Preventable hospitalizations in California cost more than $3.5 billion in 2008, despite a 6.8 percent decline from 1999-2008, according to the report by California’s Office of Statewide Health Planning and Development.
Preventable hospitalizations, or those that could have been avoided had patients received proper outpatient care earlier, dropped for the following conditions from 1999-2008: chest pain (60.4 percent), pediatric gastroenteritis (45.4 percent), chronic bronchitis or emphysema (40.9 percent), pediatric asthma (38.8 percent), dehydration (35.4 percent) and five others.
The following three conditions saw an increase in preventable readmissions the same time span: hypertension (36.3 percent), urinary tract infections (9.6 percent) and long-term complications from diabetes (8 percent).
The report says a 3 percent reduction in preventable readmissions each year for the next 10 years could save more than a billion dollars.
Read the Office of Statewide Health Planning and Development report on California’s preventable readmissions.
Read more about California hospitals:
- Nurses at Three HCA Hospitals in California Plan 5-Day Strike
- 4 California Physician Groups Partner With MemorialCare
- California's Salinas Valley Memorial Announces Layoff of 120 Workers
Preventable hospitalizations, or those that could have been avoided had patients received proper outpatient care earlier, dropped for the following conditions from 1999-2008: chest pain (60.4 percent), pediatric gastroenteritis (45.4 percent), chronic bronchitis or emphysema (40.9 percent), pediatric asthma (38.8 percent), dehydration (35.4 percent) and five others.
The following three conditions saw an increase in preventable readmissions the same time span: hypertension (36.3 percent), urinary tract infections (9.6 percent) and long-term complications from diabetes (8 percent).
The report says a 3 percent reduction in preventable readmissions each year for the next 10 years could save more than a billion dollars.
Read the Office of Statewide Health Planning and Development report on California’s preventable readmissions.
Read more about California hospitals:
- Nurses at Three HCA Hospitals in California Plan 5-Day Strike
- 4 California Physician Groups Partner With MemorialCare
- California's Salinas Valley Memorial Announces Layoff of 120 Workers