Admission Health Status Should Be Accounted For in New Payment, Incentive Models

Researchers found patients with poor health statuses upon admission are at higher risk of experiencing all types of adverse events, calling to question possible adjustments to payment methods and adverse event reporting, according to a study published in the American Journal of Medical Quality.

For their study, researchers from the Mayo Clinic, Tulane University, North Carolina State University and University of South Florida analyzed more than 60,000 discharges from the Mayo Clinic in 2005. They sought to find possible links between admission health status and adverse events, costs and length of stay.

The researchers found illness severity upon admission increased the risk of all types of adverse events, higher healthcare costs and length of stay. As payment methods increasingly rely on quality and efficiency metrics, the researchers suggested adjusting adverse event reporting and reimbursement incentives to account for patients’ admission health statuses.

Admission Health Status Should Be Accounted For in New Payment, Incentive Models

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