Heart Failure And Readmission Rates ✓ Solved
HEART FAILURE AND READMISSION RATES
As a future family nurse practitioner, adaptations must be made to effect change in healthcare. An advanced practice nurse complies with the AACN (American Association of Colleges of Nursing) research to promote public health through the discovery and propagation of knowledge. This study investigates the existence of heart failure, which afflicts approximately 5.7 million Americans, leading to significant healthcare costs and mortality. Congestive heart failure is one of the primary causes of hospital readmissions.
Unintended hospital admissions add extra costs to patients, with heart failure being a significant cause. Research indicates that heart failure patients who are readmitted often experience fragmentation of care, often failing to adhere to medication regimens upon discharge. Socioeconomic aspects, including ethnic background, race, and marital status, variably impact heart failure and rehospitalization. Although medical practitioners may contribute to readmissions through inadequate care, heart failure patients are particularly vulnerable to readmissions due to improper medication management. Proper measures must be implemented to address these issues.
Congestive heart failure occurs when the heart can't pump sufficient blood to meet the body's needs due to poor ventricular filling capacity. To gather information for this study, a search was conducted at the South University online library using the keywords "heart failure and readmission." The top reason for readmissions among Medicare recipients is heart failure.
Damiani et al. (2015) assert that cardiovascular diseases are leading in hospital readmissions and disability. The research involved hand searches and electronic databases, focusing on the most common causes, heart failure, and acute myocardial infarction (AMI). Socioeconomic factors were found to significantly impact heart failure patients' readmission, with 63.6% of short-term outcomes indicating that marital status, race, and ethnicity played crucial roles (Gupta et al., 2018).
This study targeted older adults aged 65 years and above. The costs of managing heart failure in hospitals have led to substantial expenditures nationally, with admitted patients in the United States accounting for approximately 6.5 million hospital days, totaling $37.2 billion in healthcare costs (Okunji et al., 2017). Consequently, the length of stay in hospitals correlates directly with healthcare costs. Factors contributing to prolonged hospital stays include care quality and the patient's treatment response.
Incompetent treatment or incorrect medication administration can lead to patient deterioration. Ruppar et al. (2016) found that patients experienced adverse outcomes from a lack of adherence to heart failure medications. Their research calculated readmission and mortality rates, demonstrating that medication adherence interventions positively impact patients, notably reducing mortality risks for heart failure patients and the chances of readmission.
The Hospital Readmissions Reduction Program (HRRP) is responsible for addressing rehospitalization issues associated with acute myocardial infarction, heart failure, and pneumonia. Established under the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act of 2010, the HRRP reports hospitals with high-risk readmission rates and penalizes those with uncontrolled readmissions (Gupta et al., 2018). Since 2012, heart failure readmissions have been a leading cause of HRRP penalties.
These financial penalties aim to prompt hospitals to improve quality of care and minimize readmissions. However, the 30-day readmission metric may inadvertently delay medical care for patients discharged within less than a month, potentially leading to negative patient outcomes. While this approach may suggest improved healthcare quality, it does not guarantee lower readmission rates; these may fluctuate due to hospitals' reluctance to readmit heart failure patients, redirecting them to other facilities for care.
In conclusion, patients with heart failure are at high risk of readmission after discharge. Factors such as race, ethnicity, and socioeconomic status contribute to readmission rates. Heart failure associates with high disability and mortality rates. Care transition programs and hospital-based quality initiatives can enhance coordination in this patient population. Furthermore, many readmissions stem from improper medication management post-discharge. Interventions to ensure heart failure patients adhere to medical guidelines are essential, as research indicates these measures significantly reduce readmission and mortality rates. As a family nurse practitioner, ensuring patient adherence to self-care programs is vital in preventing unnecessary costs associated with rehospitalization.
Paper For Above Instructions
Implementing effective strategies for technology development in healthcare is paramount, particularly where spontaneous creativity often leads to unexpected innovations. The candidacy for advanced practice nursing must embrace methodologies that integrate evidence-based practices, thus enhancing patient outcomes in chronic conditions like heart failure.
To adapt to evolving healthcare landscapes, explicit strategies must be coordinated to align technological advancements with patient care needs. A proactive approach ensures that innovations such as telemedicine, remote monitoring devices, and digital therapeutics are systematically incorporated into healthcare models. These technologies not only streamline patient information sharing but also facilitate timely interventions, which are critical in managing chronic diseases like heart failure.
Moreover, healthcare organizations should foster partnerships with technology developers to leverage advancements that can lead to improved patient outcomes. This collaboration can enhance the availability and effectiveness of interventions aimed at reducing hospital readmissions in heart failure patients.
A thoughtful question arises regarding the potential consequences of neglecting explicit technological development strategies in healthcare. Without a structured approach, innovations may not adequately address the specific needs of patients experiencing heart failure, thereby perpetuating high readmission rates and healthcare costs. Thus, organizations must prioritize strategic frameworks that encompass the integration of new technologies into clinical practice.
In answering a peer's inquiry about medication adherence, it is critical to emphasize that effective management of heart failure significantly hinges on patients' adherence to treatment plans. Studies underscore that improved medication adherence is closely linked to reduced hospital readmissions and mortality rates. Family nurse practitioners must delve into understanding patients’ barriers to adherence, such as economic hardship, lack of social support, and health literacy. Addressing these barriers can enhance treatment compliance, ultimately improving health outcomes.
Research indicates multifaceted interventions are effective in promoting adherence, including education, counseling, and use of technology such as reminder apps or monitoring devices. These tools enable ongoing assessment of patients' medication-taking behavior, thus allowing for tailored support.
In closing, while spontaneous technological creativity is valuable, explicit strategies for technology development are essential in addressing the complexities of healthcare delivery, particularly in managing chronic conditions like heart failure. Integrating evidence-based practices with innovative technological solutions will foster a comprehensive care framework, leading to improved patient outcomes.
References
- Damiani, G., Salvatori, E., Silvestrini, G., Ivanova, I., Bojovic, L., Iodice, L., & Ricciardi, W. (2015). Influence of socioeconomic factors on hospital readmissions for heart failure and acute myocardial infarction in patients 65 years and older: Evidence from a systematic review. Clinical Interventions in Aging, 10, 237.
- Gupta, A., Allen, L. A., Bhatt, D. L., Cox, M., DeVore, A. D., Heidenreich, P. A., ... & Fonarow, G. C. (2018). Association of the hospital readmissions reduction program implementation with readmission and mortality outcomes in heart failure. JAMA Cardiology, 3(1), 44-53.
- Okunji, P., JS, N., NM, E., SG, K., TV, F., & TO, O. (2017). Descriptive characteristics of patients hospitalized with congestive heart failure: A brief summary. International Journal of Nursing & Clinical Practices, 4(1). DOI: 10.15344//2017/249
- Ruppar, T. M., Cooper, P. S., Mehr, D. R., Delgado, J. M., & Dunbar-Jacob, J. M. (2016). Medication adherence interventions improve heart failure mortality and readmission rates: Systematic review and meta-analysis of controlled trials. Journal of the American Heart Association, 5(6), e002606.