Hospital-Wide Adult All-Payer Readmissions in Massachusetts: SFY 2011-2020

The Hospital-Wide Adult All-Payer Readmissions in Massachusetts: SFY 2011-2020 report presents statewide readmissions by characteristics of patients and hospitalizations, readmission rates for COVID-19 and non-COVID-19 discharges, and readmission rates for individual hospitals and groups of hospitals.

Additionally, new for this report, social risk factors were incorporated into the risk-standardization methodology for hospital readmission rates to provide a fairer comparison of hospital performance.

Key Findings

• The unplanned, all-payer readmission rate for Massachusetts increased from 2019 to 2020 (15.6% and 15.9%, respectively).
  
  
  
• Risk-standardized readmission rates for acute care hospitals in Massachusetts ranged from 13.7% to 17.9% when adjusted for hospital service mix, patient case mix, and patient- and community-level social risk factors.
  
  
  
• The readmission rate for COVID-19 discharges was 14.7%, compared to 17.2% for non-COVID-19 discharges.
  
  
  
• In 2020, readmission rates for patients discharged to home or home health agencies increased, while rates for patients discharged to skilled nursing facilities or rehabilitation decreased.