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The Hospital Readmissions Reduction Program: Nationwide Perspectives and Recommendations: A JACC: Heart Failure Position Paper.

Publication ,  Journal Article
Psotka, MA; Fonarow, GC; Allen, LA; Joynt Maddox, KE; Fiuzat, M; Heidenreich, P; Hernandez, AF; Konstam, MA; Yancy, CW; O'Connor, CM
Published in: JACC Heart Fail
January 2020

The mandatory federal pay-for-performance Hospital Readmissions Reduction Program (HRRP) was created to decrease 30-day hospital readmissions by instituting accountability and stimulating quality care and coordination, particularly during care transitions. The HRRP has changed the landscape of hospital readmissions and reimbursement within the United States by imposing substantial Medicare payment penalties on hospitals with higher-than-expected readmission rates. However, the HRRP has been controversial since its inception, particularly in the field of heart failure. Proponents argue that it has reduced national readmission rates, in part by raising awareness and investment in mechanisms to better assist patients during discharge and transitions; opponents contend that it unfairly penalizes hospitals for issues beyond their control, has unintended negative consequences due to incentivizing readmission over survival, that it encourages "gaming" the system, was not tested before implementation, and that it does not specify how hospitals can improve their performance. This paper incorporates the diverse, nuanced, and sometimes divergent interpretations presented during a multifaceted expert clinician discussion regarding the HRRP and heart failure; in cases in which consensus opinions were achieved, they are presented, including regarding potential new iterations of the HRRP for the future. Potential improvements include more comprehensive incorporation of outcomes into the HRRP measure and better risk adjustment to improve equality and fairness.

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Published In

JACC Heart Fail

DOI

EISSN

2213-1787

Publication Date

January 2020

Volume

8

Issue

1

Start / End Page

1 / 11

Location

United States

Related Subject Headings

  • Societies, Medical
  • Quality of Health Care
  • Patient Readmission
  • Patient Discharge
  • Humans
  • Hospitals
  • Heart Failure
  • Cardiology
  • 3201 Cardiovascular medicine and haematology
  • 1102 Cardiorespiratory Medicine and Haematology
 

Citation

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Psotka, M. A., Fonarow, G. C., Allen, L. A., Joynt Maddox, K. E., Fiuzat, M., Heidenreich, P., … O’Connor, C. M. (2020). The Hospital Readmissions Reduction Program: Nationwide Perspectives and Recommendations: A JACC: Heart Failure Position Paper. JACC Heart Fail, 8(1), 1–11. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jchf.2019.07.012
Psotka, Mitchell A., Gregg C. Fonarow, Larry A. Allen, Karen E. Joynt Maddox, Mona Fiuzat, Paul Heidenreich, Adrian F. Hernandez, Marvin A. Konstam, Clyde W. Yancy, and Christopher M. O’Connor. “The Hospital Readmissions Reduction Program: Nationwide Perspectives and Recommendations: A JACC: Heart Failure Position Paper.JACC Heart Fail 8, no. 1 (January 2020): 1–11. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jchf.2019.07.012.
Psotka MA, Fonarow GC, Allen LA, Joynt Maddox KE, Fiuzat M, Heidenreich P, et al. The Hospital Readmissions Reduction Program: Nationwide Perspectives and Recommendations: A JACC: Heart Failure Position Paper. JACC Heart Fail. 2020 Jan;8(1):1–11.
Psotka, Mitchell A., et al. “The Hospital Readmissions Reduction Program: Nationwide Perspectives and Recommendations: A JACC: Heart Failure Position Paper.JACC Heart Fail, vol. 8, no. 1, Jan. 2020, pp. 1–11. Pubmed, doi:10.1016/j.jchf.2019.07.012.
Psotka MA, Fonarow GC, Allen LA, Joynt Maddox KE, Fiuzat M, Heidenreich P, Hernandez AF, Konstam MA, Yancy CW, O’Connor CM. The Hospital Readmissions Reduction Program: Nationwide Perspectives and Recommendations: A JACC: Heart Failure Position Paper. JACC Heart Fail. 2020 Jan;8(1):1–11.
Journal cover image

Published In

JACC Heart Fail

DOI

EISSN

2213-1787

Publication Date

January 2020

Volume

8

Issue

1

Start / End Page

1 / 11

Location

United States

Related Subject Headings

  • Societies, Medical
  • Quality of Health Care
  • Patient Readmission
  • Patient Discharge
  • Humans
  • Hospitals
  • Heart Failure
  • Cardiology
  • 3201 Cardiovascular medicine and haematology
  • 1102 Cardiorespiratory Medicine and Haematology