Readmission Analysis across the Region

Several years ago the Dallas Fort Worth Hospital Council Foundation (DFWHC Foundation) started using an Enterprise Master Patient Index (EMPI) system to connect patient visits across the region’s major hospital systems. This allowed hospitals to better understand readmissions and patterns in the region.

Through extensive work with regional data users, the DFWHC Foundation has created analysis tools to help members better understand readmissions related to the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services readmission conditions (heart attack, heart failure and pneumonia). Participants could also view readmissions from home (with and without home health) and how hospital results compared to the region.

The DFWHC Foundation has also provided a detailed view into patients visiting emergency departments (ED) at hospitals across the region on a regular basis. These patients may have challenges in receiving proper care due to socio-economic factors. They could also have mental health problems or simply be trying to access prescription drugs. This view into serial ED visits could yield valuable insights as hospitals begin to better understand details surrounding one of the most costly services provided to the public.

Finally, this data gives hospitals the ability to view their work and see the long-term outcome from procedures while examining transitions of care. This could assist hospitals in understanding why a patient returned to an ED. Was it due to procedure complications or did the procedure have to be repeated at another facility years down the road due to avoidable complications? For more information, please contact Greg Shelton at gshelton@dfwhcfoundation.org.