Skilled Nursing Facility Discharges Associated with Fewer Readmissions for Healthcare-Associated Infections

Among Medicare patients admitted to the hospital with healthcare-associated infections (HAIs), those discharged to skilled nursing facilities (SNFs) were less likely to be readmitted for treatment for the same infection compared with those discharged to their homes or home health care (Hoffman, 2019).

Researchers reviewed more than 700,000 hospital admissions involving HAIs in 2013 and 2014. About half of these patients were discharged to an SNF, with the rest being discharged to home or home health care.

Patients discharged to a SNF had more accompanying illnesses, but were 38% less likely to be readmitted to the hospital for treatment of their initial infection.

The authors called for research to identify strategies to improve home-based infection care.

Reference:

• Hoffman, G.J., Min, L.C., Liu, H., Marciniak, D.J., & Mody, L. (2019). Role of post-acute care in readmissions for preexisting healthcare-associated infections. Journal of the American Geriatrics Society. https://doi.org/10.1111/jgs.16208