Hospitals and health systems responding to Obamacare’s reimbursement pressure are increasingly experimenting with new ways to reduce readmissions for patients less than 30 days after they were discharged. To that end, they’re reviewing the best ways to follow up with patients that not only produce feedback and data on their health and adherence to medical regimens, but also give a better sense of the patients’ home environment and fall risks. To add to that equation, they need to figure out a solution that makes the best use of staff time.
Some health systems are working with health IT and digital health startups to try out different strategies. Others are developing solutions in-house. Inspira Health Network, a New Jersey-based health system, sees emergency medical technicians as a useful solution.
In an interview at the EyeforPharma conference in Philadelphia, Steve Linn, chief medical officer at Inspira who is also transitioning into a role as population health officer, explained how the program works.
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“They do a home assessment, they check patients’ medications and follow up with the doctor. The role is structured into their job.”
Linn said that the program has been in place for six months. Why use emergency medical technicians? They have already established a significant relationship with the patient. They also cost much less than nurses and are just as effective in this role.
“It’s allowing people to operate at the top of their license,” Linn said. He pointed out that healthcare reform is leading to a dramatic shift in roles. For example once upon a time, nurses would be expected to change a bed, but that would be a poor use of a hospital’s resources when they could be doing a physical exam, for instance.
