Hospitals are failing to provide important discharge information to “post-acute care providers” causing the federal government to become involved. Nursing homes and long-term care facilities are lacking proper medical preparation for residents they are receiving from the hospital. This has become a recurring pattern that is seriously affecting facilities as well as the quality of patient care. David R. Wright, the CMS director of Quality, Safety & Oversight Group, told McKnight’s that CMS reports hospitals are leaving out parts of a patient’s medical history or writing down misinformation in the patient’s discharge documents.

CMS says there is a reoccurring pattern of hospitals leaving out important details or providing false information, especially regarding a patient’s mental health status, substance abuse issues, current medications, hospital diagnoses, lab results, discharge orders, and discharge medications. Additionally, McKnight’s reports that hospitals have also failed to notify “post-acute care providers” of certain equipment needed by residents (e.g. CPAP or oxygen machines), pressure ulcers, tears in the skin, bruises, and a resident’s caregiver needs.  If a resident is entering a facility with a specific medical condition and the facility is not made aware of this condition by the hospital, then the facility may not be able to adequately care for the resident. The hospitals’ failure to disclose information is creating a negative impact on residents that are entering facilities, staff, and residents already residing at facilities. Furthermore, many of these newly admitted residents from the hospital face a strong chance of hospital re-admission.

How can “post-acute care providers” and hospitals work together to overcome this issue? According to Melissa Brown, the Chief Operating Officer for Gravity Healthcare Consulting, electronic file sharing of a resident’s complete medical history between the two entities will better inform “post-acute care facilities.” CMS recommends that hospitals use a “standardized process” for a patient’s discharge, improve access to electronic medical records, and examine previous medical cases for future advancements

Contact an Experienced Nursing Home Abuse and Neglect Attorney

Please check in with your loved ones at their nursing home or long-term care facility to make sure they are receiving high-quality care. If you have been a victim of nursing home abuse and/or neglect, please contact Dougherty, Leventhal & Price, L.L.P. Our team will fight for you! Remember: Injury? Call DLP! (570) C-A-L-L-D-L-P.

Works Cited

Berklan, James. “CMS prods hospitals to improve discharge info for SNF’s home health.” McKnight’s Long-Term Care News, 7 June 2023, https://www.mcknights.com/news/cms-prods-hospitals-to-improve-discharge-info-for-snfs-home-health/. Accessed 8 June 2023.