Massachusetts hospitals are struggling to discharge patients in a timely manner, leading to a bottleneck that costs hospitals, The Boston Globe reported Oct. 2.
Recent data from Boston-based Brigham and Women’s Hospital emergency department showed that on Sept. 29, 42 patients were medically cleared to leave but could not be discharged. The delay? Most patients needed care from a rehabilitation center, skilled nursing facility or home health service and were waiting on insurance approval or a bed at those facilities to open. On average, about 7 percent of patients in the Mass General Brigham system are waiting to be discharged, according to the report.
The bottleneck means some patients are stuck in the emergency department and hospitals lose money and the ability to care for incoming patients. Since COVID-19, the delays have gotten worse due to staffing challenges and reduced capacity at rehabilitation facilities. Between March 2022 and February 2023, an average of 1 in 7 acute medical beds in the state were taken by someone who did not need them but were waiting on admission to a skilled nursing facility.
The common reasons for the delay include administration barriers from private insurance companies, staffing or capacity constraints and lack of guidance or healthcare proxy for patients incapable of making decisions, the report said.