Beginning in January 2019, Medicare patients may have more calls and video chats with their physicians in between office appointments.
That’s because, on July 12, federal regulators overseeing the Medicare program included in a large package of proposed rules a provision that would allow for stand-alone reimbursement for so-called “virtual check-ins.” Continue reading
Remote patient monitoring – using technology to keep track of a patient’s health between doctor visits – is gaining traction as our population ages and a health care workforce shortage persists.
Hospital, physician groups and insurers are generally enthusiastic about remote patient monitoring for patients with chronic conditions or who need extra support after a hospital stay (because it can reduce unnecessary hospital admissions). But payment for these services has generally been lacking. Continue reading
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A nursing home demonstration project in Indiana has reduced avoidable hospitalizations among residents by a third, according to a recently released independent evaluation of OPTIMISTIC, (Optimizing Patient Transfers, Impacting Medical quality and Improving Symptoms: Transforming Institutional Care).
OPTIMISTIC is a Centers for Medicare and Medicaid (CMS) demonstration program designed to improve chronic disease management and boost staff education and training.
A unique emergency department program focused on geriatric transitional care is helping older patients avoid unnecessary hospital admissions by as much as 33 percent, according to results of a study from Northwestern University Hospital in Chicago, Mount Sinai Medical Center in New York, and St. Joseph’s Regional Medical Center in New Jersey. They’re collaborating on The Geriatric Emergency Department Innovations (GEDI WISE) program, an interdisciplinary approach to improving acute geriatric emergency care.
The program keeps older adults out of the hospital while keeping them safe, and has shown to prevent both 72-hour and 30-day readmissions. Continue reading
Photo: Senior Guidance via Flickr
A new medical specialty may be forming to meet a rising demand for care in nursing homes. A recent study found that physicians and advanced practitioners (nurse practitioners and physician assistants) who focus on nursing home-only care increased by a third between 2012 and 2015.
This apparent trend may be significantly affecting outcomes and continuity of care, concluded researchers at the University of Pennsylvania Perelman School of Medicine. Continue reading