A team of researchers from children’s hospitals across the U.S. conducted a study of 43 free-standing children’s hospitals within the Pediatric Health Information System database. They analyzed 179,400 hospital discharges during the 2013 calendar year that met criteria for 3M Health Information Systems’ potentially preventable readmissions measure.
Ultimately, the study suggests hospitals serving children who are poor, ethnic or racial minorities or publicly insured may be disproportionately penalized for readmissions.
Of the pediatric patients discharged from the hospital in 2013 and included in the study, 39.2 percent were nonwhite, 17.9 percent were Hispanic and 58.7 percent were publicly insured. The median household income for the patient’s home zip code was $40,674. When the researchers adjusted for social determinants of health, the penalty stats changed for three hospitals in the 15-day timeframe and for five hospitals in the 30-day timeframe.
“Without adjusting [pay-for-performance] measures for [social determinants of health], hospitals may receive penalties partially related to patient [social determinants of health] factors beyond the quality of hospital care,” the study concluded.
More articles on social determinants of health:
CDC report features programs that reduce health disparities in the US
Feds to examine link between social services, healthcare costs: 3 things to know
CMS releases guide on reducing readmissions in disadvantaged populations: 7 strategies to know
