woman confined at the hospital

Common Challenges When Reducing Hospital Readmissions

There are various reasons most hospitals have high readmission rates. A patient’s health condition is the usual reason for their need to be treated again after only a few days or weeks. But even hospitals have their fair share of challenges when reducing readmission rates. By addressing the following issues, it will be easier to lower the number of repeat clients and reduce costs:

Care fragmentation

Healthcare fragmentation is a struggle among all healthcare systems. This only goes to show that the U.S. is not the only country that tries hard to lower their readmission rates. The good news is that the kind of technology we have nowadays makes it easier to communicate and coordinate. By fixing communication issues, it would be much easier to share care plans. Many will find it easy to reduce if not eliminate errors. We can also improve coordination among all professionals involved in the treatment of patients.

Inefficient network

Take note that not all ERPs are created equal. Thanks to ERPs, healthcare professionals can now easily share information and communicate. As long as you have access, you can start sharing valuable information with other healthcare professionals. One can do this by having a reliable interoperability platform such as Julota by your side.

Poor patient engagement and education

nurse at the front desk of a hospital

Many patients don’t receive the necessary support they need from their healthcare providers. What happens is that they find it confusing enough to follow through with the treatment. Some are discharged without their caregiver properly communicating their conditions. Some even fail to communicate the complete care plan.

A study shows that some patients are not personally involved in their care. What we can do is to improve patient involvement. It is their attending doctor’s job to help them understand how the treatment and intervention will take their course.

Inadequate funding

Are the funds not enough to cover for all the needed readmission intervention? Then hospitals will find it hard to push through with the plans. This is why additional funding is a must if you want to lower the number of repeat patients. With adequate funding, you could provide for the needs of patients better.

These are only a few reasons many hospitals have a high repeat patient rate. By addressing these challenges, they can drastically lower the readmission rate in hospitals. They get to improve the lives of the patients, reduce their burden, and improve their quality of life.

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