Hospital readmissions cost the U.S. healthcare system billions each year. The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Servies (CMS) reports that nearly 1 in 5 Medicare patients return to the hospital within 30 days, many of which are preventable.
However, this risk doesn’t stay steady all year. It rises in summer when heat illness, dehydration and care gaps become more common.
Increased readmissions create pressure on quality scores, cost targets and patient outcomes for health systems and payors. In-home infusion therapy helps health systems and payors deliver care at home, support patients in following their treatment plans, and keep patients stable during this high-risk season.
It also goes beyond basic hydration. It includes higher-cost therapies such as:
- IVIG and SQIG support, where patients may receive hydration before treatment to help reduce side effects and improve comfort
- Hemophilia factor replacement therapy, where fast treatment at home can help:
- Prevent emergency room visits
- Reduce bleeding problems
- Lower the risk of long-term joint damage
- Decrease future surgery costs
Why Readmission Risk Increases in Summer
Heat-Related Complications and Dehydration
Older adults and patients with chronic illness are more likely to struggle in high temperatures. The CDC reports that people aged 65 years or older face higher risk for heat-related illness due to reduced ability to regulate body temperature and higher rates of chronic disease.
Dehydration, which is common among older adults, is a frequent cause of complications. It can lead to confusion, low blood pressure, kidney injury and worsening of chronic conditions such as heart failure or diabetes. These issues often result in emergency visits or readmission.
Patients who need IV therapy are especially vulnerable when hydration or medication schedules are interrupted.
Disrupted Care Routines
Summer travel often disrupts care plans, leading to missed follow-up visits or delayed treatments. Caregivers may also be unavailable due to travel or schedule changes.
At the same time, healthcare facilities are more vulnerable to summer staffing shortages as employees are more likely to take planned time off. This can slow coordination after discharge, making follow-up care harder to manage.
These gaps add up—when care is delayed or missed, patients are more likely to return to the hospital.
The Role of Infusion Therapy in Preventing Readmissions
In-home infusion therapy supports patients who need IV medications, hydration or ongoing clinical monitoring. It plays an important role in closing care gaps following discharge.
Antibiotics, Hydration and Chronic Care Support
Many hospital readmissions are linked to infections or chronic condition flare ups. In-home infusion supports these needs through:
- IV antibiotics to treat serious infections and help patients avoid extended hospital stays
- Hydration therapy to prevent complications related to dehydration and kidney stress
- Chronic care support for patients who require ongoing infusion treatment to remain stable
BrightStar Care® delivers hospital-level, RN-led care in the home. Our nurses follow physician orders and ensure treatments are administered safely and on schedule.
Monitoring and Early Intervention
In-home infusion allows nurses to see patients regularly during treatment. This creates early warning opportunities when a patient’s condition begins to change.
Small changes in vital signs, hydration status or response to therapy can be addressed quickly. Nurses can escalate concerns to providers before the patient needs emergency care.
This level of monitoring supports better coordination between hospitals, payors and home-based care teams, reducing avoidable complications that lead to readmissions.
Benefits of In-Home Infusion Care
In-home infusion supports clinical outcomes and patient experience. It gives organizations a reliable way to deliver needed care while helping patients remain stable outside the hospital.
Improved Adherence and Patient Comfort
Patients are more likely to complete treatment when travel barriers are removed and scheduling becomes more consistent. In-home care helps ensure medications and therapies are not delayed or missed.
This approach is especially valuable for older adults and patients with limited mobility. Receiving care in a familiar setting reduces stress and supports comfort during recovery. It also allows caregivers to stay more involved in the care process.
Better adherence leads to more stable recovery and better health outcomes. When patients follow prescribed treatment plans they are less likely to experience complications that result in emergency department visits or hospital readmissions.
Reduced Hospital Utilization
When infusion therapy is delivered at home, patients are more likely to avoid extended hospital stays or repeat admissions. This allows hospitals to reserve beds and resources for higher acuity cases.
It also helps reduce pressure on care teams by shifting appropriate services out of the acute setting while maintaining appropriate clinical oversight.
For payors and health systems, the at-home care model supports stronger performance on quality metrics that are tied to readmissions and value-based contracts. It also contributes to more efficient care delivery and better use of healthcare resources across the continuum.
ROI for Health Systems and Payers
Lower Readmission Penalties
CMS reduces payments to hospitals with higher than expected readmission rates for certain conditions. Even small improvements in readmission rates can reduce financial penalties.
For Medicare Advantage plans, lower readmissions also support stronger quality scores which can affect reimbursement and plan performance. In-home infusion helps target high-risk patients during the post-discharge period when readmission risk is highest.
Cost Savings and Improved Outcomes
Hospital care is expensive. Avoiding even one readmission can offset the cost of multiple in-home infusion visits depending on the patient’s condition.
Beyond cost savings organizations also see:
- Lower emergency department use
- Better care coordination after discharge
- Improved quality performance metrics
- Higher patient satisfaction
These improvements support both clinical and financial goals in value-based care models.
BrightStar Care®: Infusion Model
BrightStar Care supports health systems and payors nationwide with scalable in-home infusion services delivered through local RN-led care teams.
Nurse-Led Protocols and Oversight
All infusion care is delivered under physician orders with RN oversight. This ensures clinical safety while allowing care to move into the home.
Nurses monitor patients during each visit and follow structured protocols for infusion delivery, safety checks and escalation when needed.
BrightStar Care acts as an extension of hospital discharge teams. They support continuity of care without replacing clinical decision making.
Scalable, Nationwide Delivery
BrightStar Care operates across the country, allowing health systems and payors to expand in-home infusion programs across multiple markets.
This consistency helps standardize care processes and supports predictable outcomes across regions.
It also reduces fragmentation in post-acute care by creating a more coordinated and reliable home-based option for infusion therapy
Prevent Avoidable Readmissions With BrightStar Care
Summer increases the risk of avoidable hospital readmissions, but many of these events can be prevented with the right post discharge support.
In-home infusion therapy gives health systems and payors a practical way to support patients after discharge. It improves adherence, supports early intervention and helps reduce costly readmissions while maintaining clinical oversight in the home.
BrightStar Care works as a clinical partner to extend care beyond the hospital setting and support better outcomes when patients need it most. Partner with BrightStar Care to strengthen post discharge care and reduce seasonal admission risk: