CMS began imposing a penalty on hospitals with excessive Medicare readmissions in FY2013 (October 1, 2012) as part of the Hospital Readmissions Reduction Program (HRRP). CMS defines a “readmission” as someone who has been readmitted to the same or another acute care facility within 30 days of an initial hospital stay.

Patient care units that are divided geographically into modules can improve patient perceptions of care, improve continuity of care and has the potential to boost employee accountability and satisfaction.

In today’s healthcare culture, the manner in which information is conveyed by clinicians is as important as the information itself. Here we discuss vital communication skills for reducing readmissions.

Patient Compliance involves following the recommendations of healthcare professionals in such areas as medication treatment, therapy, diagnostic tests, and lifestyle changes. Learn why noncompliance is common and what to do about it.

One of the largest healthcare providers in the D.C. area achieved zero OB serious safety events after implementing HealthStream's Quality OB program.

Systems-based Practice in Nursing involves approaching patient care from a wider perspective. In this practice practitioners demonstrate awareness of the larger context and system of healthcare and can access resources throughout the system to ensure optimal outcomes.