What's New | August 17, 2011

Reducing Readmissions in Special Settings

Hospital readmissions are costly and often avoidable with better care transitions between hospitals and different care settings. According to a recent study, 23.5 percent of all patients discharged to skilled nursing facilities in 2006 were rehospitalized within 30 days, at a total cost of $4.34 billion per year to the Medicare program.

The featured Innovations describe three different programs that reduced hospital readmissions from long-term residential care and skilled nursing facilities, leading to significant cost savings.

The featured QualityTools provide resources and tools for improving transitions of care and reducing avoidable rehospitalizations.

Featured Innovations:

• Collaborative Medication Reconciliation Significantly Reduces Errors and Readmissions in Patients Discharged to Nursing Homes

• Person-Centered Care for Residents with Dementia Exhibiting Aggressive Behavior Reduces Psychiatric Hospitalizations and Behavior-Related Medications

• Postdischarge Followup Calls to Skilled Nursing Facilities Reduce Heart Failure Readmissions by Two-Thirds

Featured QualityTools:

• Health Care Leader Action Guide to Reduce Avoidable Readmissions
Developed by Health Research & Educational Trust

• STate Action on Avoidable Rehospitalizations (STAAR) Materials
Developed by Institute for Healthcare Improvement

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Also in This Issue:

Innovations >

• Checklist-Guided Process Reduces Surgery-Related Mortality and Complications

• Electronic Referrals and Communications Reduce Wait Times for Specialty Appointments and Improve Clinician Communication and Quality of Care

• Foundation Supports Rural Stakeholders in Promoting Better Eating and Physical Activity, Leading to Anecdotal Reports of Improved Behaviors and Outcomes

• One-Time Personalized Electronic Reminder From Primary Care Physician to Patient Does Not Increase Colorectal Cancer Screening Rates

• Provider-Lawyer Partnerships Enhance Access to Health-Related Legal Services for Low-Income Rural Patients, Leading to Favorable Resolutions for the Client

• Shared Decisionmaking Tools plus Peer Support Lead to More Efficient and Effective Mental Health Consultations and High Satisfaction

QualityTools >

• A Cultural Competency Standards Crosswalk
Developed by Underserved Quality Improvement Organization Support Center (UQIOSC)

• Get a Life! Tools for Starting or Expanding a Health
Ministry
Developed by Community Foundation of Northwest Mississippi

• Interventions to Reduce Acute Care Transfers (INTERACT) Tools
Developed by Florida Atlantic University

• Why Screen for Chlamydia? An Implementation Guide for Healthcare Providers
Developed by National Chlamydia Coalition; Partnership for Prevention