In 2015, the proportion of hospitals receiving a penalty increased to 78% – up from 64% and 66% in 2013 and 2014, respectively.

Patient "activation scores" can identify those who might benefit from making behavioral changes, helping improve outcomes and prevent unnecessary costs.

Patients 65 and older who have ambulatory surgery are much more likely to be readmitted to the hospital within 30 days than younger patients.

Significant studies are questioning whether a 30-day interval for readmissions is the best measurement for Medicare-related penalties.

Data on 2,000 patients showed telephone follow-up for older adults following discharge from the emergency department did not affect readmission rates.

Older adults are at increased risk for adverse events after surgical procedures. Loss of independence is an important patient-centered outcome measure.

30-day readmission rates are widely used to measure hospital penalties. Yet, many question if this is the correct interval by condition.