AHRQ Study Identifies Characteristics Associated With Hospital Readmissions

AHRQ Stats

Among the five costliest health conditions in both 2002 and 2012 – heart conditions, cancer, trauma-related disorders, mental disorders, and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease and asthma – mental health conditions showed the biggest increase in the number of patients treated. About 45 million Americans received mental health care services totaling $84 billion in 2012, an increase from 2002, when 31 million Americans received services for mental health care totaling $59 billion. Those receiving mental health care paid the highest out-of-pocket share of expenses (roughly 20 percent) while those treated for cancer paid the lowest out-of-pocket share (about 6 percent) in 2002 and 2012. (Source: Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality, Medical Expenditure Panel Survey Statistical Brief #470, Trends in the Five Most Costly Conditions among the U.S. Civilian Noninstitutionalized Population, 2002 and 2012.)

Today's Headlines

1. AHRQ Study Identifies Characteristics Associated With Hospital Readmissions.
2. Abstracts Due by June 3 for 2015 AHRQ Research Conference.
3. New AHRQ YouTube Channel Features Patient Safety Videos.
4. New AHRQ Continuing-Education Resources Explore Ways To Prevent Patient Falls and Pressure Ulcers.
5. AHRQ in the Professional Literature.

1. AHRQ Study Identifies Characteristics Associated With Hospital Readmissions

Three-quarters of patients readmitted to a hospital after being discharged return to the same hospital, according to a new AHRQ-funded study. Researchers found that patients admitted for orthopedic conditions and patients who entered the hospital through the emergency department were the most likely to have a same-hospital readmission. Regarding readmissions overall, the highest rates were found in patients aged 65 to 84, though patients aged 45 to 64 who underwent spinal fusion had similar readmission rates. The condition most commonly associated with readmission was heart failure, and the conditions for which a readmission was least likely were hip and knee arthroplasty. Women made up a larger portion of readmissions across all conditions, except for heart attack. To conduct this research, investigators used the State Inpatient Databases, a component of AHRQ’s Healthcare Cost and Utilization Project (HCUP). They analyzed data on adults discharged from hospitals in 16 states. HCUP is the nation’s most comprehensive source of hospital data, including information on inpatient care, ambulatory care, and emergency department visits. The study, “Patient Factors Contributing to Variation in Same-Hospital Readmission Rate,” and abstract were published in the March 30 issue of the journal Medical Care Research and Review.

2. Abstracts Due by June 3 for 2015 AHRQ Research Conference

Details about the 2015 AHRQ Research Conference, as well as a call for abstracts, with the theme “Producing Evidence and Engaging Partners to Improve Health Care,” scheduled for October 4-6 at the Crystal Gateway Marriott Hotel and Convention Center in Crystal City, Virginia, are now available online. AHRQ and cohost AcademyHealth are seeking abstracts that showcase the breadth and depth of AHRQ-sponsored work and highlight the many ways that AHRQ research, data and tools contribute to measurable improvements in health care. AHRQ grantees and contractors who have received funding since 2012 are invited to submit original research, including implementation research and evaluation projects. Abstracts are due June 3 at 5:30 p.m. ET in the following thematic areas: improving health care quality; making health care safer; increasing accessibility to health care; improving health care affordability, efficiency and cost transparency; eliminating racial and ethnic disparities; and conducting research on dissemination and implementation science. Priority will be given to abstracts that address the theme of the conference, demonstrate measurable improvement in policy or practice, reflect rigorous methodological approach and show innovation in advancing the field.

3. New AHRQ YouTube Channel Features Patient Safety Videos

A new patient safety channel on AHRQ YouTube features videos of evidence-based training programs used by U.S. hospitals to improve care quality through effective communications and teamwork. The new channel includes nearly 50 videos that describe key elements of the Comprehensive Unit-based Safety Program Toolkit (CUSP), a patient safety protocol used successfully by hospital intensive care units to reduce potentially deadly healthcare-acquired infections. The Patient Safety Channel also includes more than 50 videos on TeamSTEPPS®, a patient safety protocol developed by AHRQ and the U.S. Department of Defense that lowers the risk of adverse events through better communication and teamwork skills. Both training programs can be customized to the individual training needs of hospitals, hospital units and clinicians.

4. New AHRQ Continuing-Education Resources Explore Ways To Prevent Patient Falls and Pressure Ulcers

AHRQ’s new continuing-education resources offer health care professionals continuing education and continuing medical education credits on improving patient safety by preventing pressure ulcers and falls in hospitals. Each year an estimated 2.5 million U.S. patients will develop a pressure ulcer, and a single large hospital could experience more than 1,000 patient falls per year. Approximately 30 to 50 percent of falls result in injuries, and complications from hospital-acquired pressure ulcers cause as many as 60,000 deaths each year. When patients fall in the hospital, they are more likely to stay in the hospital longer or be transferred to institutional or long-term care. Costs associated with hospital-acquired pressure ulcers could be as high as $11 billion per year. New videos and topic profiles that explore prevention of in-facility pressure ulcers and in-facility falls are available for continuing-education credit. Additional resources related to these topics include “Making Health Care Safer II: An Updated Critical Analysis of the Evidence for Patient Safety Practices,” the “Preventing Falls in Hospitals” toolkit and “Preventing Pressure Ulcers in Hospitals” toolkit and a student workbook and instructor’s guide on falls prevention and management in long-term care facilities.

5. AHRQ in the Professional Literature

Zhang Y, Zhou C, Baik SH. A simple change to the Medicare Part D low-income subsidy program could save $5 billion. Health Aff. 2014 Jun;33(6):940-5. Select to access the abstract on PubMed®.

Olomu AB, Stommel M, Holmes-Rovner MM, et al. Is quality improvement sustainable? Findings of the American College of Cardiology's guidelines applied in practice. Int J Qual Health Care. 2014 Jun; 26(3):215-22. Epub 2014 May 9. Select to access the abstract on PubMed®.

Larkin I, Ang D, Avorn J, et al. Restrictions on pharmaceutical detailing reduced off-label prescribing of antidepressants and antipsychotics in children. Health Aff. 2014 Jun;33(6):1014-23. Select to access the abstract on PubMed®.

Huybrechts KF, Palmsten K, Avorn J, et al. Antidepressant use in pregnancy and the risk of cardiac defects. N Engl J Med. 2014 Jun 19; 370(25):2397-407. Select to access the abstract on PubMed®.

Lindenauer PK, Stefan MS, Johnson KG, et al. Prevalence, treatment, and outcomes associated with OSA among patients hospitalized with pneumonia. Chest. 2014 May;145(5):1032-8. Select to access the abstract on PubMed®.

Vargas Bustamante A, Chen J. The great recession and health spending among uninsured U.S. immigrants: implications for the Affordable Care Act implementation. Health Serv Res. 2014 Dec;49(6):1900-24. Epub 2014 Jun 24. Select to access the abstract on PubMed®.

Chen LM, Norton EC, Langa KM, et al. Geographic variation in out-of-pocket expenditures of elderly Medicare beneficiaries. J Am Geriatr Soc. 2014 Jun;62(6):1097-104. Epub 2014 May 22. Select to access the abstract on PubMed®.

Berlan ED, Ireland AM, Morton S, et al. Variations in measurement of sexual activity based on EHR definitions. Pediatrics. 2014 May;133(5):e1305-12. Epub 2014 Apr 14. Select to access the abstract on PubMed®.