Robert Wood Johnson Foundation President and CEO Risa Lavizzo-Mourey, MD, MBA, made a case for wider policy solutions surrounding the readmissions problem in an
In her commentary, Dr. Lavizzo-Mourey noted that financial incentives may help reduce readmissions but do not get to the heart of factors that cause avoidable readmissions.
Citing a RWJF-commissioned report from February 2013, The Revolving Door: A Report on U.S. Hospital Readmissions, Dr. Lavizzo-Mourey reminded her audience that where there are high admissions there are also high readmissions, which may indicate differential uses of hospitals among communities.
She stressed that while financial incentives initiate the process of reducing readmissions, furthering the process by tackling the underlying causes and patterns of healthcare usage is vital to success in permanent readmissions reductions.
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