Hospital Peer Review – December 1, 2016
December 1, 2016
View Issues
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Reduce Readmissions with Better Data Analysis
Readmissions can never be low enough, so hospitals are constantly looking for better ways to reduce them. Some are finding that success depends on collecting good data, because you can’t reduce readmissions if you don’t know what’s bringing people back to your door.
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Hospital Uses Real-Time Interviews for Better Data
When a quality improvement committee at Regions Hospital in St. Paul, MN, sought to reduce readmissions, the members realized that they did not have sufficient data to identify the reasons patients returned. Forty percent of their readmission records indicated “other” as the reason, rather than the possible causes listed.
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Are Lengthier Interviews on Readmission Worth the Time?
Some hospitals are implementing more in-depth patient interviews on readmission, seeking to collect more and better data that can help identify quality issues that might be addressed. But these interviews are time- and resource-intensive, so do the results justify the investment?
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Shorter Data Interval Gives Better Readmission Picture
The standard for studying readmissions, and what they say about hospital quality, has long been 30 days. The 30-day window is used by the federal government to penalize hospitals believed to provide lower-quality care because patients return to the hospital following discharge, but recent research suggests that window should be shortened.
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AHA/HRET QI Project Cuts HACS 40%, Readmissions 20%
Hospitals are continuing to improve patient care, per results from the second round of the American Hospital Association/Health Research & Educational Trust (HRET) Hospital Engagement Network (HEN), part of the CMS’ Partnership for Patients initiative.
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Most Common Problems in TJC Surveys
With The Joint Commission changing its scoring system in 2017, it may be difficult for hospital quality leaders to anticipate what could go wrong on a survey. Experience will still yield some clues, but the first surveys may provide some insight into what hospitals should expect.
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Program Focuses Nursing on Patient Care Transitions
A Massachusetts program has developed a number of resources for improving transition of care that are now available for healthcare facilities to use at no cost.