Who has higher readmission rates for heart failure, and why? Implications for efforts to improve care using financial incentives.

ABSTRACT:

Background

Reducing readmissions for heart failure is an important goal for policymakers. Current national policies financially penalize hospitals with high readmission rates, which may have unintended consequences if these institutions are resource-poor, either financially or clinically.

Methods and results

We analyzed national claims data for Medicare patients with heart failure discharged from US hospitals in 2006 to 2007. We used multivariable models to examine hospital characteristics, 30-day all-cause readmission rates, and likelihood of performing in the worst quartile of readmission rates nationally. Among 905 764 discharges in our sample, patients discharged from public hospitals (27.9%) had higher readmission rates than nonprofit hospitals (25.7%, P<0.001), as did

SUBMITTER: Joynt KE 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC3050549 | biostudies-literature | 2011 Jan

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature