title: Reducing 30-day readmissions: health literacy strategies.
abstract: The imperatives of the Affordable Care Act to reduce 30-day readmissions present challenges and opportunities for nurse administrators. The literature suggests success in reducing readmissions through enhancing patient-centered discharge processes, focusing on medication reconciliation, improving coordination with community-based providers, and effective patient self-management of their disease and treatment. Evidence-based interventions addressing low health literacy, when used with all patients, hold promise to promote understanding and self-management. Strategies addressing low health literacy aimed at reducing 30-day readmissions are identified and discussed.
authors.affiliation: Department of Health Systems Administration, School of Nursing and Health Studies, Georgetown University, Washington, DC 20057, USA. cloonanp@georgetown.edu
authors.forename: Patricia
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Cloonan
authors.forename: Jade
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Wood
authors.forename: Joan B
authors.initials: JB
authors.lastname: Riley
mesh_terms: D014487:Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, U.S. / Q000191:economics / Q000331:legislation & jurisprudence; D003153:Community Health Services; D003266:Continuity of Patient Care; D057220:Health Literacy; D006801:Humans; D033183:Interdisciplinary Communication; D007373:Interinstitutional Relations; D059065:Medication Reconciliation; D010351:Patient Discharge / Q000191:economics / Q000592:standards*; D058991:Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act; D010359:Patient Readmission / Q000191:economics / Q000331:legislation & jurisprudence*; D018802:Patient-Centered Care / Q000592:standards* / Q000639:trends; D014481:United States