Date of Conferral

2021

Degree

Doctor of Healthcare Administration (D.H.A.)

School

Health Services

Advisor

Matt Frederikson-England

Abstract

AbstractThere has not been a significant decrease in hospital readmission rates since the 1980s, which has impacted staffing, operational, and financial resources. Unnecessary 30-day readmissions result in penalties in reimbursement, additional costs, and adverse reactions resulting from the admission for the patient. This quantitative study explored the impact of using health navigators for an emergency department (ED) patient population. The theoretical framework was based on the Donabedian model. The study focused on female patients,some of whom were covered by Medicaid, and some were uninsured. This study posed research questions targeting reducing readmission for female ED patients with no insurance or Medicaid coverage. The three research questions sought to determine the relationship between adding health navigators and reducing unnecessary readmission rates in the ED for the target population. The study analyzed the correlation between the use of health navigators assigned to patients discharged from the ED and readmission rates tracked for 6, 12, and 18 months, and whether health navigators reduced the readmission rate of female ED patients covered by Medicaid or were uninsured. The results demonstrated a statistically significant difference in the readmission rates of female ED patients covered by Medicaid with the use of a health navigator at six months post intervention. Also, there was a relationship between gender and insurance coverage and rate of readmission with the use of a health navigator. These findings may be used by the health care industry to reduce readmissions resulting in positive social change.

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