title: Post-acute care reform: Implications and opportunities for hospitalists.
abstract: Nearly all practicing hospitalists have firsthand experience discharging patients to post-acute care (PAC), which is provided by inpatient rehabilitation facilities, skilled nursing facilities, or home healthcare providers. Many may not know that PAC is poised to undergo transformative change, spurred by recent legislation resulting in a range of reforms. These reforms have the potential to fundamentally reshape the relationship between hospitals and PAC providers. They have important implications for hospitalists and will open up opportunities for hospitalists to improve healthcare value. In this article, the authors explore the reasons for PAC reform and the scope of the reforms. Then they describe the implications for hospitalists and hospitalists' opportunities to Choose Wisely and improve healthcare value for the rapidly growing number of vulnerable older adults transitioning to PAC after hospital discharge.
authors.affiliation: Research Section, Denver VA Medical Center, Denver, CO, USA.|Hospital Medicine Section, Denver VA Medical Center, Denver, CO, USA.|Division of General Internal Medicine, University of Colorado School of Medicine, Aurora, CO, USA.
authors.forename: Robert E
authors.initials: RE
authors.lastname: Burke
authors.affiliation: Division of General Internal Medicine, University of Colorado School of Medicine, Aurora, CO, USA.
authors.forename: Ethan
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Cumbler
authors.affiliation: Division of Health Care Policy and Research, University of Colorado School of Medicine, Aurora, CO, USA.
authors.forename: Eric A
authors.initials: EA
authors.lastname: Coleman
authors.affiliation: Research Section, Denver VA Medical Center, Denver, CO, USA.|Division of Health Care Policy and Research, University of Colorado School of Medicine, Aurora, CO, USA.
authors.forename: Cari
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Levy
mesh_terms: D018166:Health Care Reform / Q000191:economics*; D006699:Home Care Services / Q000191:economics; D020445:Hospitalists; D006801:Humans; D007902:Length of Stay; D006278:Medicare / Q000191:economics; D010351:Patient Discharge / Q000592:standards; D012047:Rehabilitation Centers / Q000191:economics; D012866:Skilled Nursing Facilities / Q000191:economics; D019467:Subacute Care / Q000191:economics / Q000379:methods*; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D014481:United States