Interdisciplinary Discharge Planning for Improved Outcomes, Satisfaction, and Financial Return in Rural Health Car

Healthcare is ever evolving secondary to regulatory and reimbursement change drivers. The United States healthcare system is currently amidst the transition to Value Based Purchasing, with the goal of offsetting the financial burden of healthcare. Superfluous spending following the advent of the Medicare and Medicaid programs, and the Fee for Service Payment structure, has led to the significant threat of Medicare fund depletion, and subsequently has endangered healthcare organizations caring for the Medicare patient population. This has created the need for healthcare organizations, including those in the rural communities within the United States, to create performance improvement initiatives to meet the Triple Aim of health care to remain financially viable. Comprehensive interdisciplinary discharge planning processes are recommended to improve patient and staff satisfaction, reduce the cost of care, and improve patient outcomes within the rural healthcare setting. These process improvement initiatives aim to overcome barriers inherent within the rural healthcare setting, while allowing for organizations to remain financially viable in the years to come as reimbursement continues to transition to Value Based Purchasing.