Effectiveness of a Web-Based Provider Communications Platform in Reducing Hospital Readmissions Among Patients...

Area of Science:

• Nephrology
• Healthcare Informatics
• Patient Care Management

Background:

• Suboptimal care coordination between dialysis facilities and hospitals contributes to high 30-day hospital readmission rates in dialysis patients.
• Effective communication strategies are crucial for improving patient outcomes and reducing healthcare costs.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the impact of a web-based communication platform, DialysisConnect, on reducing 30-day hospital readmissions among patients receiving dialysis.
• To assess secondary outcomes including emergency department visits and observation stays.

Main Methods:

• Pilot pre-post study design involving 4,994 index admissions from 2,419 dialysis patients.
• Interrupted time series and generalized estimating equations were used to analyze readmission trends before and after DialysisConnect implementation.
• Difference-in-difference analyses compared intervention facilities with control facilities.

Main Results:

• No statistically significant difference was observed in the monthly trends of 30-day readmissions between the pilot and pre-pilot periods for intervention facilities.
• Difference-in-difference estimates and sensitivity analyses, including a COVID-19 period, also showed no significant reduction in readmissions.
• The adjusted absolute difference in the readmission rate was 1.8%, with no significant impact on secondary outcomes.

Conclusions:

• The DialysisConnect platform, in this pilot, was not associated with a reduction in hospital readmissions for dialysis patients.
• Future multisite studies should investigate tailored care coordination solutions to address communication gaps between dialysis facilities and hospitals.