Patients who require nutrition support after discharge can be at risk for readmission if their condition isn't managed carefully. They may experience complications from underfeeding, dehydration, and electrolyte imbalances, says Noreen Luszcz, RD, MBA, CNSC, Walgreens Infusion Services (WIS) nutrition program director.
Not only do case managers have a role to play when inmates are treated at their facilities, but they can also help former prisoners get ready to reenter society.
The federal government has been pushing hospitals to reduce the number of preventable readmissions. Now it's putting some money behind the initiative by adding two new CPT codes that will allow physicians to bill for care that may help keep patients out of the hospital.
It is an ongoing challenge for case managers to determine whether a patient is more appropriately placed as an inpatient or in observation. Below are some real-life examples provided by Deborah Hale, CCS, CCDS, in the HCPro book Observation Services: A Guide to Compliant Level of Care Determinations.
