The researchers addressed the issue hospitals face with the high readmission rates for patients with heart diseases. In order to avoid getting financially fined, hospitals strive to decrease this rate. This study reviewed numerous interventions aimed at assessing or treating mental health to determine their effect on the readmission rates. The researchers considered 81 articles, narrowing them down to eleven interventions that met their criteria. They tried to determine whether there was a link between mental health conditions and interventions, and readmission rates. The study has found that communities with a strong social infrastructure tend to have lower readmission rates. Therefore, mental health interventions can be an effective tool for decreasing readmission rates for heart disease patients.
The study was broad regardless of the screening that was done, and further research is required to assess specific interventions that are most effective for particular conditions. Furthermore, various other factors should be considered – for example, whether the areas with better mental health infrastructure also have better physical health quality. The author concluded that mental health interventions are an effective tool for reducing physical health condition readmissions. The study provides a possible solution to the high readmission rates in hospitals, as well as a way of improving the general quality of life of patients. Although further research is required for specialized solutions to be found, this is a promising field and can be very cost-effective.
References
Benjenk, I. & Chen, J. (2018). Effective mental health interventions to reduce hospital readmission rates: A systematic review. Journal of Hospital Management and Health Policy, 2, 45. Web.