Date of Conferral
2018
Degree
Doctor of Business Administration (D.B.A.)
School
Management
Advisor
Roger Mayer
Abstract
Reducing hospital readmissions is critical to the success and sustainability of both hospitals and the communities in which they reside. The purpose of this multiple case study was to explore organizational strategies hospital leaders use to reduce hospital readmissions. The study was limited to hospitals in Southwest Missouri with readmission rates below the state average. Complex adaptive systems was the conceptual framework for the study because of the complex nature and numerous stakeholders of the healthcare system. Data were collected from a purposive sample of 15 hospital leaders via semistructured interviews and an analysis of organizational artifacts. Member checking was used to increase reliability and validity of the results. Data analysis was conducted using Yin's 5 step process including qualitative analysis software to identify major and core themes. The major themes identified in the study included population health, hospital operations and patient interactions, leadership and mission, and barriers to reducing readmissions. The implications for positive social change include the potential to improve services hospital team members provide to patients, which may improve the overall health of the communities they serve. By promoting improved health outcomes for local communities, society benefits through reduction of costs to the federal government and an overall improvement in the health of communities.
Recommended Citation
Warchol, Steven, "Organizational Strategies to Reduce Hospital Readmissions" (2018). Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies. 5146.
https://scholarworks.waldenu.edu/dissertations/5146
