Study: Patients Must Take Medication 80% of Time to Avoid Readmission

To reduce the risk of hospital readmission after a heart attack, patients must take their medication 80 percent of the time, according to research from CVS and Boston-based Brigham and Women's Hospital published in the American Heart Journal.

While the 80 percent mark has long been suspected to be a significant threshold, it had not been experimentally confirmed until this study, according to a news release.

Sign up for our FREE E-Weekly for more coverage like this sent to your inbox!

Researchers tracked adherence and clinical outcomes for more than 4,100 heart attack patients who had filled prescriptions for beta-blockers, statins, angiotensin converting enzyme inhibitor or angiotensis receptor blockers after discharge. Data was taken from a trial conducted by Aetna and Brigham and Women's from a 2011 study in the New England Journal of Medicine.

Patients with at least 80 percent adherence were 24 percent more likely avoid hospital readmission for a "major vascular event." Patients with adherence between 60 and 79 percent did not have reduced chances for hospital readmission when compared with a nonadherent control group.

More Articles on Quality:

86% of Nurses Leave Some Care Undone

FDA Recalls Faulty Antimicrobial Hospital Showers

9 Most Common Medical Errors

Copyright © 2024 Becker's Healthcare. All Rights Reserved. Privacy Policy. Cookie Policy. Linking and Reprinting Policy.

 

Featured Whitepapers

Featured Webinars