There are many issues plaguing the health care industry – a number of which are shared by Senior Providers. Rising operational costs and a rapidly aging population are poised to place greater pressure on these sectors, establishing a clear need to rethink how we approach care across the board. There is one silver lining to these dual concerns, though. This clear need has drawn the attention of innovators worldwide, spurring technological innovations that can streamline current operations and make preventative care a reality for greater swaths of the population.
In a recent example of this development, Becker's Hospital Review detailed how the Hackensack Physician Hospital Alliance Accountable Care Organization (ACO) in New Jersey has tapped into the power of tablets to reduce hospital readmission rates. The ACO unveiled a new program in which patients with chronic heart failure, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease and diabetes (or a combination of these issues) are given a tablet when they leave the hospital.
Chronic heart failure, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease and diabetes are the leading causes of readmission for the ACO, but using tablets to facilitate outpatient care has had a positive impact on this trend. A pilot study showed a 20 percent drop in readmission rates between tablet users and a control group, indicating that this method of outpatient support could help maintain quality of life at home. This study sheds light on the vital role that new technologies can come to play across the continuum of care. Outpatient and home-based care have long posed a challenge for overburdened and underbudgeted hospitals and Senior Providers.
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