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CMW Mentor Moment: CMS now reports readmissions data

Case Management Weekly, July 15, 2009

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The following article is adapted from HCPro’s newest resource for hospital case managers—www.CaseManagementMentor.com—a free blog dedicated to connecting hospital case managers to industry pacesetters, peers, and best practices.

CMS released a statement, July 9, saying that its Hospital Compare Web site will now contain data reporting how frequently patients return to a hospital after being discharged, “a possible indicator of how well the facility did the first time around,” says the statement.

The statement goes on to say that, on average, one in five Medicare beneficiaries discharged from a hospital is readmitted within a month. President Obama and Congress are focusing on reducing readmissions as a way to improve quality and achieve cost savings, according to the statement.

Hospital Compare data show that 19.9% of patients admitted to a hospital for heart attack treatment will return to the hospital within 30 days, 24.5% of patients admitted for heart failure will return to the hospital within 30 days, and 18.2% of patients admitted for pneumonia will return to the hospital within 30 days.

“Research has shown that hospital readmissions are reducing the quality of healthcare while increasing hospital costs,” the statement reports.

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