Reduced Hospital Readmission Rates Can Be Attributed in Part to More Patients Put Under Observation Status
A significant portion of the recent reduction in hospital readmission rates can be attributed to more patients being put under observation status, even though in many cases treatment is essentially the same as being an inpatient, according to a Wall Street Journal analysis. Among the roughly 3,500 short-term acute-care hospitals subject to the Hospital Readmissions Reductions Program, readmission rates for penalized conditions dropped by about 9% between 2010 to 2013. Over the same period, follow-up observation-stay rates increased by about 48%.
- "Medicare Rules Reshape Hospital Admissions" (Weaver et al., Wall Street Journal, 12/1).