Patient re-admission is as common as it is costly

Health care reform intended to address the massive costs of American patient care can have a good deal of work ahead. Practicing preventative medicine is vital to the nation's well-being, yet America doesn't seem to be proficient in that regard. A 2009 study by the New England Journal of Medicine shows that 20 percent of Medicare patients are back within the hospital a mere 30 days after initial release. In 90 days, one-third of patients have bounced back into care for the very same problems. What is maybe most disturbing is that after a year, two-thirds of patients are back in the hospital or dead. Article resource - Patient re-admission is as common as it is expensive by Newystype.com.

Constant re-admission is a tremendous financial drain

Medicare cost America $17.4 billion in 2004, writes the Huffington Post. That cash black hole forced Medicare to begin paying closer attention to which hospitals had the highest bounce-back rate of re-admission. Those hospitals with the greatest occurrence of re-admission faced economic sanctions. This threat created a new industry, where corporations would extend their services to those hospitals in need of improvement. As various studies show that 75 percent of re-admissions are preventable, there appear to be many avenues through which hospitals could enact improvements in patient care.

Hospitals and nursing homes won't take ownership

Re-admission, as outlined by industry experts, is probably due to communication breakdowns between hospitals and skilled nursing facilities. Not providing enough patient and medication info, neglecting follow-up appointments and providing confusing or contradictory patient care instructions are just some of the major issues America's health care system faces, writes the Post. Older patients on Medicaid – particularly those who shuttle between different types of care facilities – are among the most at risk in this communication black hole.

How Medicare and private insurance may be hurting themselves

The Huffington Post cites an American Geriatric Society study that shows that Medicare and private insurance businesses are "pushing very hard" to have stroke rehab patients admitted to skilled nursing facilities instead of inpatient rehab centers. Lower initial cost is the reason, but what the insurers fail to see is the significance of a re-admit rate that is seven times higher within the skilled nursing option. The foresight to see beyond the lower price tag is a skill Medicare and private insurers must develop.

Ask questions of your doctor and care facility

Left to their own devices, medical facilities will work to move patients out of care as easily as possible. This is why it is vitally significant that patients (Medicare or otherwise) and their loved ones question doctors concerning the risk of re-admission, and for making certain they understand the necessary care going forward. If you'd like more details on what questions to ask, check out the Huffington Post article.

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Huffington Post

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