Q&A: Meeting new discharge planning requirements

Q: What are some of the challenges organizations may face when attempting to meet the new discharge planning requirements? What is the best way to handle these issues?

A: New CMS discharge planning rules went into effect on November 29, and many hospitals are still adjusting to the changes.

 Alan Cudney, RN-BC, MBA, MHS, CPHQ, FACHE, senior managing consultant at BRG | Prism Healthcare in Chicago points to two issues for organizations as they handle the new rules:

• Showing they are including patient goals and treatment preferences
• Efficiently incorporating quality and resource-use measures that are relevant and applicable to the individual patient

“The challenge here is that in times of resource constraints and mounting complexity, how do we do these things in a meaningful way that helps patients and families make better choices?” asks Cudney. “These are things we know need to be in place to support the continuum of care. Making sure it is consistently done, documented, and communicated in an efficient way will be key.”