Partnering with home health care agencies is emerging as a new model of care and a core strategy in preventing hospital readmissions, according to a new survey.

Home health partnerships were the number-one strategy that 73% of senior hospital leaders adopt to lower preventable readmissions, as noted in a survey conducted by HealthLeaders Media Intelligence Unit in collaboration with Amedisys. 

Of the 106 senior leaders comprised of CEOs and physicians polled in the survey, 60% of hospitals said they already have selected home health care partners.  

“Hospitals are seeing the benefit of collaborating with post-acute care partners in an effort to improve their patients’ health and prevent hospital readmissions because we can deliver such regular oversight, including strategies such as patient education before discharge, medication management and primary care physician follow-up,” said Michael Fleming, MD and chief medical officer for Amedisys Inc.

Amedisys is a provider of home health care services that dispatches healthcare professionals to care for more than 360,000 patients each year and 60,000 each day. More than 2,200 hospitals have chosen Amedisys as a partner in post-acute care nationwide. 

Written by Jason Oliva