NVNA and Hospice Expands Telehealth Pilot Program and Reduces Hospital Readmissions by 40%

NORWELL, Mass., June 12, 2019 /PRNewswire-PRWeb/ -- In September of 2018, NVNA and Hospice (NVNA) partnered with Health Recovery Solutions (HRS) for a pilot program to offer telehealth and remote patient monitoring. Following its full-scale launch in March, NVNA has expanded its program with HRS to provide telehealth services to over 120 patients a month. Since the beginning of 2019, NVNA has achieved an average all-cause hospital readmissions rate of 7.3% and has seen a 40% decrease in hospital readmissions among their palliative care patients.

NVNA monitors various patient populations through the telehealth program and will extend telehealth care, regardless of diagnosis, to patients identified by nurses as those who would benefit from increased engagement and educational programs offered through telehealth. Most patients monitored have a primary diagnosis of COPD, CHF, or diabetes. As well, palliative care patients and patients with anxiety are placed in the telehealth program.

Patients placed on NVNA's telehealth program receive a 4G tablet, preloaded with HRS' remote patient monitoring platform, along with an array of Bluetooth monitoring devices with which to take their vital signs. In addition to recording their vitals, patients receive medication reminders, have access to educational videos and quizzes, and can communicate with clinicians and caregivers via text messaging, voice calls, or video conferencing. All patient information, including medication adherence, vital signs, and daily survey answers, are uploaded in real-time to the clinicians' dashboard to be monitored.

To enhance their care program, NVNA operates as a centralized telehealth model with a principal clinician monitoring patients across disease populations and NVNA branches at the main NVNA office. NVNA telehealth clinicians contact patients directly to intervene after noticing a change in health status, alerting all relevant clinicians of the status change and the referring physician if need be. The centralized model and seamless flow of information from the patient platform to the clinician platform enables NVNA's clinical staff to respond to high-risk patients quickly.

Although NVNA has utilized telehealth for several years, NVNA selected HRS to relaunch their telehealth program and assist their nurses in increasing patient engagement in their care plan and the telehealth program. Since launching the pilot program last September, NVNA's clinicians have drastically increased their use of text messaging and video visits to increase patient engagement. As of May 2019, NVNA's clinical staff have conducted over 500 virtual visits with patients.

NVNA's dedication to patient engagement has not only contributed to their 40% reduction in hospital readmissions but has resulted in 100% of patients receiving remote patient monitoring in May stating they are more involved in their care now than they were before using telehealth.

In addition to NVNA's marked increase in patient engagement, last month, 100% of patients on the telehealth program stated they would recommend the use of telehealth to a friend or family member.

"As a long-standing nonprofit agency with a strong community focus on health literacy and support for those living in our service area, we could not be happier with our partnership with HRS. More and more changes in the delivery of healthcare services have resulted in patients coming home faster, although they still may not feel 100%," says Dan Casey, Director of Telehealth and Clinical Support Services at NVNA. "We have found, even with the most complex cases, telemedicine adds such value and support to those we serve. Our goal, as well as our patient's, is to make sure they can stay home and have the tools to help themselves stay out of the hospital."

William Ashton, Client Success Manager at HRS, adds, "HRS is incredibly proud of our partner, NVNA and Hospice. The results their team has achieved, and in such a short amount of time, are truly impressive and a testament to their nursing staff's dedication to their patients and their telehealth program."

In July, NVNA will expand their telehealth program further to provide HRS' PatientConnect Core, a tablet-only program, to hospice patients in the community. Through the new program, NVNA will offer hospice patients and caregivers educational videos, 24-hour access to a nurse, and peace of mind.

About NVNA and Hospice:
NVNA and Hospice provides the full continuum of care from home health, palliative, and hospice to private pay services (NVNA WORKS) to help patients and families. We own and operate the Pat Roche Hospice Home in Hingham, the regions only non-profit residence. As an independent non-profit, we also provide wellness and public health services through NVNA SUPPORTS in 27 South Shore communities from Milton to Plymouth, Massachusetts. To learn more visit http://www.nvna.org or call (781) 659-2342.

About Health Recovery Solutions (HRS):
Health Recovery Solutions (HRS) supplies leading home care agencies with the most advanced remote monitoring platform focused on changing patient behavior to reduce readmissions and improve clinical outcomes. HRS' disease-specific engagement kits are customized with educational video, care plans, medication reminders while integrated with Bluetooth peripherals to engage clients. For clinicians, HRS' software allows for the management of high-risk clients and provides seamless communication with them through video chat, wound imaging, and text messaging. For family members and caregivers, HRS' software gives them the ability to be fully involved in their family member's care and well-being. To learn more about Health Recovery Solutions, visit https://www.healthrecoverysolutions.com/ or call (347) 699-6477.

SOURCE Health Recovery Solutions

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