Reducing Hospital Readmissions: An Action Guide
<p>Avoidable hospital readmissions are under close scrutiny by policymakers, providing hospitals with added impetus to reduce costs and increase quality of care. The new <a href="/publications/publication/2010/jan/health-care-leader-action-guide-reduce-avoidable-readmissions">Health Care Leader Action Guide to Reduce Avoidable Readmissions</a>, funded and produced by The Commonwealth Fund, the John A. Hartford Foundation, and the Health Research & Educational Trust (HRET) of the American Hospital Association, provides a quick, simple resource for hospital leaders to get started on an action plan for reducing readmissions. <br /><br />The guide outlines four key steps for hospital leaders: </p>
<ol>
<li>Examine your hospital's current state of readmissions. </li>
<li>Assess and prioritize your improvement opportunities. </li>
<li>Develop an action plan of strategies to implement.</li>
<li>Monitor your hospital's progress. </li>
</ol>
<p>In addition, the guide synthesizes the underlying strategies of interventions that have been successful in reducing unplanned readmissions, and it evaluates the level of effort required to implement these strategies. <br /></p>