Melissa Kozak
May 31 2023
Reading Time: 3 minutes
When home-based care organizations embrace digital management tools, they not only foster more connected care teams and engaged patients and families, but they can also experience reduced rehospitalizations. Patient safety, including decreasing preventable readmissions, means better care is being provided which is detrimental to the provider-patient relationship.
In this blog, we explore different virtual management tools that can help reduce rehospitalizations and how they can benefit home-based care.
Virtual medication management can help reduce rehospitalizations.
With the right virtual tools, providers can change medication without the need to physically see a patient — ultimately helping to eliminate the need for phone tag and keeping patients from waiting for refills. Customized digital form capabilities allow them to electronically send refill or change requests, get them promptly filled, and avoid delay of care. Providers can also collaborate with the broader care team for care planning and necessary shifts in real time.
The result of this virtual approach to medication management can speed up treatment and reduce rehospitalizations.
- 7 million patients are impacted by preventable errors in medication management
- $21 billion in preventable medication errors across all care settings
- 16% of unplanned readmissions within 30 days are medication related
Virtual wound management can help reduce rehospitalizations.
Providers can streamline the capture of reliable wound assessments, status, and measurements with virtual wound management. This can include tools such as image sharing, video chat, and secure messaging in order for providers to immediately triage patients and make decisions on next steps. Patients can be easily monitored in between visits as needed and can simplify data entry with integrated connections.
With digital tools built to monitor and manage wounds, home-based care organizations can provide more thorough patient care, save time by eliminating dual data entry, and help avoid unnecessary rehospitalizations.
- 2 million patients suffer from wounds in the U.S.
- Almost $100 billion in cost of wound care
- 52% increased risk of rehospitalization due to wounds
On-demand education can help reduce rehospitalizations.
When providers offer on-demand education for patients and their families, they can reinforce verbal instructions and care planning to support comprehension and adherence. Additionally, these tools can bridge gaps caused by language and literacy barriers, and allow providers to utilize the teach-back method via video.
For example, educational activities carried out by nurses — such as teaching patients to give themselves injections or follow prescribed diets — can be reinforced with on-demand materials to keep patients close to their plan of care.
As the world becomes more virtual, home-based care providers must adopt technologies that help meet patient expectations and to deliver better care in the home. Talk to a CitusHealth expert to learn how we can help your organization reduce preventable rehospitalizations and improve operations.
