Please read Dr. Jarrín’s article in the International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Healthy titled, “Timing of Home Health Care Initiation and 30-Day Rehospitalizations among Medicare Beneficiaries with Diabetes by Race and Ethnicity.“
In the United States, nearly one in four older adults are living with diabetes, a condition associated with increased morbidity, mortality, and health care utilization. In 2017, diabetes accounted for approximately 24% of inpatient spending and 21% of home health care spending in the United States. Additionally, adults with diabetes experience higher rehospitalization rates and have medical expenditures two times higher than those without diabetes. For these patients, increased rehospitalization risk may be related to complicated transitions from hospital to home, complex medication regimens, and coexisting conditions that impact functional or cognitive status. Effective post-acute home health care services can mitigate the risks of adverse events with prompt clinical assessment to address deterioration in condition and medication reconciliation. Furthermore, skilled home health care services can support patients with diabetes by evaluating and reinforcing diabetes self-management skills, medication management, nutritional support, and glucose monitoring to prevent complications. To read the full article.
Timing of Home Health Care Initiation and 30-Day Rehospitalizations among Medicare Beneficiaries with Diabetes by Race and Ethnicity. Smith JM, Lin H, Thomas-Hawkins C, Tsui J, Jarrín OF. Int J Environ Res Public Health. 2021 May 25;18(11):5623. PMID: 34070282 PMCID: PMC8197411 DOI: 3390/ijerph18115623