INCREASING CARDIOPULMONARY SERVICES
Volume 6 of 10
It is well known by now that patients with two or more chronic disease states count for the majority of dollars spent in healthcare. Developing or enhancing Cardiopulmonary service lines is a key strategy when coordinated with Population Health. Aligning the department capabilities and including patient navigators in the process will increase revenue, decrease readmissions, and promote preventative care.
There are steps to increase utilization of these services that will put your organization ahead of the competition while improving both the health of your community and patient satisfaction. Most facilities are underutilizing Respiratory Therapy services. Having Respiratory Therapists working to the top of their license while assisting providers with the treatment and management of COPD, asthma, and sleep disorders is fundamental to improving care delivery. I can’t tell you how many times I’ve seen a patient with a COPD diagnosis without ever having had a Pulmonary Function Test (PFT) completed. Having this test done is the only way to accurately diagnose and stage a patient with COPD. This is just one example of taking a certain population of patients and improving their care through recognizing and carrying out appropriate testing that will increase the bottom line of the organization.
Mentoring your cardiopulmonary staff and creating standard processes for cardiac testing, pulmonary and cardiac rehab, inpatient and outpatient services and interdepartmental communication will help drive quality improvement in these areas at minimal cost. We have tools to quickly implement and accelerate services and take your Cardiopulmonary staff to a new level. These strategies are a must have in today’s world of declining reimbursement. –QVSMedicalConsulting
