WILMINGTON, N.C., March 05, 2019 /PRNewswire-PRWeb/ -- Well Care Home Health reduced their all cause telehealth readmission rate by 61% in 2018 using remote patient monitoring software from Health Recovery Solutions (HRS). By December 2018, Well Care achieved an overall readmission rate of 4.8% in one of their three locations.
The team at Well Care's telehealth program, known as the Beyond Home program, is focused on all cause readmission rate because they aim to understand and improve the total cost of patients in the healthcare system. A reduction in overall hospital readmissions results in a significant decrease in the average healthcare spend on each patient.
Well Care also saw a notable reduction in average length of stay in 2018. From April to December, the length of stay of patients participating in the telehealth program decreased by 20%. This data demonstrates that Well Care's Beyond Home program is both effective in improving patient outcomes and efficient in promoting patient independence.
Patients placed on Well Care's Beyond Home program are provided with 4G tablets loaded with the HRS software. The tablets pair with Bluetooth peripheral devices that allow patients to keep track of their blood pressure, weight, heart rate, and other relevant biometric data. Clinicians use the software to remotely monitor patient vitals, respond to alerts when patients are at risk for readmission, and communicate with patients through video, phone, and text messaging.
The team at Well Care attributes the success of the Beyond Home program to several factors. The telehealth program not only offers real time patient monitoring, but also promotes self-care management and chronic disease education. The clinicians are focused on both stabilizing patients and preparing them to live independently once they are discharged from the program.
Additionally, Well Care transitioned to a centralized telehealth model in 2018, as they found this model allows for greater efficiency of care. Having a central coordinator, who can liaise between the patients, physicians, and respective home health teams, has fostered communication across all care team members and has thus resulted in improved patient outcomes.
During 2018, the Beyond Home telehealth program was focused primarily on cardiac patients, but Well Care has plans to extend the program to the pulmonary patient population. Early on, Well Care made the decision to treat all patients equally when evaluating telehealth eligibility. Therefore, a patient's eligibility for telehealth is ultimately determined by diagnosis and need. This allows Well Care to reach a wide population of patients who can benefit from remote patient monitoring. The overarching goal of the program is to put the patient in the center and yield positive outcomes.
Dawn Hall, Well Care's Manager of Population Health, reports, "When I came on board in March 2018, the priority was to design a program focused on improving patient outcomes and better serving our partners by reducing costs. Most post-acute care providers have some version of a telehealth program, but we wanted to think outside the box, be innovative with care, and think about patients in a different way than we ever had before. We're looking at the time points where patients are at high risk for complications, as well as the touch points most appropriate to mitigate those risks. We also have to keep cost in mind, as not all patients require in-home, hospital, or physician visits. Those visits tend to be the most costly, so we're looking at which touch point yields the best patient outcomes at the lowest cost. Technology is helping us identify those points to decide what touch we may need."
Nolan Santosa, Director of Client Success at HRS, adds, "Well Care has achieved outstanding results with their Beyond Home program. Their progressive care team values the importance of patient education as a catalyst for improved outcomes and independence. We are thrilled to be a partner in Well Care's success and we are looking forward to seeing their growth in 2019 and beyond."
About Well Care Home Health
Well Care Health is an integrated, post-acute care company providing home health and personal care services throughout North Carolina. With a passion for serving others, and rooted by family, Well Care teams have delivered quality, cost-effective healthcare to patients across the Tar Heel State for more than 30 years. Patients and their families remain the center of our universe, with recovery times and positive outcomes as the primary indicators for success. We provide customized care plans tailored to meet your individual needs, in partnership with doctors and the medical community. Well Care's promise is to bring our passion for exceptional patient care into your home and maintain industry leading quality of care. To learn more about Well Care Health, visit https://www.wellcarehealth.com/ or call us at (888) 815-5310.
About Health Recovery Solutions
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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