Overview
We used information from our ‘360 degree’ reviews to see how often primary care physicians (PCPs) and inpatient physicians agree about the major reasons for their patient’s readmission and interventions that might have prevented the readmission. Interestingly, we found that agreement regarding the contributing factors and applicable prevention strategies was very low for individual patients, but that physicians tended to see the same general problems facing their readmitted patients. These results highlight the importance of communication between inpatient and outpatient providers at the time of discharge for individual patients, and that multifaceted interventions may be more successful than those that rely on individual providers choosing specific services based on perceived risk factors.
Principal Investigator
Shoshana J. Herzig, MD, MPH
Background
The transition out of the hospital is a vulnerable time for patients, relying heavily on communication and coordination of resources across care settings. Understanding the perspectives of inpatient and outpatient physicians regarding factors contributing to readmission and potential preventive strategies is crucial in designing appropriately targeted readmission prevention efforts.
Objective
To examine and compare inpatient and outpatient physician opinions regarding reasons for readmission and interventions that might have prevented readmission.
