A new Dartmouth Atlas Project report shows little progress over a five-year period in reducing preventable hospital readmissions and improving care coordination for Medicare patients, according to a Dartmouth release.
In an examination of the records of 10.7 million hospital discharges for Medicare patients, researchers also discovered wide variation in 30-day readmission rates across regions and academic medical centers. Key findings from the Dartmouth report include the following:
• Nationally, there was relatively little change in 30-day readmission rates from 2004-2009, regardless of the cause of the initial hospitalization.
• The highest 30-day readmission rates following medical treatment occurred in Michigan, including Pontiac (18.9 percent), Royal Oak (18.8 percent), Dearborn (18.0 percent) and Detroit (17.9 percent), while far lower rates were found in Utah, including Ogden (11.5 percent), Provo (13.0 percent) and Salt Lake City (13.6 percent).
• For patients who were discharged from the hospital after having surgery, there was more than twofold variation in these rates in regions across the U.S., from Rapid City, S.D. (7.5 percent) to the Bronx, N.Y. (19.0 percent).
• Patients in New Orleans, La. were far less likely to see a primary care clinician after discharge, with 25.6 percent visiting a primary care clinician within two weeks of medical treatment in a hospital, compared to 61.4 percent of patients in Lincoln, Neb.
Read the Dartmouth Atlas Project report in full here.
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In an examination of the records of 10.7 million hospital discharges for Medicare patients, researchers also discovered wide variation in 30-day readmission rates across regions and academic medical centers. Key findings from the Dartmouth report include the following:
• Nationally, there was relatively little change in 30-day readmission rates from 2004-2009, regardless of the cause of the initial hospitalization.
• The highest 30-day readmission rates following medical treatment occurred in Michigan, including Pontiac (18.9 percent), Royal Oak (18.8 percent), Dearborn (18.0 percent) and Detroit (17.9 percent), while far lower rates were found in Utah, including Ogden (11.5 percent), Provo (13.0 percent) and Salt Lake City (13.6 percent).
• For patients who were discharged from the hospital after having surgery, there was more than twofold variation in these rates in regions across the U.S., from Rapid City, S.D. (7.5 percent) to the Bronx, N.Y. (19.0 percent).
• Patients in New Orleans, La. were far less likely to see a primary care clinician after discharge, with 25.6 percent visiting a primary care clinician within two weeks of medical treatment in a hospital, compared to 61.4 percent of patients in Lincoln, Neb.
Read the Dartmouth Atlas Project report in full here.
Related Articles on Hospital Readmission:
Massachusetts Plans to Cut Medicaid for 24 Hospitals That Have High Readmission RatesUp to 35 Physicians, St. Mary Mercy in Michigan Partner in Readmission Pilot
Dr. Karen Joynt of Brigham and Women's in Boston to Discuss Readmissions