Best practices in implementing a telehealth program.

To better address new Medicare regulations and reimbursement cuts, many home health agencies are considering whether to start offering telehealth services as a means of driving improved clinical outcomes and financial performance. This article outlines best practices in setting up a telehealth program, based on over 12 months of experience by According to the Philips National Study on Home Care Technology and Telehealth, co-sponsored by NAHC and conducted by Fazzi Associates, only 17.1% of U.S. agencies currently use telehealth. However, the study found that this number is expected to double within the next two years. " What makes this study so important is that it is the first representative sample study on technology and telehealth in home care that has ever been undertaken, " said Val Halamandaris, president and CEO of NAHC. " One finding that is particularly significant is that the utilization of telehealth by home care agencies also correlates directly with providing the highest quality of care. " First Things First – Establish your agency's goals for a telemonitoring program Is your agency looking to reduce hospitalizations and ER visits? Increase your Home Care Compare scores? Reduce skilled nursing visits? Optimize your rehab / therapy program? Help manage case mix adjustments? Strengthen your marketing message to local referral sources, such as physicians and hospitals? Open up new sources of revenue such as private pay? Improve your margin on Medicaid patients? Empower your staff so they can offer greater clinical impact at each visit? Once your agency has agreed on the overall objectives for the program, it's time to select a vendor, design and execute an implementation plan, and establish metrics to ensure continuous program improvement, growth and achievement of agency goals.