An Encounter Telehealth analysis of 40 skilled nursing facility partners in Iowa revealed a 6.7% reduction in the use of antipsychotics following 14 months of psychiatric telehealth services.
The national average was less than a 4% reduction during the same period
Data from the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services showed the drop between a pre-program baseline taken in 2015 and after working with Encounter in 2018.
Some of the 40 facilities in Iowa made substantial reductions, including one facility that went from 28.6% in 2015 to a low of 7.3% in 2018 — nearly half of the current national average.
Facilities that prove a reduction in the use of antipsychotics are eligible for a maximum Medicare reimbursement bonus of 1.6%.
Encounter Telehealth provides evaluations and psychiatric medication management services through psychiatric mental health nurse practitioners, who ensure proper diagnoses and medication management from the facility.
Encounter also offers talk therapy, which has been proven beneficial to patients with dementia and cognitive decline. In addition, Encounter provides staff training on the use of alternative, non-pharmacological interventions.
