Participation in voluntary federal programs that push for quality improvements has a greater impact on reducing readmissions than financial penalties levied against hospitals for high rates alone, a new study finds.
Researchers at the University of Michigan examined records for patients treated for heart attack, heart failure or pneumonia between 2005 and 2015 at more than 2,800 U.S. hospitals and found that hospitals participating in one of at least three federal programs—Meaningful Use, accountable care organizations or bundled payments—saw 30-day readmission rates decrease by wider margins, according to a study published in JAMA Internal Medicine.
