Foundation releases white paper on North Texas readmission trends

The DFW Hospital Council (DFWHC) Foundation released the new white paper “Readmissions in North Texas: A Comprehensive Overview of Statistics, Demographics and Charges to Identify Disparities 2013-2015” this week detailing hospital readmission trends in the region. Published by Dr. Sushma Sharma, the director of public and population health research in the DFWHC Foundation, the report is a comprehensive overview of statistics and charges which illuminate the disparities of 30-day readmissions occurring over a three-year period in the Dallas-Fort Worth region.

Key findings include:

1. Charges for 30-day Readmissions increased from $4,352,747,692 in 2013 to $4,763,558,429 in 2015;
2. Number of 30-day Readmission rates decreased from 14.72 percent in 2013 to 14.40 percent in 2015;
3. For 2015, the top-10 conditions for readmissions were: heart disease, bacterial infection, surgical complications, urinary system disease, fractures, pregnancy complications, cerebrovascular disease, respiratory infections, gastrointestinal disorders and diabetes mellitus;
4. Medicare had the highest 30-day readmission rate than all the other payers;
5. Patients discharged to home had an 18.54 percent higher 30-day readmission rate compared to patients discharged to other care facilities.

The report also highlights the disparities associated with readmissions with regards to age, gender, race, ethnicity and socio-economic status.

For information, please contact Dr. Sharma at ssharma@dfwhcfoundation.org.