Interim HealthCare launches wireless telehealth initiative for in-home patients
May 16, 2017
Interim HealthCare, a locally owned and operated agency that specializes in providing high quality, in-home healthcare to Upstate South Carolina residents, has launched a full-scale telehealth initiative using wireless enabled patient monitoring technology. The initiative is aimed at providing more tailored care for patients who receive healthcare services within their homes, allowing healthcare providers to assess a patient’s changing condition using wireless monitoring devices in real time and then make rapid adjustments to treatment in order to improve healthcare outcomes.
The initiative is also aimed at reducing a patient’s overall cost of managing an illness. According to a study by Wayne State University[1], seventy-five percent of Medicare hospital readmissions are preventable—a problem that costs patients billions of dollars nationally. Based on a recent pilot of the telemonitor program, Interim HealthCare expects to reduce the number of patients who are readmitted to the ER for costly care that could have been avoided through early intervention.
In-home patient Joanne Waldrop, who participated in the pilot program, recently experienced the benefits of Interim HealthCare’s telemonitoring technology. While remotely monitoring her vital signs, Interim’s personnel noticed that her condition was changing. The Interim team immediately contacted Waldrop’s doctors, who were able to readjust her medication regimen and stabilize her condition. Waldrop’s daughter, Amanda Reeves, said, “It gives me such peace of mind to know that Interim HealthCare is monitoring mom’s health around the clock. They noticed a problem and sprung into action. Mom was not only able to avoid a costly trip to the ER, but, most importantly, she was able to receive the care she needed in the comfort of her own home.”
According to Charyl Schroeder, CEO of Interim HealthCare of the Upstate: “Telehealth is about providing smart care that’s aligned with each patient’s needs and focused on each patient’s comfort. Telemonitors provide a link between patient and healthcare provider, offering the patient a real sense that he or she is never alone in their personal healthcare journey.”
Interim HealthCare has deployed nearly 100 telemonitors to existing in-home patients. The company expects the initiative to allow for care to be better coordinated between physicians and in-home care providers and to provide an evolving snapshot of each patient’s condition so that clinicians respond rapidly to a patient’s condition, which can change abruptly. The monitors measure blood pressure, blood oxygen saturation, patient weight and pulse rate, and then securely transmit the patient’s “vitals” over a cellular signal in real time. Patients also interact with the monitors by answering a set of daily questions about their health that are personalized to their condition. In-home care providers then maintain regular, patient visits to provide in-person care and to ensure the telemonitors continue to capture high quality data.
“It’s common for the patients in our care to leave the hospital setting with a complex pathology and an equally complicated prescription regimen,” said Jacque Gray, Executive Director of Health Care Services. “The Interim HealthCare team is committed to reducing the complexity of care and providing peace of mind to both patients and their families. Telemonitors will help us deliver this 5-star level of care even more consistently.”
Interim HealthCare of the Upstate was founded in 1979 and provides a full continuum of in-home healthcare – which includes telehealth, personal care, skilled care and hospice services – that allows Interim to care for a patient with changing and complex healthcare needs. Interim serves patients in Greenville, Spartanburg, Pickens, Anderson, Oconee and Cherokee Counties.
Families interested in exploring in-home care options should reach out to Interim Healthcare by calling (800) 758-4966 or visiting the company’s website: http://www.interimcares.com.
About Interim Healthcare
Interim Healthcare has delivered high quality, in-home healthcare to the communities of Upstate South Carolina since 1979 with the mission of “honoring God through the enrichment of human life.” Interim Healthcare is the recipient of the top industry benchmark, 5-stars, denoting in-home healthcare provided at the highest quality. The company provides the full continuum of care – telehealth, personal care, skilled care and hospice services – within Greenville, Spartanburg, Cherokee, Pickens, Anderson and Oconee Counties.
