Readmission Reduction Strategies For Patients Discharged To Skilled Nursing Facilities A Case Study From 2 Hospital Systems In 1 City

Background:Some hospitals seek integration with skilled nursing facilities (SNFs) to reduce readmissions while others focus more on patients discharged home.Purpose:Our objective was to understand different approaches for readmission reduction for patients discharged to SNFs based on contrasting strategies from 2 competing hospital systems.Methods:Employing a case study methodology, we compared 1 hospital system that integrated with SNFs to a competing system that did not. We compared interview data from clinical and administrative staff and publicly reported rehospitalization rate changes from the 2 systems.Results:Analysis of integrating hospital system interviews noted providing patients detailed discharge information and educating SNF staff regarding care protocols. Integrated hospital system all-cause readmission rates declined by nearly 1 percentage point more than the nonintegrated hospital system (coefficient, -0.008; 95% confidence interval, -0.003 to -0.012) between 2014 and 2017.Conclusion:As hospitals explore care transition improvements to SNFs, developing more embedded relationships highlights one approach to improve value.