| American TeleCare, Inc.
Announces that New Ulm Medical Center Home Health Reports No Hospital
Readmissions for CHF Patients Monitored with Home Telehealth System
EDEN PRAIRIE, Minn. (July 24, 2002)
– American TeleCare, Inc. (ATI) announced today that one of
its customers, New Ulm Medical Center Home Health (NUMCHH), part
of the Allina Hospitals and Clinics, reported that none of its congestive
heart failure (CHF) patients monitored with ATI’s home telehealth
system was readmitted to the hospital for CHF.ATI’s home telehealth
system features live audio and video combined with a telephonic
stethoscope and other medical peripherals (blood pressure meter,
scale, pulse oximeter) to allow the nurse to conduct a “video
visit” to homebound patients. The nurse and patient can see
and talk to each other while the nurse gathers objective and subjective
information, allowing a timely clinical assessment of patient status.
If a problem is identified, the nurse can intervene rapidly, preventing
further deteriorization.
NUMCHH, part of the New Ulm Medical Center,
began its home telehealth program in the summer of 2001 with the
goal of preventing hospital readmissions among its patients with
congestive heart failure. The community which NUMCHH serves is two
hours southwest of the Twin Cities in a rural, agricultural area
whose patients often reside far from the medical center.
NUMCHH chose a congestive heart failure
application because it is the number one reason why senior patients
are admitted to the hospital. Among seniors nationally (people age
65 and over), 10% have CHF, which translates to approximately one
million hospitalizations per year with a price tag of around $12
billion.
“Maintaining close contact with
congestive heart failure patients, who are typically high risk,
high cost, and high utilizers of health care resources is challenging
given the distances and isolation in which some of our patients
live,” says Kathy Thompson, RN, manager of NUMCHH, “We
had to find other ways of extending our care and presence into patients’
homes to make an impact on their health care status and compliance
to their plan of care.”
The evaluation tracked six CHF patients
between the ages of 76-86 who, collectively, were hospitalized for
CHF 10 times in the six months prior to enrollment in NUMCHH’s
home telehealth program. These patients, whose enrollment began
in October of 2001, have been monitored with a combination of in-person
and telehealth consultations. Telehealth allows the patients to
be monitored on a frequent basis, sometimes even twice per day until
their conditions are stabilized. None of the six patients has had
a CHF related hospitalization since enrollment in the program. (One
patient did have a hospitalization for dehydration following the
flu.)
“We are very encouraged by the
outcomes generated so far. This has significant and positive implications
for expansion of the program by size and into other disease states,”
notes Thompson.
Of her decision to utilize American TeleCare’s
video based AVIVA® home telehealth system Thompson comments,
“We have been very pleased with the reliability and functionality
of the technology. The telephonic stethoscope is critical for early
intervention and the video is key to developing the relationship
between patient and provider and for detecting subtleties that otherwise
would go unnoticed. Our patients love it.”
“New Ulm’s experience
validates that video is a critical component of remote monitoring
for select patients” noted Michael Lemnitzer, senior vice
president for American TeleCare, Inc. “We applaud their success
during this evaluation. To have such an immediate impact on improving
the quality of life for these patients is one of the reasons why
a growing number of agencies are implementing telehealth programs.
The financial benefits and quick return on their telehealth investment
adds to the success of these programs. We are seeing many agencies
show similar outcomes, validating telehealth as a tool to delivering
high quality, cost efficient care.”
NUMCHH will continue to track outcomes of
the telehealth program, the first of its kind within its parent
company, Allina Hospitals and Clinics. NUMCHH is a hospital based
home care/hospice agency which provides services to the New Ulm
and surrounding area. Along with telemedicine services, they
provide skilled nursing, rehab, IV therapy and extended care services.
A pioneer in the concept of home telehealth,
American TeleCare, Inc. guides its business partners in the development
of home telehealth programs. The company currently markets the AVIVA®
System; an FDA-cleared telemedicine monitoring system that incorporates
live audio/video with integrated electronic medical peripherals
to allow a doctor or nurse to conduct remote assessments of patients
in their homes. The products are simple to use, and operate through
a standard telephone line. For more information, visit www.americantelecare.com.
Contacts: Kathy Thompson
Lisa Abrams Home Care/Hospice/Chemo/Care Coordination Manager
American TeleCare, Inc. New Ulm Medical Center
800-323-667 507-233-1555
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