ABILITY Network Launches Transition of Care Service

MINNEAPOLIS--()--Patients getting ready to leave the hospital are often in the dark regarding options for their post-acute care. Whether it’s a nursing home, rehab center, or home health agency, the decision process for the “transition of care” can mean anxiety and confusion.

Hospital case managers are also hindered at times by lack of information on appropriate post-acute providers, as well as lack of time to best match patient needs and preferences with qualified organizations that have the availability to accept a new patient. Post-acute providers can also feel pressure in the referral acceptance process to make decisions without adequate information.

A new software as a service (SaaS) application from ABILITY Network helps fill the gaps in information for all concerned. ABILITY | ILLUMINATE “lights up” the care transition process to make faster, easier, more informed connections among patients, acute and post-acute providers.

Using ABILITY | ILLUMINATE, case managers and discharge planners have the capability to match their patients’ clinical needs and benefits eligibility with the offerings of appropriate post-acute organizations. The patient and family then receive a list of all post-acute organizations in their preferred area, supplemented by information noting which of those providers are available, match their insurance benefits, and have the clinical services they need. The post-acute providers selected by the patient then receive the patient details electronically from the case manager, and electronically respond within a pre-set time limit as to their readiness to accept the patient.

“ABILITY is in a unique position to serve all parties involved in the transition of care process,” said Bud Meadows, Executive Vice President for ABILITY. “Over the past 10 years we’ve built a nationwide network of over 20,000 acute and post-acute providers. With ABILITY | ILLUMINATE, we’re leveraging the strength of that network in order to improve patient care.”

A key benefit for hospitals is the ability to decrease length of stay and avoidable days. Referrals and discharge information are posted electronically and time limits are set for responses from post-acute providers, helping complete transfers on or before the scheduled discharge time.

In addition, using the new application minimizes faxing, phone tag, and manual back-and-forth communications for providers. Necessary patient information is electronically attached to the referral, and secure messaging and automatic alerts eliminate the need for phone tag.

Best of all, using ABILITY | ILLUMINATE gives patients and families more comprehensive information about the actual available, appropriate post-acute choices – no more guesswork or confusion.

“Our customers have been asking for help with challenges like transition of care,” Meadows noted. “For both patients and providers, ABILITY | ILLUMINATE really puts the ‘care’ back into the transition of care process.”

ABILITY plans to introduce more services that focus on the patient and connections for better care, according to Meadows. “We want to fill the gaps that patients and their care providers are experiencing in the healthcare process.”

National Case Management Week is Oct. 12 – 18.

About ABILITY Network
ABILITY® Network is a leading healthcare technology company trusted by thousands of hospitals, home health care agencies, hospices, skilled nursing facilities, DME and other healthcare providers throughout the U.S. ABILITY provides a broad suite of innovative workflow tools to help manage the administrative complexities of healthcare. ABILITY is headquartered in Minneapolis, with anchor offices in Boston and Tampa, and satellite offices across the country.

Contacts

ABILITY Network Inc
Audrey Anderson, 612-277-1481
Media Relations
mediarelations@ABILITYnetwork.com

Release Summary

A new software as a service (SaaS) application from ABILITY Network helps the care transition process by making faster, more informed connections among patients, acute and post-acute providers.

Contacts

ABILITY Network Inc
Audrey Anderson, 612-277-1481
Media Relations
mediarelations@ABILITYnetwork.com