July 20, 2009
Featured Topic: Reducing Hospital Readmission Rates
Hospital readmissions are common and costly. One in five Medicare patients were readmitted to a hospital within 30 days of being discharged in 2003 and 2004, which generated an estimated total of $17.4 billion in hospital payments in 2004, according to an April 2, 2009 New England Journal of Medicine article.
The featured innovations describe two programs that reduced hospital readmission rates and a third one that did not reduce readmission rates. Both types of innovation experiences offer important lessons learned. The featured QualityTools provide practical discharge planning tools.
Innovation Profiles: |
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 Airport Clinics Provide Quick Access to Low-Cost, Routine Services for Travelers, Airport/Airline Employees |
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Comprehensive Program Virtually Eliminates Preventable Birth Trauma |
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Group Visits Expand Capacity to Serve Dementia Patients and Caregivers, Result in High Levels of Patient and Provider Satisfaction |
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Hourly Testing and As-Needed Dosing Adjustments Significantly Improve Effectiveness of Glycemic Control in Intensive Care Unit Patients |
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Nurse-Led Telephone Outreach More Than Doubles Pneumococcal Vaccination Rates for At-Risk Individuals |
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Standardized Discharge Planning Focusing on Patient Education and Care Coordination Increases Understanding of Postdischarge Needs and Likelihood of Followup Care |
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Care Process Algorithms Improve Continuation of Beta Blockers During Perioperative Period |
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Church-Sponsored, Barbershop-Based Program Enhances Access to Screenings and Followup Care for African-American Men in Harlem |
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Daily Remote Monitoring, As-Needed Nurse Contacts Reduce Unexpected Clinic Visits, Hospitalizations for Chemotherapy Patients |
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Nurse-Administered Pulmonary Protocol Increases Out-of-Bed Activity, Shortens Length of Stay, and Reduces Readmissions |
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Patient-Centered Hospital Redesign Leads to Low Infection Rates, Higher Patient Satisfaction, More Admissions, and Other Benefits |
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Provider-Lawyer Partnerships Increase Access to Health-Related Legal Services and Improve Well-Being for Low-Income Children and Families |
Innovation Attempts: |
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Nurse Practitioner–Led Transitional Care Program Does Not Reduce Readmissions During Period Between Discharge and Followup Appointment |
QualityTools: |
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CAHPS Pocket Reference Guide for Adult Surveys |
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Integrating Chronic Care and Business Strategies in the Safety Net: A Practice Coaching Manual |
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Medication Reconciliation Review |
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Medication Reconciliation Toolkit |
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Multi-stakeholder Community Inventory Modules |
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Planning for Your Discharge: A Checklist for Patients and Caregivers Preparing to Leave a Hospital, Nursing Home, or Other Health Care Setting |
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Project RED (Re-Engineered Discharge) Toolkit |
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Studer Group Toolkit: Patient Safety |
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Last updated: July 20, 2009.
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