A continuous glucose monitor is a wearable device that tracks blood glucose every few minutes while worn. They include a small disposable sensor worn under the skin (often on the arm or stomach) which transmits data to an attached transmitter and receiving device. These devices allow individuals with diabetes to constantly monitor their blood sugar levels, providing real-time data and insights into how their body is responding to different meals, activities, and medications.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention there are an estimated 130 million adults living with diabetes or prediabetes in the United States, that’s about one in three individuals. This alarming rate has a direct impact on healthcare resources and demonstrates the need for better care models targeting those at risk for disease development and complication.

As your organization considers how to improve outcomes and create a healthier patient population, you should consider the role that digital health solutions play in supporting your initiatives.

In a recent update HCA Healthcare Inc. has announced the official enterprise-wide roll out of their Enhanced Surgical Recovery digital-health program. This implementation comes off the back of their 20 years of clinical research, a multitude of peer reviewed publications and an intensive review of internal data to make a multidisciplinary approach to pre and post operative care.

As we continue to solve the age-old problems in healthcare with new and exciting technologies, it’s important to be pragmatic about your programs.

Not all solutions are made equal, and many made with the best intentions end up falling short in implementation. Thus, leaving you wondering if it was the virtual care program, patient, or the provider? How is it that some virtual care and remote patient monitoring programs fail to achieve their promised benefits while others succeed?

Mental Health Awareness Month is a great opportunity for us all to have valuable conversations around how to better serve those affected by mental illness, but real progress is made when these conversations lead to actionable next steps that outlive just one month per calendar year. As the digital transformation in healthcare forges on at a rapid pace, mental health professionals have an important seat at the table. Virtual care solutions are proven to have immense benefits for those with mental illnesses, and more organizations than ever are adopting technology to help improve outcomes for these patient populations.

During the global pandemic, surgical units have seen a large reduction in elective and semi-elective surgeries. As reducing exposure and contact becomes an increasing concern, patients are choosing to delay procedures or cancel all together to decrease their risk of contracting the novel Coronavirus. Luckily, digital tools are available to help streamline the perioperative care process, minimize contact, and reduce readmission during the post-acute care phase.

As value-based reimbursements are more widely adopted, digital technology will play a big role in helping to move the needle forward. There are a variety of ways digital technology can help enable value-based care initiatives. This blog will take a closer look at 3 areas where innovation is making its mark in strategies for moving value-based care forward.

Technological advancements are making its way into healthcare and can be instrumental in tackling barriers linked to the social determinants of health. Social Determinants of Health include behavioral, social and economic conditions that influence an individual’s ability to practice healthy living. A ‘whole person’ approach to care delivery addresses the multidisciplinary nature of one’s health.

The pandemic has created urgency across healthcare providers, payers and patients to quickly implement innovative virtual care solutions, such as telehealth and remote patient monitoring. This has been supported by sweeping regulatory changes, led by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS), and other government bodies. While many of these initiatives have been put in place on a temporary basis, we anticipate the ultimate result will be long-term regulatory and reimbursement changes encouraging virtual health adoption.

Health systems are beginning to focus towards a whole person care approach, a paradigm shift that embodies not only one’s physical health but also those non-medical factors known as the social determinants of health that have a great impact on care delivery and health outcomes.

Health systems and organizations are under extreme stress with front-line workers who are in constant danger of infection with increased patient caseloads and limited resources. Health plans, including governments, have fast-tracked new billing codes and policies for telehealth and virtual care consultations. There are many solutions in the market creating confusion and delays and even risk. This webinar is designed to help organizations learn about implementing a well-designed secure and trusted virtual care solution that goes beyond standard video conferencing.

Whether or not self-driving cars are the way of the future, artificial intelligence is now a fact of life. Once a theoretical hope, we have successfully created machines that mimic human cognitive behavior. They recognize patterns, learn, and form conclusions. For all intents and purposes, they think.

Telehealth continues to offer tremendous potential to transform the healthcare delivery system by overcoming geographical distance, enhancing access to care, and building efficiencies. But online telehealth services on their own fall short of enabling true patient engagement and providing patients with the best possible care.

Value-based care is a system of reimbursement that aims to compensate providers for the care outcomes achieved rather than the volume of services provided. Proven strategies & real-world case studies showcase how consumer engagement models are enabling value-based care across a spectrum of populations, including intellectual & developmental disabilities, mental health, substance use, & foster care.

A free Webinar on how to engage your patients and clients in their care through person-centered technology to collect data across I/DD programs and services. Let’s continue the discussion and share best practices in technology-driven care used to improve care outcomes while reducing direct costs in care – see workshop agenda below. We will also discuss our mHealth assessment program to better understand your organization’s specific needs.