Functional Status Is Associated With 30-Day Potentially Preventable Readmissions Following Skilled Nursing Facility Discharge Among Medicare Beneficiaries.

The study used administrative and claims data, which lacks information on coding accuracy and important factors like social support at home. Findings may not generalize to younger individuals, those covered by other payers (e.g., Medicare Advantage), or patients discharged from other post-acute settings. The definition of 'potentially preventable' readmission relies on a specific list of diagnoses that may vary in actual preventability; some readmissions for these conditions may be unavoidable. The operational definition of cognitive impairment categories may not perfectly align with clinical assessments, particularly for patients with low BIMS scores who are classified as moderately impaired but may have more severe deficits.

The authors reported no conflicts of interest. The study was supported by the National Institute on Aging of the National Institutes of Health and the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.

Do not interpret the association between functional status and readmission as proof that improving function directly reduces readmissions. This is an observational study showing correlation, not causation. The authors note that further research is needed to determine whether improving functional status actually reduces the risk of potentially preventable hospital readmissions.