Date: October 25, 2018

Featuring:

• Andrea Tull, PhD, Director of Reporting and Analytics, Edward P. Lawrence Center for Quality & Safety, Massachusetts General Hospital (MGH) 
• Aswita Tan-McGrory, MBA, MSPH, Deputy Director, The Disparities Solutions Center

Initiatives to reduce avoidable readmissions are the norm in US health systems today, particularly because Medicare fines hospitals with higher-than-expected rates. Health care leaders also recognize that when patients are readmitted to the hospital within 30 days of discharge, it usually indicates that processes are not what they should be.

In addition, health care organizations have come to appreciate that non-clinical issues, often referred to as social determinants of health, have a great bearing on rehospitalizations — everything from poor housing to unstable income to food insecurity. Collecting data to better assess the impact and better address these determinants to prevent readmissions is ongoing. We gained some valuable insights into the efforts of a major health care system in Massachuestts and their learning curve on the October 25 WIHI: Lowering Readmissions, Reducing Disparities.