http://blogs.hcpro.com/casemanagement/2009/06/what-about-those-hospital-discharges/ Thu, 19 Nov 2009 20:01:01 -0500 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.8.5 hourly 1 http://blogs.hcpro.com/casemanagement/2009/06/what-about-those-hospital-discharges/comment-page-1/#comment-162 Stefani Mon, 15 Jun 2009 13:36:17 +0000 http://blogs.hcpro.com/casemanagement/?p=1160#comment-162 Loretta - Our team has been relentlessly urging clients to focus on the access management component of the acute episode of care for exactly the reasons you cite. And with the RAC howling at the door, there is even more reason to begin the acute episode of care with a clear picture of the patients needs (inpatient vs obs), identification of any potential progression-of-care obstacles (throughput), and a tentative plan for probable post acute needs (transition). This is not rocket science, but with hospitals' slavish focus on LOS, their commitment to access mgmt resources is not always where it should be. Loretta – Our team has been relentlessly urging clients to focus on the access management component of the acute episode of care for exactly the reasons you cite. And with the RAC howling at the door, there is even more reason to begin the acute episode of care with a clear picture of the patients needs (inpatient vs obs), identification of any potential progression-of-care obstacles (throughput), and a tentative plan for probable post acute needs (transition). This is not rocket science, but with hospitals’ slavish focus on LOS, their commitment to access mgmt resources is not always where it should be.

]]> http://blogs.hcpro.com/casemanagement/2009/06/what-about-those-hospital-discharges/comment-page-1/#comment-156 Laura Ostrowsky Fri, 05 Jun 2009 20:11:50 +0000 http://blogs.hcpro.com/casemanagement/?p=1160#comment-156 I am the Director of Case Management at Memoria Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center. I agree that early discharge planning is essential. We currently have a case manager in outpatient who meets with elective patients prior to admission to begin the discharge planning process. Office practice nurses in ambulatory also alert inpatient case managers about patients with post discharge needs in advance of admission. Discharge planning at Memorial is performed by nurse case managers. The inpatient case managers conduct an assessment of discharge planning needs at the time they perform their admission review and update the plan as needed throughout the patient stay. I am the Director of Case Management at Memoria Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center. I agree that early discharge planning is essential. We currently have a case manager in outpatient who meets with elective patients prior to admission to begin the discharge planning process. Office practice nurses in ambulatory also alert inpatient case managers about patients with post discharge needs in advance of admission.
Discharge planning at Memorial is performed by nurse case managers. The inpatient case managers conduct an assessment of discharge planning needs at the time they perform their admission review and update the plan as needed throughout the patient stay.

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