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Research Studies is a compilation of published research articles funded by AHRQ or authored by AHRQ researchers.
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1 to 3 of 3 Research Studies DisplayedBuxbaum JD, Lindenauer PK, Cooke CR
Changes in coding of pneumonia and impact on the hospital readmission reduction program.
Researchers evaluated whether changes in diagnosis assignment explain reductions in 30-day readmission for patients with pneumonia following the Hospital Readmission Reduction Program (HRRP). They conducted a retrospective cohort study of Medicare discharges in HRRP-eligible hospitals; outcomes were 30-day readmission rates for pneumonia under both "narrow" and "broad" definitions that included certain diagnoses of sepsis and aspiration pneumonia. They concluded that changes in the coding of inpatient pneumonia admissions do not explain readmission reduction following the HRRP.
AHRQ-funded; HS000055.
Citation: Buxbaum JD, Lindenauer PK, Cooke CR .
Changes in coding of pneumonia and impact on the hospital readmission reduction program.
Health Serv Res 2019 Dec;54(6):1326-34. doi: 10.1111/1475-6773.13207..
Keywords: Pneumonia, Hospital Readmissions, Medicare, Hospitalization
Popescu I, Sood N, Joshi S
Trends in the use of skilled nursing facility and home health care under the Hospital Readmissions Reduction Program: an interrupted time-series analysis.
Medicare's Hospital Readmission Reduction Program penalizes hospitals with elevated 30-day readmission rates for acute myocardial infarction, heart failure, or pneumonia. The authors investigated if, in order to reduce readmissions, hospitals may have increased referrals to skilled nursing facilities and home health care. They found that hospitals might be shifting to more intensive postacute care to avoid readmissions among seniors with pneumonia. At the same time, penalized hospitals' efforts to prevent readmissions may be keeping higher proportions of their patients in the community.
AHRQ-funded; HS024284; HS025394.
Citation: Popescu I, Sood N, Joshi S .
Trends in the use of skilled nursing facility and home health care under the Hospital Readmissions Reduction Program: an interrupted time-series analysis.
Med Care 2019 Oct;57(10):757-65. doi: 10.1097/mlr.0000000000001184..
Keywords: Home Healthcare, Nursing Homes, Chronic Conditions, Hospital Readmissions, Long-Term Care, Hospitals, Heart Disease and Health, Pneumonia, Cardiovascular Conditions
Sjoding MW, Iwashyna TJ, Dimick JB
Gaming hospital-level pneumonia 30-day mortality and readmission measures by legitimate changes to diagnostic coding.
The researchers sought to determine the degree to which hospitals can game mortality or readmission measures and change their rankings by recoding patients with pneumonia. They concluded that hospitals can improve apparent pneumonia mortality and readmission rates by recoding pneumonia patients. Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services should consider changes to their methods used to calculate hospital-level pneumonia outcome measures.
AHRQ-funded; HS020672.
Citation: Sjoding MW, Iwashyna TJ, Dimick JB .
Gaming hospital-level pneumonia 30-day mortality and readmission measures by legitimate changes to diagnostic coding.
Crit Care Med 2015 May;43(5):989-95. doi: 10.1097/ccm.0000000000000862..
Keywords: Elderly, Hospital Readmissions, Medicare, Mortality, Pneumonia, Quality Indicators (QIs)