News and Market Developments
McKnights Home Care: Inbound Health Expands SNF-At-Home Program to Include Post-Surgical Care (6/2) - Hospital-at-home firm Inbound Health disclosed this week that it has expanded its skilled nursing-at-home program to include post-surgical care for general surgery, encompassing orthopedics, bariatrics and hernia. Offering more SNF-at-home services generates profits and savings throughout the health care system. Inbound Health patients will have access to facility-level, post-surgical care for a wider range of surgical specialties in the comfort of their homes, while health care providers can streamline their processes and improve quality and efficiency.
Texas Legislature: Texas Hospital-at-Home Program Effective (6/1) - On May 27, the Texas Governor signed the House Bill 1890. The bill would provide a pathway for hospitals to provide Hospital at Home services (i) for as long as CMS continues to permit it either under the existing waiver or under a successor program; and (ii) with approval of the executive commissioner of the Texas Health and Human Services Commission (HHSC). House Bill 1890 will continue to allow hospitals to apply for the Hospital at Home or any successor program that is offered by CMS. For additional information, see JD Supra.
Mass Device: HeartBeam Partners with Samsung to Boost At-Home Cardiac Care (5/30) - HeartBeam announced a strategic alliance agreement (SAA) with Samsung. The collaborative venture between HeartBeam and Samsung will explore opportunities to leverage HeartBeam’s proprietary technology and expertise in cardiac symptom assessment and monitoring. The two companies think their technologies could boost the standard of cardiac diagnostic capabilities. The collaboration also promises potential engagements with the Department of Veterans Affairs through the Accelerating VA Innovation and Learning (AVAIL) program.
Modern Healthcare: Home Cancer Treatment Faces Challenges Post-Pandemic (5/25) - Penn Center for Cancer Care Innovation has delivered care to approximately 3,000 patients through the program using 30 different cancer treatments, including chemotherapies and immunotherapies. Treating cancer patients at home can be more convenient and less stressful to patients, especially for those who might otherwise have to travel far to a facility. Providers and the American Society of Oncologists say without coverage from Medicare on the cost of in-home infusion, patients preferring home-based care must shoulder some out-of-pocket expenses. Not only is that a disincentive to receive therapy at home for many patients, it could also contribute to health care inequality.
Becker's Hospital Review: American Hospital Association (AHA) Highlights Four Home Care Technologies for Health Systems (5/24) - With an aging population dealing with a variety of chronic diseases, AHA highlights that health systems should implement leading home care technologies:
- At-home infusion. This includes dialysis at home and connected infusion pumps that share data with providers.
- Virtual clinical exam rooms. The tools include digital stethoscopes and digital medical kits to help diagnose patients during virtual visits.
- Digital therapeutics. These apps and digital tools help manage mental health and conditions related to cardiology, endocrinology and gastroenterology.
- Home care management platforms. These help patients transition from the hospital to home, providing remote patient monitoring, care coordination and scheduling for patients who are elderly, caring for infants or have chronic conditions.
For additional coverage, see McKnights Senior Living.
Home Health Care News: ComForCare Partners with Connected Home Living to Roll Out RPM Service Nationally (5/24) - ComForCare has established a partnership with Connected Home Living to launch Connected Care, its remote patient monitoring (RPM) program for seniors. Through the partnership, RPM technology will be implemented in ComForCare and At Your Side’s care delivery model in order to monitor vital signs, alerts, medications, as well as the mental and physical state of seniors. It will also help the company monitor a change in activity in the home, which can indicate a change in behaviors.
Healio: Retention Seen as Equally Important as Enrollment to Expand Home Dialysis (5/23) - Building enthusiasm about the benefits of home dialysis is key to getting patients interested. However, retention is just as important as recruiting new patients to home dialysis. During the American Nephrology Nurses Association national symposium, speakers highlighted the benefits of home dialysis, including better psychosocial outcomes, transportation costs, and use of fewer unnecessary medications.
The Prairie Press: Horizon is Bringing Health Care Home (5/22) - Horizon Health’s Mobile Integrated Healthcare (MIH) announced its patients can receive Remote Patient Monitoring (RPM) at home. The RPM program complements Horizon’s MIH offering, equipping patients who suffer from chronic conditions with tools to monitor their blood pressure, oxygen levels, weight and other health metrics from their own homes. MIH and RPM simplify the flow of information to a patient, drastically decrease return visits and encourage patients to take ownership of their health.
|