To know more information or make a referral to ESH Home Health or Hospice, please email us at eshhomehealthandhospice@esmc.org
Hospice at Excelsior Springs, a patient focused hospice that achieved 100% in all CMS patient focused measures, provides Hospice care services in Missouri and specifically for patients in Clay, Ray, Clinton, and Caldwell counties. Committed to providing quality care to nearby communities, our cost-effective and high-quality services assist our referral partners in lowering their costs and improving quality metrics in various CMS programs.
Here are 4 important considerations while referring patients to Hospice:
- Quality of Hospice Patient Care
Hospitals and physicians can compare hospices using quality measures based on the Hospice Item Set (HIS) to make referrals. The Medicare quality of patient care score achieved by hospices is a direct indicator to the quality of care patients receive at the hospice facility and what caregivers should look for when choosing a hospice care agency.
Dexur’s (a healthcare data and research service) analysis of CMS quality measures shows that ESH Hospice was the only one out of 28 total hospices in the larger Excelsior Springs, Missouri area to achieve 100% score in all the six HIS care process measures reported.
2. Is the patient given an appropriate Hospice Discharge
Hospitals should make sure that patients leaving their facility are given appropriate Hospice discharge. Patients who are likely to have a higher chance of mortality should be discharged to a Hospice setting.
Why is it important?
Patients with high risk of mortality when discharged to Hospice have experienced improvement in their pain management and quality of life. Timely discharge to hospice can help prolong the life spans of these patients and avoid readmissions and early mortality. 30 Day Mortality measures are closely monitored by CMS for cost and quality programs like Value-Based Purchasing (VBP) Program and CMS Star Rating. Therefore, patients who are likely to have a high chance of mortality should be given a Hospice discharge.
Dexur analyzed Medicare claims data for two different Hospitals from Liberty and North Kansas regions in Missouri State and found the following:
A Hospital in Liberty, MO
The in-hospital mortality rate for the Index stay at a Hospital in Liberty, Missouri, is 47.91 percent of Total 30 Day Mortalities, with 310 deaths. 256 people (39.57 percent of total 30 day deaths) from the hospital died within 30 days of being sent to Hospice, while 83 patients (12.83 percent of total 30 day deaths) died without Hospice treatment after discharge.
A Hospital in North Kansas City, MO
The Index Hospital Mortality within 30 Days for Hospice discharge was 56.97 percent (801 deaths) of Total 30 Days Mortality for the hospital in North Kansas City, Missouri, and Out of Index 30 Day Mortality for patients without a Hospice care discharge was 13.58 percent (191 deaths) of Total 30 Days Mortality. The patients who were not discharged to hospice and died within 30 days of admission could have been considered for an appropriate hospice discharge.
3. Are patients with a higher chance of mortality given a Hospice discharge
Hospitals should always give a proper Hospice Discharge to patients with a high chance of mortality. Appropriate Hospice discharges increase the chances of patient survival and reduce the Hospital readmission and mortality risk. Dexur did an analysis on one of the top referral partners of ESH Hospice from Clay county. A look into the Hospital discharges based on ICD Codes shows that conditions with higher chance of mortality are not always given a proper Hospice discharge. For example, ICD Z515 – Encounter for palliative care has a hospice discharge rate of 46.71% (291 Hospice discharges of 623 hospitalizations with that ICD code). However, 332 hospitalizations (53.29% of Hospitalized Patients) with ICD Z515 – Encounter for palliative care are not discharged to hospice. Patients who are likely to have a higher chance of mortality should be appropriately discharged to a Hospice setting.
4. Are patients with prior Hospice stay considered for a Hospice Discharge
Patients who have earlier been admitted to Hospice care need Hospice services so as to avoid further worsening of their condition. Giving adequate Hospice care can help patients with pain management, quality of life, better life span and thus help Hospitals avoid early mortality and further Readmissions which can negatively affect Hospital Quality outcomes.
Discharge Analysis – With Previous Hospice Stay
Dexur’s Medicare claims data analysis of a top referral partner of ESH Hospice shows hospitalized patients who were not discharged to hospice even though they had a prior hospice stay. These patients could have been considered for a Hospice Discharge.
Cost and Quality insights from Dexur shows how ESH Hospice is more efficient in managing the first interaction costs, episode costs, and quality measures than other Hospice services in the region.
ESH Hospice has been one of the most appealing referral options for Physicians and Hospitals in the region. Our facility provides state-of-the-art quality care to the patients seeking quality and affordable Hospice services.