According to the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, nearly one in five Medicare consumers discharged from the hospital is readmitted within 30 days. Transitions for care are especially critical after a major medical procedure or health crisis to ensure a positive health outcome.
Great Plains Quality Innovation Network (QIN) is inviting thought-leaders and healthcare professionals from a variety of settings across South Dakota to a guided discussion of key topics related to readmissions.
Let’s Not Re-invent the Wheel: A Patient-Centered Approach to Preventing Readmissions will be hosted in Aberdeen, Rapid City and Sioux Falls, SD, to allow participants to consider high-impact opportunities and best practices for addressing super utilizers, appropriate opioid use and care transitions.
“The amount of information shared with a patient being discharged from the hospital can be overwhelming, especially if they are still in a state of discomfort,” explained Linda Penisten, RNC, OTR/L, program manager for Great Plains QIN. “The need for care continues after discharge and systems need to be in place to ensure follow-up care is provided.”
Rapid City Regional Hospital recognized the need for a more thorough discharge process and the changes have resulted in improved care management. Details of this quality improvement success will be shared during the Discharge Processes to Assist in Progression of Care Management webinar scheduled for September 27, 2018.
“Community care transition coalitions have been organized throughout the state to allow healthcare facilities to share best practices such as the discharge process used by Rapid City Regional Hospital,” continued Penisten. “We know there is great work being done. The readmission roundtable events will help us to capture and share successful quality improvement practices.”
Availability of a broad range of healthcare services and facilities is certainly a benefit and coordinating care among the providers presents challenges. Whether dealing with an acute health crisis or managing a chronic concern, patients and providers alike struggle to document, track and coordinate the specific details for medication, procedures, preventive care and more.
Throughout September, Great Plains QIN is offering various webinars on topics known to impact readmissions.
- Chronic Care Management: Medicare and Beyond – September 20
- Medication Assisted Treatment for Opioid use Disorder – September 26
- Discharge Processes to Assist in Progression of Care Management – September 27
Improving care coordination leads to better patient outcomes, overall satisfaction and reduces avoidable hospital admissions. Great Plains QIN partners with communities throughout the region to unite stakeholders, consumers and healthcare providers to improve communication and care coordination in an effort to reduce hospital admissions, re-admissions and medication harm.