Post-acute care utilization is projected to increase 31% over the next decade, though that growth is no longer directly tied to hospital discharges, according to an April 2 report from Vizient and Kaufman Hall.
Researchers from the healthcare consulting and management company used data from the Vizient Clinical Database and CMS’ Medicare fee-for-service claims to analyze inpatient discharge patterns and post-acute care utilization trends.
Here are five notes from the report:
- Only 5% of post-acute care encounters are preceded by an inpatient hospitalization within 30 days.
- About two-thirds of inpatient discharges are sent home with self-care instructions, 14% are discharged to home-based post-acute care and 12% are discharged to facility-based post-acute care.
- About 84% of post-acute care patients are 65 and older, and nearly 85% of post-acute care patients are covered by Medicare.
- The average length of stay among patients discharged to post-acute care after a hospital stay is 8.9 days, compared to 3.7 days among patients discharged to home or self-care.
- Readmission rates followed a similar trend, with 20% of patients discharged to post-acute care after a hospital stay experiencing readmission, compared to 8.8% of patients discharged to home or self-care.
Read the full report here.
At the Becker's 11th Annual IT + Revenue Cycle Conference: The Future of AI & Digital Health, taking place September 14–17 in Chicago, healthcare executives and digital leaders from across the country will come together to explore how AI, interoperability, cybersecurity, and revenue cycle innovation are transforming care delivery, strengthening financial performance, and driving the next era of digital health. Apply for complimentary registration now.
