• Muhammad Ahsan Zafar, Ralph J Panos, Jonathan Ko, Lisa C Otten, Anthony Gentene, Maria Guido, Katherine Clark, Caroline Lee, Jamie Robertson, and Evaline A Alessandrini.
• Division of Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine, University of Cincinnati College of Medicine, Cincinnati, Ohio, USA.
• BMJ Qual Saf. 2017 Nov 1; 26 (11): 908-918.

BackgroundReadmissions of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) have devastating effects on patient quality-of-life, disease progression and healthcare cost. Effective interventions to reduce COPD readmissions are needed.ObjectivesReduce 30-day all-cause readmissions by (1) creating a COPD care bundle that addresses care delivery failures, (2) using improvement science to achieve 90% bundle adherence.SettingAn 800-bed academic hospital in Ohio, USA. The COPD 30-day all-cause readmission rate was 22.7% from August 2013 to September 2015.MethodWe performed a cross-sectional study of COPD 30-day readmissions from October 2014 to March 2015 to identify care delivery failures. We interviewed readmitted patients with COPD to identify their needs after discharge. A multidisciplinary team created a care bundle designed to mitigate system failures. Using a quasi-experimental study and 'Model for Improvement', we redesigned care delivery to improve bundle adherence. We used statistical process control charts to analyse bundle adherence and all-cause 30-day readmissions.ResultsCross-sectional review of the index (first-time) admissions revealed COPD was the most common readmission diagnosis and identified 42 system-level failures. The most prevalent failures were deficient inhaler regimen at discharge, late or non-existent follow-up appointments, and suboptimal discharge instructions. Patient interviews revealed confusing discharge instructions, especially regarding inhaler use. The COPD care-bundle components were: (1) appropriate inhaler regimen, (2) 30-day inhaler supply, (3) inhaler education on the device available postdischarge, (4) follow-up within 15 days (5) standardised patient-centred discharge instructions. The adherence to completing bundle components reached 90% in 5.5 months and was sustained. The COPD 30-day readmission rate decreased from 22.7% to 14.7%. Patients receiving all bundle components had a readmission rate of 10.9%. As a balancing measure for the targeted reduction in readmission rate, we assessed length of stay, which did not change (4.8 days before vs 4.6 days after; p=0.45).ConclusionSystem-level failures and unmet patient needs are modifiable risks for readmissions. Development and reliable implementation of a COPD care bundle that mitigates these failures reduced COPD readmissions.© Article author(s) (or their employer(s) unless otherwise stated in the text of the article) 2017. All rights reserved. No commercial use is permitted unless otherwise expressly granted.

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