Page 17 - Leisure Living Magazine May 2016

Hospital Readmissions Are
A Big Deal - Here’s Why
By Robin Small, Otterbein North Shore Senior Lifestyle Community
The CMS Hospital Readmissions Reduction Program (HRR) was put into effect for discharges beginning on October 1, 2012 and reduces pay- ments to hospitals who have excess readmissions. According to the American College of Emergency Physicians, 20% of Medicare patients are read- mitted to a hospital within 30 days of discharge. 12% of Medicare patients may be readmitted for potentially avoidable reasons. Readmissions can be expensive for hospitals and Medicare. A 10% decrease in avoidable readmissions would save the Medicare system $1 billion, or more! Why should you care? Number one, if you have to go to the hospital, after discharge you want to go home and stay there. Number two, in order for Medicare to remain solvent for our times and the future; we must be good financial stewards.
The five types of health cases that CMS identi- fied as having the greatest probability of re-hospi- talization are Acute Myocardial Infarction (Heart Attack), Pneumonia, Heart Failure, COPD and Joint Replacement. After discharge from the hos- pital with one of these or other health conditions, patients might go home with home health, spend time in a skilled nursing facility, or go home with no professional care. Of these three options, the most re-hospitalizations occur among those who go home without help. Sometimes re-hospital- ization is necessary due to a serious complication or a new health problem that appears after dis- charge. But some readmissions are avoidable. In a study published by ConsumerReports.org, there are processes that make a difference and reduce the chance that a discharged patient will need to return to a hospital within 30 days. Following are the key components of discharge planning that can help insure that a patient will have a suc- cessful and speedy recovery:
1. Good discharge planning. When patients understand what to expect when they go home and are provided with a plan for recovery, readmission rates decrease.
2. A follow up appointment with the physician should be scheduled before discharge and an
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emergency plan (telephone number to call) if the patient become ill, is key to a patients getting the attention and care they need.
3. A reconciled medication list should be given to the discharged patient. Also, if prescriptions are sent home with a patient, they should be filled and taken as instructed!
4. The home setting is very important. There should be a caregiver in the equation to provide care and attention.
By reducing re-hospitalization, we all win.
Patients recover faster, hospitals do not experi- ence cuts due to higher than normal re-hospital- ization rates, and the Medicare program pays out less in hospital reimbursements. If you need to go to the hospital for a number of days, remem- ber to be your own best advocate. Know that you have the right to choose where you receive your rehab therapy, and know that you are entitled to ask questions that will better ensure the best and fastest healing possible!
May 2016 LeisureLiving | 17