Abstract
BackgroundCongestive heart failure (CHF) is the most common cause of hospitalization in the US for people older than 65 years of age. It has the highest 30-day re-hospitalization rate among medical and surgical conditions, accounting for up to 26.9% of the total readmission rates. We conducted a quality improvement project at our hospital with the objective to reduce the 30-day all-cause readmissions of patients with CHF by improving the transition of care and setting up scheduled follow-up appointments within two weeks of patient discharge.MethodRetrospective data were collected to understand the pattern of admission for CHF during November 2017. Data on 30-day readmission post-discharge was also collected to understand readmission rates. Similarly, all patients who were admitted with acute CHF exacerbation to our hospital during the month of November 2018 were included in our intervention cohort. The 30-day readmission rates of these patients post-intervention were calculated and compared to the initial cohort.ResultsAs part of our study, we ensured that 58% of the enrolled patients had a follow-up appointment scheduled within two weeks of discharge compared to only 30% in 2017. Also, 56% of the enrolled patients kept their follow-up appointments compared to 37% in 2017. The 30-day readmission rate of CHF patients was reduced in half after the implementation of our project, with a 14% readmission rate for our study patients compared to 28% in 2017.ConclusionPatient education and measures to augment post-discharge follow-up appointments can lead to substantial reductions in the readmission rates of heart failure (HF) patients.
Highlights
Heart failure (HF) is a chronic disorder that affects around 5.7 million people annually in the US and contributes to an annual expenditure of around $30.7 billion [1]
The 30-day readmission rate of Congestive heart failure (CHF) patients was reduced in half after the implementation of our project, with a 14% readmission rate for our study patients compared to 28% in 2017
Readmission rates were calculated as the percentage of CHF patients who were readmitted to our hospital within 30 days of discharge for any unplanned cause
Summary
Heart failure (HF) is a chronic disorder that affects around 5.7 million people annually in the US and contributes to an annual expenditure of around $30.7 billion [1]. As per the HRRP, CMS will reduce payments to hospitals with higher than expected readmission rates following admissions with HF [6]. Congestive heart failure (CHF) is the most common cause of hospitalization in the US for people older than 65 years of age. It has the highest 30-day re-hospitalization rate among medical and surgical conditions, accounting for up to 26.9% of the total readmission rates. We conducted a quality improvement project at our hospital with the objective to reduce the 30-day all-cause readmissions of patients with CHF by improving the transition of care and setting up scheduled follow-up appointments within two weeks of patient discharge
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