Last year, the team reviewed the project’s results, which Dr. Ceppa presented during the meeting. From 2007 to 2012, 1,147 patients underwent pancreatectomy at the facility. The mean age was 58 years. Pancreatic adenocarcinoma was the most common indication for surgery.
During the study period, neither mortality (2.7%) nor mean length of stay (10 days) changed. But readmission steadily decreased from the 2007 high of 23%. From 2008 through 2011, the readmission ranged from 18% to 15%. But after the changes implemented in 2011, the rate dropped to 11% – a significant decrease from baseline. Dr. Ceppa and Dr. Pitt attributed this to a combination of factors: stepped up discharge planning, attending-only readmission, and the discharge coach.
"I think the major thing we learned is that improving something like this isn’t simple or quick," Dr Pitt said. "You have to be persistent and really work on all the puzzle pieces until they fit into place."
Neither Dr. Pitt nor Dr. Ceppa had any financial disclosures.