Study Outcomes - Study 5

Post Cardiac Surgery
N = 802

38%

Reduction in readmissions for infection

350-bed hospital, near suburb of Baltimore, MD

Control group = 430

3.02%

readmission for infection

52

readmissions per year

SelfCareKit^TM group = 372

1.88%

readmission for infection

32

readmissions per year

Control Group is one quarter of retrospective data, 2001. SelfCareKit^TM Group is same quarter, 2002 Selection criteria: patients discharged to home or home care. Data collected from medical records.

HIGHLIGHTS: Often hospitals think a readmission rate of less than 10% as "low," but in fact returning patients represent a significant population even when recidivism is in single digit percentages.

The hospital conducting this demonstration calculates its loss from a single unreimbursed readmission within 31 days post discharge at an average of $30,000 - all overhead and services included. Annual savings from SelfCareKit^TM = 52-32 = 20 x $30,000 = $600,000 - $25,728 (total cost of distributing SelfCareKit^TM to all 1600 patients) = $574,272 Net Savings. (Productivity gains and value of patient satisfaction would be additional financial benefits.)