Guest Column | October 14, 2016

Reducing Acute Care Needs For Patients With Chronic Illness

rare disease, patient voice

How To Use Technology To Engage Patients And Drive Clinical Interventions

By Allison Hart, Vice President of Marketing, TeleVox Solutions at West

According to a study backed by the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality, at least two-thirds of all adults discharged from hospitals have two or more chronic health conditions. Although these patients are well enough they do not require acute care at the time they leave the hospital, many are eventually readmitted. Research indicates there is a direct relationship between the number and complexity of chronic conditions a patient has and the probability that they will be readmitted to the hospital. Because of this, it is extremely important for healthcare providers to regularly monitor and engage chronic care patients so issues can be detected early and readmissions can be prevented. Advanced technology is making monitoring easier; now it is time to put that technology to use to create a more connected model of care for patients with chronic health conditions.

The use of devices — such as blood pressure cuffs, pulse oximeters, and glucometers — to monitor health conditions is becoming more common. In 2015, approximately 4.9 million people worldwide used some form of home health technology. That number is expected to rise rapidly in the next few years. A report from IHS Technology predicts that by the year 2020 technology will be used to help:

The adoption of various monitoring technologies by both providers and patients is a clear step toward better chronic disease management. It takes healthcare beyond the clinical setting and into daily life which is where people living with chronic health conditions need support. Monitoring technology allows doctors of patients with heart disease, for example, to capture readings from a biometric device multiple times per day. It also gives patients with high blood pressure the ability to monitor their health at home and report results to their physicians. Of course, how healthcare providers receive this type of reported data — and what is done with it — is important, because using technology to track chronic conditions is only effective if it leads to interventions.

Monitoring technology must be set up to automatically alert medical teams of problems, and healthcare providers need to have plans and staff in place to respond appropriately when alerts are received. Without this design, responding to problems and preventing adverse health outcomes and hospital readmissions in chronic patients becomes more difficult.

Healthcare teams that want to better manage chronic illnesses should work to continuously engage patients using technology-enabled communications. Ongoing engagement can influence behavior, which is a major factor in determining how well a chronic disease is controlled. Reducing stress, losing weight, exercising more, quitting smoking, and other positive behavior changes can directly impact health outcomes for those with a chronic illness. Simple, automated communications can encourage patients to follow care instructions, make healthy choices, and take responsibility for actions that impact their health.

Until recently, much of the technology in place has been designed and used predominantly for one-way communication. However, today’s technology offers plenty of opportunities for bi-directional communication — meaning data can flow seamlessly between patient and practitioner and back again. Healthcare teams are now able to review real-time patient data, use information to make necessary changes to treatment plans, and provide direct feedback. If a patient shows signs they are at risk of developing complications related to a chronic condition, a member of their healthcare team can easily contact them to discuss what is happening, order tests, or prescribe a new treatment. This type of two-way tech-enabled communication is essential for helping people stay out of the hospital.

Diabetes is a good example of a chronic illness that can be effectively managed through monitoring and engagement. To help prevent disease-related complications in a diabetic patient, a healthcare team could create an engagement plan and assign the patient to a care manager. The care manager could then create a series of automated communications that support the patient’s care plan. This might include things like text messages delivered when it is time for the patient to schedule foot and eye exams, automated calls to collect blood sugar readings, and a seasonal email with information on an upcoming flu shot clinic. These messages can be delivered automatically so the care manager does not have to keep track of when to send them. All of this helps ensure important communications aren’t forgotten and a consistent communication pattern keeps the patient engaged. If the patient begins to struggle at any point or experience health issues, the care manager is able to step in and intervene.

The burden of chronic disease weighs heavily on America, so healthcare teams need to make the most of monitoring and communication technology. About half of all adults in the U.S. have one or more chronic health condition. One in four adults has two or more chronic health conditions. Most of these patients are not able to manage their chronic conditions entirely on their own, nor should they have to. Patients (especially those that have been in the hospital previously) need support and a team of professionals behind them to provide coaching and support. This is an area where technology and guidance from trained professionals needs to be combined in order to benefit patients on a daily basis, and also prevent hospital admissions and readmissions.

About the Author
Allison Hart is a regularly-published advocate for utilizing technology-enabled communications to engage and activate patients beyond the clinical setting. She leads thought leadership efforts for West’s TeleVox Solutions, promoting the idea that engaging with patients between healthcare appointments in meaningful ways will encourage and inspire them to follow and embrace treatment plans - and that activating these positive behaviors ultimately leads to better outcomes for both healthcare organizations and patients. Hart currently serves as Vice President of Marketing for TeleVox Solutions at West, where the healthcare mission is to help organizations harness communications to expand the boundaries of where, when, and how healthcare is delivered.