More than one-third of readmissions within seven days of discharge—36 percent—are preventable, according to research published May 1 in the Annals of Internal Medicine.
A healthcare organization experiencing frequent readmissions may be providing lower quality care, but there are many factors that can lead to readmission. In this study, researchers examined different American medical centers to identify what made readmissions within seven days of discharge different from those between eight and 30 days.
A total of 10 academic medical centers in the U.S., with 822 adults readmitted to a general medicine service, were evaluated. For each readmission, two physicians conducted a survey to identify if it was preventable.
Results showed 36.2 percent of early readmission and 23 percent of all readmissions were preventable. Hospitals were more able to prevent early readmissions, while outpatient clinics and home care services were more adept in preventing later readmissions.
“Early readmissions were more likely to be preventable and amenable to hospital-based interventions,” concluded first author Kelly Graham, MD, MPH, and colleagues. “Late readmissions were less likely to be preventable and were more amenable to ambulatory and home-based interventions.”
Cara joined TriMed Media in 2016 and is currently a Senior Writer for Clinical Innovation & Technology. Originating from Detroit, Michigan, she holds a Bachelors in Health Communications from Grand Valley State University.