The Hospital Readmission Reduction Program was associated with a 2.6% decline in 30-day readmissions, a 7.9% decrease in length of stay, and a 2.1% increase in overall hospital rating.
Observational (n=27,397)
Yes
Does the Hospital Readmission Reduction Program (HRRP) improve readmission rates, length of stay, and hospital satisfaction in patients with COPD and congestive heart failure?
The Hospital Readmission Reduction Program successfully improved 30-day readmissions, length of stay, and patient satisfaction across all insurance types without trading off quality.
OBJECTIVES: Despite substantial attention on hospital readmission rates, the impact of the Hospital Readmission Reduction Program (HRRP) on a comprehensive set of Triple Aim goals has not been studied: improve hospital quality, reduce cost, and improve patient experience. METHODS: We analyze inpatient claims data from 2006 to 2015 from the Dallas Fort Worth Hospital Council Foundation with a panel of 27,397 patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease and congestive heart failure. We deploy a quasi-natural experiment using a difference-in-difference specification to estimate the effect of HRRP effect on readmission rates, length of stay (LOS), and hospital satisfaction. RESULTS: We find that the likelihood of 30-day readmissions declined by 2.6%, average LOS decreased by 7.9%, and overall hospital rating increased by 2.1% among hospitals that fell under the scope of the HRRP, compared to non-HRRP hospitals. Our results provide evidence of a spillover effect of the HRRP in terms of its impact not only on Medicare patients, but across all insurance types, and other performance measures such as cost and patient experience. CONCLUSION: Our findings indicate that HRRP hospitals do not trade-off reductions in readmission rates with lower quality across other patient health outcomes. Rather, we find evidence that the HRRP has affected all 3 dimensions of the Triple Aim with respect to patient and hospital outcomes.
Ayabakan et al. (Fri,) conducted a observational in Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease and congestive heart failure (n=27,397). Hospital Readmission Reduction Program (HRRP) vs. Non-HRRP hospitals was evaluated on 30-day readmissions, length of stay (LOS), and hospital satisfaction. The Hospital Readmission Reduction Program was associated with a 2.6% decline in 30-day readmissions, a 7.9% decrease in length of stay, and a 2.1% increase in overall hospital rating.