To Reduce Medicare Readmissions, Healthcare Embraces Post-Acute Partnerships

Sea Girt, NJ, September 17, 2014 --(PR.com)-- Post-acute partnerships— collaborations with home health, skilled nursing facilities (SNFs) and hospice— have emerged as a key strategy to reduce hospital readmissions, according to new market data from the fourth annual Reducing Hospital Readmissions Survey by the Healthcare Intelligence Network.

More than half of respondents have developed post-acute partnerships, with hospital-home health collaborations the most common (79 percent). These partnerships serve to streamline processes and care transitions, educate and align staff, and implement changes of value to patients, respondents say.

Looking at more conventional approaches to curbing readmissions, medication reconciliation and telephonic monitoring of patients post-discharge emerged as frontrunner strategies. Moreover, the survey revealed significant upticks in the use of each tactic over 2012 levels.

The survey also identified a significant jump from 2012 to 2013 in the use of inpatient coaching (30 to 48 percent) and post-discharge coaching (40 to 63 percent). However, the prevalence of pre-admitting coaching dropped from 22 to 15 percent.

More survey metrics are available in the 2014 HINtelligence report, Reducing Readmissions in 2014: Post-Acute Partnerships Foster Collaboration Across Continuum, a complimentary downloadable HIN white paper.

Download this white paper on Reducing Hospital Readmissions in 2014 at http://www.hin.com/library/registerreducereadmissions2014.html

News Facts: HIN's white paper, Reducing Readmissions in 2014: Post-Acute Partnerships Foster Collaboration Across Continuum, summarizes December 2013 responses from 116 hospitals/health systems, health plans, primary care practices and others on their approach to reducing readmissions.

Other data highlights from the survey include the following:

-Two-thirds of respondents have developed a program to reduce readmissions.

-In a new metric from the survey, more than half —52 percent—aim readmission reduction efforts at individuals with diabetes.

-Case management is the most successful approach to curbing rehospitalizations, say 27 percent. The case manager retains chief responsibility for reducing readmissions, say 34 percent of respondents.

-The non-adherent patient remains the greatest challenge of reducing readmission rates, say survey respondents.

Download this white paper on Reducing Hospital Readmissions in 2014 at http://www.hin.com/library/registerreducereadmissions2014.html

Quote Attributable to Melanie Matthews, HIN Executive VP and COO:

For Melanie Matthews's profile, please visit http://www.hin.com/bios.html#mm

"With the broadening of CMS penalties for 30-day Medicare hospital readmissions, it makes sense to partner across the care continuum with post-acute care, where many readmissions originate, bridging communication gaps and polishing patient handoffs. This HINtelligence report summarizes metrics and strategies to support those collaborations."