A computer-based predictive modeling initiative developed by the Visiting Nurse Service of New York effectively reduced hospitalizations and hospital readmissions between 2001 and 2009, according to a study published in the Journal for Healthcare Quality, HealthLeaders Media reports.
Details of Initiative
VNSNY’s Center for Home Care Policy & Research launched the Outcomes Initiative to:
Identify patients who are at risk for hospitalization or in need of physical therapy; and
Evaluate clinical staff and program performance.
The program uses computer-based predictive modeling to place patients in one of seven risk categories, ranging from very low risk to very high risk.
In addition, VNSNY’s Quality Scorecard project aims to monitor the health service’s performance on:
Discharge planning;
Patient satisfaction;
Patient scheduling; and
Staff oversight.
Outcomes of Initiative
According to the study, the predictive modeling program and other health IT initiatives have helped VNSNY achieve a 12% reduction in overall patient hospitalization rates between 2001 and 2009.
In addition, the percentage of patient episodes that resulted in hospitalizations declined from 37% to 27% during the same period.
Further Research
According to the study authors, more research will be needed to gauge the success of the risk-assessment and performance-tracking projects.
The authors stated, “While it is assumed that [health IT] initiatives such as the Quality Scorecard and Hospitalization Risk Score have contributed to better outcomes among VNSNY home health care patients, this needs to be explicitly tested in a controlled research study” (HealthLeaders Media, 10/12).
