Please answer the following questions listed below:
- Why do the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) believe that prevention of inpatient admissions will improve the quality of care in populations served by hospitals?
- What specific age group and diagnoses does the CMS monitor for readmissions?
- Does research tell us that so far prevention of readmissions has improved the quality of care for patients?
- How has hospital reimbursement been affected by the readmission standard mandated by the CMS?
- What recommendations (best practices) to decrease hospital readmissions have been suggested by experts in the healthcare field?