Hospitals across the country are doing a gut check on their relationships with post-acute care facilities due to Medicare regulations that reduce reimbursements if there are too many readmissions within 30 days of patient discharge. Facilities that can’t meet those requirements often suffer declines in referrals and eventually revenue as a result. The good news is, you can improve patient outcomes and reduce rehospitalizations by following these three easy steps.
Never Stop Learning:
Staff training should be constant. Your staff is vital to the success of your organization and they are the first point of contact for your patients and their families. If they don’t have the training they need then the quality care of your patients will diminish as will your reputation.
There are dozens of employee friendly resources when it comes to training. No one thinks it is easy or always convenient to be in a constant state of learning but through leveraging online classes and mini information sessions, your staff will be well equipped and stay sharp.
Out with the Old, in with the New:
Evaluate all of your equipment and replace any that uses outdated technology or is difficult to operate. Your facility should be as current as possible. This helps you maintain an edge against your competitors and also ensures that you avoid inefficiencies. When patients are your priority it would be unfortunate to have a patient miss an important milestone and be readmitted to a hospital due to outdated technology.
Keep Talking:
Communication is key. When hospitals and post-acute facilities don’t converse with one another readmissions are more likely. You can put hospital care managers’ minds at ease by explaining your protocols and policies, such as how they’ll be alerted if a patient hasn’t met a goal.
At the end of the day, facilities that take steps to find solutions to problems will succeed. Being due diligent at your facility will keep referrals high and hospital readmissions low.