In October 2012, the US government's Center for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) began reducing Medicare payments for Inpatient Prospective Payment System hospitals with excess readmissions. Excess readmissions are measured by a ratio, by dividing a hospital’s number of “predicted” 30-day readmissions for heart attack, heart failure, and pneumonia by the number that would be “expected,” based on an average hospital with similar patients. A ratio greater than 1 indicates excess readmissions.
* critique a preliminary analysis of readmissions data and recommendations (provided below) for reducing the readmissions rate
* construct a statistically sound analysis and make recommendations
Data source: https://data.medicare.gov/Hospital-Compare/Hospital-Readmission-Reduction/9n3s-kdb3
More information: http://www.cms.gov/Medicare/medicare-fee-for-service-payment/acuteinpatientPPS/readmissions-reduction-program.html