rehospitalization

As reimbursement policies for hospital readmissions change, providers across the country can use solutions like MedApps' to address changing policies and avoid potential penalties.

Using Remote Monitoring to Avoid Hospitalization

In 2012, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services will phase in changes in hospital reimbursement policies, there is clearly no better time for care providers to take action to improve their rates of readmission and minimize the risk of penalties and lost reimbursement.

To meet the CMS initiatives’ goals of reducing hospital-acquired conditions and preventable readmissions, providers across the country are looking for new ways to address these policy changes – and remote patient monitoring (RPM) can play an important role. The benefits of RPM continue to be validated in terms of cost effectiveness and improved clinical outcomes and it has been demonstrated that

There is a great deal of information that speaks to the value of this technology in preventing readmissions particularly regarding congestive heart failure - the reasons are clear: CHF is one of the most common causes for admission, often results in unplanned readmissions, and has a high mortality rate.

Currently up to 27% of CHF patients re-enter the hospital within 30 days of being discharged. Forty seven of CHF patients re-enter after 3-6 months of being discharged. With an average CHF admittance cost is $8,000 (American Heart Assoc.), providers will need to implement cost-effective remote monitoring programs over the next year in order to manage patients and avoid re-hospitalization.

a Closer Look at Monitoring CHF

Using the MedApps System, Ocean Medical Center implemented a 2010 CHF pilot program to remotely track CHF patients during the critical 30 to 90 day period following discharge from acute care. The pilot produced significant results