Discharge Planning Advisor Archives – April 1, 2011
April 1, 2011
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Transition planning, management focus on continuity of care
Don't say "discharge" to Hussein Michael Tahan. He prefers that you use the word "transition," as in transition planning and management. -
Coalition takes aim at med reconciliation
One of the most complicated issues facing medical staff, patients, and their caregivers is medication reconciliation. The medicines a patient is taking when he or she enters a hospital should be reconciled with any new medication the patient is given or prescribed while in the hospital. -
Take 'time out' for discharge, expert says
Health care professionals are familiar with the "time out" surgical teams take before beginning an operation. Teams check and validate vital information on each patent in order to prevent drastic mistakes. -
Readmissions are costly to providers, payers
In today's healthcare environment, as patients are being discharged from the hospital sicker and quicker than ever before, some patients are in and out of the hospital as if they are going through a revolving door, says Catherine M. Mullahy, RN, BS, CRRN, CCM, president and founder of Mullahy & Associates, a case management training and consulting company based in Huntington, NY. -
6 ways to prevent hospital readmissions
To prevent hospital admissions, gather as much information as possible about the patient's discharge needs, psycho-social needs, and support systems in the community, Cory Sevin, RN, MSN, NP, director with the Institute for Healthcare Improvement advises. Talk to family members and primary care providers who know the patient and can provide first-hand information, Sevin says. -
On-site nurses reduce readmissions, overall LOS
By placing on-site nurse case managers in hospitals and post-acute facilities, Presbyterian Health Plan of New Mexico has saved more than $1 million in just 10 months, according to Paula Casey, MSN, RN, ONC, CCM, clinical director for inpatient and recovery services at the Albuquerque-based health plan. -
Following up care cuts readmissions
WellPoint's initiatives to reduce hospital readmissions by following up with Medicare Advantage members after discharge has decreased the readmission rate and reduced skilled nursing days, according to Karen Amstutz, MD, vice president and medical director of care management for seniors and state sponsored business for the Indianapolis-headquartered health benefits company. -
Bridging the gap between ED and PCP
There are literally dozens of studies that enumerate some of the problems that plague patients as a result of imperfect transitions of care.