PATH ALONG Disconnect and Hospital Readmissions

The common theme in discussions regarding preventable hospital readmissions is the idea of a disconnect.  Disconnect speaks to how all the players fit together to create the health system experiences. 

The main reason that patients return to the hospital after discharge is that their health has deteriorated.  Discharged elders return to the hospital because they are scared and believe they need the help of another.

Hospitals seem to lack productive relationships with community organizations that could support the discharged elder in caring for themselves upon discharge.  The actual hospital discharge is void of a significant process that results in the elder being helped during recovery.

Payers (health insurance plans) want empty hospital beds.  Insurance plans can pay a medical provider for treatment at a much lower level when the visit occurs as an outpatient session.   Health insurance plans want recovery to occur in the community, out of the inpatient hospital setting.

Hospitals primary business is providing inpatient treatments and documenting the delivery of that care.   The fiscal end of a hospital business thrives when the beds are full and the revenue is flowing from the individuals health insurance plan. 

One can see that reducing hospital readmissions will contribute to empty hospital beds.  Proactive hospital providers are remodeling inpatient space to accomidate an outpatient delivery of medical treatments.

The performed outpatient treatments will be chosen for the higher margin of profit they can produce.   This is a replacement revenue stream initiated to compensate for the expected loss of inpatient stays.

Wisconsin's PATH ALONG model helps seniors during the hospital stay and with outpatient treatment visits.   PATH ALONG is a strong arm of Home Care Path (www.homecarepath.com) a community based organization commited to performing a service that supports the changing needs of an older population.

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