Medicare patients discharged to a home health setting were more likely to be readmitted within 30 days compared to patients sent to a skilled nursing facility, according to a study published in JAMA Internal Medicine.
The study, which examined more than 17 million hospitalizations from 2010-16, compared the outcomes of Medicare patients who were discharged to home health settings and those discharged to skilled nursing facilities.
Patients who were discharged to the home saw a higher rate of 30-day readmission at 5.6 percentage points above patients sent to a skilled nursing facility. Researchers didn't find a difference between the two types of discharges and 30-day mortality rates or improved functional status.
However, Medicare payment for patients discharged to a home health setting was significantly lower than payment for patients discharged to a skilled nursing facility. Total Medicare payment within the first 60 days after admission was also significantly lower in the home setting.
"Among Medicare beneficiaries eligible for post-acute care at home or in a skilled nursing facility, discharge to home with home health care was associated with higher rates of readmission, no detectable differences in mortality or functional outcomes, and lower Medicare payments," the researchers concluded.
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