Increasing costs and supply chain issues influenced by the pandemic are persisting issues.
KLAS Research, a healthcare IT data and insights company, recently released its 2022 facility-based post-acute care report detailing the challenges the sector is facing.
Facility-based post-acute care struggled during the pandemic with media scrutiny, patient safety concerns, as well as staffing. Of the 82 leaders interviewed for the report, 73% identified staffing as their biggest challenge, noting that employee burnout, competing with staffing firms for talent, and managing intensive patient care for severe COVID-19 cases as contributing factors.
"Organizations are competing with staffing firms over resources; some respondents must pay triple the standard cost to hire staff," the report stated. "Additionally, many respondents feel that the pandemic has contributed to staff shortages, thus limiting the number of patients an organization can care for."
After staffing, regulatory requirements (29%) were the second challenge facing facility-based post-acute care. Issues with regulatory requirements can impact reimbursements and revenue cycle.
"Many respondents are frustrated that the requirements introduce redundancy to clinician workflows, make documentation overly complex, and increase the need for reporting," the report stated.
The third challenge cited was COVID-19 (24%) with increasing costs, low patient census, and supply chain issues, all effects from the pandemic.
The rest of the report focuses on technology solutions facility-based post-acute leaders are using or investing in to alleviate the challenges.
Jasmyne Ray is the revenue cycle editor at HealthLeaders.