Mid way through the first year of a multi-year project, the state STAAR (STate Action on Avoidable Rehospitalizations) Project has begun looking more closely – at both the project and collaborative team level – at the role of home health care in readmission reduction. The project has recently added a special “Learning Community” for home health agencies and office practices that convenes for one hour a month. Any home agency, regardless of participation in STAAR, is welcome on these calls. Call-in information is at the bottom of this post.
Additionally, the STAAR project is bringing to light the possible underutlization of home health services. One effort to address this may be incorporated into an “enhanced admission” best practice for all STARR hospitals that will begin the process of assessing home-going needs upon admission. Members of the Home Care Alliance are working with IHI on a discharge criteria tool to be embedded in the enhanced assessment to screen for appropriatenss for home care.
The STAAR teams is also working on a guide for “Creating an Ideal Transition to a Home Health Agency” that will highlight practices, tools and case studies of promising changes.
The STAAR project represents a significant step forward in using cross continuum teams to make a real difference in readmission rates and in the projects own words to “create new public and professional norms in which avoidable emergency department visits and avoidable rehospitalizations are seen as system defects.”
Whether you are directly involved in a community collaborative or not, every home health agency is invested in this project’s work and outcomes.
Learning Community Calls for Home Health/Office Practice
Wednesday, April 7 from 1:00 – 2:00 PM, ET
Wednesday, May 5 from 1:00 – 2:00 PM, ET
Wednesday, June 2 from 1:00 – 2:00 PM, ET
To WebEx Website: http://ihi.webex.com
Call In Number: 866-469-3239
Session Number: 352 310 006
Session Name: STAAR OP & HH Learning Community Call
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