Readmissions Bulletin
     Complimentary from the publishers of Readmissions News                August 2015  
     
Medicaid Transformation & Provider Collaboration
  Sponsor Message  
Quote
  "The data suggests that good medication management is critical to preventing avoidable hospital readmissions: it is estimated that among the almost 20 percent of patients readmitted to the hospital due to an adverse event, two-thirds are attributable to medications. The relationship between inadequate medication management and readmissions may be direct, but it is also extremely complex. Very few patients discharged from a hospital go home without a prescription for medication, and patients targeted under current Medicare readmissions policy (chronic heart failure, pneumonia, heart attack, COPD) typically are admitted and discharged with many medications. Nearly 60 percent of patients with heart failure have five or more co-morbid conditions and manage at least 6 medications at one time."
-Tom Hubbard, Vice President of Policy Research, NEHI, Cambridge, MA

 
Factoid
  "Recent statistics show that 71 percent of hospitals are experiencing reduced Medicare payments because of readmissions. The lost payments nationwide amounted to $15 billion and three-quarters of readmissions are preventable."

Excerpted from: Readmissions News, Volume 4, Number 8, August 2015, "The Key to Reducing Readmission Rates? Patient Engagement" by Ann Whitehead
 
 
What's News
COPD Patients With Psychological Conditions Have Higher Readmission Rate
ScienceDaily, August 13, 2015
  Understanding the Factors Behind Hospital Readmissions
Cardiovascular Business, August 13, 2015
 
     
  Partnerships With Harm Reduction Centers Cut Hospital Readmissions
FierceHealthcare, August 10, 2015
 
N.J. Leads Nation for Number of Hospitals Penalized for High Readmissions
NJ, August 4, 2015
     
  The 38 Hospitals Facing Highest Medicare Penalties for Readmissions
Becker's Infection Control and Clinical Quality, August 4, 2015
 
     
  Most Hospitals Face 30-day Readmissions Penalty in Fiscal 2016
Modern Healthcare, August 3, 2015
 
     
  Hospital Readmission and Pulmonologist Follow-up Visits in Patients With COPD
Chest Journal (Abstract), August 2015
 
     
This Month in Readmissions News
 
  • UCSD-Accent Home Care Partnership to Reduce Readmissions Will Prove to be Ground-breaking Partnership by Josh Luke
  • The Key to Reducing Readmission Rates? Patient Engagement by Ann Whitehead
  • Study Suggests Use Of Home Ventilation On COPD Patients May Reduce Readmissions
  • Thought Leaders' Corner: What role does medication management have in reducing readmissions?
  • Industry News with briefs regarding RightCare, Sensiotec, Besler Consulting, Geneva Woods Pharmacy, MatrixCare, Congressmen Renacci and Engel, HHS, Minnesota Department of Health, CipherHealth, Quality Assurance and Performance Improvement, Secure Exchange, Eldermark, Connance, Society for Healthcare Epidemiology of America, and TeleHealth635.
  • Catching up with ... Andrey Ostrovsky, MD
  • Click here to view page one of this issue
  • Click here to subscribe to Readmissions News, or find out more

 
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About the Bullletin
  Readmissions Bulletin is a complimentary publication issued periodically from the Health Policy Publishing, LLC, the publisher of Readmissions News (www.ReadmissionsNews.com) Your friends and colleagues can subscribe to Readmissions Bulletin at no charge by visiting: www.ReadmissionsNews.com/resources.html