Unplanned readmissions incur significant costs

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According to the findings of the Center for Health Information and Analysis report on unplanned readmissions in Massachusetts, unscheduled readmissions in Massachusetts are not only a significant cost to the healthcare system, but also to patients and their families.

The report states that unplanned readmissions, defined as readmissions within 30 days of hospital discharge, are an important indicator of health system performance.

WHY IS IT IMPORTANT

Released Thursday, this report looks at the 10-year statewide acute care hospital readmission trends from 2011 to 2021 and includes new data on COVID-19-related readmissions.

This is the second report to include social risk factors in a risk standardization methodology for readmission rates to provide a fairer basis for comparing hospital performance, the report says.

The unscheduled readmission rate for all payers in Massachusetts remained unchanged from 2020 to 2021 at 16%. But Medicare and Medicaid patients had higher rates (18.2% and 17%, respectively) than those with commercial insurance (10.3%).

Readmission rates for patients hospitalized with any diagnosis of COVID-19 were consistently lower than for patients hospitalized for other reasons, 11.7% versus 15.6%, respectively, during the last quarter of 2021.

Patients with four or more hospitalizations within 12 months accounted for half (50%) of all readmissions.

BIG TREND

The report presents readmission rates by patient and hospitalization characteristics, readmission rates at discharge with and without COVID-19, and readmission rates by individual hospitals and hospital groups.

IN RECORDING

“Unplanned readmissions are not only a significant cost to the healthcare system, but also to patients and their families,” said Lauren Peters, executive director of the Center for Health Information and Analysis. “This report contains valuable information to help healthcare providers, stakeholders and policy makers better identify the Commonwealth’s ability to improve quality of care and reduce preventable readmissions.”

Twitter: @SusanJMorse
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