Much has been made about the relationship between hospital readmission rates and mortality. Dead people can’t be readmitted, suggesting a negative correlation. On the other hand, decreases in both seem to be measures of quality, suggesting a positive correlation. I explore the relationship in a new post on AcademyHealth’s blog.
by Romaine F. Johnson on March 5th, 2013 at 13:58
It does seem to that trying to measure quality will be really, really tough, Especially if tied to payment – hospitals will cook the numbers. Maybe better to negotiate lower payments for services over the long run.
by Al on March 6th, 2013 at 09:32
Readmission rates might differ between two competing hospitals because of socio economic status and culture. This question becomes even more difficult when the idea of travel to alternative places enters the equation.