No evidence for race and socioeconomic status as independent predictors of 30-day readmission rates following orthopedic surgery.
The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services considers readmissions within 30 days of discharge to be a quality indicator. Hospitals' and eventually physicians' readmission rates will be used to determine payment for services. It is imperative that health care providers understand which patients are at risk for readmission so that they can apply the appropriate preventive interventions. The research team analyzed all orthopedic admissions and readmissions at their institution from September 2008 to April 2011 in this study. Preparing for the next stage in health care reform, identifying any preoperative factors that may place certain patients into a "high-risk" category for readmission following an orthopedic procedure is of paramount importance. This data analysis of more than 13 000 patients noted that race-based and income-based risk factors did not translate into significant risk factors or predictors of 30-day readmission following orthopedic admission.
NYU Hospital for Joint Diseases, New York, NY.
Tracey
T
Hunter
NYU Hospital for Joint Diseases, New York, NY.
Richard S
RS
Yoon
NYU Hospital for Joint Diseases, New York, NY Lorraine.hutzler@nyumc.org.
Lorraine
L
Hutzler
NYU Hospital for Joint Diseases, New York, NY.
Philip
P
Band
Harvard University School of Public Health, Cambridge, MA.
Victoria
V
Liublinksa
NYU Hospital for Joint Diseases, New York, NY.
James
J
Slover
NYU Hospital for Joint Diseases, New York, NY.
Joseph A
JA
Bosco
D015331:Cohort Studies; D005260:Female; D054625:Healthcare Disparities; D006801:Humans; D007902:Length of Stay / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D019637:Orthopedic Procedures / Q000009:adverse effects* / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D010359:Patient Readmission / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D011183:Postoperative Complications / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000209:etiology / Q000628:therapy*; D011379:Prognosis; D044469:Racial Groups; D012307:Risk Factors; D012923:Social Class; D062505:Value-Based Purchasing
DRG; Medicare; complications; readmission