LeadingAge CAST has updated its Telehealth and RPM Selection Tool, which can help you choose the best telehealth and remote patient monitoring (RPM) technologies for your organization.

The tool now includes updated information for 15 products in its selection matrix and online selection tool. The tool also includes information on four new products:

• Electronic Caregiver
• VSA-Health, Inc.
• Zemplee
• Omcare 

New CAST Case Study on Integrated Virtual Care

A new case study shows how a virtual care provider enabled 95% of patients to be treated in place. Doing so avoided potential complications and increased patient satisfaction.

Improving Resident Outcomes with Integrated Virtual Care shares the experience of ITEX Company, which provides post-acute rehab and skilled nursing facilities in three communities in the Chicago area.

To avoid unnecessary emergency room visits and hospitalizations while its primary providers were on call, ITEX sought to provide health care at night and on weekends and holidays. A telehealth solution enabled ITEX to treat patients in place, support nursing staff with patient consults while relieving providers from being on call, and give residents the highest level of care.

ITEX chose Third Eye Health to provide a real-time interactive bi-directional video conferencing system. Third Eye Health enables nurses to access doctors for help with new admissions, lab reviews, medication reconciliation, reviews of high acuity change in conditions, and more. The system integrates with PointClickCare, and after a telehealth visit, all notes are added to ITEX’s electronic health records (EHR) system.

With Third Eye Health, nurses use iPads for virtual bedside visits. They can quickly text, share photos, and video chat with physicians. A Third Eye health care coordination manager stays current on high-risk patients and new admissions, and the manager sends a summary of care after each patient encounter. Only visits that meet specific criteria are billed to Medicare and other payers, and Third Eye Health provides these services for a monthly fee.

Implementation was quick. Experienced post-acute nurses conducted the training, and ITEX nurses were already familiar with iPads. All centers were using ITEX within a few weeks.

Outcomes

The outcomes were overwhelmingly positive.

Patients gained access to doctors, and patients’ own medical records, at all times. Patients were treated in place, often bringing better clinical outcomes and preventing further complications to their condition.

Since the project began, 4,384 consults have occurred, and the treat in place rate is 95%. Exceptions include high-acuity conditions such as a fall with injury, hypoxia, and chest pain. 

Hospital readmissions dropped, and patient satisfaction increased because patients could see a doctor when needed. 

Nurses gained access to Third Eye Health physicians through easy-to-use mobile technology, and the primary ITEX doctors gained improved satisfaction from no longer being on call.

Administrators and nursing directors appreciated the reduced risk that the Care Coordination Manager reviews and the Third Eye Health analytics provided.

Check out the revised Telehealth and RPM Selection Tool and read the full case study.

Learn More at the LeadingAge Annual Meeting + EXPO

To learn more about telehealth, make sure to attend these and other Aging Services Technologies Track sessions at the LeadingAge Annual Meeting + EXPO, Oct. 24-27, 2021, in Atlanta.

1-A. Accelerating Technology Innovation after COVID

Sunday, Oct. 24, 2021

3 p.m. – 4 p.m.

4-C. Technologies We Need Now More Than Ever

Monday, Oct. 25, 2021

8 a.m. – 9 a.m.

In addition to unparalleled education opportunities, you will also have opportunities to network with your colleagues. Register today!