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Reducing Patient Readmissions Using HMS

Written by Arun Joseph Varghese | Jun 15, 2021 10:21:20 AM

Patient readmission after treatment is a major issue that affects the reputation of the hospital. In developed nations, there are regulations by the government which restrict the number of readmissions within a month of treatment by imposing penalties and payment cuts. 

Programs like the Hospital Readmissions Reduction Program encourage hospitals in the USA to improve communication and care coordination to better engage patients and caregivers in discharge plans and, in turn, reduce avoidable readmissions linking payment to the quality of hospital care.

Healthcare service providers need to have a clear policy for reducing patient readmissions to maintain the goodwill of their hospital or clinic. They can improve this through automated tracking of patients’ health records once they are discharged from treatment. Let us take a look at how HMS can help to achieve this.

Reduce readmissions through good infection control practices

The rate of patient readmissions is a very important quality indicator that shows how good the hospitals’ infection control practices are. The use of HMS helps to manage laundry and sanitation management of housekeeping services. The day-to-day housekeeping activities are monitored and managed systematically ensuring that patient revisits due to hospital-acquired infections do not occur.

Reduce medication errors that cause patient readmissions

Hospital management software can help reduce readmission rates by providing hospitals with a well-rounded approach to patient care. One of the most common causes for patients to return after treatment is medication errors, and this is an area that hospital management software can greatly improve upon. 

The best hospital management software will be able to track every step in the process, from prescribing medications all the way through administering them on site. This ensures that there are no errors made along the way and reduces the risk of relapse when it comes time for patients to leave. 

Patients who have their prescriptions tracked in advance will also know what they need before they even come into contact with a doctor or nurse, making administration easier.

Patient readmissions after treatment due to patient insecurity is a major concern for hospitals

These occur when patients return to the hospital within 30 days of discharge. This can be due to an injury or complication that arises from their original condition, but it could also be because the patient does not feel confident in managing their symptoms at home without professional assistance. 

Using Hospital management software will help reduce these visits by providing patients with personalized care plans and reminders about the medication intake.

Monitoring the after-care of patients is important.

The best way to ensure that patients who have gone through critical illness, injury, or major surgeries get the proper care and supervision after being discharged from the hospital is by using hospital management software for follow-up teleconsultations.

The various portals help to monitor the progress of the patients remotely. The patients and caregivers can make use of interactive portals to share information on the proper administration of prescribed medicines and also give guidance on proper health care. For example, if a patient has to undergo physiotherapy after the treatment the physiotherapist needs to have a clear idea about the patient's condition. It can be ensured that the proper transfer of the right information is made with the help of HMS solutions.

HMS can also be used to send automated notifications and alerts to patients about their next consultation and future tests. This will ensure there are no lapses in the patient's care.

Insta by Practo helps you with efficient patient care management, reducing unnecessary patient readmissions. Check out our free demo to learn how.

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