Date of Conferral
10-26-2026
Date of Award
October 2026
Degree
Ph.D.
School
Public Policy and Administration
Advisor
Gary Kelsey
Abstract
Recurrent 30-day readmissions and acute care visits among patients with congestive heart failure (CHF) continue to burden U.S. hospitals under the Hospital Readmissions Reduction Program's pay-for-performance standards and may financially threaten urban Midwestern healthcare systems. Evidence on home health telemonitoring (HHT) is mixed: meta-analyses associate it with fewer CHF-related rehospitalizations and lower mortality, while several large, randomized trials found no significant reduction in 30-day readmissions The purpose of this basic qualitative study was to explore whether home health telemonitoring (HHT) of CHF patients was effective in decreasing 30-day readmissions. Open-ended, face-to-face interviews with three nurses and five physicians at urban Midwestern hospitals examined their views of HHT's effectiveness. Delve analysis identified four themes relevant to the learning adoption framework: acceptance, implementation, improved outcomes, and positive impact. Acceptance and implementation challenges reflected low perceived ease of use, while improved outcomes and positive impact reflected perceived usefulness. Participants identified stronger dialogue among providers, patients, and home health staff, along with more education and training, as key to broader HHT adoption. The study has implications for positive social impact through potentially informing legislators, policymakers, and hospital executives developing effective training and discharge policies for wider implementation.
Recommended Citation
Fitzgerald Sr, Brent, "Decreasing the High Rates of 30-Day Readmissions of Congestive Heart Failure Patients Using Home Health Telemonitoring" (2026). Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies. 20965.
https://scholarworks.waldenu.edu/dissertations/20965
