Ohio Living Telehealth Program Achieves 7.5% Hospital Readmission Rate

TOLEDO, Ohio, May 29, 2019 /PRNewswire/ — Ohio Living Home Health and Hospice has achieved a 7.5% all-cause hospital readmission rate using remote patient monitoring and telehealth software from Health Recovery Solutions (HRS). In the first quarter of 2019, Ohio Living’s all-cause readmission rate of 7.5% was nearly half of Ohio’s Medicare average of 14.9%.

In recent months, Ohio Living expanded its telehealth program, partnering with Northwest Ohio Accountable Care Organization. Through the partnership, patients can continue to receive telehealth care and remote monitoring services after being discharged from home health, extending both Ohio Living and Northwest Ohio’s chronic care programs. The expansion of Ohio Living’s telehealth program is a testament to the strong patient adherence and program satisfaction they’ve achieved.

Patients placed on Ohio Living’s telehealth program are provided a 4G tablet pre-loaded with the HRS software, along with Bluetooth peripheral devices for patients to record their blood pressure, weight, heart rate, and other biometrics. Patient information is seamlessly uploaded to the clinician’s dashboard enabling them to monitor patient vitals remotely, respond to alerts when a patient’s health status changes, and communicate with patients through video, phone, and text messaging platforms.

Ohio Living partnered with HRS in 2017 and has since seen a marked increase in patients’ adherence to their care plan. Patient adherence is measured, among other metrics, by the consistency with which patients record their vitals and answer daily surveys. Ohio Living has consistently achieved patient adherence above 80% among patients enrolled in the telehealth program.

Additionally, 80% of patients enrolled would recommend the telehealth program to a family member or friend, and over 75% of patients enrolled agree the program has enabled them to be more involved in their care.

Ohio Living’s impressive hospital readmission rate and patient engagement can be attributed to their telehealth staff’s dedication to patient education and interaction. In recent months, Ohio Living has increased their disease-specific education and use of virtual visits utilizing HRS video conferencing platform.  

“The interactive nature of face-to-face video conferencing promotes patient engagement and increases socialization for isolated patients,” said Wendy Kiser, Executive Director at Ohio Living. “Patient engagement is critical to the management of chronic conditions. The face-to-face video conferencing allows our nurses to build relationships with patients and continually engage with them and educate them.”

“Ohio Living has built a truly outstanding telehealth program. Their prioritization of patient education and engagement stands as a model for telehealth programs,” adds HRS Client Success Manager, William Ashton.

About Ohio Living Home Health & Hospice:
To learn more about Ohio Living Home Health & Hospice, visit www.ohioliving.org or call (419) 865-1499.

About Health Recovery Solutions (HRS):
To learn more about Health Recovery Solutions, visit www.healthrecoverysolutions.com or call (347) 699-6477.

View original content:http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/ohio-living-telehealth-program-achieves-7-5-hospital-readmission-rate-300857828.html

SOURCE Health Recovery Solutions