“If hospitals were to actually implement all of the CMS advisory practice recommendations contained in this 35-page document, they’d be in really good shape for effectively managing transitions of care,” says Teresa L. Hamblin, RN, MS, a CMS consultant with Joint Commission Resources. “The government has provided robust practice recommendations that are a model for what hospitals can do. I’d advise doing your best to implement these recommendations. Check your current processes using this detailed document for reference.”
Discharge planning starts at admission, Hamblin says. If the hospitalist assumes that responsibility, it becomes easier to leave a paper trail in the patient’s chart. Other important lessons for hospitalists include participation in a multidisciplinary approach to discharge planning (i.e., interdisciplinary rounding) and development of policies and procedures in this area.
“If the hospital has not elected to do a discharge plan on every patient, request this for your own patients and recommend it as a policy,” Hamblin says. “Go the extra mile, making follow-up appointments for your patients, filling prescriptions in house, and calling the patient 24 to 72 hours after discharge.”
Weekend coverage, when case managers typically are not present, is a particular challenge in care transitions.
“Encourage your hospital to provide reliable weekend coverage for discharge planning. Involve the nurses,” Hamblin says. “Anything the hospitalist can do to help the hospital close this gap is important.”
Larry Beresford is a freelance writer in Alameda, Calif.
