CHIA Publishes Report on Pediatric Readmissions in Massachusetts
DATE: October 19, 2023
Today CHIA published its inaugural report on pediatric readmissions in Massachusetts acute care hospitals.
In CHIA’s previous readmissions reporting the focus has been on an adult population; this report, however, provides an important baseline for the pediatric population (aged 18 years and younger) in Massachusetts for future examination. This report presents analyses of observed pediatric readmissions rates by patient demographics, payer type, and diagnoses, in addition to risk-adjusted rates by acute care hospitals and hospital types for state fiscal years (SFY) 2017 through 2022.
Unplanned hospital readmissions, defined as an admission to a hospital within 30 days of prior hospitalization, are commonly used as an indicator of health care system performance and quality. While efforts to date to address readmissions rates have primarily focused on adult populations, this inaugural report looks exclusively at the pediatric population and the unique characteristics and drivers of pediatric readmissions.
Key Findings:
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In 2022, the pediatric readmission rate was 4.7%, and has stayed consistent from 2017 to 2022, with annual rates ranging from 4.5% to 4.7%.
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The average length of stay for a discharge resulting in a readmission was 2.8 days longer than for discharges that did not result in a readmission (10.3 vs. 7.5 days, respectively).
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In 2022, pediatric patients with medically complex chronic conditions had a higher readmission rate (10.6%) compared to those with chronic conditions who were not medically complex (3.7%) or had no chronic conditions (2.3%).
This report is part CHIA’s broader effort to track readmissions in the state of Massachusetts which also includes the analysis of adult readmissions in acute care hospitals, behavioral health readmissions, and hospital-specific profiles which provide readmissions statistics for each hospital. Accompanying this report is a databook and technical appendix.