Medicare Advantage users had higher risk-adjusted 30-day hospital readmission rates than regular Medicare enrollees, according to data from a retrospective population-based investigation published in Annals of Internal Medicine. For three prevalent medical diseases, hospital admissions were compared.
One of the main causes of the income reduction in the healthcare industry is hospital readmissions. No hospital wants to keep admitting the same patient.
What exactly is hospital readmission, then?
Hospital readmission puts a facility’s finances under pressure when a patient is readmitted for a variety of reasons—personal or related to healthcare—shortly after receiving treatment for the same condition.
The likelihood of being punished by the Affordable Care Act increases with the readmission rate.
This affects the quality of treatment and care the hospital offers, endangering its image.
The patient’s health might deteriorate to the point that it is no longer treatable, raising new concerns about the therapies and drugs used at your institution.
What then causes a patient to return to the hospital in unhappiness or for their health to deteriorate from when they were discharged?
LANGUAGE RESTRICTIONS:
Not all patients who seek therapy speak English as their first language. Since of this, the majority of them return to the hospital because they are unable to comprehend their condition and the aftercare recommendations.
TECHNOLOGY:
In addition to language, technology presents a substantial barrier that makes it difficult for the patient to adhere to the recommended course of treatment. The patient doesn’t comprehend the majority of the new technology-based treatments or how it may speed up their recovery, which causes delayed progress and readmissions.
HEALTHCARE INSURANCE:
The patient’s kind of insurance, which determines the number of readmission rates. People with private health insurance see fewer readmissions than those with government health insurance, and their practices are less likely to face penalties under the Affordable Care Act.
HEALTH AWARENESS
Patients may be discouraged from asking questions, seeking advice, and learning more about how to take better care of themselves due to their inadequate understanding of their disease and the medical billing therapy. Their hospital admission will rise as a result. The facility’s financial stability will suffer if the audience is not informed or is not given information about their medical condition.
A patient must have a lot of social support from their family, the hospital, and their careers in order to transition from being discharged to receiving aftercare at home. This period is crucial because it has the potential to change the readmission rate. Hospital readmission will rise if the patient does not get enough social support (which many healthcare providers do not do).
INCOME:
Compared to higher income regions, low-income communities with limited access to contemporary technologies have a greater likelihood of readmissions. They are also more likely to get fines because of their little to nonexistent risk assessment and management practices, which increases the financial burden and harms company reputation.
Now that you are aware of the factors that contribute to hospital readmissions and how they affect the revenue cycle for your healthcare, allow us to provide you some specific advice on how to reduce your hospital readmission:
IDENTIFY THE ROOT CAUSE:
Of the factors listed above, determine the problem your healthcare practice is now experiencing that is causing hospital readmission rates to rise. Plan an active strategy to reduce or enhance it based on it. Data analysis, a product of modern technology, may be used to pinpoint the patient who is most at risk for readmission. Social factors may also aid in better separating out the root reasons and creating a more specialized strategy for reducing hospital readmission.
A prompt follow-up within seven to ten days after hospital release to make sure the patient is properly adhering to the medicine and it is assisting in lowering the complication as predicted is one of the most efficient approaches to lower readmission rates. Hospital readmission rates are drastically impacted by the timing of the follow-up.
A PROPER TRANSITION FROM TREATMENT TO CARE AND HOME SETTINGS IS AN ESSENTIAL FACTOR IN IMPACTING HOSPITAL READMITTANCE.
No of the environment, the hospital is accountable for ensuring that healthcare services are provided in a sufficient manner. In order to guarantee that the transition care is adequately optimized and hospital readmission is avoided, comprehensive discharge planning and risk assessment should be conducted.
IMPROVE PATIENT ENGAGEMENT:
One of the biggest obstacles in the transition from treatment to aftercare is communication. The patient, caregiver, and doctors must effectively communicate recommendations, instructions, and treatment regimens throughout the transition. It is very normal for the patient to just have a cursory awareness of the medical issue or how to guarantee correct upkeep. The likelihood of a hospital readmission is threatened by this.
For this reason, it is crucial for the hospital to make sure that a suitable program is put in place for patient active engagement and education regarding their medical condition and how they must go about their daily lives after being discharged from the hospital. This may include help for transit facilities, appointment reminders, etc.
ENTIRE FINANCIAL SYSTEM OUTSOURCING:
Both the reputation and overall financial health of the firm are impacted by hospital readmission. Why not outsource revenue cycle management—either a portion of it or the entire cycle—if you feel your internal team is struggling to perform? Consider an appointment reminder as an example. A follow-up reminder after a week of treatment can identify treatment and medication complications in advance and keep the patient vigilant about their health.
At P3Care, we offer a specialized appointment reminder service to make sure that patient no shows—one of three major financial setbacks for a practice—are significantly reduced and patients arrive on time, which will also have a positive effect on hospital readmission rates.
We offer our services on basis with no requirement to sign a long-term contract because we believe in granting our customers the freedom to try them out before they decide to buy, and as a result, they do.
The readmission rates at your practice will immediately decrease thanks to our appointment reminder service.
Also Read: How to Identify the Best Pathology Billing Services?
