A lot can go wrong when an elderly patient is discharged home, from medication errors to transportation problems or self-care comprehension issues. However, an organization can create a solid discharge and transition process by focusing on some simple elements.
A business case for resourcing a compliance assurance program for privacy and security should be possible solely on the basis of the need to respond to complaints made directly to a covered entity (CE) (or business associate (BA) acting as an agent of a CE). However, despite stepped-up enforcement and periodic audits required by HITECH, industry experts still anticipate that a more proactive process for compliance may not be taken until an untoward event occurs. Consequently, other avenues for substantiating the importance of privacy and security measures are necessary and readily available. Information privacy and security officials may find it necessary to go beyond information about HIPAA Privacy and Security Rule enforcement in making the business case. Monitoring the general security industry and relating those risks to healthcare privacy and security are important when doing so. Consider the following:
The good news is that the rate of 30-day readmissions is going down in hospitals across the nation, according to a CMS report. The bad news is that fines are going up. CMS also added some new conditions to its readmission prevention list for 2015.
In October 2014 a record number of hospitals were fined for excessive care transitions. In total, CMS penalized some 2,610 hospitals, and will assess fines between October 2014 and September of this year. Through these penalties, the government has given hospitals sufficient incentive to revamp their processes with an eye on preventing readmissions and improving transitions.
