Administrative Memos

200008

FROM: Theodore O. Will, Chief Executive Officer
DATE: May 18, 2000
SUBJECT: Hospital-Specific Readmission DRG Report Follow-up
IPRO CONTACTS:

Kathy Terry, Ph.D., Director of Data Analysis, Extension 261

In January, 2000 IPRO distributed PEPP Administrative Memorandum #2000-01 with hospital-specific readmission rates to all Medicare PPS hospitals within New York State. Following dissemination of these reports, IPRO requested information from hospitals about several factors including 1) the value of the data and, 2) how they would use the information. We requested suggestions for further analyses that would be useful to the hospitals.

Enclosed please find your Readmission Report #2; Hospital-Specific Readmission DRG Report. This report represents the most commonly requested follow-up information. It illustrates readmission DRG patterns for your hospital compared to your peer group and to the state as a whole. In an effort to provide hospitals with the most current data available, we have provided both your calendar year 1998 detail as well as detail on your claims for the first half of calendar year 1999 (i.e., January 1, 1999 through June 30, 1999); the most current data provided to IPRO from HCFA.

Several hospitals have contacted IPRO to discuss strategies for the use of the data previously provided. While the enclosed report provides data specific to your hospital, it is only a high-level snapshot of your Medicare claims as they relate to the DRGs that are associated with your thirty (30) day readmissions. Hospitals may need to perform additional analyses to determine if there are problem areas requiring corrective action.

Dr. Kathy Terry will be moderating a conference call on June 2, 2000 from 1-3pm to discuss any questions hospitals may have about the enclosed report. Please call the "R.S.V.P. line" at (888) 902-5402 by June 1, 2000 to PRE-REGISTER. Additional information in regard to the conference call will be provided to you at pre-registration. To better facilitate the call, we encourage you to fax your questions, in advance, to the attention of Juanita Williams at (516) 328-2310 by May 30, 2000.

Should you have any additional questions in regard to this report, please feel free to contact Andrea Goldstein, Vice President, Health Care Assessment or Dr. Kathy Terry.