eHealth for Lifelong Wellness and Aging
Louisville is the world leader in lifelong wellness and aging care. So, it should be no surprise that the Health Enterprises Network here is active and engaged. On Friday May, 10th, the topic was eHealth, and the setting as well as the information is noteworthy. Harshaw Trane hosted the event, and we were connected to DC via video on one of the devices that Trinity Video supplies for telemedicine. Funny thing is that the same event could have been held with a tablet, but as John Jennings from Trinity said, “Folks want to see something that looks medical.” And, the TV monitor on top of the remote stand, did, in fact, look medical.
Tom Morris from the Health and Human Services in DC spoke remotely via video, discussing the origins of funding for telehealth (1997 for Medicare), and the impact that the mandate for rural coverage with telehealth is having on funding for coverage. An additional benefit is that someone needs to manage and work with the technology, so there is additional education in technology for those rural areas to be able to help themselves use the technology. Morris indicated there is a strong federal telehealth partnership. Much of the new interest has been since the White House Rural Council was created in 2011 with a goal to better serve rural communities.
Morris said there have been more Washington briefings in this last year than the 10 previous years, and that the told of telehealth is evolving in health care environments. As a follow-up to these comments and insights, from Home Health Care news on Friday as well, reporting that the home health tech market is projected to reach $5.8 billion by 2018, which is really doubling revenues in 4 years. A lot of this growth is simply growth of technology, but it is also growth that is aiimed at reaching the Triple Aim goals of CMS, which is better patient care, better health coverage, and reduced costs.
Companies like Advanced TeleHealth Solutions and AXXESS are both taking advantage of the value added component that the industry wants to add. Advanced Telehealth Solutions offers outsouced telehealth through a call center that is in the process of being URAC certified. AXXESS provides mobile enabled business management and scheduling software for the Medicare certified market. In both instances, these businesses are ahead of the curve, and are levering technology as a way to make the patient experience better, to reduce costs to providers as well as the system, and are enabling more people to be served in the preferred health care setting – the patient’s home.
Today I attended a workshop on technology around the engagement online. What I see from my vantage point as a thought leader in the home care industry, is that bringing value to those we serve and care for at home, means better communication, better processes, better reporting, better access, and the home health care industry as well as the private pay home care industry are really just in the beginning of the disruption that changes in technology allow. Fasten your seat belts. if you are not already on board with adding the best technology to your business, the voyage is happening rapidly.
Join the conversation and the movement. Want to have a discussion on how to best prepare for the future incorporating what is new? Give us a shout at corecubed. We will gladly engage.