The Preventing Avoidable Readmissions Together program, a collaborative statewide effort in South Carolina, has helped hospitals and other health care providers reduce readmissions by 15 percent over the past two years, according to a news release from the South Carolina Hospital Association.
The program was established in September 2012 by the South Carolina Partnership for Health and the Carolinas Center for Medical Excellence, the state's Medicare Quality Improvement Organization.
Through the effort, hospitals have found that even small steps, such as clearer medication instructions, can make a big difference in patients' wellbeing after discharge.
South Carolina also ranks ninth in improvement among the 53 states and territories, according to Medicare claims data.
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