3 Trends in Short Term Rehab

The healthcare landscape has been changing in recent years in response to new demands from patients and payers. Short term rehab facilities are certainly no exception to that rule. In fact, many of them have positioned themselves on the cutting edge of those changes, setting trends that other sectors of the healthcare industry are beginning to follow.

Here are 3 of the more prominent trends in short term rehab today:

1. An Emphasis on Patient Centered and Collaborative Care

Today's patient is more informed, empowered, and active in their own care than those of 20 years ago. They expect to be viewed as healthcare consumers and partners in their own treatment, rather than passive subjects of care. They also expect that their care will be focused on them, as an individual, rather than their disease, injury or condition. These demands, along with a growing demand for efficiency in healthcare delivery from payers, has given rise to a strong emphasis on patient-centered care in the short term rehab setting.

This means that treatment planning is a team effort, with patients, their families, and other advocates working with a physician-led, multidisciplinary team of rehabilitation specialists to devise personalized treatment plans. Care delivery is tightly-coordinated to ensure care quality and efficiency – a collaborative effort from all members of that team, including the patients themselves – and progress towards recovery and rehabilitation goals is regularly evaluated to ensure that treatment remains effective and focused on achieving the best possible patient outcomes in the shortest possible times.

2. More Comfortable, Homelike Environments

Today's healthcare consumers expect short term rehab facilities to be more than just another hospital. While quality care and highly trained staff are important factors in their choice of providers, so too is the overall environment of a facility. They aren't big on the institutional, clinical environment. Rather, they prefer an environment that makes them feel comfortable, nurtured and supported as they work to restore their health and function – a warm, welcoming and homelike environment.

Quality short term rehab facilities have responded to these demands. Many have softened the décor of their facilities, creating a more homelike atmosphere. They have transformed traditional, hospital-type dining centers into elegant, restaurant-style dining rooms. They have improved their menus, making meals more appealing and giving patients more options. They have added areas for socializing, both indoors and out, and improved their selection of activities.

3. Service-Oriented Atmosphere and Amenities

Today's short term rehab clients expect to be treated like customers, not patients. Cutting-edge facilities have responded by placing a greater emphasis on providing not only top-quality care, but high quality hospitality. For this reason, the list of amenities and services offered to patients in the short term rehab setting has been expanding in recent years, with many providing WI-Fi, hair and nail salons, entertainment, and much more.