Intelligence Unit
Special Reports
Special Events
Subscribe
Sponsored
Departments
- Leadership
- Finance
- Technology
- Physicians
- Community Hospitals
- Health Plans
- Marketing
- Quality
- Nursing
- HR
Follow Us
DEMYSTIFYING PATIENT THROUGHPUT TO OPTIMIZE REVENUE & PATIENT SATISFACTION
Zimmerman, April 25, 2004
It’s not about increasing bed capacity, it’s about optimal patient placement.
In the 1990’s, conventional wisdom indicated that widespread HMO coverage would diminish future utilization in the nation’s hospitals. Hospitals responded by consolidating services, reclassifying beds and closing hospitals. However, this prognostication has proven untrue as the American public “voted out” HMOs in favor of PPOs. Since PPOs are a less stringent gatekeeper, utilization of services has risen steadily and the industry is in the midst of a capacity and patient throughput crisis. Problems with patient throughput have resulted in lost revenue, ineffective policies and procedures, and dissatisfied patients.
In response to the increased patient demand for services, many hospitals are redesigning patient flow and facing a wide array of unsolved issues. These issues include overcapacity, diversions to competitor facilities, excessive wait times, poor bed placement control and a poor discharge process.
By Patricia Kloehn, Executive Vice President, West Coast Region
Zimmerman
www.zimmermanrcm.com
In the 1990’s, conventional wisdom indicated that widespread HMO coverage would diminish future utilization in the nation’s hospitals. Hospitals responded by consolidating services, reclassifying beds and closing hospitals. However, this prognostication has proven untrue as the American public “voted out” HMOs in favor of PPOs. Since PPOs are a less stringent gatekeeper, utilization of services has risen steadily and the industry is in the midst of a capacity and patient throughput crisis. Problems with patient throughput have resulted in lost revenue, ineffective policies and procedures, and dissatisfied patients.
In response to the increased patient demand for services, many hospitals are redesigning patient flow and facing a wide array of unsolved issues. These issues include overcapacity, diversions to competitor facilities, excessive wait times, poor bed placement control and a poor discharge process.
By Patricia Kloehn, Executive Vice President, West Coast Region
Zimmerman
www.zimmermanrcm.com
Most Viewed
Most Emailed
- CMS Seeks to 'Rapidly Reduce' Medicare Spending with $1B in Grants
- Building a Better Healthcare Board
- Case Study: Advance Care Conversations
- Patient Harm Data to Remain on Medicare's Hospital Compare Site
- Quiet ORs Better for Patient Safety
- Hard-Nosed About Physician Teamwork
- Hospital Pricing Data Dump Won't Hurt You, Yet
- CMS Releases Hospital Pricing Data
- Tavenner Confirmed as CMS Administrator
- Evidence-Based Practice and Nursing Research: Avoiding Confusion
