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Learn MoreAccording to a recent report by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid (CMS), the United States spent nearly $2.9 trillion on healthcare in 2013. Medicare accounted for 20 percent of it. That amount is expected to increase exponentially during the next 15 years due to the increased number of baby boomers who are eligible for Medicare. Ten thousand baby boomers become eligible for Medicare every day, which means that, by 2030, this generation will account for the majority of the estimated 55-percent increase in Medicare enrollment.
This dramatic increase in the number of Medicareeligible patients puts hospitals at risk for increased costs associated with hospital readmissions. CMS estimates that one in five Medicare patients is readmitted to the hospital within 30 days of discharge, which currently costs nearly $12 billion each year. It is estimated that 40 percent of these readmissions are avoidable simply by improving care coordination and promoting service integration between healthcare settings. Since patients who experience uncoordinated care incur costs that are, on average, 75 percent greater than patients who received coordinated care, the savings to hospitals that implement these practices could be astronomical.
Care Coordination as a Strategy to Reduce Readmissions
Faced with mounting costs, the need to prepare for the coming storm, and the data supporting the implementation of care coordination and service integration processes, many organizations have already begun to address the need for care coordination during the 30 days following discharge. That window is critical for a couple of reasons. First, hospitals will be penalized for certain readmissions by Medicare during that period; and, second, patients are most vulnerable during that time. Many patients do not understand their diagnoses and/or treatment plans, or know the person to contact for questions or concerns. That is evident from the fact that less than half of all hospital patients (not just Medicare patients) follow up with their primary care physician within 30 days after discharge.
Based on these trends and opportunities for significant savings, healthcare organizations are expanding their discharge processes to include care coordinators, or extensivists. Extensivists help coordinate and manage patient care plans and transitions, and improve patient outcomes through better communication between patients and providers. This coordination can be provided both directly and indirectly. Indirectly, they serve as an easily identifiable contact for patients when questions or concerns arise. Directly, they assist with patient and family understanding of treatment adherence, and help to organize care information across all settings. They also assist patients with navigating care processes across the care continuum, which is important since there are such a large number of healthcare settings that function independently, and since there is a wide variety in “protocols, standards, and information systems.”
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HealthStream’s learning management system and healthcare training solutions support medical training initiatives and allow for the best patient care.
View All Learning & PerformanceHealthStream offers performance learning management solutions to help develop your healthcare staff into leaders and reduce turnover.
View All ProductsHealthStream works with healthcare organizations to create engaging and high-quality training videos for your staff and management.
View All ProductsImprove care quality and save money by making informed decisions about your healthcare facility and staff with HealthStream's reporting analytics solution.
View All ProductsHealthStream's proven methods for the improvement and overall engagement of your healthcare staff foster a positive workplace and increase retention rates.
View All ProductsWhen you enact HealthStream's quality compliance solutions, you can do so with the confidence your healthcare organization will meet all standards of care.
View All Quality & ComplianceBe confident in your staff’s ability to reduce risk by providing compliance training that changes behavior.
View All ProductsDevelop next-level people for next-level care by prioritizing quality and safety improvements.
View All ProductsEstablish a culture of belonging with education supporting DEI, wellness, engagement, and leadership development.
View All ProductsUtilize patient access solutions and advanced reimbursement solutions to manage clinical denials and improve your organization’s reimbursement strategy.
View All ReimbursementExpand the decision-making skills and effectiveness of your healthcare workforce with HealthStream's clinical development programs and services.
View All Clinical DevelopmentLearn about our advanced resuscitation training solutions. Our solutions are designed to help improve patient outcomes.
View All ProductsOur competency development solutions personalize learning for clinicians to bridge the gap between theory and practice for your nurse residents.
View All ProductsEnhance maternal & child nursing care with solutions focused on improving the quality of care for mothers, infants, and children.
View All ProductsAddress staffing orientation challenges to easily achieve and maintain certification with our emergency and acute care training solutions.
View All ProductsAs a premier provider of healthcare education, we are committed to promoting safer, more successful surgical and sedation outcomes for each and every patient.
View All ProductsOur solutions are designed to cater to the needs of patients, healthcare professionals, and organizations dealing with illnesses or chronic conditions.
View All ProductsMake sure your healthcare staff can schedule out appointments and work schedules with ease using HealthStream's line of software solutions.
View All SchedulingHealthcare workforce management is essential. We provide advanced scheduling solutions for organizations to solve issues such as nurse retention
View All ProductsComprehensive, industry-leading provider onboarding and credentialing software that validate health outcomes and support provider assessment.
View All CredentialingOur affordable CVO credentialing services establish patient safety by enabling primary source verification for your healthcare organization.
View All ProductsIntegrate with Epic to validate and add new providers directly to your provider master file.
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