study published in Health Affairs suggests policymakers look at other alternatives that could help hospitals avoid persistent penalisation, while still reducing the rate of avoidable readmissions. See Also...Read more

2017 10 Apr

Integration of caregivers into the discharge process for elderly patients can reduce the risk of hospital readmission. A study led by the University of Pittsburgh Health Policy Institute showed that discharge planning process that involved family members or unpaid caregivers was associated with a 25 percent fewer readmissions at 90 days and 24 percent...Read more

2016 12 Mar

Researchers in an international, multicentre study found that the HOSPITAL score accurately predicted patients at high risk of a 30-day potentially avoidable readmissions. "Interventions to reduce readmissions are demanding and complex. We need to target patients who are most likely to benefit, which means identifying who is at high risk for avoidable...Read more

2015 03 Aug

According to the American Heart Association, poor medication adherence costs the healthcare system approximately $300 billion annually due to medication-related problems. The article is published in Case Management Insider.  Medication-related problems are one of the leading reasons that people have to go back to the hospital after discharge. It...Read more

2015 30 Jul

Data from the American College of Surgeons National Surgical Quality Improvement Program (ACS NSQIP ® ) are more accurate than administrative data for driving surgical quality improvement in hospitals, according to two new studies presented at the 2015 ACS NSQIP National Conference in Chicago. The first study, conducted by Inova Health System in Virginia,...Read more

2015 23 Apr

An innovative program has been implemented at The Valley Hospital in Ridgewood, NJ that aims to reduce unnecessary emergency room visits and hospital stays. As part of the programme, teams comprising of a paramedic, critical care nurse and EMT will make house calls on heart patients soon after their discharge. Lafe Bush, a paramedic and director...Read more

2015 01 Apr

A study published in the latest issue of the American Journal of Infection Control reports that Clostridium difficile infection (CDI) doubles hospital readmission rates and lengths of stay for infected patients. C. difficile causes inflammation of the colon, and diarrhoea associated with the microbe can be life threatening. CDI risk increases with...Read more

2015 11 Mar

Rehospitalisation within 90 days is common for survivors of severe sepsis, in which internal organs begin to shut down in response to serious infection. Approximately 42 percent of patients who survive severe sepsis return to the hospital within three months, but new research suggest that the same percentage of those readmissions are related to diagnoses...Read more

2015 10 Feb

Hospitals have little or no control over some factors related to their readmission rates, such as poor access to community health facilities outside of the hospital in socioeconomically disadvantaged areas. Nonetheless, hospitals in underserved communities are penalised when high readmission rates trigger reductions in Medicare reimbursements. Community-focused...Read more

2015 08 Feb

Hospital readmissions present a major challenge for administrators working to reduce costs and improve care quality metrics. It is not only chronic medical conditions which can be problematic for hospitals wishing to avoid financial penalties for readmissions: many patients are readmitted with complications following surgical procedures. According...Read more

2014 30 Sep

A study was conducted with patients at high risk of hospital readmission or death after hospital discharge, which used a virtual ward model of care. The findings showed that there was no significant reduction in the rate of readmission or death up to a year following the discharge of the patient. Readmissions are common and can be very costly...Read more