I was reading through several discussion groups on Linked In the other evening, and came across a posting leading to an article by The Commonwealth Fund that reports on the results of a new national study –
Contemporary Evidence About Hospital Strategies for Reducing 30-Day Readmissions –
about strategies used by hospitals in reducing avoidable readmissions for CHF and AMI.

In reading the report, I was struck by the fact that the recommended strategies to reduce readmissions do not include the use of home health care or private duty home care.  Yet we know from our research that the two most common causes of readmission are medication compliance and follow up visits with a primary care physician.  Home Health and Private Duty are in excellent positions to make sure patients take their meds and see their doctors.

That suggests that our industry has a lot of work to do to reach the executives of hospitals and health systems who are looking for solutions to the readmission problem. 

What are you finding in your local marketplace regarding hospital leaders and their awareness of home health care and private duty home care as part of the solution to the readmission problem?

What have you tried that has worked in communicating with them?

What results have you seen in reducing readmissions?