Case Managers Orchestrate the Project & Bring the Team Together
We work with case managers, social workers, and insurance companies to support discharge-planning goals and minimize readmissions. Allow us to be the bridge between the inpatient environment and the home so your clients will have a smooth, safe transition home.
“Life Improvement through Home Improvement” TM
Home Modification Projects Require OT’s That Specialize in Home Modifications
Occupational therapists have different specialties such as inpatient, long-term care, pediatrics and home modifications.
If you are discharging a client with cognitive or physical impairments that limit function home then you need an OT that specializes in home modifications.
HMOTA Occupational Therapists Work Closely With the Rehabilitation Team to Ensure a Smooth, Safe Transition Home. Our Services Include:
- Evaluating the home to ensure a safe place for clients for discharge.
- Identifying and procuring adaptive equipment that fits the home environment and is appropriate based on client function.
- Working with architects, designers and contractors to modify homes for safety and accessibility.
- Evaluating for attendant care needs based on the client’s function and the home environment.
- Training patient and family on safe and effective use of home modifications and equipment.
Why Insurance Companies Request OT’s That Specialize in Home Modifications for Their Clients
- Increased economic value and affordability of care.
- Improve health outcomes.
- Ease administrative burden.
- Support the Comprehensive Patient Care Model.
- Implement Evidenced-Based Practice to guide decisions.
- Streamline process for obtaining durable medical equipment (DME).
- Maintain member retention, satisfaction, and positive outlook toward their Insurance provider.
Research Shows That OT is the Only Spending Category That Reduces Hospital Readmissions
Health Policy Researchers Find Occupational Therapy is Only Spending Category That Reduces Hospital Readmissions
An independent study by health policy researchers published in Medical Care Research and Review (Rogers, Bai, Lavin, & Anderson, 2016) found that “occupational therapy is the only spending category where additional spending has a statistically significant association with lower readmission rates” for the three health conditions studied: heart failure, pneumonia, and acute myocardial infarction.
The authors point out that “occupational therapy places a unique and immediate focus on patients’ functional and social needs, which can be important drivers of readmission if left unaddressed.”
Researchers Andrew Rogers (Johns Hopkins University), Ge Bai (Johns Hopkins), Robert A. Levin (University of Maryland School of Medicine), and Gerard F. Anderson (Johns Hopkins) used Medicare claims and cost data to examine the association between hospital spending for specific services and 30-day admission rates for heart failure, pneumonia, and acute myocardial infarction. They evaluated 19 distinct spending categories (including occupational therapy) in 2,791 hospitals for the heart failure analysis; 2,818 hospitals for the pneumonia analysis; and 1,595 hospitals for the acute myocardial infarction analysis.
The researchers point out that occupational therapy “focuses on a vital issue related to readmission rates—can the patient be discharged safely into her or his environment?” If not, occupational therapists address issues from physical barriers to daily function to support networks. They cite six particular interventions provided by occupational therapists that could lower readmissions:
1. Provide recommendations and training for caregivers.
2. Determine whether patients can safely live independently, or require further rehabilitation or nursing care.
3. Address existing disabilities with assistive devices so patients can safely perform activities of daily living (e.g., using the bathroom, bathing, getting dressed, making a meal).
4. Perform home safety assessments before discharge to suggest modifications.
5. Assess cognition and the ability to physically manipulate things like medication containers, and provide training when necessary.
6. Work with physical therapists to increase the intensity of inpatient rehabilitation.
The researchers identify occupational therapy as “one spending category that affects both the clinical and social determinants of health” and note that “investing in OT has the potential to improve care quality without significantly increasing overall hospital spending.”
“The findings of this important study highlight just one of the many roles occupational therapy practitioners are playing in improving quality and reducing healthcare costs,” said AOTA Executive Director Fred Somers. “Occupational therapy practitioners are proving to be an essential member of any interprofessional team successfully addressing the changing demands of the health care delivery system.”
Rogers, A. T., Bai, G., Lavin, R. A., & Anderson, G. F. (2016, September 2). Higher hospital spending on occupational therapy is associated with lower readmission rates.
Medical Care Research and Review
, 1–19. https://doi.org/10.1177/1077558716666981
A recent study found that ‘occupational therapy is the only spending category where additional spending has statistically significant association with lower readmission rates’.
For more information click here:
http://www.aota.org/Publications-News/AOTANews/2016/Occupational-Therapy-Reduces-Hospital-Readmissions.aspx