WEDNESDAY, Oct. 3, 2018 (HealthDay News) — Among Medicare patients with six major diseases, readmission rates are higher for those receiving care in proprietary hospitals compared with government or nonprofit hospitals, according to a study published online Sept. 18 in PLOS ONE.
Manish Mittal, Ph.D., from the University of Illinois at Chicago, and colleagues examined readmission data of patients for six major diseases — acute myocardial infarction, heart failure, coronary artery bypass graft surgery, pneumonia, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, and total hip and/or knee arthroplasty — for 2012 to 2015 in the context of hospital ownership structure.
The researchers found that readmission rates of patients were statistically significantly higher in proprietary (for-profit) hospitals versus government and nonprofit hospitals. Across all six major diseases, this finding was independent of geographic distribution.
“This study shows an important national trend to which policymakers, health care providers, researchers, and patients should pay attention, especially in light of a changing health care landscape marked by discussions on reimbursement rates and network consolidations, which are occurring across all types of hospitals,” a coauthor said in a statement.
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