Between the COVID-19 pandemic and insurance coverage changes, patients and their family members have more choices for care than ever before. As consumers take on an increasing share of their healthcare costs, they are more concerned about the convenience of their care and the level of service they receive from various healthcare settings. They are also more aware of the differences in various levels of care, and which care setting may be best for them. During a recent Advisory Board National Meeting, Lifepoint was featured in a case study that focused on best practices for the first 24 hours after a patient’s admission. The meeting, titled Meeting Consumer Needs in Post-Acute and Senior Care, featured a number of industry experts in the post-acute space who shared strategies to build trust when consumer confidence is at an all-time high.
This consumeristic behavior calls for providers and health organizations to change their care models to adapt to the growing needs of patients, many of which are becoming increasingly complex care cases with multiple comorbidities. At Lifepoint, patients are fully oriented within 24 hours of their admission, ensuring trust and full confidence in care is established at the onset. Within Lifepoint’s inpatient acute rehabilitation hospitals and units, care teams focus on a number of factors within the first 24 hours of admission to establish and maintain patient and family member trust that will last the duration of the patient’s stay. These strategies includes:
- Orienting patients immediately to their new environment: Patients receive a tour of their room and communal areas to become familiar with their care setting, where they will be completing their recovery outside of their room, and many of the hospital or unit’s amenities.
- Describe workflow of facility: Patients are given a detailed explanation of how the facility functions in comparison to an acute care experience, giving patients an opportunity to ask questions about their care setting and any concerns they may have.
- Clearly communicate timing of appointments: Therapy and rehabilitation at Lifepoint facilities are intensive to ensure the best possible outcomes. To avoid confusion or uncertainty about the frequency of their rehabilitation or therapy hours, patients are regularly informed of when they can expect to see physician team members and therapy staff.
- Explain their care journey: Every patient may have their own expectations about their care journey and recovery goals, but may not feel comfortable sharing these goals or asking questions at the onset of their admission. To help patients feel comfortable and best understand what their care journey will entail, clinical teams explain what their journey to recovery will look like and what level of care they can expect in a post-acute setting.
- Digital connection to family members along the way: Lifepoint uses the RehabTracker app to share clinical updates with patients and families in laymen language with goals needed to be met before patients return home or to a lower level of care.
As health systems seek to respond to consumer demands, it’s crucial to consider and adapt to patient and family member needs and expectations within the first 24 hours of admission and throughout the duration of their stay.
To learn more about how Lifepoint can help your hospital address and treat growing patient needs, visit our website.
