Salt Lake City, August 24, 2017 – The implementation of the Comprehensive Joint Replacement (CJR) bundle, and the recently proposed changes to the program, have increased scrutiny on hospital readmissions and their causes. Today, Leavitt Partners released a new white paper, “Why Patients Readmit: Using a Readmission Curve to Identify Patients at Risk for Hospital Readmissions Following Hip and Knee Replacement Surgery,” examining the relationship between hospital readmissions and chronic conditions, discharge location, and events in the hospital for hip and knee replacements that will be included within the CJR program.
Unlike previous studies, the authors use a readmissions curve to show readmissions on a more granular, day-by-day basis rather than the traditionally used 30-, 60-, and 90-day intervals, which provides a more meaningful understanding of time differences for causes of readmission. Their results demonstrate that readmission varies by chronic condition, discharge location, and events in the hospital. Key findings include:
- Patients are at the most risk for readmission within the first 30 days of discharge;
- Readmissions are associated with discharge to a skilled nursing facility or inpatient rehab facility, with longer hospital stays, and with surgeries performed in low-volume hospitals; and
- Readmissions are more common with five chronic conditions: anemia, chronic kidney disease, viral hepatitis, pressure and chronic ulcers, and chronic pulmonary disease and bronchiectasis.
As hospitals work toward lowering costs and improving quality, they need effective strategies to reduce readmissions. This white paper supports that goal by helping clinicians identify patient and hospital characteristics that are predictive of readmissions following hip and knee replacement surgery.
The white paper can be accessed here.
About Leavitt Partners:
Leavitt Partners is a health care intelligence business. The firm helps clients successfully navigate the evolving role of value in health care by informing, advising, and convening industry leaders on value market analytics, alternative payment models, federal strategies, insurance market insights, and alliances. Through its family of businesses, the firm provides investment support, data and analytics, member-based alliances, and direct services to clients to support decision-making strategies in the value economy. For more information please visit www.LeavittPartners.com.