From Startups to “Scaling Up:” U.S. Health Systems Find Value in Telemedicine

Posted: March 4th, 2015 | Author: Lindsay | Filed under: Basics, In the News, Telehealth | Tags: DoseSpot, e-Prescribing Integration, health systems, healthcare IT, Healthcare Software, hospitals, Patient Engagement, readmission rates, telehealth, virtual care | No Comments »

As predicted for early 2015, telehealth developments are gaining a strong foothold in a number of healthcare arenas here in the U.S. One area of particular interest are major health systems, as recent initiatives to adopt and deploy innovative and large-scale telehealth plans have made it into the healthtech spotlight:

1. University of Mississippi Medical Center (UMMC)

As the only academic medical center in the state of Mississippi, UMMC looks forward to connecting with more than 165 hospitals, clinics, workplaces and schools via the creation of its new Center for Telehealth. Additionally, UMMC hopes that its new Center will help alleviate and address some of the major barriers to rural healthcare access within Mississippi State.

2. Avera Health

Based in South Dakota, Avera Health—clocking in with 31 hospitals total—is revamping and expanding its telemedicine program of already epic proportions. eCare is purported to be the biggest and most encompassing telemedicine operation in the world, covering an area the size of France and Germany combined. With 8 states involved (South Dakota, North Dakota, Minnesota, Iowa, Kansas, Nebraska, Wyoming and Montana) and telemedicine services for ICU, Emergency, Pharmacy, internal medicine, specialty care and long-term care, Avera Health remains a force to be reckoned with in the telehealth space.

3. Geisinger Health System

An early adopter of telehealth, this Pennsylvania-based entity has been pushing for solidified and widespread virtual health resources since 2012. This same year, Geisinger found that its own telehealth technology cut readmission rates by a shocking 44 percent. Focusing strongly on teleICU, Geisinger has seen strongly positive healthcare and financial outcomes in recent years and continues to refine telehealth initiatives as we speak.

4. Mercy Health

Got big telehealth plans? Then you might want to consult Mercy Health for advice…They have an entire facility devoted to virtual care. Operating out of St. Louis, Mercy Health constructed a telehealth facility in May of 2014, investing $50 million towards completion. The center hosts 300 physicians, nurses, specialists, researchers and support staff who are on call 24/7 for both video and audio services. Within the first 5 years that the center is up and running Mercy Health estimates that it will manage more than 3 million telehealth visits.

5. University of Pittsburgh Medical Center (UPMC)

Much like Geisinger, UPMC has moved quickly to meet telemedicine demands and efficiently reduce readmission rates. Over a 23-month period in 2013, UPMC increased patient visits by 49 percent, totaling 10,000 telemedicine visits. Among these visits, UPMC saw marked progress with heart failure patients in particular. When paired with a visiting nurse and subsequent telemonitoring, readmission rates hovered around 5 percent—versus the 28 percent readmission rate with no monitoring whatsoever. A massive difference indeed!

SOURCES: Medcitynews and Avera Health

About DoseSpot 
DoseSpot is a Surescripts certified e-Prescribing platform specifically designed to integrate with electronic health record, electronic dental record, practice management and telehealth software. DoseSpot is certified to e-Prescribe controlled substances and has provided simple, affordable and integratable e-Prescribing solutions to healthcare IT companies since 2009. For more information, please visit www.DoseSpot.com.

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