Assessing First Visits By Physicians To Medicare Patients Discharged To Skilled Nursing Facilities

In this study of postacute care, more than 10% of Medicare skilled nursing facility (SNF) stays included no visit from a physician or advanced practitioner. Of stays with visits, about half of initial assessments occurred within a day of admission, and nearly 80% occurred within four days. Patients who did not receive a visit from a physician or advanced practitioner were nearly twice as likely to be readmitted to a hospital (28%) or to die (14%) within 30 days of SNF admission than patients who had an initial visit.