Reducing Readmissions After Transcatheter Aortic Valve Replacement Through Enhanced Transitional Care

Figures

• 

  Figure 1. Annual 30-Day Post-TAVR Readmissions Bar graph demonstrating annual 30-day readmission rates for patients undergoing TAVR at Lake Charles Memorial Hospital. The dashed line reports the transition from the implementation to the postimplementation phase. Rates are reported using Society of Thoracic Surgeons/American College of Cardiology Transcatheter Valve Therapy Registry methodology, which includes inpatient admissions only. The figure demonstrates a marked decline in readmissions following implementation of a phased, multidisciplinary transitional care pathway. LOS = length of stay; TAVR = transcatheter aortic valve replacement.

• 

  Figure 2. Preimplementation Readmission Reasons Pareto chart outlining causes of 30-day readmissions in the preimplementation cohort using internal facility data. The bars represent individual readmission causes, and the orange line represents the cumulative percentage of total readmissions. Most events were non–TAVR-related, underscoring the need for a structured transitional care pathway to address preventable causes. BP = blood pressure; CHF = congestive heart failure; CVT APP = cardiovascular and thoracic advanced practice provider; ECG = electrocardiogram; PCP = primary care physician; SDM = shared decision making; SDOH = social determinants of health; other abbreviations as in Figure 1.

• 

  Figure 3. Reducing TAVR Readmissions Through Enhanced Transitional Care Visual summary of a single-center quality-improvement initiative at Lake Charles Memorial Hospital (LCMH). Outcomes are based on preimplementation, implementation, and postimplementation data from the Society of Thoracic Surgeons/American College of Cardiology Transcatheter Valve Therapy (STS/ACC TVT) Registry and internal hospital records (2018 and Q2 2025). TAVR = transcatheter aortic valve replacement.

• 

  Figure 4. Structured TAVR Education and Follow-Up Process Workflow diagram outlining the standardized education, discharge, and follow-up process for TAVR patients. Developed using internal data and a multidisciplinary approach, the process includes early identification of social determinants of health (SDOH), tailored patient and caregiver education, provision of home monitoring equipment for high-risk patients, proactive complication monitoring, and prescheduled follow-up through 1 year. This process enhances continuity of care and reduces both procedure- and non–procedure-related readmissions. CHF = congestive heart failure; other abbreviations as in Figure 1.