Preventing Hospital Readmissions Among Medicaid Patients

Timely outpatient-clinic follow-up is associated with fewer readmissions among some high-risk populations (e.g., patients with congestive heart failure or chronic obstructive pulmonary disease; NEJM JW Hosp Med Jun 2010 and JAMA 2010; 303:1716); trials of rapid postdischarge follow-up in broader populations have yielded mixed results. In an insurer-funded study, investigators assigned >1500 adult Medicaid patients hospitalized from 2014 to 2016 in Camden, New Jersey — where more than half of residents receive Medicaid support — to an intervention designed to promote 7-day discharge follow-up. The intervention included patient education, transportation to appointments, and financial incentives for primary care physicians (PCPs) and patients.…