As hospitals work to lower readmission rates to hold on to federal funding levels, a New England Journal of Medicine article proposes hospitalization itself might be the problem.
Stressors from an initial hospital stay — such as interrupted sleep, poor nutrition, discomfort and even confusing interactions with multiple medical professionals — can make patients more vulnerable to illness within a 30-day period after discharge, according to the article.
Approximately one in five Medicare patients discharged from a hospital, or about 2.6 million seniors, require another hospital stay for an acute medical problem within a month, according to the report.
Where Medicare Stands: A Discussion With Dr. Oliver Fein of Weill Cornell Medical College
Improving HCAHPS Scores Alone is Not the Answer: Hospitals Need a Patient-Centric Foundation
Stressors from an initial hospital stay — such as interrupted sleep, poor nutrition, discomfort and even confusing interactions with multiple medical professionals — can make patients more vulnerable to illness within a 30-day period after discharge, according to the article.
Approximately one in five Medicare patients discharged from a hospital, or about 2.6 million seniors, require another hospital stay for an acute medical problem within a month, according to the report.
More Articles on Hospital Readmissions:
Should Lack of Shared Decision-Making Be Penalized Like Readmissions?Where Medicare Stands: A Discussion With Dr. Oliver Fein of Weill Cornell Medical College
Improving HCAHPS Scores Alone is Not the Answer: Hospitals Need a Patient-Centric Foundation