Journal of hospital medicine : an official publication of the Society of Hospital Medicine
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Observational Study
Excess Mortality Among Patients Hospitalized During the COVID-19 Pandemic.
The extent to which the COVID-19 pandemic has affected outcomes for patients with unplanned hospitalizations is unclear. ⋯ Pandemic COVID-19 surges were associated with higher rates of in-hospital mortality among patients without COVID-19, suggesting disruptions in care patterns for patients with many common acute and chronic illnesses.
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Hospital readmissions in the United States, especially in patients at high-risk, cost more than $17 billion annually. Although care transitions is an important area of research, data are limited regarding its efficacy, especially among rural patients. In this study, we describe a novel transitions-of-care clinic (TOCC) to reduce 30-day readmissions in a Veterans Health Administration setting that serves a high proportion of rural veterans. ⋯ A multidisciplinary TOCC within the ICVA featuring both virtual and in-person visits reduced the 30-day readmission rate. This reduction was particularly notable among patients with congestive heart failure.