Heart Failure
N = 196

54%

Reduction in readmissions in less than 31 days post discharge

250-bed hospital, distant suburb of Chicago, IL

86%

Reduction in LOS on readmission

Control group = 170

16.7%

readmission rate

29

readmissions per year

6.4

days length of stay on readmission

186

underpaying or unpaid inpatient days

Care Kit group = 26

7.7%

readmission rate

13

readmissions per year

2.2

days length of stay on readmission

28

underpaying or unpaid inpatient days

Control group is one full year of retrospective data. Care Kit group is three months. Selection criteria: patients discharged to home or home care weighing 300 pounds or less. Data collected by telephone surveys at 30 days verified by medical records.

HIGHLIGHTS: The point of a statistical study is replicability: how probable is it that if you adopt this intervention that you will get this outcome. When study results show a large amount of change, sample size can be very small and still show a high degree of probability. Only when you try to measure very small differences do you need large sample sizes. The fact that (1) no other change was made to practice or protocols and (2) the difference in the outcomes is large, strongly suggests a trend attributable to Care Kit. An FDA expert reviewed the data and commented, “If these were preliminary results from a new drug test, you would receive approval for a larger trial.”