Specialized Rehabilitation at Kindred Hospitals Can Reduce Inpatient Length of Stay

For critically ill patients, a timely referral to a Kindred Hospital, which provides continued acute care and early rehabilitation, can improve patient outcomes.

Additionally, because Kindred offers ICU-level care, stable patients can be transferred to a Kindred Hospital while they are still in a critical condition, shortening their inpatient lengths of stay.

Importance of Early Rehabilitation

Studies have found many benefits of early rehabilitation in an acute care setting, including reduction in time on a ventilator, length of stay, and readmissions, as well as improved functional outcomes.^1,2,3,4

Patient Benefits of Rehabilitation at Kindred Hospitals

Kindred Hospitals provide physician-led, long-term acute care and rehabilitation to medically complex patients after a stay in the ICU. Some key patient benefits of rehabilitation at a Kindred specialty hospital include:

• Access to therapy while still receiving ICU-level treatment
• Personalized rehabilitation plans, which may include physical, occupational, speech, or respiratory therapy
• In-hospital service, reducing the need for scheduling or transportation

Move Early Program

Kindred Hospitals’ Move Early program incorporates movement into our patients’ care plans as soon as is safe, even for those on mechanical ventilation. The Move Early program includes:

• Mobility assessment completed by an interdisciplinary care team upon admission
• Patient placement into one of three “zones” of mobility
• Continual evaluation on a daily, or even hourly basis, for mobility potential

Outcomes of Kindred Hospitals’ Specialized Rehabilitation

89% of all medically complex patients at Kindred and 86% of patients on mechanical ventilation are able to reach a high level of mobility, based on the Johns Hopkins Highest Level of Mobility Scale.⁵

With Kindred’s specialty in treating and rehabilitating medically complex patients, including those on mechanical ventilation, early transfer of such patients to a Kindred Hospital can not only improve outcomes, but also reduce lengths of stay in the ICU.

References

1. https://journals.lww.com/ajpmr/fulltext/2020/06000/rehabilitation_after_critical_illness_in_people.5.aspx
2. https://erj.ersjournals.com/content/52/suppl_62/PA2335
3. https://academic.oup.com/ptj/advance-article-abstract/doi/10.093/ptj/pzac170/6972252
4. https://bmjopenrespres.bmj.com/content/7/1/e000582.full
5. Kindred Internal Data, 2022 Average; https://www.hopkinsmedicine.org/physical_medicine_rehabilitation/education_training/amp/toolkit.html; “high level of mobility” defined as a score of 4 or better.