At the onset of the pandemic, it became clear that flexibility in care delivery models could no longer be put on the back burner.
Advancements in telehealth, remote care collaboration, remote monitoring, interoperability and other health technologies helped aid in continuation of care during the early days without subjecting patients or healthcare workers to unnecessary risks. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reported a whopping 154% increase in telehealth visits during the last week of March 2020 compared to the same period in 2019.
The same shift can be seen in long-term care facilities as well. CarDon & Associates, which operates 20 senior housing and skilled nursing communities in the Midwest, turned to telehealth as a way to reduce hospitalizations among its residents.
Using telehealth embedded into its electronic health record (EHR), CarDon conducted more than 1,100 telehealth consults from December 2020 through June 2021, many of which involved events that often lead to an emergency room transfer, such as falls or hyperglycemia. Using telehealth to intervene, CarDon experienced an 89% average “treat-in-place” rate, equating to potentially more than 1,000 avoided hospitalizations, according to internal data.
When the pandemic hit, flexibility and convenience in care was suddenly necessary to respect public health precautions. It also led to a greater awareness and appreciation for the level of care that can efficiently and effectively be delivered at a person’s residence, from a family home to a skilled nursing facility.
Technology’s role
While the use of telehealth has declined as many return to in-person visits, it is demonstrative of a broader expansion in care options and a concerted effort across healthcare to care for patients in the lowest acuity setting possible.
For provider organizations looking to enhance their treat-in-place strategies, whether creating more opportunities in facility-based care settings or expanding into the home or community, technology is a critical ingredient for success.
Information-sharing across care settings has become more important than ever before, from sharing medication lists for patients receiving in-home care to documenting telehealth visits into the electronic health record to sharing status updates between clinicians. And never before have gaps in communication been felt harder.
Organizations that have employed connected care solutions, like the EHR-embedded telehealth tool referenced above, and real-time care collaboration tools, like direct messaging between clinicians and electronic forms management for remote signatures, have been able to navigate the changing landscape successfully. Others have been forced to search for means to keep up with the times. They find it hard to treat-in-place.
Meeting evolving challenges
While expansion into home- and community-based care has offered a number of opportunities, it has also put a spotlight on macro challenges facing the post-acute care industry. Namely, a nationwide caregiver shortage is leaving many organizations unable to retain and recruit qualified clinicians and staff.
The U.S. Census estimates that by 2050, the population 65-and-older will reach approximately 83.7 million, doubling from 2012. According to a study by the Journal of Nursing Regulation, within the next 20 years, the nursing workforce is facing this doubling senior population on top of physician and nursing shortages, the retirement of many registered nurses and ongoing health reform.
Post-acute care must race against the clock to ensure there are enough qualified caregivers to meet the needs of today’s population and prepare for a growing one. Leveraging connected technologies and new way to treat in place will help these organizations stay competitive and help support the industry-wide shift toward treating patients in the lowest acuity care settings possible.
Eric Grunden is Chief Customer Officer at MatrixCare, where he is responsible for managing all customer implementation departments, including customer support, deployment, training, tech services and customer success. Grunden joined MatrixCare in 2020 with more than two decades of experience in customer service and professional services management.
The opinions expressed in McKnight’s Long-Term Care News guest submissions are the author’s and are not necessarily those of McKnight’s Long-Term Care News or its editors.
