Follow-up yields higher patient satisfaction, better care and opportunities to enhance population health management and revenue
Emergency departments may be located at the back of most hospitals, but they serve as the front door for a large and growing portion of patients. In fact, a recent study found that ED patients account for more than 50 percent of hospital admissions and 45 percent of total hospital revenues. Moreover, these figures are rising as more patients use the ED not only as their first point of care, but also as their chief source of primary care, whether they are insured or not.
As a result, hospital and health system leaders are beginning to realize two things: First, far from operating virtually as an entity unto itself with its own set of patients, conditions and protocols apart from those of the rest of the hospital, the ED in reality can serve as an integral part of an overall patient population health management strategy. Second, they are beginning to see the opportunities this trend presents for a new source of patients and downstream revenue.
As such, they are looking to implement strategies to prevent patients from leaving the system after emergency department or inpatient setting discharge. One such strategy involves timely and personal post-discharge follow-up. Solid protocols in this area can help organizations realize significant benefits to patient care, patient retention, population health management and the hospital's long-term financial viability.
Facilitating care continuity
A personalized follow-up encounter presents clinicians with the opportunity to check on the patient's condition and compliance with care instructions after he or she leaves the hospital. A study of more than 1,150 hospitals by Consumer Reports found that readmissions often result from a lack of clearly communicated discharge instructions. By making contact with patients post-discharge — such as via a live-voice follow-up call within 24-48 hours — organizations can answer patient questions and support better continuity of care while identifying potential issues that if left unchecked could result in readmission. Not only do readmissions cause additional stress for patients, they can result in substantial Medicare reimbursement penalties for hospitals if the readmission is tied to the same diagnosis related group. A useful byproduct of post-discharge follow-up is that it has the potential to limit readmissions when used as part of a multifaceted discharge process.
Enhancing patient acquisition
Post-discharge follow-up can also serve as an important tool for patient acquisition, leveraging the opportunity to transition patients to a primary care provider within the network once they leave the hospital. Some 40 percent of all ED patients don't have a PCP. Many of these individuals have insurance and can afford to pay for primary care, but they opt not to select a PCP for whatever reason. During a follow-up encounter, hospital representatives can determine whether the patient has a PCP and if not, refer the patient to a physician within the hospitals' health network, even setting up appointments and arranging for transportation. This allows the hospital to keep the patient engaged in his or her health while growing the network's patient population and increasing opportunities for new revenue.
Elevating patient satisfaction, engagement
Timely patient follow-up can also boost patient satisfaction as patients tend to feel more positively toward the hospital when they receive personalized contact after discharge. Hospitals are seeing a direct correlation between follow-up contact and higher HCAHPS scores. What's more, patients who receive live-voice contact after discharge consistently report feeling better cared for and receiving higher quality of care than those who receive recorded calls or voicemail messages.
Enhanced patient satisfaction not only has clinical benefits in terms of improving patient engagement, but it also helps the hospital financially, leading to greater patient loyalty, retention and even attraction. If an organization leverages increased patient satisfaction scores in marketing efforts, it can shape public perception of care quality and potentially generate new patient business.
Supporting a long-term relationship through retention
In addition to driving patient satisfaction, follow-up contact presents the opportunity for a hospital to develop an ongoing relationship with each patient that supports patient engagement, wellness care and long-term health. This can lead to future engagement with the hospital through classes, seminars and other community outreach efforts, improving population health and also opening up new streams of revenue. Effective follow-up efforts can also help hospitals and health systems target market specific patient groups according to their particular healthcare needs, thereby opening up service lines and revenue streams.
For hospitals and health systems operating in today's evolving healthcare environment, it is becoming apparent that a large and growing number of patients present through the doors of the emergency department. This trend represents a significant opportunity for hospitals to increase patient satisfaction and outcomes while expanding the organization’s patient population, improving population health management, and enhancing downstream revenues. When part of a comprehensive post-discharge strategy, regular and personalized follow-up can help an organization draw ED patients into the health system, ultimately improving their care while enhancing the organization's bottom line.
Steve Whitehurst is the vice president and general manager of Stericycle Communication Solutions.