Study: New tool helps hospitals reduce readmissions

A new study published in JAMA Surgery found that using an online tool to predict which patients are most likely to experience complications can help hospitals reduce readmissions, according to researchers at the University of Rochester (N.Y.) Medical Center.

 

The study examined more than 142,000 patients who had non-cardiac surgery using the American College of Surgeons (ACS) National Surgical Quality Improvement Program database. Researchers found that the rate of unplanned 30-day readmissions was 78% for patients with any complication diagnosed following discharge. But they noted that using the ACS Surgical Risk Calculator allows healthcare professions to enter the patient’s age, body mass index, and smoking status and get an estimate of the patient’s risk of complications after surgery. If a patient is found to be at high risk for readmission, a physician may choose to move the patient to an intensive care or step-down unit after surgery to reduce the risk of complications.

 

Read the article here.