Readmissions decline at safety-net hospitals

Though a new study finds a decline of 30-day readmissions at safety-net hospitals, researchers say that current penalties for excessive readmissions may not be the most effective way to push for improved performance at those facilities.

Researchers used data from the Center for Medicare & Medicaid Services’ Hospital Compare website to analyze the readmission rates for heart attacks, heart failure and pneumonia at safety-net hospitals. They found safety-net hospitals experienced a drop in readmissions for all three areas, according to the study, which was published in Health Affairs. For example:

  • Readmissions for heart attack patients dropped 2.86 percentage points 
  • Readmissions for heart failure patients fell by 2.7 percentage points
  • The readmission rate for patients with pneumonia declined 1.8 percentage points

Previous studies have found that patients treated at safety-net hospitals are at greater risk for readmissions because they may lack access to primary care and other needed healthcare services and support, FierceHealthcare has previously reported. 

Despite the improvement in readmissions at those facilities, study authors said that penalties may not be the best incentive for performance improvement at safety-net hospitals. Programs to reduce readmissions may be costly and a burden for safety-net hospitals, they said. In fact, their limited budgets and resources may lead administrators to decide the penalty is the easier option, according to the study.

Instead, the researchers suggests that CMS compare each hospital's readmission rates to its own individual historical data, or exempt safety-net hospitals from the Hospital Readmissions Reduction program (HRRP).

National professional organizations like the American Hospital Association have also spoken out in favor of changes to the HRRP, FierceHealthcare previously reported. This year, more than half of U.S. hospitals were hit with penalties.