Can Hiring A Locum Tenens Physician Help Reduce Patient Readmission Rates?

Here’s the rule if you are not aware of it: The hospitals will be filed a penalty if they experience an increase in patient readmissions. However, there is good news for hospitals! Make sure to hire a locum tenens physician to reduce the probability of getting penalized.

Go through this article in detail to understand the importance of higher patient readmission rates in hospitals and how hiring a locum tenens physician can solve this problem.

Higher Patient Readmission Rate – Is it really an issue?

An increase in patient re-admissions proved to be a major concern among hospitals in the U.S. This unexpected rise in every hospital can lead to higher medical expenditure. That’s why the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) penalize hospitals if patients readmit for medical treatment to address this issue.

Currently, the penalty is implemented when patients get readmitted to their hospitals within 30 days of their initial admission. The ailments that come under the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) guidelines include:

• Heart attack as well as its failure
• Respiratory diseases like chronic lung disease and pneumonia
• Surgeries like hip and knee replacement procedures
• Coronary artery bypass graft surgery

Mostly, the hospital readmission penalties go up to 3 percent of the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) payment.

Here’s one instance. Even after the implementation of penalties, over 2,600 U.S. healthcare facilities got penalized in 2015. Hence, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) withheld over $500 million amount.

Would you like to know more information about the regulations regarding the CMS penalties on healthcare facilities due to higher patient readmission rates? Go through Hospital Readmissions Reduction Program. It was listed under the Affordable Care Act (ACA).

It is very evident that several patient readmissions cannot be avoided so easily. However, many of them can be prevented by offering the right timely support. That’s when locum tenens providers can be hired to mitigate the probability of severe penalties.

Can locum physicians help reduce the patient readmission rate? If so how?

Several research studies revealed the factors responsible for mitigating patient readmission rates. Here is the list:

• Include in the workflow to follow up the patients within 7 days of admission. Doctors can do it with the help of phone calls, direct visits, or online video consultations.
• Make sure to educate every patient about the significance of their overall health status
• Perform a timely diagnosis
• Provide the right treatment according to the unique needs during hospitalization

To achieve all the above objectives, you need support. And that’s where locum tenens physicians play a critical role. They can help healthcare organizations especially hospitals in providing the above-mentioned services thereby reducing patient re-admission rates.

Since full-time care providers are too busy with their consultations and administrative work, they already experience burnout issues. In that case, patient follow-up is something they cannot manage easily.

Locum tenens providers take part in relieving some of the work-related burdens lying on full-time doctors. They deliver follow-up care on time especially after the discharge of patients while providing additional support to hospitals that are so busy. As mentioned already, locum tenens providers can educate every patient and clarify their queries regarding the importance of managing their health condition especially post-discharge. When every healthcare organization has the timely support of locum tenens, full-time care providers can efficiently care for their patients during their initial hospitalization, mitigate higher patient readmissions, and avoid CMS penalties.

Wrapping Up

Is your healthcare facility looking for the appropriate solution to reduce the higher patient readmission rate as well as CMS penalties? Here’s the best solution. Recruit a locum physician who can help your organization from harsh CMS penalties by providing exceptional clinical outcomes. At the same time, they can take care of your patients’ post-hospital discharge.

Do you need a digital hiring platform to post a locum job and get the right locum candidate that suits your unique needs as early as possible? Sign up ProLocums, the locum staffing platform, right away! For any more information or queries, you can send an email to info@prolocums.com.