an In The Media Appearance
"Patients discharged to home care vs. nursing facilities have higher rates of hospital readmissions" - Medical Xpress. 03/13/2019
"Cheaper home healthcare causes higher readmission rates, study says" - UPI. 03/13/2019
"Getting Post-Acute Care At Home Is Cheaper, But Not Better Than A Skilled Nursing Facility" - Forbes. 03/20/2019
“Key Points
Question How are patient outcomes and Medicare spending affected by the decision to discharge patients to home with home health care vs to a skilled nursing facility for postacute care?
Findings In a cohort study of Medicare data of more than 17 million hospitalizations using instrumental variable methods to account for confounding by indication, compared with discharging patients to skilled nursing facilities, discharging patients to home with home health care was associated with a higher 30-day rate of readmission but a significantly lower Medicare payment for initial postacute care and for the total 60-day episode of care including hospitalization, all postacute care, and subsequent readmissions. There were no significant differences in 30-day mortality rates or improved functional status.
Meaning Among Medicare beneficiaries eligible for postacute care at home or in a skilled nursing facility, discharge to home with home health care was associated with higher rates of readmission, no detectable differences in mortality or functional outcomes, and lower Medicare payments.”