Background: Sepsis is a life-threatening condition involving organ dysfunction caused by a dysregulated response to infection [1]. Sepsis is the leading cause of 30-day unplanned readmissions nationwide [2]. At UF Health Shands Hospital, the 30-day readmission rate for sepsis patients is 17% compared to 13% for all adult patients. Of those readmitted for sepsis, 38% [...]

Background: In 2022, healthcare spending in the US accounted for 17.3% of its GDP(1), yet the US ranked near the bottom among high-income nations for key health outcomes. It is unclear if a similar relationship exists between spending and health outcomes across US Hospitals. Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) reports a standardized risk-adjusted [...]

Background: Multi-visit patients (MVP) tend to represent a small portion (< 5%) of all admitted patients, yet account for more than 40% of 30-day readmissions based on prior literature (1-2). Among our institution’s MVPs, Heart failure (HF) exacerbations are one of the top disease presentations accounting for 40% of 30-day readmissions in 2022. These patients [...]

Background: Acute heart failure exacerbations are a leading cause of morbidity and mortality and are associated with high rates of hospital admissions and healthcare expenditure. As part of a broader effort to improve heart failure care at our hospital, this project aims to characterize heart failure type prevalence, mortality, and readmission rates to benchmark against [...]

Background: Social determinants of health (SDOH) play a critical role in predicting hospital readmission rates across various patient populations. Key SDOH factors, such as neighborhood crime index, income, and household size, are important predictors of unplanned readmissionsi. Importantly, including SDOH in readmission prediction models has been shown to improve accuracyii, highlighting the need for addressing [...]

Background: For more than a decade, researchers and institutions have been exploring the phenomenon of “high utilizers” – a small percentage of the population that accounts for a disproportionate amount of healthcare spending, often through frequent and/or lengthy hospitalizations. There is very little information, however, on how this population’s needs affect those who provide care [...]

Background: High hospital readmission rates have both clinical and financial consequences which are associated with worse healthcare outcomes for our patients and costly financial penalties for the hospital. The average cost of a readmission estimated to be at $15,200 and adds burden on hospital systems, resources, and cause further harm to our patients, leading to [...]

Background: Transition of care, particularly at the point of discharge, is a pivotal part of the patient’s healthcare journey, carrying substantial risks to safety and quality of care. Whether a patient is discharged to home, an outpatient rehabilitation center, or a skilled nursing facility, each transition introduces opportunities for errors. Errors may include inaccurate medication [...]