IJSRP, Volume 6, Issue 4, April 2016 Edition [ISSN 2250-3153]
Cynthia Meckl-Sloan
Abstract:
Unplanned readmission of hospital discharge patients is driving up healthcare costs, and the statistics are staggering. In 2010, U.S. hospital discharges numbered over 35 million and nearly 20 percent of Medicare patients were readmitted back into the hospital within the first month. The Affordable Care Act’s Hospital Readmissions Reduction Program (HRRP) Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) began a penalty on hospitals having high readmission rates. As a result, hospitals are financially motivated to reduce hospital discharge patient readmissions. At-home patients with undetected deteriorating physical conditions can result in adverse secondary conditions (i.e., developing infections) that send them back into the Emergency Room. The most common post-discharge complications are: (i) an adverse drug event (ADE), (ii) infections acquired in the hospital, (iii) secondary acquired complications, as well as, (iv) pneumonia, and (v) depression and loneliness. Reducing adverse events post-discharge is essential for the U.S. health care system. Health Relationship Management Services (HRMS), a new healthcare paradigm, monitors the patient’s health from home after discharge to help minimize hospital readmissions. At the same time, it alleviates loneliness and isolation by providing a connection to a caring health community, empowering patients to control health outcomes in collaboration with their care providers and care experts.