Due to the current infrastructure of the healthcare system, patients often encounter fragmented care when moving between healthcare settings. To that end, patients are frequently discharged home from acute care settings without a caregiver or family support structure in place and are later readmitted for related issues as a result.
According to the Department of Health and Human Services, one in five patients who leave the hospital will be readmitted within 30 days. It is estimated that up to 76% of these readmissions may be preventable and that the average cost to Medicare per readmission is $7,200. These numbers are staggering considering that some of the contributing causes could be avoided with a variety of low-cost, nonmedical solutions.
To help reduce unnecessary hospital re-admissions, Right at Home, an international home care provider, has created a program which is based on their participation and the outcomes of a three-year pilot program with the Forsyth Medical Center. This program places emphasis on patient-centered care through care coordination as well as personal and companion care services that are critical to the patient’s recovery following discharge. By addressing the needs of the hospital’s patients and taking accountability for their care, this program was successful in reducing hospital readmissions by 65%!
To provide a better explanation of home care’s impact on the topic of avoidable readmissions, this session will provide a detailed case study of the Hospital to Home pilot program, including participation criteria, program design, services provided and pilot outcomes. Time will be permitted at the end of the session for questions from audience members.
