Study: QI measures reduce readmissions, cost savings vary

Editor's Note

Quality improvement (QI) measures can be effective in reducing readmissions, relative to the status quo, but cost savings vary, this meta-analysis finds.

In this review of 50 QI studies, interventions reduced readmissions by an average of 12.1% for heart failure patients and 6.3% among the general population. However, costs varied from a net savings of $972 per heart failure patient to net losses of $169 per person among the general population. Overall, net losses occurred in 20% of studies.

In the general population, interventions that engaged patients and caregivers were linked to greater savings.

The findings suggest there is no guarantee of cost savings once implementation costs for QI measures to prevent readmissions are considered, the researchers note.