New Guide Provides Strategies to Reduce Avoidable Hospital Readmissions - February 2, 2010

The Health Research and Educational Trust (HRET), affiliated with the American Hospital Association, released a guide for reducing avoidable readmissions, available here. The guide encourages hospitals to adopt a four-step process for reducing readmissions: examine current readmission rates; assess and prioritize improvement opportunities; develop an action plan for implementing strategies; and monitor progress. The guide also proposes strategies and interventions that can be used during hospitalization, at discharge, and post-discharge to reduce readmissions. HRET recognizes that not all readmissions are avoidable and discourages hospitals and policymakers from focusing on or penalizing unavoidable readmissions.