The Hospital Readmissions Reduction Program's Impact on Readmissions From Skilled Nursing Facilities

Area of Science:

• Healthcare Policy
• Gerontology
• Health Services Research

Background:

• Hospital readmissions are key indicators of care quality and patient outcomes.
• The Hospital Readmissions Reduction Program (HRRP) aims to reduce Medicare patient readmissions.
• Skilled nursing facilities (SNFs) play a critical role in post-hospital care and readmission rates.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the impact of the HRRP on hospital readmissions originating from SNFs.
• To identify SNF characteristics associated with lower 30-day readmission rates.
• To inform future healthcare policy regarding SNF performance and readmission reduction.

Main Methods:

• Analysis of adjusted 30-day readmission rates for 14,666 SNFs in the U.S. (2011-2015).
• Utilized linear regression with generalized estimating equations to assess HRRP's relationship with readmissions.
• Examined correlations between SNF attributes and readmission performance.

Main Results:

• A significant downward trend in adjusted 30-day readmission rates from SNFs was observed, decreasing by 1.4% from 2011 to 2015.
• Lower readmission rates were associated with SNFs located within hospital facilities, rural designations, higher registered nurse-to-nurse ratios, and not-for-profit status.
• The HRRP demonstrated a substantial reduction in SNF-related readmissions.

Conclusions:

• The HRRP has effectively reduced hospital readmissions from skilled nursing facilities.
• SNF structural and systemic characteristics influence readmission rates, providing targets for quality improvement.
• Policy considerations for future legislation should account for these SNF-specific factors to optimize readmission reduction strategies.