Health care executives are facing new challenges as hospitals are now on the hook for sending patients to post-acute facilities in questionable condition, resulting in them being readmitted to the hospital after their rehabilitation. For hospitals to avoid being penalized, they will need to partner and communicate with Post-acute facilities. Post-acute care providers are no longer simply an afterthought referral partner. They become an extension of the hospital’s care delivery model and have a much more direct impact on a hospital’s reputation and bottom line than they did before. Until recently, hospital case managers simply provided patients with a list of facilities, typically with little information about what differentiates one from another. In this new world, what should hospitals and patients look for in a Post-Acute care facility? We have identified 3 key things to keep in mind.
30 Day Readmission Rate:
A big indicator of a good Post-Acute facility is one whose patients are not readmitted in hospitals after rehabilitation.
The national average for 30-day readmission is 25%, the state of California is listed at 23% on average. South Coast Post-Acute proudly enjoys a 0% readmission rate.
Clinical Measures:
Hospitals and patients should consider clinical measures such as the average length of stay for patients, infection rates, and patient and family satisfaction rates. Hospitals would be ill advised to not consider these metrics when choosing a partner.
Choosing a poor care facility can result in ramifications for the hospital and the patient. Families of patients should get this data from the hospital and check them with the post-acute care facility before enrolling their family member.
Transition Time from Hospitals to Post-Acute Care and Efficiency:
Hospitals need to understand a post-acute facility’s ability to accommodate the hospital’s referral patterns. For example, the volume, time of day, patient type, clinical complexity, discharging service lines. Nothing is more frustrating than inefficiency when it comes to a loved ones comfort and care.
Families and hospitals should consider how technology is used to facilitate care transitions. Also, what is the average response time for referral requests? How efficiently does the referral process function for a case management team? The process for transferring patients to a post-acute facility should be both timely and frictionless.
These are just some of the key things for hospitals and patients to look at when starting a partnership with a Post-Acute care provider. At South Coast Post-Acute high-quality patient care and efficient processes are why we are the ideal facility for patients leaving the hospital in need of rehabilitation.
Real People. Remarkable Care. South Coast Post Acute.