New Call Technology Helps Homecare Team Prevent Medical Emergencies
Elkridge, MD. (July 3, 2017) – On July 3, MedStar Visiting Nurse Association (VNA) launched an innovative program that offers increased attention to high-risk patients, helping to prevent the need for emergency medical intervention. The program, called “Touch,” uses automated calls to check on patients between home visits and identify urgent health concerns before they escalate.
Patients are enrolled in the Touch program based on predictive analytics – provided by a partnership with Medalogix – which use medical record data to determine patterns and predict future outcomes and trends. This helps identify patients who have the highest level of health risk. Medalogix integrates with MedStar VNA’s electronic medical record and generates service alerts if the patient’s answers to automated call questions suggest the need for urgent attention. The service alerts allow the homecare team to intervene quickly, help the patient control negative symptoms, and potentially prevent unplanned trips to the hospital.
According to MedStar VNA President, Traci Anderson, “When our nurses and therapists evaluate patients, they use medical history, care standards, their assessment skills, past experience, and the patient’s environment to determine a personalized care plan. Predictive analytics adds an extra layer of evaluation by analyzing the patient’s medical record for complex data variables. Medalogix and Touch will help us to provide an even higher level of care and attention to patients in need of more specialized treatment.”
About MedStar Visiting Nurse Association
MedStar VNA, a non-profit, Joint Commission accredited, in-home healthcare provider, offers skilled nursing, rehabilitation and infusion therapy for homebound, disabled and chronically ill patients in the Maryland, D.C. and Northern Virginia region. To support good health in the community, MedStar VNA offers vaccination and wellness programs across the region. For more information about MedStar VNA, call 800-862-2166 or visit medstarvna.org