New Dobson DaVanzo Study

New Dobson-DaVanzo Study with Amputee Coalition:
Rehabilitation Hospitals Deliver Higher Quality Care, Better Results

A new study released on July 10th at a Congressional briefing hosted by Senators Tim Johnson (D-SD) and Mark Kirk (R-IL) shows that people with limb loss treated in inpatient rehabilitation hospitals and units had better long-term clinical outcomes than those treated in nursing homes.

Click here to review the summary of this study!

“As this study shows, the timely, intensive and coordinated services provided in a rehabilitation hospital or unit help those with limb loss return to their homes and communities faster than skilled nursing facilities,” said Susan Stout, interim president & CEO of the Amputee Coalition. “Policy makers and regulators should consider this study as they make future decisions that could impact where those with limb loss receive care. Decisions should not be made based on short-term cost, but on where patients can most quickly improve their health and regain the functional skills they need to return home, to work, school or community activities.”

The study is the most comprehensive national analysis to date examining the long-term outcomes of clinically similar patient populations treated in inpatient rehabilitation hospitals/units versus nursing homes. Click here to view the full study, Assessment of Patient Outcomes of Rehabilitative Care Provided in Inpatient Rehabilitation Facilities and After Discharge, conducted by Dobson DaVanzo & Associates, LLC.

Key Findings 

Limb loss survivors treated in inpatient rehabilitation hospitals and units compared to those treated in skilled nursing facility patients, on average:

o   Returned home from their initial rehabilitation hospital stay 16 days earlier

o   Remained home nearly three months longer

o   Stayed alive more than 2 1/2 months longer.

Individuals with limb loss treated in inpatient rehabilitation hospitals and units also showed:

o   12 percent lower mortality rate than skilled nursing facility patients

o   16 percent fewer emergency room visits per year than skilled nursing facility patients

o   43 percent fewer hospital readmissions per year than skilled nursing facility patients.

“When considering rehabilitation programs, limb loss patients should carefully consider the results of this study to determine which setting is best for them,” said Dr. Terrence P. Sheehan, medical director for the Amputee Coalition and at Adventist Rehab Hospital of Maryland. “It is also important to make policy decisions based upon factual data about the value of the service to the consumer and to the public. This research study is important for policy makers to understand, because it clearly articulates the value of the care provided in rehabilitation hospitals for people with limb loss as well as those with other conditions. And every patient should be ensured access to the most appropriate setting that will provide them with the best possible outcome.”