$100K
Dragonfly worked closely with a partnering hospital to formulate and implement three strategies for better utilization of their rehabilitation department. First, using our clinical indicator algorithm, we identified areas where physical and occupational therapy services were being over-referred by hospitalists. With this knowledge, more clinically appropriate order sets were developed which drastically reduced unnecessary referrals and their associated costs.
Second, we identified that therapy services were being under-utilized in the CCU. Research shows that patients who are vented and ambulate spend less time in the CCU and have less complications compared with those who do not ambulate. We worked with intensivists, pulmonologists, nurses, and respiratory therapists to develop a program enabling patients to ambulate while on ventilators with physical therapy.
Third, we determined that we could provide patients with more appropriate levels of care at a lower cost to the hospital by redesigning total joint replacement pathways and centering our therapy plans of care around evidence-based best practices. We worked with orthopedic surgeons and nurses to make these changes and to standardize pathways. This gave our therapists the ability to provide an optimal level of care and adjust treatment frequency to a higher or lower level based on clinical and functional need. With these three initiatives in place the hospital realized annual therapy services cost savings of $100K.
