Medscape.com reports findings from a new study, published in the New England Journal of Medicine, show, after disentangling patient-related factors, hospital factors significantly affect 30-day readmission rates. The two-part study drew on the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services hospital-wide 30-day readmission measures cohort, consisting of Medicare fee-for-service recipients aged 65 years and older from July 2014 to June 2015, excluding cancer and primary psychiatric patients. In terms of hospital characteristics, such as size, location, and teaching status, the researchers found no concrete differences affecting readmission. The authors believe the current findings validate use of readmission rates as a measure of hospital quality and performance, and a starting point for further reducing preventable readmissions.
Read more:
- Medscape: Hospital Factors Drive Readmissions, Study Shows
- Hospital-Readmission Risk — Isolating Hospital Effects from Patient Effects. New England Journal of Medicine. September 14, 2017