Association between outpatient visits following hospital discharge and readmissions among Medicare beneficiaries with atrial fibrillation and other chronic conditions.

Atrial fibrillation (AF) afflicts nearly 3 million people in the United States annually, the large majority of whom are Medicare beneficiaries with other chronic illnesses. Beneficiaries with multiple chronic conditions have high hospitalization and readmission rates but evidence on factors associated with readmissions is limited, and little is known about differences in rates between beneficiaries with and without AF. In a retrospective analysis of Medicare claims data, the relationship between outpatient visits within 14 days after hospital discharge and readmission was examined for beneficiaries with AF or other chronic conditions. About half of those beneficiaries with a hospitalization had an outpatient visit within 14 days of discharge. Readmission rates were 11% to 24% lower for beneficiaries with an outpatient visit than for those without one (P < .01). These findings suggest that follow-up care shortly after discharge may lower readmissions for patients with AF or other chronic conditions.