A Shot Across the Bow
A recent article in McKnight’s is a shot across the bow for communities who consider themselves to be members of the post-acute care continuum.
It urged these communities to tell their “data story.” To measure and promote their performance if they want to survive the imminent changes in payment models coming their way.
And it also warned of the risks of NOT telling your data story – namely, you won’t be included in the referral networks that are forming. And in the very competitive market of post-acute care, this could be devastating.
If you want a ‘seat at the table’ when getting referrals, you will need a data story. Telling your story can be achieved creatively with “Data Marketing” that will differentiate you from your competitors, showcase your exceptional outcomes, and demonstrate how you can be trusted to provide care excellence.
A data story begins with measurement. And when it comes to resident health outcomes, here are some important metrics (and there are others):
- # ER visits
- # hospitalizations
- # 30-day re-admissions
- # falls
- # doctor visits
- # ambulance calls
- # Pressure ulcers
- % residents taking antipsychotics
- Resident, employee, and family satisfaction surveys
- Staff training for the specific health conditions and medications that are most common in your community.
- Results of Quality Improvement Projects that address Gaps in Care, protocols for immunization and pain control.
And now that you have some measurements, meet with your staff and write your story. Weave a narrative that describes your community in a unique way that tells people why they should choose you. Convince them that you excel in the care you provide. Tell them:
- This is who we are.
- These are some of our quality improvement projects.
- Here’s the ongoing training our staff experiences.
- Here are our outcomes and why you will feel safe and secure with us.
- Here’s what our staff, residents, and families say about us.
- Here’s what our local hospitals say about us.
You should tailor your story to the interests of your referral base, so everyone’s story will be customized.
Caveat Emptor
Here’s an important caveat that could easily be overlooked: the unintended consequences of the increasing dependence on the use of ancillary services, such as PT/OT, Home Health, and Hospice in assisted living and other residential communities:
- You need to know the metrics of these agencies that operate within your communities, because THEIR performance contributes to YOUR health outcomes.
- I strongly recommend that independent and assisted living communities carefully review the performance metrics of the agencies that operate within your walls.
The Boomers
Finally, boomer children will also want to hear your stories, as they are becoming more sophisticated in researching the communities who will become the primary caretakers of their parents. They want to be informed beyond the hospitality basics that every community advertises. And they don’t like surprises.
I recently spoke with a neighbor who needed assisted living for her father. He had moved in with her family about a year ago after suffering a stroke. His declining health had become more than she and her family could handle. She told me of her difficulty in choosing an AL, because when she went to the websites and then visited some of them in person, “They all look the same, they say the same things, and they even have the same exact photos of the same exact elderly models! How am I supposed to know where my dad will get the best care?”
Your data will reassure the boomers, for data are an untapped reservoir of wealth to guide and showcase your performance. And there are almost unlimited possibilities in using them creatively for market differentiation.
So use your data, tell your story, and differentiate yourself.
Or…you can join your competitors, ignore your data, and be just another talking head.
Dr. Steven Fuller is a triple board certified physician/entrepreneur who develops programs in support of an Integrated Care model of senior housing. This model includes 3 equal, interactive, and mutually supportive team members: real estate, hospitality, and healthcare.
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