Key result
The Project RED program reduced the likelihood of hospital readmission or emergency department visits within 30 days by one third compared to usual care, saving an estimated $380 per patient.
Effect estimate: one third less likely
Reengineering hospital discharge protocols can improve patient safety and reduce costs by nearly $400 per admission while decreasing 30-day readmissions.
May support reengineered discharge to cut readmissions and costs; leaves open confirmation in randomized trials.
Implementing patient safety improvements does not often yield immediate cost savings. Yet new research shows a way to reduce hospital readmis-sions dramatically and save nearly $400 per admis-sion in doing so. Rehospitalization, typically defined as hospital readmission within 30 days of a hospi-tal discharge, is a common, expensive, and life-threatening event too often associated with gaps in follow-up care. New evidence shows that when hos-pitals focus on the discharge process, patient care and safety improve and costs decline. Given these advantages, it is difficult to under-stand why more hospitals have not already over-hauled their patient discharge protocols. The answer is counterintuitive: Until recently, properly
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Carolyn M. Clancy (2009) conducted an editorial in Hospitalized patients (n=738). Project RED (Reengineered Discharge) vs. Usual care was evaluated on Hospital readmission or ED visit within 30 days (one third less likely). The Project RED program reduced the likelihood of hospital readmission or emergency department visits within 30 days by one third compared to usual care, saving an estimated $380 per patient.
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