The increased use of hospice telemedicine during COVID-19 has reduced the number of 911 calls and emergency department visits, resulting in significant cost savings. Preventing these incidents is a top priority for Medicare and other payers, and hospice care agencies can use their success on these indicators to attract referral partners and health plans.
According to a study published in the journal Computer Informatics Nursing, among 44 hospice patients, the emergency department visits and 911 calls of patients receiving telemedicine intervention dropped from 54% to 4.5%.
The use of telemedicine surged during the pandemic. In the long run, hospice care may continue to expand these services to supplement face-to-face care. Telemedicine has always been an important way for hospice care institutions to continue to contact patients in the context of social distancing and contact with hospitalized patients.
“Telemedicine hospice care applications may benefit palliative care and hospice care organizations by improving patient clinical outcomes and reducing emergency department visits,” the study said. “There is a statistically significant difference between the number of emergency room visits and the number of 911 calls between the two time points.”
During the study period, patients participating in the study can contact hospice clinicians 24 hours a day through telemedicine.
The shelter has been able to continue to provide interdisciplinary services for patients receiving routine home care through telemedicine. Telemedicine has played a vital role in continuing to contact patients and their families to maintain continuity of care while limiting the ability to face-to-face contact that may spread the COVID-19 virus.
Provisions related to hospice telemedicine are included in the $2.2 trillion CARES bill, which aims to help the economy and basic industries weather the COVID-19 storm. This includes allowing practitioners to recertify patients through telemedicine rather than face-to-face. During the national emergency declared by the federal government, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services waived certain regulatory requirements under Section 1135 of the Social Security Act, allowing the U.S. Medicaid and Medical Insurance Services (CMS) to relax telemedicine rules.
The Senate bill introduced in May could make many temporary telemedicine flexibilities permanent. If promulgated, the “Immediately Create Opportunities for Necessary and Effective Nursing Technologies (CONNECT)” in the “Health Act 2021″ will accomplish this and at the same time expand the coverage of medical insurance telemedicine.
Data tracking providers’ performance in reducing emergency department visits, hospitalizations, and readmissions is critical for hospice care agencies seeking to participate in value-based payment programs. These include direct contract models and value-based insurance design demonstrations, commonly referred to as Medicare Advantage hospice services. These payment models provide incentives to reduce the utilization rate of high acuity.
The shelter also sees the value of telemedicine that can improve efficiency, including reducing the travel time and cost of staff to reach the patient’s location. Among the respondents to Hospice News’ 2021 Hospice Care Industry Outlook report, nearly half (47%) of the respondents said that compared with 2020, telemedicine will generate the highest return on technology investment this year. Telemedicine surpasses other solutions, such as predictive analytics (20%) and electronic health record systems (29%).
Holly Vossel is a textbook nerd and fact hunter. Her reporting originated in 2006. She is passionate about writing for influential purposes and became interested in medical insurance in 2015. A layered onion with multiple characteristics. Her personal interests include reading, hiking, roller skating, camping and creative writing.
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Post time: Jul-05-2021