National Healthcare Quality and Disparities Report
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AHRQ Research Studies
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Research Studies is a compilation of published research articles funded by AHRQ or authored by AHRQ researchers.
Results
1 to 25 of 58 Research Studies DisplayedHoffman GJ, Alexander Nb, Ha J
Medicare's hospital readmission reduction program reduced fall-related health care use: an unexpected benefit?
This study’s objective was to assess whether the Medicare Hospital Readmissions Reduction Program (HRRP) was associated with a reduction in severe fall-related injuries (FRIs). The authors looked at secondary data from Medicare to assess changes in 30- and 90-day FRI readmissions before and after HRRP's announcement (April 2010) and implementation (October 2012) for conditions targeted by the HRRP (acute myocardial infarction [AMI], congestive heart failure [CHF], and pneumonia) versus "non-targeted" (gastrointestinal) conditions. They tested for modification by hospitals with "high-risk" before HRRP and accounted for potential upcoding. They also explored changes in 30-day FRI readmissions involving emergency department (ED) or outpatient care, care processes (length of stay, discharge destination, and primary care visit), and patient selection (age and comorbidities). They identified 1.5 million (522,596 pre-HRRP, 514,844 announcement, and 474,029 implementation period) index discharges. After its announcement, HRRP was associated with 12%-20% reductions in 30- and 90-day FRI readmissions for patients with CHF (-0.42 percentage points [ppt]) and AMI (-0.35). Two years after implementation, HRRP was associated with reductions in 90-day FRI readmission for AMI (-1.27 ppt) and CHF (-0.98 ppt) patients. After HRRP's announcement, decreases were observed in home health (AMI: -2.43 ppt; CHF: -8.83 ppt; pneumonia: -1.97 ppt) and skilled nursing facility referrals (AMI: -5.95 ppt; CHF: -3.19 ppt; pneumonia: -10.27 ppt).
AHRQ-funded; HS025838.
Citation: Hoffman GJ, Alexander Nb, Ha J .
Medicare's hospital readmission reduction program reduced fall-related health care use: an unexpected benefit?
Health Serv Res 2024 Feb; 59(1):e14246. doi: 10.1111/1475-6773.14246..
Keywords: Hospital Readmissions, Medicare, Falls
Arbaje AI, Woodman S, Keita Fakeye MB
Senior services in US hospitals and readmission risk or mortality among Medicare beneficiaries since the Affordable Care Act.
This study examined whether there was an association between readmission risk or mortality among Medicare beneficiaries and passage of the Affordable Care Act. The study updated the Senior Care Services Scale (SCSS) which describes hospital provision of older adult services before the passage of the Affordable Care Act. The authors conducted a retrospective cohort analysis of older adults ≥65 years (n = 1,416,669), admitted to 2570 US acute-care hospitals from 2014 to 2015. Outcomes were hospital readmission, or death, within 30 and 90 days of discharge. The updated SCSS included three service groups: Inpatient Specialty Care, Post-Acute Community Care, and Home Care and Hospice. Older adults admitted to high Inpatient-Specialty-Care-scoring hospitals had lower risk of death within 30 days, and 90 days. There was no significant association between the other two groups and study outcomes.
AHRQ-funded; HS022916.
Citation: Arbaje AI, Woodman S, Keita Fakeye MB .
Senior services in US hospitals and readmission risk or mortality among Medicare beneficiaries since the Affordable Care Act.
J Appl Gerontol 2023 Jul; 42(7):1424-32. doi: 10.1177/07334648231161925..
Keywords: Elderly, Hospitals, Hospital Readmissions, Medicare
Collins CR, Abel MK, Shui A
Preparing for participation in the centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services' bundle care payment initiative-advanced for major bowel surgery.
This study aimed to assess where the largest opportunities for care improvement lay with the bundled payment reimbursement model and how best to identify patients at high risk of suffering costly complications, including hospital readmission. The authors used a cohort of patients from 2014 and 2016 who met inclusion criteria for the Major Bowel Bundled Payment Program and performed a cost analysis to identify opportunities for improved care efficiency. Using the results, they identified readmissions as a target for improvement and then assessed whether the American College of Surgeons' National Surgical Quality Improvement Program surgical risk calculator (ACS NSQIP SRC) could accurately identify patients within the bundled payment population who were at high risk of readmission using a logistic regression model. Patients who were readmitted within 90-days post-surgery were 2.53 times more likely to be high-cost (>$60,000) then non-readmitted patients. However, the ACS NSQIP SRC did not accurately predict patients at high risk of readmission within the first 30 days post-surgery.
AHRQ-funded; HS024532.
Citation: Collins CR, Abel MK, Shui A .
Preparing for participation in the centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services' bundle care payment initiative-advanced for major bowel surgery.
Perioper Med 2022 Dec 9;11(1):54. doi: 10.1186/s13741-022-00286-9..
Keywords: Provider Performance, Payment, Hospital Readmissions, Quality Improvement, Quality of Care, Surgery, Medicare, Medicaid
Anderson TS, Marcantonio ER, McCarthy EP
Association of diagnosed dementia with post-discharge mortality and readmission among hospitalized Medicare beneficiaries.
The purpose of this retrospective cohort study was to examine whether patients with dementia have a higher risk of adverse outcomes post-discharge. The researchers included Medicare beneficiaries hospitalized in 2016 and evaluated the co-primary outcomes of mortality and readmission within 30 days of hospital discharge. The final cohort included 1,089,109 hospitalizations of which 19.3% were of patients with diagnosed dementia and 886,411 were of patients without dementia. The study found that at 30 days following discharge, 5.7% of patients with dementia had died compared to 3.1% of patients without dementia. At 30 days following discharge, 17.7% of patients with dementia had been readmitted compared to 13.1% of patients without dementia. Patients with dementia who were discharged to the community had an increased likelihood of being readmitted than those who were discharged to nursing facilities, and, when readmitted, had an increased likelihood of dying during the readmission. The study concluded that diagnosed dementia was related with a substantially increased risk of mortality and a modestly increased risk of readmission within 30 days of discharge.
AHRQ-funded; HS026215.
Citation: Anderson TS, Marcantonio ER, McCarthy EP .
Association of diagnosed dementia with post-discharge mortality and readmission among hospitalized Medicare beneficiaries.
J Gen Intern Med 2022 Dec;37(16):4062-70. doi: 10.1007/s11606-022-07549-7..
Keywords: Dementia, Neurological Disorders, Medicare, Elderly, Hospital Readmissions, Mortality
Wilcock AD, Joshi S, Escarce J
Luck of the draw: role of chance in the assignment of Medicare readmissions penalties.
Pay-for-performance programs are one strategy used by health plans to improve the efficiency and quality of care delivered to beneficiaries. Under such programs, providers are often compared against their peers in order to win bonuses or face penalties in payment. The purpose of this study was to investigate the impact luck can have on the assessment of performance, the researchers investigated its role in assigning penalties under Medicare's Hospital Readmissions Reduction Policy (HRRP), a program that penalizes hospitals with excess readmissions.
AHRQ-funded; HS024284.
Citation: Wilcock AD, Joshi S, Escarce J .
Luck of the draw: role of chance in the assignment of Medicare readmissions penalties.
PLoS One 2021 Dec 21;16(12):e0261363. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0261363..
Keywords: Medicare, Payment, Hospital Readmissions, Provider Performance, Quality of Care
Smith JM, Lin H, Thomas-Hawkins C
Timing of home health care initiation and 30-day rehospitalizations among Medicare beneficiaries with diabetes by race and ethnicity.
Older adults with diabetes are at elevated risk of complications following hospitalization. Home health care services mitigate the risk of adverse events and facilitate a safe transition home. In the United States, when home health care services are prescribed, federal guidelines require they begin within two days of hospital discharge. This study examined the association between timing of home health care initiation and 30-day rehospitalization outcomes in a cohort of 786,734 Medicare beneficiaries following a diabetes-related index hospitalization admission during 2015.
AHRQ-funded; HS022406.
Citation: Smith JM, Lin H, Thomas-Hawkins C .
Timing of home health care initiation and 30-day rehospitalizations among Medicare beneficiaries with diabetes by race and ethnicity.
Int J Environ Res Public Health 2021 May 25;18(11). doi: 10.3390/ijerph18115623..
Keywords: Elderly, Home Healthcare, Hospital Readmissions, Medicare, Diabetes, Chronic Conditions, Racial and Ethnic Minorities
Chen G, Lewis VA, Gottlieb D
Estimating heterogeneous effects of a policy intervention across organizations when organization affiliation is missing for the control group: application to the evaluation of accountable care organizations.
This study looked at the effects of accountable care organizations (ACOs) on lowering health care costs and reducing the rate of hospital readmissions. The authors used Medicare fee-for-service claims data from 2009-2014 to estimate the heterogenous effects of Medicare ACO programs on hospital admissions across hospital referral regions and provider groups. The results suggested that the ACO programs reduced the rate of readmission to hospitals, and that the effect of joining an ACO varied considerably across medical groups.
AHRQ-funded; HS024075.
Citation: Chen G, Lewis VA, Gottlieb D .
Estimating heterogeneous effects of a policy intervention across organizations when organization affiliation is missing for the control group: application to the evaluation of accountable care organizations.
Health Serv Outcomes Res Methodol 2021 Mar;21(1):54-68. doi: 10.1007/s10742-020-00230-8..
Keywords: Medicare, Policy, Healthcare Costs, Hospital Readmissions, Health Insurance
Hsuan C, Braun TM, Ponce NA
Are improvements still needed to the modified hospital readmissions reduction program: a health and retirement study (2000-2014)?
This study examined whether modifications to the Medicare Hospital Readmissions Reduction Program (HRRP) addressed concerns that it unfairly penalized safety net hospitals treating patients with high social and functional risks. Data from 2000-2014 Medicare hospital discharge, Health and Retirement Study, and other community-level data was used. The authors estimated risk-standardized readmission rates (RSRRs) for peer groups and by safety net status using four hierarchical logistic regression models. Patient data used was from 20,255 fee-for-service Medicare beneficiaries (65+) with eligible index hospitalizations. Hospitals were categorized by peer group, with 1 having the lowest number of at-risk patients, and 5 categorized as a safety-net hospital. Under the modifications fewer safety-net hospitals were penalized, but worsened for those in peer groups 1,2, and 3.
AHRQ-funded; HS025838.
Citation: Hsuan C, Braun TM, Ponce NA .
Are improvements still needed to the modified hospital readmissions reduction program: a health and retirement study (2000-2014)?
J Gen Intern Med 2020 Dec;35(12):3564-71. doi: 10.1007/s11606-020-06222-1..
Keywords: Hospital Readmissions, Hospitals, Medicare
Jacobs PD, Basu J
AHRQ Author: Jacobs PD, Basu J
Medicare Advantage and postdischarge quality: evidence from hospital readmissions.
This study compared relative readmission rates for beneficiaries enrolled in Medicare Advantage (MA) and traditional Medicare (TM). HCUP State Inpatient Databases data for 4 states was used from 2009 and 2014. The outcome compared was the probability of a hospital readmission within 30 days of an index admission. There were significantly lower all-cause readmission rates among MA enrollees relative to those in TM in both 2009 and 2014, but MA enrollment was not associated with an increased reduction in readmission rates relative to TM during that time period.
AHRQ-authored
Citation: Jacobs PD, Basu J .
Medicare Advantage and postdischarge quality: evidence from hospital readmissions.
Am J Manag Care 2020 Dec;26(12):524-29. doi: 10.37765/ajmc.2020.88540..
Keywords: Healthcare Cost and Utilization Project (HCUP), Elderly, Medicare, Hospital Readmissions, Hospitals, Quality of Care, Provider Performance
Germack HD, Bizhanova Z, Roberts ET
Substantial hospital level variation in all-cause readmission rates among Medicare beneficiaries with serious mental illness.
This study’s purpose was to examine the variation across hospitals in readmissions for patients with serious mental illness (SMI) and differences in the characteristics of hospitals with the highest and lowest readmission rates. A cross-sectional analysis was conducted of pooled inpatient claims from 2013-2016. The 5% sample of fee-for-service Medicare beneficiaries included patients with SMI. The authors identified 2066 hospitals with at least 30 index admissions for Medicare beneficiaries with SMI. Factors most strongly associated with increased risk of readmission included substance use disorder and end stage renal disease. Hospital readmission rates ranged from 7.05% to 15.24%. Hospitals with the lowest adjusted readmission rates were more likely to be teaching hospitals and located in the South or Midwest.
AHRQ-funded; HS026727.
Citation: Germack HD, Bizhanova Z, Roberts ET .
Substantial hospital level variation in all-cause readmission rates among Medicare beneficiaries with serious mental illness.
Healthc 2020 Sep;8(3):100453. doi: 10.1016/j.hjdsi.2020.100453..
Keywords: Elderly, Behavioral Health, Hospital Readmissions, Medicare, Hospitals, Hospitalization
Yakusheva O, Hoffman GJ
Does a reduction in readmissions result in net savings for most hospitals? An examination of Medicare's hospital readmissions reduction program.
This study aimed (1) to estimate the impact of an incremental reduction in excess readmissions on a hospital's Medicare reimbursement revenue, for hospitals subject to penalties under the Medicare's Hospital Readmissions Reduction Program and (2) to evaluate the economic case for an investment in a readmission reduction program.
AHRQ-funded; HS025838.
Citation: Yakusheva O, Hoffman GJ .
Does a reduction in readmissions result in net savings for most hospitals? An examination of Medicare's hospital readmissions reduction program.
Med Care Res Rev 2020 Aug;77(4):334-44. doi: 10.1177/1077558718795745..
Keywords: Medicare, Hospital Readmissions, Hospitals, Healthcare Costs, Policy
Hoffman GJ, Tilson S, Yakusheva O
The financial impact of an avoided readmission for teaching and safety-net hospitals under Medicare's hospital readmission reduction program.
This study examined the financial incentives to avoid readmissions under Medicare’s Hospital Readmission Reduction Program for teaching hospitals (THs) and safety-net hospitals (SNHs). Readmissions data for 2,465 hospitals was analyzed using Medicare’s FY 2016 Hospital Compare. The authors tested for differential revenue gains for SNHs relative to non-SNHs and for major and minor THs relative to non-THs. They found that revenue gains of an avoided readmission were 10-15% greater for major THs compared with non-THs, but no different for SNHs compared with non-SNHs.
AHRQ-funded; HS025838.
Citation: Hoffman GJ, Tilson S, Yakusheva O .
The financial impact of an avoided readmission for teaching and safety-net hospitals under Medicare's hospital readmission reduction program.
Med Care Res Rev 2020 Aug;77(4):324-33. doi: 10.1177/1077558718795733..
Keywords: Medicare, Hospital Readmissions, Hospitals, Healthcare Costs
Hsuan C, Carr BG, Hsia RY
Assessment of hospital readmissions from the emergency department after implementation of Medicare's hospital readmissions reduction program.
The purpose of this study was to examine whether the Medicare Hospital Readmissions Reduction Program (HRRP) was associated with changes in the probability of readmission at emergency department (ED) visits after hospital discharge (ED revisits) overall and depending on whether admission is typically indicated for the patient's condition at the ED revisit. Using hospital and ED discharge data from California, Florida, and New York, findings suggested that implementation of the HRRP was associated with a lower likelihood of readmission for recently discharged patients presenting to the ED, specifically for congestive heart failure. These findings highlighted the critical role of the ED in readmission reduction under the HRRP and suggested that patient outcomes after HRRP implementation merit further study.
AHRQ-funded; HS025838.
Citation: Hsuan C, Carr BG, Hsia RY .
Assessment of hospital readmissions from the emergency department after implementation of Medicare's hospital readmissions reduction program.
JAMA Netw Open 2020 May;3(5):e203857. doi: 10.1001/jamanetworkopen.2020.3857..
Keywords: Healthcare Cost and Utilization Project (HCUP), Emergency Department, Hospital Readmissions, Hospital Discharge, Hospitals, Medicare
Ryskina KL, Andy AU, Manges KA
Association of online consumer reviews of skilled nursing facilities with patient rehospitalization rates.
The purpose of this study was to: 1.) assess the association between rehospitalization rates and online ratings of skilled nursing facility (SNFs); 2.) Compare the association of rehospitalization with ratings from a review website vs Medicare Nursing Home Compare (NHC) ratings; and 3.) Identify specific topics consistently reported in reviews of SNFs with the highest vs lowest rehospitalization rates using natural language processing.
AHRQ-funded; HS026116.
Citation: Ryskina KL, Andy AU, Manges KA .
Association of online consumer reviews of skilled nursing facilities with patient rehospitalization rates.
JAMA Netw Open 2020 May;3(5):e204682. doi: 10.1001/jamanetworkopen.2020.4682..
Keywords: Nursing Homes, Hospital Readmissions, Provider Performance, Quality of Care, Medicare, Elderly
Hoffman GJ, Yakusheva O
Association between financial incentives in Medicare's hospital readmissions reduction program and hospital readmission performance.
This study compared the outcome of penalties versus rewards to prevent hospital readmission in Medicare’s Hospital Readmissions Reduction Program (HRRP). This retrospective cohort study used Medicare readmissions data from 2823 US short-term acute care hospitals participating in HRRP. Data from pre-HRRP in 2016 was compared with 2016-2019 3-year follow-up readmission performance classified by tertile of hospitals using baseline marginal incentives for 5 HRRP-targeted conditions: acute myocardial infarction (AMI), heart failure, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), pneumonia, and hip and/or knee surgery. Of the 2823 hospitals participating in HRRP from baseline to follow-up, 81% had more than 1 excess readmission for 1 or more applicable condition and 19% did not. Financial incentives ranged from a mean range of $8762 to $58,158 per 1 avoided readmission. Hospitals with greater incentives for readmission avoidance had greater decreases than hospitals with smaller incentives. An additional $5000 in the incentive amount was associated with up to a 26% decrease in readmissions. The findings suggest that incentives work better than penalties to reduce hospital readmissions for those 5 conditions.
AHRQ-funded; HS025838.
Citation: Hoffman GJ, Yakusheva O .
Association between financial incentives in Medicare's hospital readmissions reduction program and hospital readmission performance.
JAMA Netw Open 2020 Apr;3(4):e202044. doi: 10.1001/jamanetworkopen.2020.2044..
Keywords: Medicare, Hospital Readmissions, Provider Performance, Payment, Health Insurance, Hospitals
Myers LC, Faridi MK, Hasegawa K
The hospital readmissions reduction program and readmissions for chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, 2006-2015.
In October 2012, the initial phase of the Hospital Readmission Reduction Program imposed financial penalties on hospitals with higher-than-expected risk-adjusted 30-day readmission rates for Medicare beneficiaries with congestive heart failure, myocardial infarction, and pneumonia. In this study, the investigators hypothesized that these penalties may also be associated with decreased readmissions for chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) in the general population before COPD became a target condition (October 2014).
AHRQ-funded; HS023305.
Citation: Myers LC, Faridi MK, Hasegawa K .
The hospital readmissions reduction program and readmissions for chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, 2006-2015.
Ann Am Thorac Soc 2020 Apr;17(4):450-56. doi: 10.1513/AnnalsATS.201909-672OC..
Keywords: Respiratory Conditions, Hospital Readmissions, Hospitals, Chronic Conditions, Medicare
Buxbaum 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
Jones CD, Falvey J, Hess E
Predicting hospital readmissions from home healthcare in Medicare beneficiaries.
The authors used patient-level clinical variables to develop and validate a parsimonious model to predict hospital readmissions from home healthcare (HHC) in Medicare fee-for-service beneficiaries. They found that variables available to HHC clinicians at the first post-discharge HHC visit can predict readmission risk and inform care plans in HHC. They recommend that future analyses incorporating measures of social determinants of health, such as housing instability or social support, have the potential to enhance prediction of this outcome.
AHRQ-funded; HS024569.
Citation: Jones CD, Falvey J, Hess E .
Predicting hospital readmissions from home healthcare in Medicare beneficiaries.
J Am Geriatr Soc 2019 Dec;67(12):2505-10. doi: 10.1111/jgs.16153..
Keywords: Home Healthcare, Hospital Readmissions, Medicare, Elderly, Transitions of Care
McWilliams JM, Barnett ML, Roberts ET
Did hospital readmissions fall because per capita admission rates fell?
In this study examining the cause of falling hospital readmission rates, the investigators found that the probability of an admission occurring soon after another was lower when there were fewer admissions per patient. The authors indicate that the reduction in admission rates may explain much of the reduction in readmission rates.
AHRQ-funded; HS026727.
Citation: McWilliams JM, Barnett ML, Roberts ET .
Did hospital readmissions fall because per capita admission rates fell?
Health Aff 2019 Nov;38(11):1840-44. doi: 10.1377/hlthaff.2019.00411..
Keywords: Hospital Readmissions, Hospitals, Hospitalization, Quality of Care, Medicare
Schwarzkopf R, Behery OA, Yu H
Patterns and costs of 90-day readmission for surgical and medical complications following total hip and knee arthroplasty.
Unplanned readmissions following elective total hip (THA) and knee (TKA) arthroplasty as a result of surgical complications likely have different quality improvement targets and cost implications than those for nonsurgical readmissions. In this study, the investigators compared payments, timing, and location of unplanned readmissions with Center for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS)-defined surgical complications to readmissions without such complications.
AHRQ-funded; HS022882.
Citation: Schwarzkopf R, Behery OA, Yu H .
Patterns and costs of 90-day readmission for surgical and medical complications following total hip and knee arthroplasty.
J Arthroplasty 2019 Oct;34(10):2304-07. doi: 10.1016/j.arth.2019.05.046..
Keywords: Orthopedics, Surgery, Hospital Readmissions, Adverse Events, Quality Improvement, Quality of Care, Medicare, Hospitals
Ross KH, Jaar BG, Lea JP
Long-term outcomes among Medicare patients readmitted in the first year of hemodialysis: a retrospective cohort study.
This retrospective cohort study examined long-term outcomes among Medicare patients with end-stage renal disease (ESRD) during the first year of hemodialysis. The goal was to determine hospital readmission patterns in the first year of dialysis and outcomes in the second year. Data from the United States Renal Data System (USRDS) was used and readmission patterns were summarized as either no readmission within 30 days, at least one admission, but not within 30 days, and admission with at least one readmission within 30 days. About half of all patients did not get readmitted (51%), but 18.5% were readmitted within 30 days, and 30.5% were admitted but not within 30 days. Those who were readmitted within 30 days had the highest long-term risk of mortality, hospitalization and lower likelihood of kidney transplantation compared to patients who were not admitted or readmitted.
AHRQ-funded; HS025018.
Citation: Ross KH, Jaar BG, Lea JP .
Long-term outcomes among Medicare patients readmitted in the first year of hemodialysis: a retrospective cohort study.
BMC Nephrol 2019 Jul 29;20(1):285. doi: 10.1186/s12882-019-1473-0..
Keywords: Dialysis, Elderly, Hospital Readmissions, Kidney Disease and Health, Medicare, Outcomes
Kaplan CM, Thompson MP, Waters TM
How have 30-day readmission penalties affected racial disparities in readmissions?: an analysis from 2007 to 2014 in five US states.
The purpose of this study was to examine changes in Black-White disparities in 30-day readmissions for acute myocardial infarction (AMI), congestive heart failure (CHF), or pneumonia following the passage and implementation of the Hospital Readmission Reduction Program (HRRP), and to compare disparities across safety-net and non-safety-net hospitals. Prior to the passage of HRRP, Black and White readmission rates and disparities in readmissions were decreasing, with largest reductions at safety-net hospitals. Findings showed that improvements in readmissions have not reversed following the implementation of HRRP. In contrast, disparities continue to persist at non-safety-net hospitals.
AHRQ-funded; HS023783.
Citation: Kaplan CM, Thompson MP, Waters TM .
How have 30-day readmission penalties affected racial disparities in readmissions?: an analysis from 2007 to 2014 in five US states.
J Gen Intern Med 2019 Jun;34(6):878-83. doi: 10.1007/s11606-019-04841-x..
Keywords: Hospital Readmissions, Racial and Ethnic Minorities, Hospitals, Medicare, Payment
Borza T, Oerline MK, Skolarus TA
Association between hospital participation in Medicare Shared Savings Program Accountable Care Organizations and readmission following major surgery.
Accountable Care Organizations (ACOs) and readmission rates following major surgery. A retrospective cohort study was conducted using a 20% national Medicare sample to identify beneficiaries undergoing 1 of 7 common surgical procedures: abdominal aortic aneurysm repair, colectomy, cystectomy, prostatectomy, lung resection, total knee arthroplasty, and total hip arthroplasty between 2010 and 2014. Thirty-day risk-adjusted readmission rates was the primary outcome studied. Out of 2974 hospitals in the study, 389 were ACO affiliated. While rates fell for both cohorts, ACO hospitals had a higher decrease in hospitalizations over the same time period.
AHRQ-funded; HS024728; HS024525.
Citation: Borza T, Oerline MK, Skolarus TA .
Association between hospital participation in Medicare Shared Savings Program Accountable Care Organizations and readmission following major surgery.
Ann Surg 2019 May;269(5):873-78. doi: 10.1097/sla.0000000000002737..
Keywords: Hospitals, Surgery, Hospital Readmissions, Medicare, Healthcare Costs, Healthcare Delivery
Blecker S, Herrin J, Li L
Trends in hospital readmission of Medicare-covered patients with heart failure.
This study sought to compare trends in Medicare risk-adjusted, 30-day readmissions following principal heart failure (HF) hospitalizations and other hospitalizations with HF. The investigators found that patients with HF are often hospitalized for other causes, and these hospitalizations have high readmission rates. Policy changes led to decreases in readmission rates for both principal and secondary HF hospitalizations. Readmission rates in both groups remained high, suggesting that initiatives targeting all hospitalized patients with HF continue to be warranted.
AHRQ-funded; HS022882; HS023683.
Citation: Blecker S, Herrin J, Li L .
Trends in hospital readmission of Medicare-covered patients with heart failure.
J Am Coll Cardiol 2019 Mar 12;73(9):1004-12. doi: 10.1016/j.jacc.2018.12.040..
Keywords: Cardiovascular Conditions, Heart Disease and Health, Hospital Readmissions, Hospitalization, Medicare, Policy
Ody C, Msall L, Dafny LS
Decreases in readmissions credited to Medicare's program to reduce hospital readmissions have been overstated.
This study examines the assumption that Medicare's Hospital Readmissions Reduction Program (HRRP) can lower risk-adjusted readmission rates at general acute care hospitals for targeted conditions. Prior studies of HRRP have relied upon the control groups' having lower baseline readmission rates, which could falsely create the appearance that readmission rates are changing more in the treatment than in the control group. After adjustment for differences in pre-HRRP readmission rates across samples, the study found that declines for targeted conditions were statistically indistinguishable from declines for two control samples. The authors conclude that either the HRRP had no effect on readmissions, or it has led to a systemwide reduction in readmissions roughly half as large as prior estimates have suggested.
AHRQ-funded; HS024072.
Citation: Ody C, Msall L, Dafny LS .
Decreases in readmissions credited to Medicare's program to reduce hospital readmissions have been overstated.
Health Aff 2019 Jan;38(1):36-43. doi: 10.1377/hlthaff.2018.05178..
Keywords: Hospital Readmissions, Medicare, Patient-Centered Outcomes Research