A Path to Fewer Readmissions
Nearly 20% of Medicare patients discharged from a hospital will be readmitted within 30 days of discharge. Much of this estimated $17 billion in readmission cost is unwarranted. The Patient Activation Measure® assessment identifies those at greater risk for readmission. Patient activation research and experience in care transition programs puts a PAM score to work, providing important insight into how best to support patients in care transitions.
For patients in lower activation, the complexity of a full discharge plan in beyond their self-management abilities and compounds an already strong sense of being overwhelmed. Helping them to understand their role, to prioritize and focus on just a few key tasks, coupled with frequent patient support in the first two weeks following discharge, is key to preventing readmission.
Tailoring support to levels of activation is being deployed in dozens of care transition programs, including Peace Heath (WA), Truman Medical Center (MO), James Peters VA Medical Center (NY), St. Josephs Health System (CA), Multicare (WA), and Crouse Hospital (NY), as well as a number of QIO care transition demonstration sites.
