Cost Analysis of Physician Assistant Home Visit Program to Reduce Readmissions Following Cardiac Surgery

The utility of a home visit program for patients discharged to home after cardiac surgery was assessed comparing a 4 year cohort of home visit patients to patients operated prior to the home visit program initiation.  Home visits decreased readmission rates by about 40%.  Costs per readmission were $40,000 to $56,000, whereas the cost of the entire program for 363 pts was only $25,000. This translated to a 2-year savings of nearly $1 million, and $39 in savings for each $1 invested.