Preventing Rehospitalization Post Open-Heart Surgery: A Program Evaluation

Open-heart surgery is one of the most frequently performed surgeries in the United Sates. Despite advances in techniques, there is still a significant number of complications leading to readmission. As of 2021, the national pooled 30-day readmission rate was 12.9% (95% CI: 11.3-14.4%). Various studies report rates of 30-day readmission from 8% to 21%, thus making open-heart surgery a target to achieve value-oriented health care milestones by policymakers. A program evaluation was conducted via chart review to compare the rate of readmission of a local cardiothoracic program to the national average. The program focuses on early follow-up post discharge and direct communication and access to the team (surgeon and advanced practice providers). A total of 98 patient charts were reviewed and the rate of readmission was calculated to be 6.1%. There was also a 3.1% rate of emergency room visit without readmission noted. Due to the significant different between these percentages, it is recommended that the team shares their processes to develop a clear protocol for other teams in the area to adopt into their practice.