Patient Safety and Quality Healthcare had a great article in their Sept/Oct issue on the role of telehealth in improving the continuity of care. It basically comes down to extending the reach of clinicians beyond the traditional confines of the hospital walls and helping clinicians take advantage of teachable moments – often when the patient is in their natural (home or remote) environment.
One of the great things about the article is the discussion about how telehealth (home and remote monitoring) will help hospitals lower costs, but also help them avoid the penalties for readmissions. At this point, reimbursement is no longer a barrier – telehealth becomes a cost of doing business.
Along these same lines, the New England Journal of Medicine also explored some of the forces that are driving health care home. We seem to be going full circle and with the help of advances in technology, can now bring high quality preventative and routine care, as well as, interventions back into a patient’s home. This is really good news for those who care or pay for those with chronic diseases or at the end of life. I can only imagine that the quality of life for these patients will also improve.
So, if you haven’t already started thinking about how you will expand the reach of your organization and creating virtual walls, then there is no time like the present to get started.
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