Providers

TripleCare rolls out telehealth services at Commonwealth Care of Roanoke

July 19, 2018 by Kathy Dion Leave a Comment

NEW YORK – TripleCare will introduce its telehealth services across all the facilities of Commonwealth Care of Roanoke, a provider of senior care.

“We look forward to working closely with CCR to expand the level of quality of care for its patients and help reduce costs relating to hospital readmissions and transfers,” said Dr. Mary Jo Gorman, CEO of TripleCare, in a statement.

CCR provides skilled services, including complex medical care and rehabilitation, and respite and long-term care from 12 post-acute care facilities throughout Virginia.

The first phase of the collaboration will roll out TripleCare’s virtual physician-supported services during the third quarter of 2018 at three CCR facilities: Carriage Hill Health & Rehab Center in Fredericksburg, Va.; Abingdon Health & Rehab Center in Abingdon, Va.; and Radford Health & Rehab Center in Radford, Va. Implementation of services at the remaining nine CCR facilities will be completed by year-end 2018.

“We believe that telemedicine will play an increasingly important role in the post-acute sector in which we operate, and CCR strives to be at the forefront of this sea change,” said Lora Epperly, director of business development and care innovations, at CCR, in a statement.

Spectrum Health sees success with telehealth program

July 10, 2018 by Kathy Dion Leave a Comment

‘Patients are expecting this type of health care’

GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. – Spectrum Health took a chance on telehealth four years ago and is seeing the payoff today with a more than 200% year-over-year growth in usage and $4 million in cost savings.

“2014 was still pretty early for telehealth, but now we’re just at the point where this is becoming more and more how people behave,” said Joseph Brennan, senior director of Spectrum Health’s MedNow telehealth program. “Patients are expecting this type of health care.”

The MedNow program offers both a direct-to-consumer, low acuity primary care platform and a specialty provider platform. Patients access the platforms through any mobile device or computer to have a conversation with a medical professional through a video visit or online message.

Spectrum Health’s digital health strategy also offers a patient portal where consumers can find a doctor, schedule appointments and use a cost estimator.

“We are giving patients a digital ecosystem to handle their health like they handle all the other aspects of their lives,” said Brennan.

The MedNow direct to consumer platform has been used by more than 55,000 patients to date and has saved an average of $123 per patient, said Brennan. The entire program recently hit the “million mile mark” in total driving miles saved by consumers who use telehealth.

“When you combine those costs with avoided transfers in specialty care, we’ve saved payers over $4 million in four years,” he said.

Spectrum Health, a network of hospitals and care facilities spanning 13 counties throughout West Michigan, plans to build on the success of the MedNow low-acuity platform by expanding it to include behavioral health conditions like stress, anxiety and depression, and eventually all conditions.

“We are looking at blending the specialty and direct-to-consumer platforms so patients just receive care when and where it’s convenient, regardless of the provider,” Brennan said. “For us, it’s just inevitable this this is how it’s going to be.”

Cleveland Clinic eases patient access to personal health data

July 9, 2018 by Kathy Dion Leave a Comment

CLEVELAND – Cleveland Clinic patients can now access their personal health data on their smartphone.

The nonprofit health system recently added the Apple Health Records feature to its options for patients to view their personal health information, including allergies, conditions, immunizations and lab results.

“Access to one’s own medical records is a crucial part of the digital transformation taking place in healthcare today, and enhances our relationship with our patients,” said Dr. Peter Rasmussen, medical director of digital health at Cleveland Clinic, in a statement. “Our goal is to make that access as easy, convenient and useful as possible, placing patients firmly in the center of their own health data.”

Patients can also access their health data through the MyChart online portal and mobile app.

Both MyChart and Health Records on iPhone allow patients to view their health data, as well as help them organize medical information from various institutions into one view. Patients can also sign up to receive notifications when their data is updated.

MyChart also allows Cleveland Clinic patients to: view appointments, physician notes and details about hospital admissions; schedule appointments; request medication renewals and preventive care procedures; and message their providers.

“When patients have direct access to their personal health information, they have the opportunity to live healthier lives,” said Dr. Amy Merlino, chief medical information officer at Cleveland Clinic, in a statement.

IntellaTriage launches mobile telehealth program

June 27, 2018 by Kathy Dion Leave a Comment

CHICAGO – IntellaTriage, a nurse triage and telehealth provider, has launched the IntellaCare mobile telehealth program for providers.

“As telehealth evolves from a simple consumer application to an integrated platform where clinical services must be required in the form of RN triage and physician care, providers are seeking solutions that improve care while doing what’s best for the patient with a complete telehealth platform,” said Suzi Meschbach, COO at IntellaTriage, in a statement.
IntellaCare uses a combination of RN triage and a fact-based protocol decision engine to streamline clinical workflows to improve the patient experience while incorporating IntellaTriage’s nationwide network of licensed RNs.

The IntellaCare system also integrates with a provider’s electronic medical records, making patient medical records available to both patients and caregivers in a HIPAA secure environment. Patients are guided through their care with intelligent, customized protocols and are ultimately given the option to speak to a live nurse or doctor through text messaging, video visits or a phone call.
“IntellaCare allows nurses and doctors to better manage their patient population with fewer resources,” said Meschbach.
Other IntellaCare features include: video visits based on provider/patient availability; customized marketing messages; education and wellness programs; medical history integration; and social media “moments” to share the progression of care with others.

TripleCare expands partnership with Marquis Health Services

June 22, 2018 by Kathy Dion Leave a Comment

NEW YORK – TripleCare has expanded its telehealth services to two Marquis Health locations, a provider of sub-acute rehabilitation and skilled nursing care to patients in New England and the Mid-Atlantic region of the U.S.

TripleCare is bringing its virtual physician care and services to Blueberry Hill Rehabilitation and Healthcare Center in Beverly, Mass., and Oakland Rehabilitation and Healthcare Center in Oakland, N.J.

TripleCare uses a network of experienced physicians who use technology to connect to patients at skille- nursing facilities during the weekends and on holidays, when physician staffing is more limited. By offering full physician accessibility and support during these times, TripleCare’s services are intended to treat patients in place and aid in reducing hospital transfers.

TripleCare combines its physician expertise and technology with support from local, on-site nurses at both Marquis facilities, and employs its telehealth-based protocols to perform bedside exams, in real time. The company’s virtual services make it possible for its physicians to diagnose and determine whether a patient should be treated at the facility or transferred to a hospital.

“Our mission is to help our clients reduce or avoid hospitalizations and readmissions, and with our physician connectivity, we bring facilities and their patients comfort in knowing they can achieve this,” said Dr. Mary Jo Gorman, CEO of TripleCare, in a statement.

Webster Park Rehabilitation and Healthcare Center in Rockland, Mass., another Marquis Health Services location, is scheduled to launch TripleCare’s telehealth services in the third quarter of 2018.

Physicians see mHealth improving patient safety and outcomes, survey finds

June 21, 2018 by Kathy Dion Leave a Comment

TAMPA, Fla. – More than 90% of physicians and hospital leaders believe mobile health technology is improving patient safety and outcomes, according to a recent survey by Black Book Research.

The survey also found that secure texting is rapidly developing into the first choice to send information, while keeping sensitive data secured.

Almost 800 hospital-based users and 1,279 physician practices replied to the Black Book survey, which was conducted in Q4 of 2017 and Q1 of 2018.

Sixty three percent of respondents reported ongoing challenges with buy-in of general mobile adoption strategies and related enterprise technology execution, but 85% of hospitals and 83% of physician practices are engaging secure communication platforms between care teams, patients and families.

“When relying on cloud services and third-party servers to manage and route messages, end-to-end encryption that reflects HIPAA’s privacy and security requirements exchanging health data are safeguarding against breaches,” said Doug Brown, president of Black Book Market Research, in a statement.

Nearly all hospitals are budgeting and/or are investing in comprehensive clinical communication platforms before the close of 2018, the survey found.

“Stakeholders across the health care industry are in the quest of finding solutions to use comprehensive real-time data and connectivity cleverly to advance patient safety, productivity and profitability,” said Brown. “Organizations are adopting secure text messaging platforms, as well, because texts are convenient.”

Trilogy Home Healthcare gets patients ‘back to normal’ with Synzi

June 19, 2018 by Kathy Dion Leave a Comment

CLEARWATER, Fla. – Trilogy Home Healthcare believes a partnership with virtual care company Synzi will improve patient engagement and lead to better patient care.

Synzi’s platform, which uses a mobile app on the patient’s smartphone or tablet, offers video, email, text and secure messaging capabilities.

“We’re trying to reduce hospitalizations, get better outcomes and get patients more interactive with us,” said Jamie Hynes, president of Trilogy Home Healthcare, which provides in-home clinical care across Florida.

Trilogy Home Healthcare is currently in the process of rolling out the platform with select patients who own and are comfortable with smart technology. A second phase will focus on patients with congestive heart failure, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease and diabetes.

The agency wanted a virtual technology solution to enhance staff and patient communications, while offering out-of-town family members of patients a convenient way to become involved in their care. They found what they were looking for in Synzi’s platform.

“We want to teach our patients to get back to their normal activities of daily living without a person having to be there to monitor them,” said Lee Horner, CEO of Synzi. “Rather than having nurses go from site to site, they can use video capabilities to communicate with their patients when it’s appropriate.”

Synzi was founded two years ago to work with health systems and specialists in an emergency room setting, but it has capitalized on the rapid growth—and corresponding increasing demand—in the home health care space.

“Our market customers have changed,” said Horner. “We saw pretty quickly there was a bigger opportunity for us with post-discharge patients.”

PreparedHealth expanding enTouch network

June 13, 2018 by Kathy Dion Leave a Comment

CHICAGO – PreparedHealth is deploying and expanding the use of its enTouch digital network at two health providers.

Homewatch CareGivers is integrating enTouch into its Hospital to Home program, enabling greater visibility into patient care in the home for their partners, which include hospitals, skilled nursing and home health providers.

The enTouch digital network connects everyone involved in a patient’s post-acute care, enabling real-time communications. With the technology, care providers are seeing an increase in referral acceptance, faster transition times and reduced readmissions for hospitals and skilled nursing facilities, said Tim Coulter, COO of PreparedHealth, in a statement.

Julie Smith, president and CEO of Homewatch Caregivers, said the organization prides itself on pushing for growth and change within the health care industry.

“With more emphasis placed on home care by Medicare, we’re excited to provide innovative tools that can enhance patient care and allow us to build stronger relationships with our partners across the care continuum,” Smith said.

Homewatch CareGivers is a provider of home care for people of all ages in more than 190 locations in seven countries and 33 states.

“We are thrilled to partner with Homewatch CareGivers and expand the enTouch network with their strong footprint,” said Coulter. “We continue to add high quality providers to help extend care into the home and close the loop as we push toward our mission of allowing our loved ones to age where they prefer.”

Another provider who has deployed enTouch is expanding its use of the network.

Centegra Health System, who, after seeing significant results with their high-risk population, will start onboarding all of their preferred post-acute partners onto the enTouch network.

The next phase of Centegra’s partnership with PreparedHealth will be focused on streamlining discharge management to increase efficiency with post-acute partners and steer patients to the correct care setting for more cost-effective care.

“We’ve seen such tremendous success over the last 18 months using enTouch for our complex case management,” said Astrid Larsen, director of care coordination at Centegra Health System, in a statement. “Expanding access to all of our care managers and our preferred post-acute network will help us gain efficiencies, lower costs and increase quality of care for our patients.”

Centegra originally partnered with enTouch in late 2016 to manage their Bundled Payments for Care Improvement population, lowering readmissions and capturing a $1 million net swing in Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services revenue. The health system provides medical care to people in McHenry and Kane counties in Illinois through multiple hospitals and care locations.

“Centegra Health System is pushing boundaries by using enTouch to connect with their post-acute partners and increase communication beyond their facilities,” Coulter said.

Nurses satisfied with telehealth for chronic disease treatment, study finds

June 7, 2018 by Kathy Dion Leave a Comment

OMAHA, Neb. – Home health nurses are satisfied with the quality of telehealth services for patients with chronic diseases, according to a study published recently in JMIR Infomatics.

“Telehealth encompasses all facets of remote health care,” wrote Ayisha Bashir, lead author of the study. “Given the success of telehealth in specialty health care services, the use of technologies to transmit health information and provide care across a distance is poised to enter mainstream health service delivery. Although many studies have assessed the cost-effectiveness and patient acceptance of this new method of service delivery, the perspective of nurses as the service provider has not been previously studied.”

The goal of the pilot study was to examine whether telehealth technology impacts the perceived level of internal service quality delivered by nurses within a telehealth organization through survey questions and follow-up interviews.

The Visiting Nurse Association of Omaha was the site of the study.

The findings of this survey research were positive, showing that the quality of telehealth was higher than expected, wrote Bashir. The study found overall satisfaction with telehealth nursing service quality.

“In a nutshell, the study highlighted how the telehealth process provides daily monitoring of patient health, leading to the benefits of immediate feedback for patients, family and caregivers as well as convenience of scheduling,” Bashir wrote.

Jefferson Health improves patient engagement with chatbots

June 5, 2018 by Kathy Dion Leave a Comment

PHILADELPHIA – Thomas Jefferson Health is finding that conversational interface technologies like chatbots improve patient engagement and support more positive outcomes.

Chatbots are proving successful at the health system because they are easy for patients to interact with and they mimic a personal interaction, unlike typical mobile apps, said Rob Neff, director of innovative technology solutions at Thomas Jefferson Health, in a recent webinar.

“When a patient interacts with our chatbot they are not asked to create a password or user profile,” said Neff. “The authentication happens through a conversation with the patient to understand who they are and what they need.”

Chatbots use artificial intelligence technology to simulate human conversation, said Josh Raymond, product manager at health cloud provider CloudMine, in the webinar. They emulate human interaction to perform specific tasks and understand natural language voice commands.

“Chatbots are programmed, so there’s not a lot of room for deviation from the script,” said Raymond. “That’s why they cut down on user friction.”

Raymond explained that chatbots seem to engage patients better when a provider needs to collect data at specific times. Mobile apps can be more beneficial when continual interaction with a patient is needed.

Using a platform created with CloudMine, Thomas Jefferson Health is looking at integrating the chatbot technology in multiple ways across the health system. It has already rolled out the technology for patient-specific use, such as collecting health data between visits, and is about to launch a general use chatbot to help patients navigate its 14-hospital system.

“We can leverage conversational interfaces like chatbots to improve patient engagement by reducing the complexity of interacting with technology,” said Neff. “That’s what we’re aiming to solve, and we think chatbots in health care are going to be really helpful.”