FirstHealth Complex Care Management Program in Conjunction with Health Recovery Solutions (HRS) Saves $1.9M with Reduction in Readmissions
| Date Posted: 1/26/2017
New York, NY - FirstHealth of the Carolinas has achieved a 53% reduction in hospital readmissions using their own Complex Care Management Model (CCM) and PatientConnect, the patient engagement solution from Health Recovery Solutions. In a study of 220 high risk heart failure, COPD, and diabetes patients, from September 2015 through May 2016, utilization and the cost of care was tracked across all payer groups. A 53% reduction in hospital readmissions was demonstrated by comparing the hospitalization rate for the 6 months prior to the CCM intervention with the hospitalization rate for the 6 months following the CCM intervention. The rate was reduced from 1.7 at baseline to only 0.8 after the CCM intervention. The study reflected a savings of $1.9M in cost avoidance for the payers.
FirstHealth Complex Care Management distributes HRS PatientConnect software loaded tablets and HRS wireless Bluetooth engagement kits to patients that have been referred from FirstHealth Hospitals and Transitions Clinics. Within two days of being discharged from the inpatient facility, participants receive a RN home visit which includes a comprehensive nursing evaluation and medication reconciliation. The patient and/or caregivers are also instructed on how to use the equipment to obtain vital signs, access educational videos with teach-back tests, and respond to survey questions about the patient’s current health status. The captured real-time data flows to nurse care teams that intervene when needed.
FirstHealth of the Carolinas, a non-profit health care network, developed the CCM with support from the Duke Endowment and the North Carolina Quality Center. Central to the success of the CCM program was the integration of the HRS remote monitoring and engagement solution including tablets and wireless self-monitoring devices.
“The results validate the importance of engaging patients in managing their care with technology,” said Patty Upham, Director Care Transitions, FirstHealth of the Carolinas. “Proactively engaging patients in their care and improving their health literacy is a successful strategy. The HRS platform will continue to be at the center of our CCM program as we expand the Care Transition programs.”
“FirstHealth of the Carolinas has always been at the forefront of patient care. Our partnership has demonstrated we can reduce hospital admissions and the associated costs,” said Jarrett Bauer, CEO Health Recovery Solutions. “Together, we are pushing beyond conventional thinking and delivering population health management solutions for at-risk patients with great success.”
For more information about Health Recovery Solutions (HRS), visit www.healthrecoverysolutions.com, email info@healthrecoverysolutions.com, or call (347) 699-6HRS.
For more information on FirstHealth of the Carolinas, visit www.firsthealth.org or call 910-295-2211
