Health literacy can have a major impact on patient outcomes. If a patient doesn’t understand his or her condition, the reasons for treatment, and how to properly take medication, the patient could experience a relapse or adverse reaction.
Anita is a 76-year-old patient who cannot be insured. She has no income and came to the U.S. on a green card that expired many years ago. Anita has end-stage renal disease and can no longer care for herself. Her disease has progressed so dramatically that she will never be able to stand or walk on her own again. What can a case manager do in this complex case to ensure Anita receives care?
With new attention on the care continuum, many new roles are being created to both complement the comprehensive needs of patients and ensure that licensed individuals have the opportunity to work at the top of their license. As a result, many organizations are adding positions called navigators or health coaches to provide more support to the patient and family around the logistics of care.
If provisions of the 2019 IPPS proposed rule related to admission orders become a reality in October, case managers could be relieved of a big headache. If this portion of this rule is finalized, CMS would reverse the requirement that a physician’s order must be in the medical record for the hospital to bill for inpatient services under Medicare Part A.
