OM: MH Conditions Among Top 10 Causes Of Hospital Readmissions

Mental Health Conditions Among Top 10 Causes Of Hospital Readmissions

Open Minds August 6, 2012

Mental health conditions were among the 10 conditions with the highest 30-day readmission rates in a study conducted by Premier Healthcare Alliance, a performance improvement alliance of more than 2,600 U.S. hospitals. Mental health disorders had a 4% readmission rate between July 2010 and June 2011, with each psychiatric readmission costing $7,494. Disease of the circulatory system topped the list of causes of readmission, with a 17% readmission rate. The study did not break out readmission rates by payer.

The findings were released in “The Cost of Healthcare – Does More Care = Better Care?” by Premier Healthcare Alliance. The researchers analyzed patient discharge data from July 2009 through June 2011 for a sample of 444 Premier member hospitals. The analysis sought to identify the cost of readmissions and opportunities for resource optimization to reduce inefficiencies in patient care. Regarding readmissions, the researchers said there has been relatively little change in 30-day readmission rates between 2006 and 2011, regardless of the cause of the initial hospitalization. The researchers noted that the readmission rate is increasingly identified as the indicator of a local health system’s ability to support coordinated care between inpatient and community-based providers.

The analysis sought to identify the cost of readmissions and opportunities for resource optimization to reduce inefficiencies in patient care. Regarding readmissions, the researchers said there has been relatively little change in 30-day readmission rates between 2006 and 2011, regardless of the cause of the initial hospitalization. The researchers noted that the readmission rate is increasingly identified as the indicator of a local health system’s ability to support coordinated care between inpatient and community-based providers. One aspect of the analysis focused on the major diagnostic categories and diagnosis related groups accounting for the highest percentage of readmissions at the 444 hospitals. The researchers calculated the overall readmission rate and the financial impact, as well as the rates for 25 diagnostic categories.

For each diagnostic category, the analysis presented the number of readmissions, the readmission rate for that diagnostic category, and the average cost per readmission. The researchers also calculated the cost of readmissions compared to total costs for each diagnostic category. Findings about the aggregate impact of readmissions were as follows:

Between July 2009 and June 2010, the aggregate quarterly cost of readmitted discharges has increased from $1.99 billion to $2.16 billion. Over the same period, the average cost per case for each discharge during the quarter increased from $12,000 to $13,200.
People who were later readmitted had longer initial stays than those who were not readmitted. The initial length of stay averaged 6.1 days for people who were later readmitted and averaged 4.2 days for those who were not readmitted.
Between July 2010 and June 2011, the 444 hospitals had 5.8 million discharges with a total cost of $55.4 billion. Readmissions, at more than $2.15 billion per quarter, had a total cost exceeding $8.7 billion for the 12 months. The $8.7 billion cost of readmissions represented about 15.7% of the total $55.4 billion in total costs for the 12-month period.

10 Major Diagnostic Categories With Highest Percentage Of 30-Day Readmissions From July 2010 To June 2011 At 444 Premier Member Hospitals, Compared To Readmissions For Mental Health Disorders

Diagnostic Category	% Readmissions To All Cases	# of Cases Readmitted	Average Cost Per Readmission	Cost of Readmissions as % of Total Cost
Circulatory System	17%	115,580	$15,517	21%
Respiratory System	12%	80,936	$12,146	11%
Digestive System	11%	70,381	$12,721	10%
Musculoskeletal System and Connective Tissue	9%	59,668	$17,730	12%
Nervous System	8%	49,863	$13,699	8%
Kidneys and Urinary Tract	6%	41,284	$11,378	5%
Infectious and Parasitic Diseases and Disorders	5%	32,433	$19,773	7%
Hepatobiliary System and Pancreas	4%	25,159	$13,429	4%
Endocrine, Nutritional, and Metabolic System	4%	25,946	$8,829	3%
Pregnancy and Childbirth	4%	26,790	$5,573	2%
Mental Diseases and Disorders	4%	25,794	$7,494	2%

The analysis also included readmission rates for another 14 diagnostic categories; however, for those categories the readmission rates were 3% or less. This group included alcohol/drug use or induced mental disorders; the readmission rate was 2%, representing 10,000 readmissions. The average cost per readmission was $4,857, which represented 1% of the total cost of admissions in this category.

The full text of “The Cost of Healthcare – Does More Care = Better Care?” was published in April 2012. A free copy is available online at www.premierinc.com/about/news/12-apr/the-cost-of-healthcare-spring2012.pdf (accessed July 31, 2012).

For more information, contact: Alven Weil, Director, Public Relations and Communications, Premier, Inc., 13034 Ballantyne Corporate Place, Charlotte, North Carolina 28277; 704-816-5797; E-mail: alven_weil@premierinc.com; Web site: www.premierinc.com; or Premier Solution Center, Premier, Inc., 13034 Ballantyne Corporate Place, Charlotte, North Carolina 28277; 877-777-1552; E-mail: solutioncenter@premierinc.com; Web site: www.premierinc.com.

Mental Health Conditions Among Top 10 Causes Of Hospital Readmissions. (2012, August 6). OPEN MINDS Weekly News Wire.

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