Visits per episode of care

Definition

How many visits a patient completes for one referral before they are discharged.

Why It Matters

It is what turns a referral into revenue, so a practice holding an appropriate number earns more from the same referral flow than one that does not. A falling figure is an early warning worth pricing: it usually means either patients dropping out early, which is a scheduling and engagement problem, or authorizations being cut, which is a payer problem. Ask which, because one is fixable by an operator and the other is not.