Pacific Hospital Long Beach Weighs in on How to Avoid Readmission to the Hospital After Discharge
Long Beach, California (PRWEB) July 22, 2013 -- Upon discharging a patient, the professionals at Pacific Hospital Long Beach make sure that they have the essential information necessary for continued recovery. The recovery process often extends past the hospital stay, making patient education and coordinated planning important elements. A recent article on PBS discusses strategies that patients can use to promote their own good health and reduce their chances of landing back in the hospital.
Unfortunately for many patients who have ongoing medical conditions, they frequently find themselves in the hospital. Daniel Tollins, a retired engineer, suffers from diabetes, high blood pressure, a liver condition, and cancer. But he is doing his part to stay out of the hospital by following recommended diet and exercise plans. He is also a member of the Post Acute Care Transitions, or PACT, group at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center.
The group is geared toward patients like Tollins who are frequently in and out of the hospital. Patients in this group “are monitored closely by a team of nurses and pharmacists between visits.” These professionals help to ensure that they are taking proper care of themselves. This includes taking necessary medication, exercising, and connecting with beneficial outside services. By maintaining better health, patients are able to stay out of the hospital and this helps to reduce health care costs. According to Betty Bowser, a PBS NewsHour health correspondent, “Nearly two million Medicare beneficiaries are readmitted within 30 days of discharge every year, which costs Medicare $17.5 billion in hospital bills.” Programs such as PACT are striving to reduce these costs.
Dr. David Goodman, co-principal investigator for the Dartmouth Atlas Project, offers tips that everyone can follow to help them avoid readmission to the hospital. The first is to plan ahead for care after leaving. Informing primary care physicians of hospital stays, test results, and other information can help them to provide better continuing care. Patients should also leave with knowledge about their condition and how to care for themselves. Asking questions for clarification is recommended. Patients should also understand what medications they are prescribed, how to take them, and why they are taking them.
Creating a written discharge plan that details the process from how the patient will get home from the hospital, to what care and medications are needed at home and any follow-up visits is helpful. The more details and specific instructions that are provided the better. Having a family member or friend there to help out and listen to the instructions as well is encouraged. This will allow them to better help out once the patient is back home.
Once home, it is important for the patient to follow through with all discharge instructions and follow-up care. They should make sure they keep all appointments, even if they are feeling better. When going to appointments it is helpful to bring a list of medications and even the discharge instructions. This will help when deciding further care.
“Patient education is very important,” states Laura Salas Reyes, Customer Service representative at Pacific Hospital Long Beach. “When leaving the hospital, the patient should understand what is necessary so that they can continue to make progress toward recovery. The more communication that occurs between the staff and the patient, the more informed they are about their care. This will help them to reduce their likelihood of readmission.” Professionals at Pacific Hospital Long Beach strive to ensure proper education and information is provided to patients prior to discharge.
ABOUT:
Pacific Hospital Long Beach is a fully accredited, full-service teaching hospital located in Long Beach, California. The hospital has 184 licensed acute care beds and a staff that is committed to providing high quality and compassionate care. It features innovative technology and offers patients a wide variety of services.
Francisco Floressantos, Pacific Hospital of Long Beach, 562-256-8380, [email protected]
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