Hospital readmission from home health care before and after prospective payment.
OBJECTIVE
To describe and compare clients who were readmitted to the hospital during an episode of home health care, before and after the inception of the prospective payment system (PPS).


METHODS
A longitudinal mixed design was used to replicate a study conducted 9 years previously (pre-PPS) in the same home care agency in the central part of the United States.


METHODS
Seventy-six closed-case medical records from a not-for-profit hospital-affiliated home care agency were retrospectively reviewed and compared to pre-PPS data. The same data collection tool, the Hospital Readmission Inventory, was used for both pre- and post-PPS studies. Nurse administrators at the data collection agency were interviewed concerning comparative results.


RESULTS
Currently readmitted clients were sicker than were those in the previous research report, they were readmitted sooner for a different diagnosis, and they had less continuity of services.


CONCLUSIONS
The home health care industry has undergone a dramatic change in payment for services, from fee-for-service to PPS. Of particular concern is the adverse patient outcome of an unplanned hospital readmission. Prior studies have characterized such patients in home health care, but no comparative reports were found in a literature search since the inception of PPS. Findings from this study indicated that an increased emphasis on cost containment and higher-risk clients appear to have changed patterns of care delivery.
Anderson
Mary Ann
MA
University of Illinois, Chicago College of Nursing, Quad Cities Regional Program, Moline, IL 61265, USA. MAA928@uic.edu
Clarke
Mara M
MM
Helms
Lelia B
LB
Foreman
Marquis D
MD
D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D001291:Attitude of Health Personnel; D003152:Community Health Nursing / Q000458:organization & administration*; D003363:Cost Control; D003953:Diagnosis-Related Groups / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D005260:Female; D006699:Home Care Services / Q000458:organization & administration*; D006801:Humans; D007902:Length of Stay / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D008137:Longitudinal Studies; D008297:Male; D015146:Midwestern United States; D009718:Nurse Administrators / Q000523:psychology; D015403:Nursing Evaluation Research; D009740:Nursing Staff / Q000458:organization & administration; D017063:Outcome Assessment, Health Care; D010359:Patient Readmission / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D010561:Personnel Staffing and Scheduling / Q000458:organization & administration; D011445:Prospective Payment System / Q000458:organization & administration*; D012017:Referral and Consultation / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D012307:Risk Factors; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires