Can targeting high-risk patients reduce readmission rates? Evidence from Israel

Autor: Efrat Shadmi, Dan Zeltzer, Tzvi Shir, Natalie Flaks-Manov, Liran Einav, Ran D. Balicer
Jazyk: angličtina
Rok vydání: 2020
Předmět:
Zdroj: Journal of Applied Economics, Vol 23, Iss 1, Pp 729-745 (2020)
Druh dokumentu: article
ISSN: 1514-0326
1667-6726
15140326
DOI: 10.1080/15140326.2020.1798194
Popis: We study a large intervention intended to reduce hospital readmission rates in Israel. Since 2012, readmission risk was calculated for patients aged 65 and older, and high-risk patients were flagged to providers upon admission and after discharge. Analyzing 171,541 admissions during 2009–2016, we find that the intervention reduced 30-day readmission rates by 5.9% among patients aged 65–70 relative to patients aged 60–64, who were not targeted by the intervention and for whom no risk-scores were calculated. The largest reduction, 12.3%, was among high-risk patients, though some of it may reflect substitution of attention away from patients with unknown high-risk at the point of care. Post-discharge follow-up encounters were significantly expedited. Estimated effects declined after incentives to reduce readmission rates were discontinued. The evidence demonstrates that informing providers about patient risk in real-time coupled with incentives to reduce readmissions can improve care continuity and reduce hospital readmissions.
Databáze: Directory of Open Access Journals
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