Decision-Making Processes Used by Florida Hospital Administrators to Reduce 30-Day Readmission

Hospital administrators face a complex decision-making process in addressing 30-day readmission. This qualitative descriptive study used purposive sampling with criteria to identify and interview 12 study hospital administrators in Florida. Semi-structured interviews and 15 secondary-archival data sources were analyzed to determine themes. Ten themes emerged from the thematic data analysis, revealing that hospital administrator decision-making is multi-faceted and involves knowledge of systems, complexity, past experiences, and available data. Internal and external factors can influence hospital behavior and, if not managed correctly, can lead to chaotic readmission processes with increased operating costs, poorer patient outcomes, and unwanted attention from regulators. This study provides new knowledge to enhance hospital administration decision-making.