Leveraging tele-health (remote patient monitoring) to drive healthcare transformation: reduction of readmission rates.

• Online Access: http://hdl.handle.net/2047/D20196385

Readmission risks and the associated cost impact to healthcare providers have become an emerging crisis in the United States. With diminishing returns, providers are looking at various ways to reduce readmission risks (particularly in high risk areas such as congestive heart failures) through discharge process enhancement and remote patient monitoring. Remote patient monitoring is an emerging tool within the healthcare arsenal that allows real-time collection and transmission of patient health data to providers, empowering the patient to manage the care pathway. Multiple providers have adopted this evolving technology, as evidenced in the research paper. Some key case studies from across the nation are highlighted here. However, the regulatory and legislative environment continues to stymie the adoption and expansion of remote patient monitoring and telehealth. These specific gaps are analyzed and recommendations are provided within the paper to address these issues, in order to promote the adoption of telehealth as a critical tool for healthcare providers across the country. These solutions range from legislative changes that implement nationwide standards, practitioner licensing, and data security frameworks to incentives that promote public-private partnerships and investment in technology infrastructure. This paper provides the clear linkage between investment and return for healthcare providers, so that appropriate remedial measures for telehealth adoption are undertaken.