RT Journal
A1 Sharma G, Kuo Y
T1 Relapse after hospital admission for copd: Are routine outpatient follow-up visits the way to go?—reply
JF Archives of Internal Medicine
JO Archives of Internal Medicine
YR 2011
FD April 25
VO 171
IS 8
SP 782
OP 790
DO 10.1001/archinternmed.2011.146
UL http://dx.doi.org/10.1001/archinternmed.2011.146
AB 
We thank Schermer and colleagues for their interest in our article.1 In a recent study of fee-for-service Medicare beneficiaries, half of the patients who were rehospitalized within 30 days did not have a physician visit between the time of discharge and rehospitalization, suggesting that one of the reasons patients ended up back in the hospital was lack of needed follow-up care.2 Addressing preventable hospital readmissions has been a top priority for health care stakeholders, policy experts, and lawmakers.3 Moreover, the recently enacted Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act of 20104 requires Medicare to establish a hospital readmissions reduction program beginning in 2013.