Dive Brief:
- An analysis of Medicare data from 2001 to 2011 found that patients who suffer complications from surgery are 26% less likely to die within 90 days if they return to the same hospital.
- The research is based on data from more than 9 million Medicare patients who were readmitted to hospitals within 30 days of complex surgeries, and looked at the impacts of being admitted to a hospital other than the one where they underwent surgery.
- The study titled "Readmission destination and risk of mortality after major surgery: an observational cohort study" was published this week in the Lancet.
Dive Insight:
The findings highlight the importance of "continuity of care," the authors say, which raises some concern about the push toward regionalization of hospital services, because it results in patients traveling longer distances for specialty care but staying local when complications arise.
The authors put forth several theories as to why patients fare better when they return to the same hospital. For example, the hospital that performed the surgery may have more personal knowledge of the patient or procedure; some hospitals may lack the experience to handle complications from complex surgeries they don't typically perform; and patients know who to contact for help at the original hospital, which allows them to avoid seeking help through an ER.
The authors suggest that based on these findings, patients should be counseled on the risks of readmission to a different hospital and the need to have a plan in place if they are traveling a long distance for surgery.