From my conversations with providers and what I've observed in the field, 55%-65% of referrals face leakage-meaning many clients are missing out on timely care. This not only affects the health outcomes of our patients but also places a heavy administrative burden on care staff, who often have to manually chase down missing information to get patients scheduled.
When referral leakage occurs, it disrupts the coordination of care, leaving patients waiting longer than necessary and overwhelming care staff with follow-ups. The constant back-and-forth with faxes and phone calls reduces the time our care staff could otherwise spend focusing on patient care, especially for those in urgent need. As we all know, these delays can be detrimental to a patient's health, particularly in hospice settings where time is precious.
How is your team handling referral leakage here? What strategies or tools have you tried to ensure patients receive the care they need without unnecessary delays?
This newsletter article provided a very useful breakdown of sources of leakage and solutions.
P.S.
I've noticed that a few providers have started exploring automated solutions to help address these referral challenges and streamline processes. I'm curious-have any of you looked into this, and if so, what has been your experience?
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Anand Tambey
Houston TX
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