Author: Meredith    Roderka

Major: Biology

Graduation Year: 2018

Thesis Advisor: Heidi Larson & Claire Sullivan

Description of Publication: Hospital readmission rates are costly; nearly 1 in 5 hospital patients covered by Medicare are readmitted to the hospital within 30 days of discharge, accounting for $15 billion a year in health care spending (Jencks et al., 2009). The emergency department (ED) is the biggest cost driver for hospital readmissions. The research conducted implemented new protocols with an ED-based research study team that came in at the time of the patient discharge and assist with the transition of care for the patient, scheduling next day follow-ups with their Primary Care Provider. Analysis of this data will include readmission rates for patients demographic variables, comparison of patients with scheduled follow-up versus no follow-up, and barriers to follow up care. The goal of this thesis is to evaluate hospital readmissions and identify potential interventions to reduce them.

Location of Publication:

URL to Thesis: https://digitalcommons.library.umaine.edu/honors/359