Goal: Examine six-month follow-up outcomes for joint replacement patients discharged from a SNF or IRF. Determine Healthcare utilization and expenditures for the entire episode of care.

Design: Prospective observational cohort study examining 561 knee replacement patients and 295 hip replacement patients.

Setting: Six skilled nursing facilities (SNFs) and six inpatient rehabilitation facilities (IRFs) from across the nation.

Methods: The study team collected information about the utilization of care and patient outcomes in the follow-up period via telephone interview. We calculated the associated expenditures by using CPT codes and measured outcomes with a list of variables including patient functional status, living arrangement, post-discharge health care utilization, and so on. We described and compared expenditure and outcome differences between SNFs and IRFs by controlling for patient differences. Results from our multivariate analyses identified the most and least costly setting of care for specific types of patients.

Results: Pending

Conclusions: Pending

Keywords: Joint replacement, JOINTS, 75% rule, IRF, SNF, post-acute, rehabilitation.

Principal Investigator: Gerben DeJong, PhD

Title: Senior Fellow

E-mail: gerben.dejong@medstar.net

Phone: 202-877-1960

Fax: 202-726-7521

Affiliations/partners: ICOR (Institute for Clinical Outcomes Research), Salt Lake City, UT.

Funding Source: The HealthSouth Corporation, ARA Research Institute of the American Rehabilitation Providers Association, Brooks Health, National Rehabilitation Hospital, American Hospital Association, the Federation of American Hospitals, and others.

Project Website