COVID-19 Pandemic Highlights Need for a Better Model of Care
Prior to the COVID-19 pandemic, healthcare provider’s adoption of value-based models of care was slow. Virtual, continuous models of care were starting to gain traction, particularly to meet the needs of patients with chronic conditions, and The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) continued to endorse these models by expanding reimbursements for solutions like telehealth and remote patient monitoring. Still, there was no sense of urgency to invest in these solutions.
In the midst of the COVID-19 crisis, there’s a new spotlight on the need for efficient and continual virtual care. Further, this ever-evolving pandemic has highlighted the need for interoperability, and just how important the brand new interoperability final rules from the Office of the National Coordinator (ONC) are.
Healthcare IT Trends That Stand Out During COVID-19
In a previous Rimidi blog, I shared two trends in healthcare IT that were not likely to go anywhere anytime soon. In the context of the COVID-19 pandemic (and whatever the aftermath), they’ve become more relevant than ever.
Remote Patient Monitoring
Remote Patient Monitoring (RPM) was already getting a boost prior to the current situation, with CMS boosting reimbursements for systems who adopt this practice. Now, there has been a re-evaluation and temporary adjustments made to several restrictions that have long stood in the way of telehealth and RPM adoption--like patient copays.
The current crisis has highlighted the need to remotely monitor patients as they self-isolate at home. Patients want to hear from their healthcare providers during this time, and let’s face it -- providers already have their hands full. Remote monitoring and communication tools can ensure that patients who have been told to stay home and self-isolate are still connected and taken care of as their symptoms change. Enabling remote care helps ensure that skilled resources--and in this case, hospital beds--can be allocated rationally.
Interoperability
Even before the COVID-19 outbreak in the U.S., plans were underway to announce groundbreaking final rules on interoperability at the beginning of March. The final rules address information-blocking practices and anti-competitive behaviors by various players in the healthcare space: providers, developers of health IT products, health information exchanges, etc. The new rules not only mandate that patients have access to their own healthcare data, but requires that these players adopt modern computing and API standards -- namely Fast Healthcare Interoperability Resources (FHIR). This means not only can organizations prevent sharing of healthcare data, but they must share it in the same FHIR “language” so to speak. Having all-encompassing data in a standardized format across different health systems, different electronic health records, and different geographies will be crucial as public health researchers, epidemiologists, and government officials work to identify trends in COVID-19 symptoms, mortality rates, recovery times, new treatment efficacy, and so on.
In short, information sharing is more important now than ever. Even as this crisis recedes, it is important to retool our approach to healthcare delivery so we can not only be ready for the next runaway infectious disease, but enable better patient outcomes by adopting a continual, virtual model of care.
Rimidi’s FHIR-Enabled COVID-19 Screening Tool Can Help
Rimidi recently launched a COVID-19 screening, triage and monitoring tool that interfaces with the EHR via FHIR to send patients with chronic health conditions or upcoming appointments a survey inquiring about their symptoms and potential exposure to COVID-19. The survey includes the latest CDC guidelines. As protocols and guidance continue to change, those are incorporated into the app without burdening hospital IT teams to make the updates.
If you are interested in learning more, visit rimidi.com/covid19.
