SNF Rounding: How First Docs Strengthens Physician Coverage and Care Quality

Skilled nursing facilities (SNF) care for a complex patient population that requires a consistent physician presence. Interdisciplinary Team (IDT) rounds in a SNF are structured, on-site patient monitoring sessions led by attending physicians to increase that presence and ensure thorough, quality care. Consistent, high-quality physician coverage plays a crucial role in detecting condition changes early, preventing readmissions, complying with relevant regulatory bodies, and enhancing operational efficiency. Yet finding a physician who is on-site regularly is a challenge for many skilled nursing centers.

First Docs responds to this challenge with a team of dedicated internal medicine physicians and medical directors. Our physicians provide leadership at fewer facilities, allowing them to be consistently present for your staff and residents. Trust First Docs to lead your IDT rounds and drive clinical and financial improvements across your center.

Rounding and Consistent Physician Presence in SNFs

Rounding is an excellent way to increase physician coverage in your SNF. With consistent, structured rounds, physicians can detect changes in conditions early and address them proactively. Early detection plays a role in:

• Improved care outcomes: Detecting changes in conditions and symptoms enables more proactive care, preventing conditions from progressing and causing further damage to a patient’s health. 
• Reduced hospital readmissions: While proactive care can prevent illness from progressing, it also lowers the risk of readmission to an acute hospital when conditions worsen. Readmission and physician presence are so connected that rehospitalization risks increase by 3% to 35% for every day a patient waits to be seen. 
• Stronger survey preparedness: Surveys help the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) determine your SNF’s compliance with its standards. An element of these surveys is documentation of patient conditions. Regular rounds conducted by a physician support better documentation practices and prepare your center for surveys.

In a SNF, clinical oversight also offers leadership for clinical and administrative teams and encourages collaboration toward shared goals. Attending physicians who understand their patients’ conditions and their progress can develop Quality Assurance and Performance Improvement (QAPI) initiatives and strategies to meet these objectives. 

How First Docs Supports SNFs Through On-Site Coverage

First Docs understands the importance of a consistent physician presence. Our internal medicine physicians are on-site five to seven days a week, ensuring continuity of care and a rapid response to changes in condition. We offer 24/7 coverage with designated protocols for nights, weekends, and holidays to ensure a consistent physician presence at all times. 

Beyond patient rounds multiple days a week, First Docs physicians create a safer, more collaborative environment for nursing, therapy, and administrative teams. Daily stand-ups and care plan meetings that include strategy reviews for patient care ensure all staff are on the same page. 

Our physicians also serve as medical directors for your SNF, providing policy oversight and operational governance to support stronger processes. They will head QAPI meetings to develop objectives for care outcomes and create strategies for achieving these goals. 

Integrated Documentation for Compliance and Efficiency

Documentation is a critical aspect of patient care, but it often becomes an administrative burden that is overlooked. First Docs makes recordkeeping during rounds seamless with our proprietary documentation system. This system integrates with a range of electronic health record (EHR) platforms, including PointClickCare, MatrixCare, and SigmaCare, making data easily accessible.

Clinician notes automatically import into facility progress notes to reduce the time spent on catch-up following rounds. With this automated process, your SNF has audit-ready documentation that supports accurate Patient Driven Payment Model (PDPM) reporting and quality metrics for QAPI.

Benefits of First Docs’ Physician-Led SNF Rounding

With a First Docs physician leading your team, you have the attentive, consistent oversight your SNF needs to care for your patients and residents. With this support, your team can experience:

• Better clinical outcomes: Regular rounding and attending physician leadership help support early detection and reduce preventable events. Our physicians are also dedicated to care coordination for more effective management of chronic conditions. 
• Enhanced regulatory compliance: Our physicians take the necessary steps to improve documentation processes and QAPI initiatives. As your medical director, a First Docs physician will head QAPI meetings and support the PDPM to comply with CMS.
• Greater operational support: A First Docs physician takes the lead on creating stronger systems and more collaborative teams. Your staff can turn to your attending physician for guidance on patient care and keep an open line of communication between interdisciplinary teams. Our physicians also look for areas to improve workflows, and First Docs will implement our proprietary documentation software to integrate with your EHR. 
• Notable financial impact: Post-acute care physician support leads to more accurate documentation that improves reimbursement for your SNF. Workflow and process updates can also improve resource usage for cost savings.

How SNF Leaders Can Evaluate Physician Coverage

First Docs provides the physician coverage that skilled nursing centers need to succeed. Consider the following factors when gauging the quality of physician coverage:

• Consistency and predictability: A trusted physician will be on-site regularly, and the days they’re available should be relatively predictable. 
• Involvement: For skilled nursing physicians, oversight is only a fraction of their work. From care planning and IDT rounds to QAPI initiatives, your SNF physician should play an active role and be involved in the day to day.
• Documentation: Attending physicians follow documentation practices for your center to ensure survey readiness and a strong awareness of patients’ conditions. 
• Communication: SNF physicians create a collaborative and communicative environment among staff, patients, and families. This communication typically involves care plan discussions with clinicians and administrators, and education for patients and their families. 
• Leadership: Physician coverage also includes medical directorship. From workflow changes to managing QAPI, physician oversight plays a role in policy, operational governance, and quality assurance.

Why SNF Leaders Choose First Docs for Physician Coverage

First Docs delivers clinical and financial impact with dedicated physicians trained to lead SNFs. With higher physician coverage, your SNF can increase collaboration between clinical teams, improve patient outcomes, increase survey readiness, and enhance operational efficiency. Want to learn more? Contact our team today to learn about our approach and how we can support your center.