Beth Carpenter and Associates
April 2008
THE PATHFINDER
In This Issue
National Study on the Future of Technology & Telehealth in Home Care
Healthy @ Home
Technology-enabled Care at Home
State of Technology
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ARE YOU ON THE RIGHT PATH?
 
Since 1995 Beth Carpenter and Associates has provided its real-world experience to the management of healthcare companies, especially those  organizations with a focus on home health, hospice and private duty, in the areas of operations, clinical services, sales and marketing.  We work with management to identify the strategic direction of the organization and implement the necessary changes that allow health care providers to move forward in today's environment.
 
We help you choose the right path to success and then we walk it with you.
 

Hello!

Welcome to the April issue of THE PATHFINDER.

I have never dedicated this monthly newsletter to a single topic before, but this month is different.  An attention-getting number of studies on monitoring home patients has hit the airwaves.  And I think all of us need to read several of these reports in order to determine how we are going to manage our patients in the future using technology.
 
Hospice readers-- I hope you will continue reading!  While the majority of hospices have not used patient monitoring devices, telehealth monitoring has been in the home care arena for a number of years, producing data or assessment of patient status that is monitored by a nurse in a distant location.  With this experience and the advances in technology to draw from, the industry is ready to move forward in creating systems and services that produce excellent results. 
 
For all of us who care for patients at home, consider the following:
 
  * The US population is aging at an unprecedented rate.
 
  * Caregivers, particularly nurses, are in increasingly short supply.
 
  * Chronic diseases account for more than 50% of our patient care base. 
 
  * Patients with chronic diseases are more costly in terms of more frequent hospitalizations and more visits to the emergency rooms.
 
  * Agencies using telehealth services reported a reduction in unplanned hospitalizations (76.6%) and emergency room visits (77.2%) according to the Philips study which I have included here.
 
  * Case load can be impacted by integrating the results of telephonic monitoring of patient symptoms and data collection when determining patient visit schedule.
 
The Philips Study, in particular, makes the point of examining what strategies work best for a successful adoption of telehealth monitoring by the clinicians as well as the patients and their families.
 
Lastly, "Telehospice is a relatively new concept for most hospice providers.  The applicability of home telehealth to the hospice market is strong.  Given the cost and complexity of hospice care, clinical staff shortages are not uncommon, especially in some geographic areas.  Enhancing the reach of an on call nurse or the productivity of an assessing clinician, home telehealth has been proven valuable." (Philips Study)
 
Okay, I will admit....these reports are not exactly 'beach books', but I do strongly urge you to take a look at them as telehealth monitoring in the home is part of our future as an industry.
 
Lynn Serra and I look forward to seeing our friends in home care and hospice at the Indiana Association for Home and Hospice Care's April 29 - May 1st.  Our presentation is scheduled for May 1st at 8A on Open Access for hospices.  
 
If we can provide you with any assistance , please do not hesitate to contact us.

Best wishes,  Beth Carpenter

 
PHILIPS NATIONAL STUDY ON THE FUTURE OF TECHNOLOGY & TELEHEALTH IN HOME CARE
 
By National Association of Home Care & Hospice, Philips Home Healthcare Solutions and Fazzi Associates, Inc.
 
April 2008

As an introduction to the study results, Cynthia Pacheco and Mike Lemnitzer, both from Philips Telehealth Solutions, state "We believe that home health agencies will be a critical part of the solution to the U.S. healthcare crisis and ensure a continuum of care from hospital to home.  Trends in society - an aging population, the increase in chronic diseases, a looming nursing shortage, and the desire by seniors to live independently in their homes - all point to the need for better solutions to help the chronically ill and elderly enjoy a higher quality of life at home, with the support of easy-to-use technology that connects individuals to their care providers."

 
To receive a copy of the study results and/or a summary presentation, please click here.......Philips National Study on the Future of Technology & Telehealth in Home Care
 
 
HEALTHY @ HOME
 
AARP Foundation Study
Funded by Blue Shield of California Foundation
 
April 2008
 
Most older adults said they would use health IT devices if they were available, according to a survey by AARP and the American Association of Homes and Services for the Aging.
 
Sixty percent of older adults said they would use a personal emergency response system, while 47% said they would use telephone-based monitoring.  In addition, 40% said they would use an electronic pillbox and 38% said they would use an Internet monitoring system that lets them communicate with their provider.
 
To read the key results of the survey, please click here........Healthy @ Home by AARP Foundation
 
 
CONNECTED CARE - Technology-enabled Care at Home
 
By Deloitte Center for Health Solutions
 
2008
 
"Using in-home monitoring devices in tandem with care management programs to enhance self-care for chronic disease management and post-acute discharge monitoring is one such ... innovation.  The technologies to support this capacity are readily available; however, the policies, programs, payments and protections necessary to integrate these technologies and devices appropriately in care management programs are woefully inadequate."
 
REPORTS ON THE STATE OF TECHNOLOGY
 
BY Cast, the Center for Aging Services Technologies
 
April 2008
 
This section contains three reports: 
 
   * The first report, State of Technology in Aging Services, presents definitions of aging-services technologies, the caregiver network and stakeholders in the care process.
 
  * The second report, State of Technology in Aging Services According to Field Experts and Thought Leaders, features the results of expert interviews with thought leaders about opportunities for aging-services technologies, barriers to their proliferation and suggestions for overcoming these barriers.
 
  * The third report, State of Technology in Aging Services: Summary, presents an executive summary and highlights the main findings presented in the two previous reports in a brief format.
 
I would like to invite you to visit our website, www.bethcarpenterandassociates.com, to learn more about how we can help your organization move forward and find your path to success.
 
Beth Carpenter and Associates has earned a reputation as a company with deep industry experience and one that works closely with its clients to identify solutions that meet their business goals and strategic objectives.  We do not simply advise.  We partner with our customers to implement the solution and ensure its success.
 
Sincerely,
Beth Carpenter
 

Beth Carpenter
Beth Carpenter and Associates
847-382-1035