The Impact of Risk Reduction Initiatives on Readmission: THA and TKA Readmission Rates

We assessed whether sequential incorporation of initiatives to decrease postoperative surgical complications were similarly effective in reducing 30-day readmission rates following total knee arthroplasty (TKA) and total hip arthroplasty (THA). Readmission rates following TKA decreased substantially (5.6% vs. 3.0%, P<0.001), but readmissions following THA (4.0% vs. 3.4%, P=0.41) were not significantly reduced. The greatest impact of the multimodal treatment approach was a reduction of surgically related TKA complications. Advanced medical disease, facility discharge status, and Medicare or Medicaid coverage contributed to the highest risk for 30-day readmission after THA. Risk models defining expected readmission rates should account for these factors to avoid penalizing hospitals that provide higher proportional care to Centers for Medicaid and Medicare Services (CMS) beneficiaries.