***Comment this***
Readmission is such a huge problem. I have had many conversations with co-workers on this subject, especially when I was in home health. Most of us know the phrase of pts being discharged “sicker and quicker.” This has been happening more and more as insurance companies clamp down harder and harder on payment (I’ll stay off that soap box). Anyway, my opinion is this alone is the primary reason for readmissions. If pts were in longer to be stabilized and rehabilitated effectively as well as having the time to actually received and process the necessary teaching (both they and their family) it would cut down on readmissions.
True, there will always be many who are frequent fliers simply because they do not comply with any self-care they are taught, much less seek new information to incorporate into their practice. But a longer length of stay coupled with higher insurance reimbursements to incentivise hospitals and home health agencies to keep them longer would go a long way.