Every US hospital and physician entity says it is important for skilled nursing facilities to have a basic level of interoperability, such as electronic health records, to earn their referrals, according to a new survey of more than 400 providers.
A full 69% of respondents said it was very important for SNFs, illustrating the growing urgency for long-term care providers to better manage the process of exchanging healthcare information with other providers.
The biannual Interoperability and Engagement Research Report examined responses from more than 130 hospital and physician entities that refer patients for post-acute services and more than 300 post-acute care providers. Other key findings include the fact that 99% of referring entities said they’re more likely to send more referrals to SNFs that are more capable of receiving orders electronically. In addition, 79% of SNFs said they intend to invest in more advanced interoperability capabilities in the future, with nearly half of those planning to do so in the next 12 months.
Interoperability is in high demand partly because it enables the tracking of value-based care outcomes. According to respondents: 65% of referring entities report that greater than 25% of their revenue is now tied to value-based care arrangements, and 51% expect that percentage to increase over the next 12 to 18 months.
“As trends such as value-based reimbursement, care-at-home models, and clinical staffing shortages continue to impact the healthcare landscape, it is critical that PAC providers adopt the interoperable capabilities they need to gain efficient access to tomorrow’s referrals, deliver quality care to their patients, and improve outcomes,” said Nick Knowlton, vice president of Strategic Initiatives at healthcare technology firm ResMed. “This research initiative supports our long-standing mission to address unmet needs for advanced interoperability and engagement solutions across the post-acute care continuum and beyond.”
The survey was commissioned by technology provider Brightree and MatrixCare.
