SESSION TITLE: Diffuse Lung Disease 2 SESSION TYPE: Original Investigation Poster PRESENTED ON: Wednesday, November 1, 2017 at 01:30 PM - 02:30 PM PURPOSE: Hospital readmissions, defined as admissions that occur within 30 days of hospital discharge, can result in increased economic burden on medical systems, individual hospitals, and patients, and poorer patient outcomes. Readmissions expose patients to multidrug resistant (MDR) organisms leading to more severe infections, further tests and procedures with risk of complications, and potential progression of underlying chronic diseases that cycle into more readmissions. The purpose of this study is to identify practices that reduce hospital readmission due to pneumonia (PNA). METHODS: PNA, the third most common cause of hospital readmission (20.1%), was added in 2012 to the list of targeted diagnoses under the Hospital Readmissions Reduction Program within the Affordable Care Act, which penalizes hospitals for readmission rates above the national average. From 2009-2013, there was a significant drop in overall readmission rates from 58.2 to 50.1 per 1,000 Medicare recipients. Following institutional review board approval, readmission data from multiple hospitals within two healthcare networks in rural northeastern Tennessee and southern Virginia, which is known to consistently have elevated readmission rates above the national average, will be collected from 2007-2016 via retrospective chart review, analyzed, and compared to national statistics published by the Healthcare Cost and Utilization Project to determine the contributing factors of higher readmission rates. These factors will be grouped as patient, provider, and hospital factors. Patients meeting inclusion criteria will be analyzed for the presence of these factors, and compliance with preventive guidelines will be assessed for effectiveness in reducing readmissions. The statistical difference will be determined for each of these factors between those who were readmitted and those who were not to define practices to reduce future readmissions. RESULTS: The most common causes of readmission following initial hospitalization for PNA are PNA that failed initial antibiotic treatment, MDR PNA, patient's susceptibility to develop recurrent pneumonia with extensive comorbidities (eg. CHF, COPD, MI), length of initial hospital stay, socioeconomic status, social support, medication compliance, and accessibility to outpatient physicians for follow up. Reducing readmission risk requires correct initial diagnosis and treatment, patient education about the disease process and importance of completing antibiotic course, communication between inpatient and outpatient physicians to facilitate transition of care, and healthcare professionals helping patients address barriers to compliance and physical rehabilitation. CONCLUSIONS: There is more to effectively managing PNA than only prescribing antibiotics; it requires implementing all strategies listed above to optimally reduce readmission rates, prevent poor patient outcomes, and improve quality of life. CLINICAL IMPLICATIONS: Given the rising healthcare costs, it is prudent to identify interventions that can be implemented to reduce readmission secondary to PNA. Methods proven to reduce this risk should be followed on initial discharge to improve health and safety of patients. DISCLOSURE: The following authors have nothing to disclose: Jennifer Treece, Kim Nguyen, Vandana Pai, Enambir Josan, Lakshmi Kallur, Chidinma Onweni, Heidi Storer, Ahmad Albalbissi, Pratyaksha Sankhyan, Akhilesh Mahajan, Mudher Al-Shathir, Girendra Hoskere No Product/Research Disclosure Information