Observation Management: Financial Impact on Hospitals and Best Practices

There has been substantial growth in observation for many years as demonstrated by the increase in Medicare observation spending from $690 million in 2011 to $3.1 billion in 2016. Along with this growth, the financial impacts of observation care on hospitals are increasing as well. Unfortunately, due to a lack of observation data, it is difficult for hospitals and health systems to identify problems, find their causes, and understand their organization's relative performance in managing observation patients.

With the implementation of observation management best practices including a recommended observation management model, defined inclusion/exclusion criteria, observation-specific patient progression practices, and the regular measurement of key performance metrics, hospital and health system leadership can have a positive financial impact of millions of dollars each year on their organizations.

With this white paper, you will be able to answer:

• What is the difference between Observation Care and Observation Management?
• Why does Observation Management matter?
• What are some potential causes of Observation Management problems?
• What are the best practices for progression of patients in observation?

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