Readmission rates were 5.6 percent higher when Medicare patients were released to home with home health care rather than discharged to skilled nursing facilities, according to a new study published in the Journal of the American Medical Association. No differences were seen in the mortality rate or functional outcomes of the more than 17 million hospitalizations reviewed by the study’s authors, who also found that costs were “significantly lower” for Medicare patients who received care at home. (JAMA)
