30 Day Readmissions Research Paper

30 Day readmissions for CHF patients

David Herbetko

Thomas Jefferson University

30 Day readmissions for CHF patients

Abstract

Hospital readmissions are a prominent healthcare issue today. The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services are experiencing financial losses in the billions in regards to this patient population. Within the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act, Section 3025 passed the Hospital Readmissions Reduction Program. This program identifies hospitals with large-scale readmission rates for patients within thirty days of discharge related to congestive heart failure, heart attack, and pneumonia, and marked them liable for the penalties of the program. This program presents notable reimbursement cuts for

With reimbursement rates at stake, hospitals have no choice, but to put their best efforts forward to reduce readmissions. There are pros and cons to the penalty program. Although penalties may seem harsh and unjustifiable, the government has seen few changes in readmission rates over the years and the financial losses are mounting. Hospital readmissions are possibly a large fragment of the American health stigma, quick fix methods with medications. Patients need to be reintroduced to preventative care and health education. The declining health of Americans has surged an increase in preventable diseases and is affecting the rise in hospital readmissions. A penalty program is necessary to inspire

Overall, patients are going to be rendered more diagnosis-centered care, with an interdisciplinary look at each case inpatient, as well as outpatient. Patients will be given a work-up and plan for success, no longer as a “quick-fix”, but a long term plan of care to control chronic diseases outside of the acute care setting. Looking at a study from Connecticut, “By revamping the discharge process and working with post-acute providers, UConn Health Center/John Dempsey Hospital, Farrington, CT, reduced thirty-day heart failure readmissions from 25.1% in August 2010 to 17.1% in March 2012. Key initiatives included follow-up appointments within seven days in the hospital heart clinic, revising nursing education, adding automated dietician, social worker, pharmacy, and cardiology consults with the diagnosis order set, and collaborating with the community providers to smooth the transition of care” (“Hospital Initiative”, 2012). Another group, the Quality Partners, a nonprofit group established to be a Medicare improvement organization, tested an intervention to reduce thirty-day hospital readmissions. As a Medicare-funded pilot program, it involved coaches meeting with patients to empower them to reach out to community providers when symptoms begin, rather than when waiting until there is a need for the hospital (“Intervention Lowers”, 2011). These studies display the opportunity for change when healthcare