Research on Reducing Avoidable Hospitalizations

The summaries that follow describe various factors related to potentially avoidable hospitalizations and strategies to reduce them. The first study assesses the effect of an intervention targeted to improve the care transition process for medically complex patients. The second study characterizes hospitalization data of diabetics and the risks of comorbid conditions in relation to hospitalization. The third and fourth articles describe the effect of a home-based intervention on hospital readmission rates and the survival of patients with heart failure 4 to 10 years after the intervention. For additional details about the interventions and study findings, we suggest that our readers review the original articles.