Mortality rates fall, readmissions climb in Pennsylvania

Hospital mortality rates have fallen significantly over the past few years in Pennsylvania, though readmission rates increased, according to a new report from the Pennsylvania Health Care Cost Containment Council (PHC4).

During the period between 2004 and 2006, the years studied by the PHC4, mortality fell from 4.7 percent to 4.4 percent, the agency found. Over the same stretch of time, readmissions went up to 19.1 percent, from 18.7 percent in 2004, led by an increase in readmits for respiratory failure without mechanical ventilation.

Another noteworthy set of stats arising from the report was that 15,057 of the 57,993 readmissions in 2006 were for complications or infections in 2006, generating 111,000 hospital days and about $734 million in charges.

To get more data from the report:
- read this report summary from the PHC4
- read hospital comments on the report

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