RT Journal
A1 Katz MH
T1 MAintaining planned readmissions
JF Archives of Internal Medicine
JO Archives of Internal Medicine
YR 2012
FD February 13
VO 172
IS 3
SP 270
OP 270
DO 10.1001/archinternmed.2011.607
UL http://dx.doi.org/10.1001/archinternmed.2011.607
AB 
Paying more for favorable outcomes and less for avoidable complications is a promising approach for improving the American health care system. In this regard, avoidable hospital readmissions have received a lot of attention. Several studies have shown that good care coordination between the inpatient and outpatient settings can reduce avoidable readmissions. However, as explained by Berkowitz and Anderson, there are problems with this indicator; in particular, some readmissions are planned (eg, staged procedures, chemotherapy cycles). We thought their suggestion that hospitals be allowed to prespecify patients who would be needed to be readmitted (along with reason and date) was a practical solution.