Lights---Camera---Action: Production I: Acute Care Readmissions
Posted on Tue, Jun 05, 2012 @ 08:28 AM
By: Bridgette Leonard, Product Analyst, HealthMEDX, LLC
Acute Care 30-Day Readmission is front and center on the heath care stage. Even before the curtains are up for the 3 Acts- Congestive Heart Failure, Acute Myocardial Infarction and Pneumonia, you will need to know where you stand in the overall risk to readmissions and what you can do to mitigate that risk.
Despite not being able to reconcile the reason for readmission to the acute care facility, there is valuable information in auditing the EHR to find out patterns relating to the readmission outside of looking at the diagnosis groups. Begin reviewing the EHR for patients/residents who have had a 30-day readmission in the past 60-Days and perform an audit on at least 20% of the patient/resident electronic health records.
Within the electronic health records begin to trend:
1) The day the event occurs from Admission Date to day 30
2) The day of the week the event occurs
3) For LTC/SNF record the shift periods the event occurs
4) Determine what referral source places you at the biggest risk
5) The known practitioner (primary care, on-call or advance nurse practitioner) at the time of the event
6) Determine the primary physician of the patient/resident
7) For HH record the last HHRG for the patient
8) Know the primary diagnosis, but also what for trends with other diagnosis
9) Past ADL results
10) Past symptom related recordings, such as vital signs, weight, and lab
Knowing when the event occurs provides insight to where you need additional internal education, developing a triage program and determining the best resource mix. As you look at the trends in diagnosis contributing to the readmission, you will need to evaluate the care currently provide and what you need to improve this care with interventions that prevent readmissions. Analyzing clinical findings relating to care, functional recordings, vital signs and weight, will give you a better perspective on areas to watch and proactively manage.
Knowing this information and acting on this information, will give you the better seat in Acute Care Readmission production.