Mar 27 2013
A risk score for hospitalized patients can pinpoint those most at risk of having to be readmitted to the hospital for avoidable reasons.
MedPage Today: Score Predicts Preventable Readmissions
A risk prediction score for hospitalized patients can find those most at risk of returning for avoidable reasons, researchers found. The HOSPITAL score -- based on hemoglobin and sodium levels at discharge, whether the admission was elective, and similar factors -- identified 18% of patients as at high risk for a potentially avoidable readmission within 30 days with a "fair" level of accuracy (Phend, 3/25).
Also in the news, a progress report on efforts to reset hospital and doctor pay -
Kaiser Health News: Slow Progress On Efforts To Pay Docs, Hospitals For 'Value,' Not Volume
For decades, reformers have sought to change how doctors and hospitals are paid to reward quality and efficiency – efforts that accelerated as a result of the health care overhaul. But surprisingly little progress has been made to date, a consortium of large employers reported today (Mitchell, 3/26).
This article was reprinted from kaiserhealthnews.org with permission from the Henry J. Kaiser Family Foundation. Kaiser Health News, an editorially independent news service, is a program of the Kaiser Family Foundation, a nonpartisan health care policy research organization unaffiliated with Kaiser Permanente.
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