If you are considering, or currently recovering from a hip or knee replacement surgery — you probably know connecting for rehabilitation should start quickly. It’s an important part of your recovery. Yet, research shows many rural patients, including those in Wisconsin, face delays in receiving this care.
A new study is published in the Journal of the American Medical Directors Association. It follows close to 19,000 Medicare and Medicare Advantage patients, age 65 and older. And it’s noted “these are people who should be receiving home health care right after joint replacement.”
This research reveals — rural patients, and those dually eligible for Medicare and Medicaid — are still less likely to receive home health rehabilitation within the important 48 hours of leaving the hospital. The delays are often associated with less improvement in mobility.
A concern for rural Wisconsin
The findings are particularly relevant in Wisconsin, where rural communities make up a significant portion of the state’s population. Currently, close to 30% of our residents live in rural areas. Yet, a little more than 1% of the state’s physicians practice in rural communities.
This gap is especially important when older patients leave the hospital and need continued care close to home. The study shows patients experiencing rehabilitation delays are more likely to live in areas with fewer physicians and nurse practitioners. And these residents are more likely to be older, female, Black or Hispanic, dually eligible for Medicare and Medicaid, and rural residents.
Wisconsin has programs focused on addressing these rural health-care access challenges. Officials with the Wisconsin Office of Rural Health are working to improve the quality and availability of health care in rural communities. It is also supporting new state initiatives targeting rural care coordination and workforce needs.
Getting rehabilitation started sooner
Researchers say the findings highlight geographic and socioeconomic disparities related to the access of high-quality home health rehabilitation.
The answers include getting rehabilitation started quickly, and asking for more services early in the recovery process. It can help improve the outcomes for rural and dually eligible patients.
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