Use of Case Management/Discharge Planning to Reduce Length of Stay
Many hospitals are laser-focused on reducing length of stay in order to enhance patient experiences and boost financial performance.? A recent study by KFF shows that the average adjusted expense per patient day at hospitals in 2022 was $3,1025.?
Kenneth Kaufman, managing director of Kaufman Hall, observed in a blog post earlier this year that reductions in length of stay can produce dramatic increases in savings.? Mr. Kaufman pointed out that if a hospital with 425 beds that has an average length of stay of six days achieved a reduction in length of stay of one day, the hospital would save at least $20 million in operating expenses per year.
An increasing number of healthcare leaders are now advocating for discharge planners/case managers to play a key role in care coordination, including reductions in length of stay.
Perhaps healthcare managers have lost sight of the fact that discharge planners/case managers have been required to fulfill this role for quite some time based on Conditions of Participation (CoPs) of the Medicare Program for discharge planning.? According to 42 CFR 482.43 Condition of participation: Discharge planning, discharge planners/case managers are required to:
The use of discharge planners/case managers to manage length of stay is not new and isn’t based on potential reductions in length of stay with resulting savings and increased revenue.? Rather, case management is a discipline that is well-defined by standards of care published and periodically revised by the Case Management Society of America (CMSA).?
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Hospital leaders may marvel at their discovery of discharge planning/case management as a tool to assist patients and manage revenue, but the fact is that case management/discharge planning has been required for some time in order to maintain certification by the Medicare Program.
While newfound support is welcome, the role and contributions of case managers/discharge planners is long-standing and well known, especially among patients and post-acute providers. Perhaps now hospital leaders will share appreciation of the value of case management/discharge planning more often.
?2024 Elizabeth E. Hogue, Esq.? All rights reserved.
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I help clients Prepare Now, Decide with Confidence, and Feel Empowered: Healthcare Advocate (LPN & End-of-Life Doula). We should all be prepared before we need to be!
3 个月Case Managers play a critical role in our healthcare system, however, their value and knowledge of extended services is sometimes hard to find. I couldn’t count the number of times I’ve advised families to ask to see their Case Manager or Discharge Planner to be told, do we have one. Families being available at bedside doesn’t mean they will be available to assist at home. We much as we use staffing ratios for healthcare floor staff, we might just need guidelines for our folks to help determine and produce a safe and quality discharge.