Everyone (including the Michigan Center for Nursing) is discussing the impact of achieving the “Triple Aim” of improved care, at a reduced cost, that produces better population health.
Reducing the number of preventable hospital re-admissions – those within 30 days of discharge – is essential to improving health outcomes at lower costs.
A recent Robert Wood Johnson research brief studied the relationship between the quality of nursing practices patients received at discharge with how likely those patients were to be re-hospitalized within 30 days.
Some these factors include the unit-level staffing, the quality of discharge patient education, and patient readiness for discharge planning. After analyzing these factors, the researchers “discovered” what many nurses already know:
Higher levels of non-overtime staffing were associated with a reduced risk of re-hospitalization
More nurses working more overtime were associated with an increased likelihood of an emergency room visit
Investments in increased staffing levels could produce greater savings by lowering the re-admission rate
What do you think?
Comentários