Introduction: Background on Hospital Readmissions

During the introduction to this one-on-one interview series, Arthur Garson, Jr, MD, MPH, director of the Center for Health Policy at the University of Virginia, discusses rates of hospital readmissions following transitions between healthcare settings and highlights a Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) program designed to reduce the number of readmissions.

Dr Garson, Jr, reviews the number of unnecessary hospital readmissions within 30 days of discharge and notes that nearly 20% of Medicare patients are readmitted.

However, he explains that the number of readmissions has recently decreased due to penalties implemented by a CMS program.

Dr Garson, Jr, emphasizes the importance of implementing programs that target readmissions such as the program designed by the CMS, and suggests that this program represents a step in the right direction toward reducing or preventing unnecessary hospital readmissions.