Value-based care emphasizes rewarding healthcare providers for the quality of care delivered as opposed to the volume of services provided. Telehealth and value-based care can work together, along with remote patient monitoring (RPM), to help manage chronic conditions and improve healthcare efficiency. This article discusses how this is possible, as well as the effects of telehealth and RPM have on patient outcomes, reduced costs, and improved efficiencies in healthcare.
The Rise of Telehealth and Value-Based Care
Under the value-based care model, providers earn rewards for helping patients enhance their health, prevent chronic illness, and live healthier. Telehealth is a form of telemedicine that complements this value-based care model by enabling remote consultations and timely interventions. Remote patient monitoring is another form of telemedicine that allows patients to automatically transmit daily vital sign readings from home to help providers track progress.
Together, RPM, telehealth and value-based care offer a proactive approach to patient care that can increase patient engagement and adherence to treatment plans. The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) have recognized the potential of RPM and telehealth in value-based care. CMS created 5 CPT codes to reimburse providers for RPM services, including device setup, patient education, and management time.
Impact of Hospital Readmissions
In 2012, prior to telehealth and value-based care models, CMS launched the Hospital Readmissions Reduction Program (HRRP). Under HRRP, hospitals can face penalties if patients with chronic conditions like heart failure or COPD are readmitted within 30 days post-discharge. This motivates better engagement in discharge planning and alignment with value-based care goals of improving quality and outcomes.
The specific conditions covered in HRRP include:
- acute myocardial infarction
- COPD
- heart disease and heart failure
- pneumonia
- coronary artery bypass graft surgery
- total hip arthroplasty or total knee arthroplasty
Studies in the U.S. and U.K. show that up to 20% of COPD patients discharged from hospitals are readmitted within 30 days. Costs are estimated at $4,322 per patient per year. However, research shows that measuring vital signs with RPM improves self- management for COPD patients and decreases costs.
The Benefits of Value-Based Healthcare
When patients are discharged from the hospital, they may not see a physician again until their next in-person appointment. Telehealth and remote patient monitoring interventions can aid in prevention because physicians can monitor a discharged patient’s health data such as blood pressure, weight, temperature, blood glucose, and respiratory flow. Rather than focusing narrowly on cost reduction, RPM helps achieve broader healthcare value for patients.
Value-based care initiatives can be measured with evidence-based health indicators, including survival rates and recovery status over time. A recent systematic literature review published in BMJ Open showed remote patient monitoring reduced acute care use for cardiovascular and COPD patients.
Chronic diseases produce a significant economic burden on healthcare organizations. Roughly 75% of healthcare costs come from the 100 million Americans with chronic conditions. For this reason, remote patient monitoring can substantially lower healthcare spending for patients and healthcare systems compared to standard or usual care. According to one study, RPM was highly cost-effective in cases of hypertension, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease and heart failure. Additionally, research supports that COPD patients who received remote monitoring experienced significantly fewer acute exacerbations and hospitalizations.
Patient Education with Telehealth and Value-Based Care
Another U.K. study reported that electronic patient-reported outcome systems (ePROs) for patients with epilepsy, sleep apnea, diabetes, cancer, rheumatoid arthritis, and HIV led to “significant reductions in outpatient appointments and the timely provision of interventions.” Patients complete ePRO questionnaires on digital electronic devices such as smartphones, tablets or computers, and the results are transmitted to clinicians in real-time.
The study also showed that simply explaining RPM and discussing readings with patients during appointments enabled better understanding and documentation of patient symptoms, timely interventions, and enhanced patient–physician interactions. Knowing that a healthcare provider can answer questions can put a patient at ease. Telehealth and value-based care works well when a patient can ask questions that reduce the need to visit a hospital or healthcare provider. At the same time, questions about concerning readings can be flagged with an alert and routed to a provider dashboard for immediate action.
Increased Treatment Adherence
Treatment adherence is the extent to which a person takes prescribed medication, follows a diet, or executes lifestyle changes corresponds with agreed recommendations from a health care provider. Hospitals and providers can improve patient treatment adherence by leveraging telehealth and remote monitoring technologies. For example, with medication and appointment alerts, physicians can send reminders to help patients adhere to their medication and measurement schedules.
Clarity around patient adherence is critical for implementing remote patient monitoring in a medical system. The U.S. Preventive Services Task Force recommends measuring blood pressure outside clinical settings. Participants in a newly published study favored home blood pressure monitoring for taking daily blood pressure readings, followed by clinic, kiosks, and ambulatory monitoring. The study authors support the routine use of remote blood pressure monitoring in primary care practice in the U.S.
Healthcare organizations can better engage and empower patients by matching care delivery to individual needs. Additionally, technology that enables easy patient engagement outside medical settings expands reach. User-friendly, personalized care drives patient engagement across access points, supporting shared health outcome goals.
Telehealth and Value-Based Care: Patient Satisfaction
Technologies in telehealth and value-based care can also be measured according to patient satisfaction. A recent study showed no significant differences in clinical outcomes between virtual visits and traditional in-person visits. Though, patients overall preferred virtual visits over in-person visits. Most participants stated that televisits were better for cost, accessibility, and convenience.
Patient satisfaction with telehealth has also been shown in oncology care. As we shift toward a hybrid healthcare system of virtual and in-person modalities, telehealth represents a new standard of care. Therefore, it is essential to consider telehealth and RPM technologies that can add value from the patient’s perspective.
Tenovi Remote Patient Monitoring
The Boston Consulting Group reports that many healthcare providers believe that 60% of patient interactions for primary care will be conducted virtually within three to five years. Adopting remote patient monitoring to meet requirements for value-based healthcare can create a more efficient workflow or increase revenue. Tenovi can help you find a better solution. Book a free RPM demo today.
