Making Connected Care Work

The challenges & benefits of implementing connected care in value-based homecare

By Anna Dykshteyn

Can you imagine a world where health care extends beyond the walls of a hospital, directly into your own home? This vision is becoming a reality with the rise of connected care, an integrated approach to health care that uses technology to connect various stakeholders—patients and data about their health, health care providers and the party responsible for footing the bill.

Connected care dovetails perfectly with the growing movement toward value-based care, which rewards the quality of health outcomes rather than the number or volume of visits.

Value-based care (VBC) isn’t a new concept. Frustrations with the traditional fee-for-service model, which incentivized and rewarded care providers based on the quantity of services they rendered regardless of patient benefit, led to a paradigm shift in the early 2000s.

The brainchild of Michael Porter and Elizabeth Olmsted Teisberg, VBC aims to flip the script by focusing on preventive care, chronic disease management and overall patient well-being. Connected care, on the other hand, is a product of the digital revolution. From remote monitoring devices to telehealth consultations, connected care allows for continuous data collection and real-time communication between patients and health care providers.

So, how do these two trends intersect in homecare? This article will explore the exciting possibilities—and the inevitable challenges—of implementing connected care in a value-based home care (VBHC) environment.

The Connection Between VBC & Connected Care

Let’s take an example of a patient with chronic heart failure. Traditionally, they might rely on infrequent hospital visits to monitor their condition. It looks different with connected care in a VBC system. The patient can wear a wireless device that transmits real-time heart data. This allows for:

  • Early Intervention: Subtle changes in the patient’s vital signs can trigger alerts, enabling health care providers to intervene quickly, preventing further complications and hospital admissions. This aligns with VBC’s focus on preventive care and reducing unnecessary hospitalizations.
  • Improved Care Coordination: Connected care platforms allow health care teams to share patient data seamlessly. This promotes collaboration between doctors, nurses, home health aides and other specialists—a hallmark of VBC.
  • Patient Empowerment: Connected care apps and wearables educate patients about their health and give them tools and information for self-management and to actively participate in their health journey.

VBC rewards providers for achieving positive patient outcomes. Connected care allows for technology-driven continuous data collection and sharing. This data helps health care teams tailor interventions more effectively and maximize the value delivered.

The Benefits

The convergence of connected care and VBC unlocks opportunities in the following ways:

  • Empowering Patients: Connected care empowers patients to become active participants in their health journey. Self-monitoring tools like wearable blood pressure cuffs, glucometers and thermometers provide patients with real-time feedback, giving them control and encouraging changes.
  • Improved Outcomes: Traditionally, health care providers rely on the occasional check-up to assess a patient’s health. Connected care bridges this gap by continuously collecting vital signs and other health data—allowing for earlier intervention. For instance, a consistent spike in blood sugar levels could trigger an alert, prompting the care team to adjust medication or recommend dietary changes.
  • Cost Savings: Early detection and prevention of major complications help save on health care costs. Fewer hospital admissions—which is a major financial burden—become a reality. And remote monitoring and telehealth can replace the need for some in-person visits, saving valuable time and resources for patients and health care professionals.
  • Seamless Care Coordination: Connected care platforms create a central hub for sharing patient data, fostering collaboration between various health care professionals. This eliminates communication silos, ensuring everyone is on the same page, leading to more coordinated and effective care plans.

The Challenges

The U.S. has been trying to shift its health care system from the traditional fee-for-service model to a VBC model. A significant milestone in this transition was the passage of the Affordable Care Act in 2010, which laid the groundwork for various value-based programs. For example, the Hospital Value-Based Purchasing (VBP) Program and the Hospital Readmission Reduction Program (HRRP) were established to encourage hospitals to improve the quality of care. The VBP Program adjusts hospital payments based on patient outcome metrics like mortality rates and adverse events, rewarding hospitals that deliver higher quality care.

In 2016, the Department of Health and Human Services aimed to have 30% of Medicare payments tied to VBHC models by the end of that year and projected that by 2018, half of all traditional payments would be value-based. Progress has been slower than anticipated, however. By 2019, only 38.2% of health care payments had moved to value-based models. While significant strides have been made, the transition is complex and ongoing. Some of the hurdles include:

  • Bridging the Digital Divide: Not everyone has equal access to technology or can use it effectively. This “digital divide” can leave low-income populations and seniors behind. Solutions involve developing more user-friendly interfaces.
  • Securing Patient Data: With continuous data collection comes the critical issue of cybersecurity. Robust data encryption measures and strict adherence to data privacy regulations are essential to build trust with patients. Data breaches can be devastating, so guaranteeing the security of sensitive health information must be a top priority.
  • Unifying the Tech Landscape: Currently, the health care industry is plagued by a fragmented technological landscape. A plethora of unconnected devices and platforms create “data silos,” hindering seamless information exchange. Standardized data formats and interoperable devices are crucial for ensuring all health care providers have access to a patient’s complete health picture.
  • Rethinking Reimbursement: Current payment models often don’t incentivize the use of connected care technologies. For VBHC to truly embrace connected care, payment models need to be adjusted to reward providers who utilize these tools effectively.

Wrapping Up

Being in charge of your health journey is liberating with technology by your side. Connected care in value-based homecare offers this exciting possibility. There are some bumps in the road, but they can be overcome. By working together, we can make sure everyone has the tools they need, build strong security measures and create systems that work together seamlessly. Plus, by rewarding health care providers for using connected care effectively, we can make it a win for everyone

Anna Dykshteyn is the president and administrator of City Choice Home Care Services. She has more than 15 years of hands-on experience in the home health care industry and has a degree in health information management. Visit citychoicehomecare.com.