All-Cause 30-Day Readmission and Mortality: How the Health of Community Affects Magnet® Performance

The aim of this study was to determine whether Magnet® and non-Magnet hospitals differ in the occurrence of 30-day readmission and mortality rates among the Medicare population when considering community health factors.

Magnet hospitals have shown favorable outcomes regarding 30-day readmission and mortality; however, previous research has not evaluated whether the hospital community influences the likelihood of the patient being readmitted to a hospital or how Magnet facilities may mitigate potential mortality risks.

This study used a cross-sectional study design of 1791 hospitals using a propensity score matching technique to compare Magnet and non-Magnet hospitals with similar hospital and community characteristics.

Results reveal no differences in readmission scores between Magnet and non-Magnet hospitals. When considering mortality scores, Magnet hospitals had better performance for pneumonia, congestive heart failure, and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease compared with non-Magnet hospitals.

Our results suggest that there may be universal efforts to improve overall readmission rates taken by hospitals to minimize potential penalties and maximize patient outcomes.