Bmc Health Serv Res
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Bmc Health Serv Res · Jan 2018
Multicenter StudyAssociation of hospice utilization and publicly reported outcomes following hospitalization for pneumonia or heart failure: a retrospective cohort study.
The Center for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) and the Hospital Quality Alliance began collecting and reporting United States hospital performance in the treatment of pneumonia and heart failure in 2008. Whether the utilization of hospice might affect CMS-reported mortality and readmission rates is not known. ⋯ Higher rates of hospice utilization were associated with lower rates of 30-day mortality and readmission for pneumonia as reported by CMS. While causality is not established, it is possible that hospice referrals might directly affect CMS outcome metrics. Further clarification of the relationship between hospice referral patterns and publicly reported CMS outcomes appears warranted.