Discharge Planning Advisor Archives – February 1, 2011
February 1, 2011
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Feds bringing out the big hammer to reduce rehospitalizations
The federal government has made clear many times in the past that if an industry can't clean up its own house, the feds will come in and do it for them in a way far more onerous than anything the industry might have done on its own. That's what is about to happen with discharge planning, say some industry insiders. -
Enhanced discharge planning by phone yields results
Telephone intervention can improve discharge planning when it is done in the right way, by the right people, according to the results of a program at Rush University Medical Center in Chicago. -
Special action team for first hours of discharge
A "high risk for readmission action team" (HRRAT) could be the way to address one of the weakest points in the discharge process, the day or two immediately after the patient goes home, says one doctor in Texas. -
ACOs emphasize prevention, coordination
As talk of reimbursement reform and pay-for-performance escalates and health care stakeholders look at ways to improve patient access and outcomes while reducing waste and costs, payers and providers are joining together to create accountable care organizations (ACOs), partnerships that agree to be accountable for the quality, costs, and overall care of a patient population. -
Insurer, physicians team up for patient care
When CIGNA members being treated by Piedmont Physicians Group in Atlanta are high-risk or noncompliant, Jennifer Farlow, RN, BSN, clinical care coordinator, contacts them and helps them get back on track for regular visits and recommended tests and procedures. -
Use hand cleansers to decrease absenteeism
Use of alcohol-based hand cleansers significantly reduced several common infections and reduced absenteeism in a study of 129 white-collar workers in 2005 to 2006, according to research from the Institute of Hygiene and Environmental Medicine in Greifswald, Germany.