No home health services mean longer hospital stays
Hospitalist Leadership Connection, July 7, 2009
More than half of doctors prolong patient stays in the hospital because of a lack of home health services, according to a recent study, “Physicians’ Utilization of Home Health Services,” by the Massachusetts Medical Society.
Most physicians surveyed (89%) said they believe home healthcare services (skilled nursing care, physical and occupational therapy, speech-language therapy, and medical social services) can reduce inpatient admissions without compromising quality or patient outcomes. However, 52% said they have kept patients in the hospital because a lack of home healthcare access.
What’s the biggest barrier to connecting patients with home health services? More than half the surveyed physicians said it was paperwork, and another 40% said it was reimbursement issues. The majority of doctors (64%) were not aware they could receive Medicare reimbursement for such services. Another reason for failing to submit for reimbursement was the lengthy amount of time spent on documentation.
The study concluded that a possible solution is to provide physicians with a less burdensome administrative process to reimbursable home healthcare services.
[via HealthLeaders Media]
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