10 Successes in CVD, COPD Readmission Reductions

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There are pockets of clinical excellence all over the U.S.  At HCTA, our goal is to spread that excellence to everyone.  Below are 10 examples of successful program efforts that are reducing hospital readmissions and saving lives with respect to cardivascular disease and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD).

Discharge & Readmission Reduction Programs
  • Project BOOST: The Society of Hospital Medicine’s Project BOOST improves the care of patients as they transition from hospital to home. A study of 11 hospitals that implemented Project BOOST tools experienced an average 13.6 percent reduction in 30-day readmissions.
  • Project RED: The Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality contracted with Boston University Medicine Center to develop the Project RED toolkit to assist hospitals in reducing readmissions and posthospital emergency department (ED) visits.
Excellence in Reducing Cardiovascular Disease Readmissions
  • Health Quality Partners (HQP) has been lauded as the fountain of youth by reducing Medicare hospitalizations by 33% and cutting Medicare costs by 22%.
  • Sharp Rees-Stealy Medical Centers cut heart failure readmissions 49% simply by formally implementing the Chronic Care Milliman Care Guidelines.  Milliman is the standard set of guidelines referenced by many health insurance companies for coverage determinations.
  • Dr. Ornish’s Program for Reversing Heart Disease and the Pritkin Program both receive positive National Coverage Determinations (NCDs) for payment under the Medicare program under the intensive cardiac rehab benefit for lifestyle behavior modification programs.  The Benson-Henry Cardiac Wellness Institute Program will likely receive a positive NCD in the near future for Medicare coverage.
  • The Care Management Company of Montefiore reduced ED visits for patients with CHF 10%. Additionally, it reduced inpatient admissions 25% for diabetes patients and 28% for Medicare patients with diabetes. Total healthcare expenses decreased 7% from 2007 to 2010 compared to aggregate healthcare growth of 16% during the same period.
Excellence in Reducing COPD Readmissions
  • Carolinas HealthCare System dropped its COPD readmission rate from 21.8 percent to 13 percent.  CHS realized that patient treatment adherence was not the problem.  Faulty home medical equipment was one several causes.
  • North Bay Regional Health Centre has reduced COPD hospital readmissions and ED visits by creating a breathing clinic and pre-ordering steroids and anti-biotics for when flare-ups and exacerbations occur.