Reducing Sepsis Costs With LTACH Utilization

Discharge decisions may contribute to the significant health care challenges associated with sepsis. Though patients with sepsis are often discharged to skilled nursing facilities (SNFs), recent data demonstrates that transitioning patients to long-term acute care hospitals (LTACHs), which provide continued acute care for critically complex patients, can reduce length of stay (LOS), readmissions, and overall spending.

Sepsis is the costliest inpatient condition with total costs amounting to $41.5 billion in 2018.¹ 

One contributor to the high cost of treatment is the LOS, which is 75% longer than for other conditions, ranging from 4.5 to 16.5 days.² Compared to other conditions, sepsis also has the highest rate of 30-day all-cause readmissions.³

The long LOS and high readmission rates of patients with sepsis may have to do with recovery pathway selections, which have historically favored SNFs.⁴  

However, recent studies comparing SNFs with LTACHs show LTACHs can reduce LOS, readmissions, and overall spending for patients with sepsis.

When comparing postacute LOS, patients with sepsis who are discharged to LTACHs have shorter postacute stays than those discharged to SNFs.⁴

Additionally, a recent case study of sepsis episodes at LTACHs and SNFs in Las Vegas showed utilization of LTACHs yielded cost savings, primarily through reduced readmissions. Cost savings were even greater at Kindred LTACHs.⁵

Looking at risk-adjusted spending, researchers found that transferring patients with sepsis to any LTACH resulted in savings of $11,640, and savings of $14,828 when discharging patients to a Kindred LTACH specifically.

It is important for patients with sepsis to continue to receive an acute level of care after the initial hospital stay. At LTACHs, teams of physicians, critical care clinicians, and rehabilitation therapists specialize in treating critically ill patients with complex conditions who require extended recovery times.

LTACHs offer:

• Intravenous antibiotic therapy
• Onsite labs and pharmacies
• Infection prevention standards compliant with the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services

Ensuring patients with sepsis have access to a setting with this level of acuity in a timely manner can help reduce LOS, readmissions, and overall spending.

Kindred Hospitals, the nation’s largest provider of LTACH care, offers high-quality, innovative care to medically complex patients. With disease-specific care certifications in sepsis from The Joint Commission, as well as an established treatment protocol, Kindred can play a key role in reducing costs. 

To learn more about how Kindred Hospitals can reduce sepsis costs, visit kindredmanagedcare.com.

References:

1. McDermott KW, Roemer M. Statistical brief #277: Most frequent principal diagnoses for inpatient stays in US hospitals, 2018. Healthcare Cost and Utilization Project (HCUP) Statistical Briefs. Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (US); 2006-. Published July 13, 2021. Accessed May 5, 2023. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK573113/
2. Paoli CJ, Reynolds, MA, Sinha M, Gitlin M, Crouser E. Epidemiology and costs of sepsis in the United States–An analysis based on timing of diagnosis and severity level. Crit Care Med. 2018;46(12):1889-1897. doi:10.1097/CCM.0000000000003342
3. Weiss AJ, Jiang HJ. Overview of clinical conditions with frequent and costly hospital readmissions by payer, 2018. Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality statistical brief #278. July 2021. Accessed May 5, 2023. https://hcup-us.ahrq.gov/reports/statbriefs/sb278-Conditions-Frequent-Readmissions-By-Payer-2018.pdf
4.  Lee JT, Mikkelsen ME, Qi M, Werner RM. Trends in post-acute care use after admissions for sepsis. Ann Am Thorac Soc. 2020;17(1):118-121. doi:10.1513/AnnalsATS.201905-368RL
5. ATI Advisory, Cedar Gate Technologies. Long-term acute care (LTAC) hospitals as part of the value-based solution: A case study of Kindred LTAC hospitals in Las Vegas. February 2022. Accessed May 5, 2023. https://atiadvisory.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/02/Long-Term-Acute-Care-LTAC-Hospitals-as-Part-of-the-Value-Based-Solution.pdf