Healthcare experts likened federal reporting and payment models for hospital readmissions to the initial implementation of the No Child Left Behind Act, which has "suffered widespread criticism since its passage," according to commentary published in the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality's National Quality Measures Clearinghouse.
NCLB was passed with the intention of holding educators accountable for poor student performance. After its passage, NCLB proved difficult to implement. Support for the legislation quickly waned, and changes have been proposed to the program.
R. Neal Axon, MD, MSCR, of Ralph H. Johnson VA Medical Center, and Mark V. Williams, MD, of Northwestern University's Feinberg School of Medicine, outlined "clear parallels" between NCLB and hospital readmission rates as a key indicator of hospital discharge quality. These parallels include use of arbitrary measurements and clinically irrelevant data, which could have a negative impact on hospital payments, particularly to those with a high number of minority or economically disadvantaged patients.
"Given these limitations, readmission rates will likely need supplementation with additional quality information in order to be equitable and helpful for facilities participating in Medicare," the authors wrote.
NCLB was passed with the intention of holding educators accountable for poor student performance. After its passage, NCLB proved difficult to implement. Support for the legislation quickly waned, and changes have been proposed to the program.
R. Neal Axon, MD, MSCR, of Ralph H. Johnson VA Medical Center, and Mark V. Williams, MD, of Northwestern University's Feinberg School of Medicine, outlined "clear parallels" between NCLB and hospital readmission rates as a key indicator of hospital discharge quality. These parallels include use of arbitrary measurements and clinically irrelevant data, which could have a negative impact on hospital payments, particularly to those with a high number of minority or economically disadvantaged patients.
"Given these limitations, readmission rates will likely need supplementation with additional quality information in order to be equitable and helpful for facilities participating in Medicare," the authors wrote.
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