Mortality and readmissions decline at Pennsylvania hospitals

Hospitals in Pennsylvania have seen a decline in the mortality and readmission rates for numerous illnesses and infections since 2008, according to a recent Pennsylvania Health Care Cost Containment Council report.

Among 16 illnesses for which mortality rates were reported in the 2013 Hospital Performance Report, the following eight conditions saw the most drastic declines between 2008 and 2013.

  • Septicemia — mortality rate decreased from 18.8 percent to 12.2 percent
  • Pneumonia (aspiration) — 10 percent to 7 percent
  • Heart attack (medical management) — 10.2 percent to 8.1 percent
  • Kidney failure (acute) — 5.1 percent to 3.4 percent
  • Stroke — 5.1 percent to 3.7 percent
  • Colorectal procedures — 3 percent to 2 percent
  • Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease — 1 percent to 0.6 percent
  • Kidney and urinary tract infections — 0.8 percent to 0.5 percent

Among 13 conditions for which readmission rates were reported on, the following eight saw the most drastic declines between 2008 and 2013.

  • Congestive heart failure — readmission rate decreased from 27.2 percent to 23.5 percent
  • Pneumonia (aspiration) — 25 percent to 21.5 percent
  • Kidney failure (acute) — 24 percent to 21.4 percent
  • Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease — 22.8 percent to 20.8 percent
  • Kidney and urinary tract infections — 17.6 percent to 15.9 percent
  • Pneumonia (infectious) — 17 percent to 16.1 percent
  • Stroke — 14.7 percent to 13.9 percent
  • Abnormal heartbeat — 15 percent to 14.5 percent

Only one condition — chest pain — saw a considerable increase in readmissions from 11.6 percent to 13.5 percent, according to the report.

Executive Director of PHC4 Joe Martin attributed the decline in readmissions to improved quality of care and hospitals working to help lower overall health care costs.

 

 

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