Curbing Readmissions at the Forefront: Experiences from Successful Reduction of COPD Readmissions

This academic medical center developed and implemented a program to improve outcomes and reduce readmissions for patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). To address the readmissions penalty for COPD, the University of Chicago Medical Center formed a multidisciplinary working group that used the Plan-Do-Study-Act (PDSA) model for quality improvement to change the way COPD patients who were admitted for an exacerbation were cared for. This group designed a bundled pathway that incorporated interventions from the physicians, nurses and ancillary providers.

The pathway began by identifying appropriate inpatients before they were discharged and ended 30 days after the initial discharge. This pathway provides a model for treating patients with chronic disease and, in particular, for managing the transition from hospital to home. Comparing the readmission rate from the first six-month pilot phase to the rate from the most recent six months shows that 30-day all-cause readmissions to the hospital for patients with acute exacerbations of COPD dropped by more than one-third.

This case study is part of the Illinois Health and Hospital Association's annual Quality Excellence Achievement Awards. Each year, IHA recognizes and celebrates the achievements of Illinois hospitals and health systems in continually improving and transforming health care in the state. These organizations are improving health by striving to achieve the Triple Aim—improving the patient experience of care (including quality and satisfaction), improving the health of populations, and reducing the per capita cost of health care—and the Institute of Medicine's six aims for improvement—safe, effective, patient centered, timely, efficient, and equitable. To learn more, visit https://www.ihaqualityawards.org/javascript-ui/IHAQualityAward/