Literature Review: Readmission Of Patients

Literature review Student’s Name Institutional affiliation Literature review The effectiveness of care services is largely determined by the quality offered in the care setting and the patient outcomes. Readmission of patients shows a shortcoming in care delivery, which has in the recent past been an issue under scrutiny by organizations and governments. The cost of readmission is substantial for the patients, insurance companies, and the health institutions. In the USA, readmission costs are estimated to be $17.4 billion for patients using Medicare (Kripalani, Theobald, Anctil, & Vasilevskis, 2014). Increased concerns over these costs are some of the underlying factors in the establishment of the Hospital Readmission Reduction Program (HRRP). The HRRP is focused on reducing the cost of readmission rates and imposing penalties for hospitals that have high rates of readmission. These penalties are deducted from the reimbursements made to the institution (Kripalani et al., 2014). The strategy has been effective in facilitating the intended outcome by encouraging hospitals to reduce readmissions. Nevertheless, there is a need to ensure that readmissions are reduced substantially, especially for illnesses that can be managed by the patient by taking care of themselves (Kansagara et al., 2011). The initiatives to reduce readmission are premised on the provision of quality care. One of the factors that determine quality care is the effectiveness of the communication process among different stakeholders (Swan, Ferguson, Chang, Larson, & Smaldone, 2015). Effective communication between the patients and the healthcare personnel can contribute to how patients engage in preventing new infections and how they take care of themselves as they recover (Protheroe & Rowlands, 2013). Furthermore, it is evident that education programs have been effective in improving care delivery among patients. For instance, patients with chronic illnesses often engage in self-management and preventive care programs (Alsanea, 2012). In this context, the patients are offered the information they need to help them make informed lifestyle choices, identify the risk factors, and how they can take their drugs. Subsequently, hospitals that offer education programs that facilitate the flow of information and communication practices helps to equip patients with what they need to take care of themselves. The logic presented by these undertakings is linked to the increased focus on preventive and quality primary care models that are based on informed and active patients engaging with responsive medical ...