Hospital Case Management – July 1, 2010
July 1, 2010
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Patient flow takes on new importance with health care reform
As hospitals face cuts in reimbursement and patients who become insured under health care reform legislation seek care, moving patients safely and quickly through the continuum of care is going to become important, experts say. -
Communication key to improving throughput
Improved communication, coordination, and collaboration among all members of the treatment team is the key to improving patient throughput, says Roxanne Tackett, RN, MBA, vice presidential of clinical services for Compirion Healthcare Solutions, a health care consulting firm with headquarters in Elk Grove, WI. -
Proposed IPPS hinges on accurate documentation
Cuts in reimbursement and new reporting of quality measures contained in the proposed rule for the Inpatient Prospective Payment System (IPPS) make it more important than ever for documentation to be accurate and complete, says Deborah Hale, CCS, president of Administrative Consultant Services LLC, a health care consulting firm based in Shawnee, OK. -
Prepare now for the implementation of ICD-10
You may think that because you're a case manager, you don't need to be aware of the implementation of the new International Classification of Diseases (ICD-10) codes. Or you may think that since they don't take effect until Oct. 1, 2013, you don't have to worry about them yet. -
Critical Path Network: Bed capacity project reduces discharge, ED delays
As a result of a joint initiative to improve bed capacity, Fort Sanders Regional Hospital and Parkwest Hospital in Tennessee reduced discharge delays, increased discharges between 11 a.m. and 2 p.m. by 8%, and consequently reduced the amount of time patients in the emergency department wait for inpatient beds from 70 minutes to less than 30 minutes. -
Critical Path Network: Bay Medical improves ED throughput via ICU
Frustrated patients, core measures that require timely intervention, and optimizing house beds. Those are the issues Bay Medical Center in Panama City, FL, decided it was going to deal when it hired a consultant in 2008. -
Medicare project focuses on hospital readmissions
Since DCH Regional Medical Center in Tuscaloosa, AL, and the Alabama Quality Assurance Foundation began collaborating on a Medicare demonstration project to determine the most effective ways to reduce readmissions for Medicare patients, the hospital has increased its referrals to home care, nursing homes, community resources, and medication assistance programs. -
MI system leads in effort to improve transitions
Hospitals will be hearing a great deal more about care transitions and reducing readmissions in coming years. Discharge planners and hospitalist leaders will be searching for models that are affordable, effective, and sustainable.