Optimizing Acute Healthcare: Cost-Effective Strategies for Families, Providers, and Facilities

Goals & Objectives:

Course Overview

This course provides families, healthcare providers, and care facilities with the essential tools and strategies to effectively manage acute healthcare events, such as hospitalizations, across diverse patient populations. It offers a comprehensive exploration of the financial landscape, including a breakdown of actual care costs, insurance reimbursement rates, and their implications for healthcare access. The course also highlights strategic, cost-saving solutions by focusing on preventable ambulatory care-sensitive conditions, reducing avoidable hospitalizations, and streamlining care coordination. By bridging financial realities with actionable strategies, participants will be equipped to enhance care quality, improve access, and optimize operational efficiency in a sustainable and impactful way.

Learning Outcomes

Upon completing this course, the learner should be able to:

• Define the financial impact of acute healthcare events, including the costs incurred and reimbursement rates, to understand their implications on healthcare access. 
• Identify ambulatory care-sensitive conditions and explain how preventing these conditions can reduce avoidable hospitalizations and associated costs. 
• Compare the relationship between reimbursement rates, healthcare costs, and patient access to care in diverse healthcare settings. 
• Summarize evidence-based strategies for improving care coordination during hospital admissions and post-discharge management. 
• Classify the key components of cost-effective care delivery, distinguishing between preventable and non-preventable acute healthcare events. 
• Relate cost-saving strategies that focus on addressing ambulatory care-sensitive conditions to reduce financial strain on families, care providers, and facilities. 
• Outline the steps healthcare professionals can take to advocate for higher reimbursement rates and improved quality of preventive care.
• Recognize opportunities to implement collaborative solutions among families, healthcare providers, and facilities to improve patient outcomes while ensuring financial sustainability.