By using this site, you agree to the Privacy Policy and Terms of Use.
Accept
Health Works CollectiveHealth Works CollectiveHealth Works Collective
  • Health
    • Mental Health
    Health
    Healthcare organizations are operating on slimmer profit margins than ever. One report in August showed that they are even lower than the beginning of the…
    Show More
    Top News
    physical health
    5 Ways Playing Games Can Improve Neural and Physical Health
    September 9, 2022
    Reasons For Hair Loss and Its Treatment
    Reasons For Hair Loss and Its Treatment
    February 16, 2022
    healthcare organization
    5 Actionable Strategies For Healthcare Organizations
    August 15, 2022
    Latest News
    Beyond Nutrition: Everyday Foods That Support Whole-Body Health
    June 15, 2025
    The Wide-Ranging Benefits of Magnesium Supplements
    June 11, 2025
    The Best Home Remedies for Migraines
    June 5, 2025
    The Hidden Impact Of Stress On Your Body’s Alignment And Balance
    May 22, 2025
  • Policy and Law
    • Global Healthcare
    • Medical Ethics
    Policy and Law
    Get the latest updates about Insurance policies and Laws in the Healthcare industry for different geographical locations.
    Show More
    Top News
    Neeraj Arora, PhD
    Patient-Centered Research at the National Cancer Institute
    April 29, 2014
    Telemedicine: CY 2015 MPFS Reportage and Dangers of the Echo Chamber
    November 17, 2014
    Information-Based Careers for Lab Scientists
    November 25, 2015
    Latest News
    When Healthcare Ends, the Legal Process Begins: What Families Should Know About Probate and Medical Estates
    June 18, 2025
    Preventing Contamination In Healthcare Facilities Starts With Hygiene
    June 15, 2025
    Strengthening Healthcare Systems Through Clinical and Administrative Career Development
    June 13, 2025
    Building Smarter Care Teams: Aligning Roles, Structure, and Clinical Expertise
    May 18, 2025
  • Medical Innovations
  • News
  • Wellness
  • Tech
Search
© 2023 HealthWorks Collective. All Rights Reserved.
Reading: Communication and Engagement Helped Minn. Hospitals Cut Avoidable Readmissions
Share
Notification Show More
Font ResizerAa
Health Works CollectiveHealth Works Collective
Font ResizerAa
Search
Follow US
  • About
  • Contact
  • Privacy
© 2023 HealthWorks Collective. All Rights Reserved.
Health Works Collective > Business > Hospital Administration > Communication and Engagement Helped Minn. Hospitals Cut Avoidable Readmissions
Hospital AdministrationPolicy & LawPublic Health

Communication and Engagement Helped Minn. Hospitals Cut Avoidable Readmissions

Deanna Pogorelc
Last updated: May 31, 2013 8:11 am
Deanna Pogorelc
Share
4 Min Read
SHARE

Hospital readmission

Originally published on MedCityNews.com.

Several dozen Minnesota hospitals and healthcare providers have focused efforts in five distinct areas to drive down avoidable readmissions by 20 percent over the past two years.

Hospital readmission

More Read

Egghead_300-451
“Don’t Be an Egg-Head” and Other Social Media Lessons [PODCAST]
UnitedHealth Group’s JOIN for ME Engages the Entire Family through Workplace Wellness
Professions of Interest in the Medical Field
Accountable Care and HealthIT Strategies Summit 2015: Still early days
$6,500 for Narcotics

Originally published on MedCityNews.com.

Several dozen Minnesota hospitals and healthcare providers have focused efforts in five distinct areas to drive down avoidable readmissions by 20 percent over the past two years.

In Minnesota, nearly one in five Medicare patients is readmitted to a hospital within 30 days. The goal of the Reducing Avoidable Readmissions Effectively (RARE) Campaign was for hospitals to cut avoidable readmissions by 20 percent from their 2009 baseline. According to an announcement today, the campaign has exceeded its goal.

Spearheaded by the Institute for Clinical Systems Improvements, the Minnesota Hospital Association and Stratis Health, the RARE campaign has reported avoiding more than 4,500 preventable hospital readmissions in 2011 and 2012.  The campaign has been extended through 2013 with a focus on further engaging community partners beyond hospital walls to prevent an additional 2,000 avoidable readmissions this year.

These are the five key areas the campaign targeted:

Comprehensive discharge planning, or ensuring that the patient’s and the family’s input is considered in a comprehensive discharge plan. One approach taken by St. Luke’s Hospital in Duluth was use of a discharge advocate. In a pilot program, the advocate visited congestive heart failure patients at high risk for readmissions, who were receiving information and instructions from too many different sources. The discharge advocate streamlined that process and began the process of discharge education within the first 24 hours that the patient was admitted to the hospital.

Medication management, or making sure patients understand why they’re taking medication and that they are taking them in the correct manner at the correct time.

Transition care support, or coordinating care between different caregivers. Park Nicollet Methodist Hospital, for example, established a standardized process for making follow-up phone calls to patients 24 to 48 hours after they were discharged to answer questions, review medications and discuss the importance of attending scheduled follow-up appointments. The standardization process included developing evidence-based call questions, training staff to facilitate the calls and identifying patients who would require a follow-up call.

Patient and family engagement, or putting processes that emphasize the status of family caregivers as essential members of the team, and preparing them to help manage care at home.

Transition communications, or boostingcommunication between the sending and receiving caregivers. St. Gertrude’s Health and Rehabilitation Center is one of the facilities that uses a set of tools called INTERACT to improve early identification, assessment, documentation and communication about residents’ health statuses. For example, they would fill out a standardized form after noting a change in a resident’s condition that warranted follow up by an on-call physician or nurse practitioner.

RARE facilitates collaboration between the 83 participating hospitals and 93 community partners through monthly newsletters and recorded webinars. It also provides toolkits and other resources for participants.

TAGGED:hospital readmissions
Share This Article
Facebook Copy Link Print
Share

Stay Connected

1.5kFollowersLike
4.5kFollowersFollow
2.8kFollowersPin
136kSubscribersSubscribe

Latest News

scientist using microscope
When Healthcare Ends, the Legal Process Begins: What Families Should Know About Probate and Medical Estates
Global Healthcare
June 18, 2025
How Therapy Can Improve Your Mental Health and Daily Life
How Therapy Can Improve Your Mental Health and Daily Life
Mental Health
June 18, 2025
healthcare facilities
Preventing Contamination In Healthcare Facilities Starts With Hygiene
Global Healthcare Infographics
June 15, 2025
from gut to glow
From Plate to Wellness: How Everyday Foods Nourish Your Body Inside and Out
Dental health Infographics Specialties
June 15, 2025

You Might also Like

employer insurance
BusinessHealth ReformPolicy & LawPublic Health

One More Way ObamaCare May Lead to Single Payer

May 12, 2014

Abstinence-only education has failed; let’s embrace what works instead

September 14, 2015
health policy sequestration
BusinessFinanceHealth ReformHospital AdministrationNewsPolicy & LawPublic Health

Sequestration and Healthcare: What Organizations are Affected? (Part 1)

March 15, 2013

Docs Embrace Online Continuing Medical Education (CME)

April 24, 2012
Subscribe
Subscribe to our newsletter to get our newest articles instantly!
Follow US
© 2008-2025 HealthWorks Collective. All Rights Reserved.
  • About
  • Contact
  • Privacy
Welcome Back!

Sign in to your account

Username or Email Address
Password

Lost your password?