Indian River Home Care's partnership with Health Recovery Solutions decreased the hospital readmission rate to an average of 5.2% and increased patient engagement through telemonitoring
VERO BEACH, Fla., February 3, 2022 -- With the launch of an individualized and directly responsive telemonitoring program, Indian River Home Care accelerates patient improvement and reduces hospitalizations, in addition to advancing long-term health outcomes through education and participation.
As one of the only home health agencies in Indian River County to receive a five-star rating from Medicare for patient satisfaction, Indian River Home Care empowers their patients to elevate their health and champion their well-being with a tailored team of nurses, physical therapists, occupational therapists and speech pathologists. The newest addition to the list of comprehensive services they offer now includes their highly acclaimed telemonitoring program, "CARE CONNECT: HI-TECH & HI-TOUCH," which was presented with the Distinction in Telehealth award for optimum patient care by the Accreditation Commission for Health Care.
"Throughout our 10 years of business, which we're celebrating this year, we have continuously strived to offer our patients the most amount of assistance and support in their home, even between visits from their personal nurse and therapists," said Margot Kornicks, RN, BSN, MBA, Indian River Home Care Founder and President.
"While those visits happen multiple times a week, the patient's private nurse is also able to continuously monitor their blood pressure, heart rate, weight, and blood oxygen level with the use of Bluetooth equipment," she said.
By targeting high-acuity patients at an increased risk for adverse outcomes, Indian River Home Care, in partnership with Health Recovery Solutions (HRS), has incomparably decreased hospitalizations. Since the CARE CONNECT: HI-TECH & HI-TOUCH program began in 2021, the hospital readmission rate has gone down to an average of 5.2%, compared to the Florida Medicare average of 17%, according to the United Health Foundation.
To reduce these exacerbations and prevent hospital visits, each patient's personal nurse continually reviews their patient's data throughout the day and if there is an abnormal reading, they contact the patient within 30 minutes.
"For the times when an emergency is detected, telemonitoring has also proven to identify life-threatening medical emergencies for several of our patients. Their nurses were alerted and responded quickly, resulting in the ability to save their patients' lives," said Dawn Stephens, RN, Indian River Home Care director of nursing and telemonitoring.
"For example, one patient was in atrial fibrillation—a common arrhythmia that can cause a stroke if untreated—and another patient was in acute heart failure, which came up quickly overnight. The husband recognized the urgency to call 911 after he saw his wife's oxygen level was low. His wife's nurse had taught him what to do if she has shortness of breath, such as checking the oxygen level, how to know it is abnormal, and when to call 911."
In addition to decreasing hospital admissions, Indian River Home Care has significantly enhanced patient engagement and satisfaction through the CARE CONNECT: HI-TECH & HI-TOUCH program. Over the last three months, 100% of telemonitoring patients have reported being satisfied with the program and 95% have reported being more involved in their care due to the telemonitoring program.
Patient engagement is a critical component to improving patients' long-term health—the more patients know about their condition, the better their health outcomes. Through telemonitoring, Indian River Home Care offers medication reminders, specific educational videos and customized survey questions that help to determine their level of acuity. These educational tools also help prepare patients for life after home care and telemonitoring.
"I think the telemonitoring equipment is a wonderful thing. My nurse, Susan, always calls me if one of my readings is off, which really gives me the reassurance that the information is being checked constantly," said Stephanie Andersen, Indian River telemonitoring patient.
"It also helps me to manage my meds because they are kind of complicated. Telemonitoring really is just so great, and it keeps me focused on my goals and how I'm feeling, which I think is really important since I'm trying to be proactive about my own health," she said.
About Indian River Home Care
Established in 2011, Indian River Home Care is the one of the only home health agencies in Indian River County to receive a five-star patient satisfaction rating from Medicare for the past four years. While Indian River Home Care's personalized care disciplines are extensive and all-encompassing, our specialty services include cardiopulmonary and oncology nursing; geriatric and regenerative physical therapy; healing and wholistic occupational therapy; diagnostic and cognitive speech therapy; and personal and hygienic care. This support not only enriches the lives of our patients, but also alleviates anxiety and fearfulness for their families. For more information about Indian River Home Care, visit indianriverhomecare.com.
About Health Recovery Solutions (HRS)
Health Recovery Solutions' (HRS) telehealth and remote patient monitoring solutions empower the nation's leading providers and payers to deliver care to patients across the continuum—reducing readmissions, optimizing clinician workflow, and improving patient satisfaction. HRS' disease-specific telehealth solutions are customized with educational videos, care plans, and medication reminders while also integrated with Bluetooth peripherals to engage patients in their self-management. HRS' mission is to create a new standard of care by providing advanced telehealth and remote patient monitoring solutions that facilitate behavior change and ultimately improve patient outcomes.