The Healthcare Industry is Getting Squeezed and is Expanding into the Home
A Rapidly Changing Landscape
There’s no question that the healthcare landscape shifted during the pandemic, but perhaps the most dramatic was the rapid adoption of Remote Care. And that technology is likely permanent — both physicians and patients have adopted and embraced telehealth at high rates. Providers have stated that telehealth increased speed and quality of care, which is an element especially critical to hospitals across the country currently struggling with staff shortages.
The widespread implementation of telehealth is transforming healthcare at a fundamental level. Prominent healthcare systems such as Kaiser Permanente and the Mayo Clinic have invested in Hospital at Home (HaH) programs, and the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services introduced CPT codes for remote patient monitoring, telehealth, and remote therapeutic monitoring. Even insurance companies are utilizing new technology to improve patient outcomes and combat rising premiums.
The Rise and Benefits of Remote Care
For telehealth, virtual care, and remote patient monitoring (RPM) — all forms of care we’ll bundle under Remote Care — the underlying drive is the same: allow providers to deliver patient care more quickly and conveniently to improve healthcare outcomes. For patients, they can receive healthcare from the comfort of their own homes. Providers gather more data on their patients, hospitals shift care from high cost inpatient facilities to lower cost out-of-hospital settings, and high cost drivers such as Bed Days (overnight stays at a hospital) can be reduced.
But it’s not only about cost or convenience. One study showed that a hospital’s post-discharge Remote Care program reduced rates of rehospitalization by 20 percent. For those with preexisting conditions, Remote Care can play a significant role in chronic care management, and regular monitoring has been linked to fewer acute hospital visits. Remote Care can also improve access to care for populations living in remote, underserved areas. The Veterans Affairs Medical Centers implemented Remote Care programs years before the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic and showed improved health access.
What Does This Mean For the Future?
As cutting edge health technology develops, so will the prevalence and standardization of Remote Care. This development couldn’t come at a better time. Over half of adults in the United States have a chronic disease, and that number is expected to increase. Our aging population only compounds this issue, as the census estimates that the number of Americans over 65 will increase by 20 million in the next decade.
In addition, the latest COVID surge has yet again led to a nation-wide increase in hospitalizations. As infection numbers ebb and flow, hospitals will continue to rely on Remote Care solutions to reduce the rate of in-person visits.
We’re Here to Help
At Norbert Health, our mission is to advance the way we monitor our health–whether at home or in a medical facility. Our vital sign sensors can contactlessly measure heart rate, temperature, SpO2, and respiration rate from up to 3 feet away, and allows providers to be notified in real time on the measurements and any changes in status. We believe that every patient deserves peace of mind, especially at home.
We’re excited about the future opportunities for more comprehensive healthcare, and we believe it’s necessary to achieve both better individual and population health in the future.
References1. AMA | In 2022, moving beyond telehealth to digitally enabled care by Marc Zarefsky
2. mHealthIntelligence | 38% of Patients Have Received Virtual Care in 2022 by Mark Melchionna
3. AMA | In 2022, moving beyond telehealth to digitally enabled care by Marc Zarefsky
4. Politico | Hospitals struggle with staff shortages as federal Covid funds run out by Krista Mahr
5. Health Care Dive | Kaiser Permanente, Mayo team up on investment in acute care at home by Shannon Muchmore
6. mHealthIntelligence | CMS Expands Remote Patient Monitoring Coverage in Proposed 2022 PFS by Eric Wicklund
7. Deloitte | Improving health care affordability
8. Fierce Healthcare | Exclusive: Post-discharge calls help Cigna lower readmissions by Dina Overland
9. BMJ Open | Does remote patient monitoring reduce acute care use? A systematic review by Monica L Taylor, Emma E Thomas, Centaine L Snoswell, Anthony C Smith, Liam J Caffery
10. VA Research | Telepsychology-Service Delivery for Depressed Elderly Veterans by Leonard E. Egede MD MS, Ralph H. Johnson
11. CDC | Chronic Diseases in America
12. McKinsey | How prioritizing health is a prescription for US prosperity By Katherine Linzer, Jaana Remes, Shubham Singhal
13. Reuters | Aging population to hit U.S. economy like a ‘ton of bricks’ -U.S. commerce secretary by Andrea Shalal
14. Becker’s Hospital Review | Mayo Clinic: COVID-19 cases expected to rise through early July by Mackenzie Bean
