QuantiaMD and SHM Work Together to Help Reduce Readmissions

Over 4,400 Physicians Have Participated in an Online and Mobile Initiative Focused on Preventing Readmissions Among High-Risk Patients

WALTHAM, Mass.--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- Over 4,400 physicians have participated in an initiative focused on helping them manage high-risk patients to achieve better outcomes and avoid preventable readmissions. The Society of Hospital Medicine (SHM), in partnership with QuantiaMD, the largest mobile and online physician community, created the initiative in conjunction with a joint study that found that more than nine out of ten clinicians believe reducing readmissions is an important topic, but few have the resources at hand to tackle it.

The SHM and QuantiaMD study of over 1,000 clinicians found that 71% of respondents felt their organizations’ systems and procedures for preventing readmissions among high-risk patients were not very effective, and more than half of the respondents believed that the current training and educational opportunities at their institutions did not adequately focus on reducing readmissions.

To help address these issues, SHM and QuantiaMD created the Expert Practice Series: Addressing the Top Hospital Readmissions, featuring interactive presentations narrated by experts covering topics such as the dangers of hospital discharge, improving the discharge transition, and the impact of health reform. The Expert Practice Series incorporates free downloadable tools from SHM’s Project BOOST, including a risk assessment screener, a transition record, an ROI assessment and patient education. View the series at http://www.quantiamd.com/home/sig_reducingreadmissions.

“The discharge process is disjointed and not standardized for most patients in the hospital,” said Mark V. Williams, MD, FACP, FHM, Professor & Chief of the Division of Hospital Medicine at Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine and Principal Investigator, Project BOOST. “We are working with QuantiaMD to address a number of discharge issues which can impact the safe transition of patients from the hospital to home.”

These same issues are addressed by SHM’s Project BOOST, and a key objective of this joint effort is the distribution of Project BOOST tools. Project BOOST is a cutting-edge program that incorporates mentorship and a resource kit developed by Dr. Williams and other experts in the field. More than 60 hospitals across the country have implemented Project BOOST and SHM is currently recruiting more sites. For more information about Project BOOST, and to explore ways hospitals can become Project BOOST participants, visit www.hospitalmedicine.org/boost.

“There is an adage in management that you should never identify a problem you don’t intend to fix,” said Michael Paskavitz, Editor in Chief of QuantiaMD. “Unnecessary readmissions is a well-known problem and we are thrilled to see physician experts step forward to share their experience and collaborate on this topic. And, given that, so far, nearly 2700 physicians have participated in discussions within the initiative and almost 1000 physicians have downloaded the Project BOOST tool set, suggests that they are eager to begin working together towards a solution for their patients.”

SHM and QuantiaMD are continuing to expand the Expert Practice Series to feature moderated discussions on readmissions topics and to include education about specific conditions and procedures that can lead to preventable readmissions. While current topics include congestive heart failure, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, and community-acquired pneumonia, additional presentations will cover topics such as future approaches to the hospital discharge transition, readmissions related to stent placement and psychoses. SHM and QuantiaMD plan to engage thousands more physicians by the end of this year, giving them an improved ability to identify high-risk patients, the tools to enhance discharge summary communication and ways to better prepare patients, families and caregivers for post-discharge care.

About QuantiaMD

QuantiaMD® is an online physician-to-physician learning collaborative where 1 in 6 U.S. physicians engage, share, and learn from experts and each other, free of charge. Through any computer, smartphone or mobile device, members visit QuantiaMD daily to engage with respected experts who deliver clinically relevant, unbiased content in a concise, interactive format to fit the busy schedules of today’s physicians. QuantiaMD® is a branded service developed and operated by Quantia Communications, Inc., a privately held corporation headquartered in Waltham, Massachusetts, USA. For more information, visit http://www.quantiamd.com.

QUANTIAMD is a registered trademark of Quantia Communications, Inc. All other product names and references contained herein remain the service marks, trademarks, or registered trademarks of their respective owners.

About SHM

Representing the fastest growing specialty in modern healthcare, the Society of Hospital Medicine (SHM) is the leading medical society for more than 31,000 hospitalists and their patients. SHM is dedicated to promoting the highest quality care for all hospitalized patients and overall excellence in the practice of hospital medicine through quality improvement, education, advocacy and research. Over the past decade, studies have shown that hospitalists can contribute to decreased patient lengths of stay, reductions in hospital costs and readmission rates, and increased patient satisfaction.

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QuantiaMD
Ross Homer, 1-617-219-6164
Communications Manager
[email protected]

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