Online Program

Utilizing Healthcare Data to Drive Operational Changes among Post-acute Care Services (303444)

"Background: Post-acute care is just one component of the healthcare continuum, but is one of the fastest growing fields. Due to this growth, CMS has identified post-acute care as a critical opportunity to help optimize health outcomes, reduce spending, and improve care across the continuum. Purpose: Post-acute care seeks to bridge gaps in the care continuum; however, complete data is the necessary foundation for actionable statistical analyses that drive operational changes including comparative effectiveness program evaluations and predictive modeling. Methods: A variety of statistical methodologies tailored for each project were performed including dashboard development and linear, logistic, and survival regression models for program evaluations. Results: Program evaluations shown to be effective at optimizing patient outcomes included a high risk case conferencing pilot, heart failure program, telemonitor program, vaccination program, and palliative care consultation program. Conclusions: Results suggest that effective post-acute, quality improvement programs that drove operational changes can have a significant impact on key quality outcomes across the continuum of care."