Under-Served Populations and Readmission

BOSTON, Sept. 19, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- The 15th Annual Scientific Meeting of the Heart Failure Society of America (HFSA) will feature a discussion by Dr. Karen Joynt on higher readmission rates among certain groups of patients  entitled "Under-Served Populations at Risk."

Dr. Joynt's presentation is part of a session titled "The Problem with Readmission," which will highlight issues in measurement of readmission rates and strategies for reducing readmissions.

Dr. Joynt will highlight readmission patterns, explain factors behind readmission rates, and relate these issues to national policies aimed at reducing readmission. Dr. Joynt, cardiologist at Brigham and Women's Hospital in Boston, MA, will discuss research showing that racial minorities, Medicaid patients, and mentally ill patients are all at higher risk of readmission once discharged from the hospital, so those hospitals willing to care for them may be in jeopardy. 

Dr. Joynt also discusses the fact that conventional methods for examining readmission rates focus mainly on the hospital and its practices, while patient and community factors are not studied as thoroughly.

"Traditionally, we look at issues with the hospital as a cause for readmission," said Dr. Joynt. "We should expand our view to look at issues on the patient level such as comorbitities, health literacy and residence, as well as community issues such as neighborhood poverty, and access to primary care."

Finally, the presentation will also examine the national policies on readmission under healthcare reform and the effect these policies might have on patient care and hospital policies.

For a complete list of annual meeting sessions or for details on attending the conference, call (617) 226-7183 or visit www.hfsa.org and click on Annual Scientific Meeting. There is no registration fee for accredited journalists. Interview areas will be available on-site in addition to a fully-staffed press room with phone and internet accessibility. You may follow news from the meeting on Twitter #HFSA.

About Heart Failure

Heart failure is a progressive condition in which the heart muscle becomes weakened after it is injured, most commonly from heart attack or high blood pressure, and gradually loses its ability to pump enough blood to supply the body's needs. Many people are not aware they have heart failure because the symptoms are often mistaken for signs of getting older. Heart failure affects 4.6 to 4.8 million individuals in the United States. Demographic and clinical evidence strongly suggests that the prevalence of heart failure will increase throughout the next decade. Ten to 15 years ago heart failure was considered a "death sentence;" however, recent advances in treatment have shown that early diagnosis and proper care in early stages of the condition are key to slowing, stopping or in some cases reversing progression, improving quality of life, and extending life expectancy. For more information on heart failure, please visit www.abouthf.org.

About the Heart Failure Society of America

The Heart Failure Society of America (HFSA) is a nonprofit educational organization, founded in 1994 as the first organized association of heart failure experts. The HFSA provides a forum for all those interested in heart function, heart failure research and patient care. The Society also serves as a resource for governmental agencies (FDA, NIH, NHLBI, CMS). The HFSA Annual Scientific Meeting is designed to highlight recent advances in the development of strategies to address the complex epidemiological, clinical and therapeutic issues of heart failure. Additional information on HFSA can be found at www.hfsa.org.

SOURCE The Heart Failure Society of America

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