The Conditions of Participation for Discharge Planning set for change

[Roger Steven]

The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) has proposed major changes into the Conditions of Participation for Discharge Planning. These changes will have a profound effect on case management departments, which are now required to put in place a plan of action that addresses the new requirements that will affect their departments. Among the changes that will be made are out-patient discharge planning assessments, 7 days a week/24 hours a day discharge planning, and care giver assessments.

In view of the magnitude and scale of implications the new CMS regulations will have on case management, each case management department needs to devise a strategy that addresses these changes. Senior leadership, physicians and out-patient departments are expected to come under the ambit of these proposed new changes.

Areas that will be affected by the new changes

The new changes the CMS has brought into the Conditions of Participation for Discharge Planning will mean that hospitals make major changes into many areas of their work. These are a couple of them:

-        Since the new regulations will require changes to staffing ratios for social workers and Registered Nurse (RN) case managers; departments will need to be on their toes at all times and will need to give up the luxury of working during fixed hours. One of the important areas that will require attention by hospital staff includes the “choice lists” for patients transferring to skilled nursing facilities or home with home care. These lists will now need to include the quality rating from the CMS of the home care agency or skilled nursing facility in order to help patients make informed choices based on quality

 

-        Compliance of a hospital’s case management with the current Conditions of Participation for Discharge Planning is another area in which changes have been proposed by the CMS. Case managers and social workers are required to show compliance with the existing rules that are not expected to be changing, such as comprehensive admission assessments for the purpose of discharge planning, and the Important Message from Medicare (IM).  This makes departmental auditing for compliance with the Conditions of Participation imperative. Hospitals have to make sure they internally audit for compliance with their discharge planning processes.

Learn the ways of doing it right and well

The ways of doing all these in a smooth and hassle free manner is the topic of a webinar that is being organized by MentorHealth, a leading provider of professional trainings for the healthcare industry. the expert at this highly valuable training module is Toni Cesta , Ph.D., RN, FAAN, who serves as Health Care Consultant and partner in Case Management Concepts, LLC, a consulting company which assists institutions in designing, implementing and evaluating case management models, new documentation systems, and other strategies for improving care and reducing cost.

Toni will cover the following areas at this webinar:

• Identify the current Conditions of Participation for Discharge Planning rules and regulations.
• Explain how the new CMS changes relate to transitional and discharge planning.
• Understand the new and revised case management standards, regulations, and laws put forth by CMS, TJC and the federal government.
• Evaluate case management protocols and how to audit your own department for compliance

Read more: http://www.mentorhealth.com/control/w_product/~product_id=800853LIVE

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