There are plenty of things a nursing home can do to add to both clinical competence and positive patient outcomes. In 2018 among the most popular innovations – which this Blog is committed to – is using technology to enhance nurse competence and medical procedures without the patient having to leave for the hospital, especially for the hospital emergency room. Home health agencies are adopting the same best practices. How does it work and what are the advantages?
When staff can consult with professionals – especially specialty physicians – on issues ranging from condition management, wound treatment, behavioral issues related to medications and minor injury response using web-based technology, the influence of the physician becomes a part of the nursing home’s heightened clinical approach. The resulting added competence will stimulate patient improvement and could even relieve staff stress.
This is especially true when its just as easy to go to the computer on the cart and make contact with a physician as it is to document shift activity. This is also sweeping larger assisted living providers such as homes for the aged and adult foster care environments.
Since the service is often billed to Medicare and private insurers – especially in rural areas – resulting in no cost to the nursing home, it stands to reason that more and more of America’s nursing homes will seek out a partner to advance their tele-medicine efforts. Think of the cost savings to no-fault auto insurers who extend personal injury protection benefits that include physician care. Surely, web based specialty physician attention can be billed for less than the traditional office visit.
Of course, providers of this service and partners need to package it up just right. Patient communication tools need to be concise and accurate. Broadband usage must be reliable and fast while staff in nursing homes require proper training on any system usage. Combined IT and clinical operators are popping up across the world to take the lead in these processes, including Health Industry Marketing, LLC (www.healthindustrymarketing.info) which manages the Web Support Program for Direct Care Training & Resource Center, Inc.
At the end of the day there is only one factor that matters: Patient outcomes can improve with such specialty innovation. For that reason alone,it deserves the attention of us all.
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