Influence of readmission rates on hospital costs as a quality factor in healthcare: A research

Readmission is a corrosive process for the patients and care providers, also readmission is expensive for the health systems. In addition, the patients are engaged to increased hospital infection and complication risk due to readmission. Readmissions is a great source of stress for the patients and their families, particularly has led to a serious loss of function in elderly patients. The Objective of this study is; to define causes of readmission, to state methodology for measuring the readmission rates and investigate cost burden of readmission with its outcomes, for determining the strategy to be followed to prevent the readmission. Basic assumption of this study that readmission increases the cost burden both S.S.I (Social Security Institution) which is reimbursement institution and for hospitals which is conducts the treatment procedures. In this context, this study has been focused on the readmissions occurred in 30 days; with a retrospective statistical method on 22.032 hospitalizations between 01.01.2013 and 31.12.2013 dates at a hospital. The cost found out for 939 readmissions is 1.653.000,03 TL for total service fee and 1.507.147,58 TL for total invoice amount. In this case, the loss appears for the hospital is 145.852,46 TL. The Results of relationship analysis applied on the variables; we have an obtained important finding that the total hospitalization days of readmission patients is a mediate variable appear between the readmission frequency and cost of readmission. Also, some readmission variables diversifies sex and age. The conclusion reached as a result of this study is that comorbidity score has a hidden and indirect impact on cost of readmission. Key Words: Readmission, Healthcare Quality, Readmission Cost Burden, Prevention the Readmission, Measuring Readmission Rates