Preventing readmissions
In 2011, 3.3 million adult readmissions occurred in the U.S. The cost to hospitals? $41.3 billion. Unplanned readmissions are frequently the result of ineffective discharge processes, failed handoffs and insufficient patient education. Effective care coordination and transitions of care from hospital to home can help hospitals avoid hospital readmissions, allowing patients to stay at home once released and saving billions of dollars.
From September 2015 to September 2016, the IHA Hospital Engagement Network 2.0 helped prevent 1,200 readmissions in Indiana alone.
Strategies for reducing readmissions
Throughout 2016, IHA’s Indiana Patient Safety Center (IPSC) hosted open office hours and topic-specific coaching calls related to readmissions. In addition, the IHA Council on Quality & Patient Safety identified the following primary drivers as strategies for reducing hospital readmissions:
- Identify high-risk patients
- Enhance self-management skills
- Coordinate information across the continuum
- Assure adequate follow-up
- Maximize the use of community resources
RESOURCES:
- The Preventable Readmissions Challenge: Pay Now or Pay Later Webinar. The focus of this webinar includes financial aspects of readmissions in addition to a highly successful, multi-faceted strategy that worked to reduce every type of readmission at Parkview Regional Medical Center.
- HRET's Hospital Improvement Innovation Network (HIIN) readmissions resources
