Unnecessarily high hospital readmissions rates have recently garnered headlines and received increased scrutiny from policymakers. Reducing avoidable readmissions has long been an important focus of our grantmaking. Now that our grantees have developed proven, evidence-based models like the Transitional Care Model , the Care Transitions Intervention, and Project BOOST, we have been looking for ways to encourage hospitals to incorporate these or similar programs. We are pleased to announce that, in conjunction with the Commonwealth Fund, we supported creation of the “Health Care Leader Action Guide to Reduce Avoidable Readmissions” by the Health Research and Education Trust (HRET) of the American Hospital Association.
This free, downloadable guide outlines steps hospitals can take to reduce avoidable readmissions. This publication aims to help hospital leadership to begin this important process, which will not only help hold down rising health care costs, but also help provide better quality care to hospital patients—the vast majority of whom are older adults.