Case retention
What is case retention?
Case retention is when a patient first treated at a facility (the “focal” facility) returns to the same facility within a defined time window for a treatment of interest. It is the opposite of case loss, which occurs when a patient who initially receives treatment at the focal facility visits a different facility for later treatment.
When analyzing case retention, the time window can be set to a 30-, 90-, or 365-day period. The time frame chosen would depend on the patient’s treatment and how often they would realistically need to return to the focal facility.
Case retention can be analyzed by patient or by revenue. Additionally, it can be viewed for the facility as a whole or broken down by provider. These analysis methods provide key information about the strong points of the facility and its physicians, along with where improvements may be needed to further increase case retention.
How can case retention analysis improve healthcare?
Case retention means that a facility provides care that a patient finds value in, hence their return. By noting when case retention is highest, facilities can continue providing this high level of care, which equates to superior health outcomes.