Hospitalizations in the Program of All-Inclusive Care for the Elderly

Objectives: To measure the rates of hospitalization, readmission, and potentially avoidable hospitalization (PAH) in the Program of All-Inclusive Care for the Elderly (PACE).

Design: Retrospective study.

Setting Pace Participants: PACE enrollees.

Measurements: Hospitalization and PAH rates were measured per 1,000 person-years. Readmission was defined as any return to the hospital within 30 days of prior hospital discharge. PAHs were defined as hospitalizations for conditions that previously established criteria have identified as possibly preventable or manageable without hospitalization.

Results: Rate of hospitalization was 539/1,000, vs 962/1,000 for dually eligible aged or disabled waiver (ADW) enrollees. Thirty-day readmission was 19.3%, compared with 22.9% for the national population of dually eligible older enrollees. PAH rate was 100/1,000, compared with 250/1,000 for dually eligible ADW enrollees. Considerable variation was observed between sites.

Conclusion: PACE enrollees experienced lower rates of hospitalization, readmission, and PAH than similar populations. Variations in hospitalization rates between PACE sites suggest opportunities for quality improvement.