Two recent studies by Healthways Center for Health Research published in Population Health Management suggest that proactive interventions, such as chronic health management and telephone outreach reduce hospital admissions and readmissions and result in "considerable" cost savings, according to the study.
The first study, "The Impact of Postdischarge Telephonic Follow-up on Hospital Readmissions," found that patients who received follow-up phone calls within 14 days of discharge were 23 percent less likely to be readmitted to the hospital. Patients who do not receive a follow-up call within 14 days of discharge are 1.3 times more likely to be readmitted to the hospital within 30 days of being discharged. The study was based on claims data from more than 30,000 members of a commercial health plan that were discharged from a hospital in 2008.
"While previous studies have demonstrated a reduction in readmissions based on the capacity of hospitals and clinics to provide supplemental discharge counseling, this study demonstrates that the same effect can be achieved through efficiently scaled and delivered telephonic interventions," said James E. Pope, MD, chief science officer, Healthways.
The second study, "The Impact of a Proactive Chronic Care Management Program on Hospital Admission Rates in a German Health Insurance Society," was conducted among a group of 23,000 health insurance members in Germany and confirms that proactive telephonic chronic care management calls can help reduce hospital admissions among patients with chronic disease. Overall, the admission rate in the intervention group decreased by 6.2 percent, compared with a 14.9 percent increase in admissions among the comparison group.
Learn more about Healthways.
Read more coverage on hospital readmissions:
- Illinois Blues, Hospital Association Partner to Reduce Readmission Rates
- Preventable Readmissions Cost California $3.5B
The first study, "The Impact of Postdischarge Telephonic Follow-up on Hospital Readmissions," found that patients who received follow-up phone calls within 14 days of discharge were 23 percent less likely to be readmitted to the hospital. Patients who do not receive a follow-up call within 14 days of discharge are 1.3 times more likely to be readmitted to the hospital within 30 days of being discharged. The study was based on claims data from more than 30,000 members of a commercial health plan that were discharged from a hospital in 2008.
"While previous studies have demonstrated a reduction in readmissions based on the capacity of hospitals and clinics to provide supplemental discharge counseling, this study demonstrates that the same effect can be achieved through efficiently scaled and delivered telephonic interventions," said James E. Pope, MD, chief science officer, Healthways.
The second study, "The Impact of a Proactive Chronic Care Management Program on Hospital Admission Rates in a German Health Insurance Society," was conducted among a group of 23,000 health insurance members in Germany and confirms that proactive telephonic chronic care management calls can help reduce hospital admissions among patients with chronic disease. Overall, the admission rate in the intervention group decreased by 6.2 percent, compared with a 14.9 percent increase in admissions among the comparison group.
Learn more about Healthways.
Read more coverage on hospital readmissions:
- Illinois Blues, Hospital Association Partner to Reduce Readmission Rates
- Preventable Readmissions Cost California $3.5B