Lawrence, Mass. – Home Care Alliance of Massachusetts recently presented an Innovation Award to Tufts Medicine Care at Home for its Remote Patient Monitoring program. The Lawrence-based nonprofit organization provides a full continuum of home health, palliative, and hospice care wherever patients call home.
According to Jake Krilovich, executive director of Home Care Alliance of Massachusetts, the annual awards program honoring the best and brightest in the home care industry provides well-deserved recognition.
“The Innovation and Star Awards event was established over 30 years ago to recognize and celebrate individuals and organizations that have done the most to advance the home care industry in Massachusetts, and who exemplify the compassion and commitment that is the essence of home care,” says Krilovich. “Innovations like Tufts Medicine Care at Home’s Remote Patient Monitoring program move the industry forward in our efforts to improve quality of care and expand access to these vital services to people in the community.”
Tufts Medicine Care at Home offers two programs through Remote Patient Monitoring. Telemonitoring for home health patients is part of the range of services provided to qualifying patients who have a cardiac or respiratory disease. There is also a stand-alone program for patients who do not meet the eligibility criteria for the home health program but – due to their unstable cardiac or respiratory status – are at high risk for rehospitalizations or emergency department visits.
Telemonitoring utilizes technology including a Bluetooth-enabled blood pressure cuff, oxygen saturation monitoring device, and weight scale connected to a patient tablet that features symptom-specific questions. The patient takes their vital signs and answers symptom questions daily. Alarms are set for each patient, which indicate when vital signs or symptom responses are outside of their normal limits. The telemonitoring nursing staff, which provides monitoring seven days a week, contacts the patient based on alarms that are triggered by the system or lack of submitted readings. Nursing interventions are based on specific alarms.
Kathy Duckett, clinical director of home health services at Tufts Medicine Care at Home, said the recognition by Home Care Alliance of Massachusetts is further validation of the nonprofit organization’s mission of creating and delivering innovative community health programs which provide effective and compassionate care.
“Our Remote Patient Monitoring program has been very effective in decreasing unnecessary rehospitalizations and emergency department visits, as well as improving patient quality of life and satisfaction with the care provided by our dedicated clinicians day in and day out,” Duckett said.
About Tufts Medicine Care at Home
Tufts Medicine Care at Home, part of the Tufts Medicine health system, provides a full continuum of home health, palliative, and hospice care in home and community settings. Our highly skilled healthcare providers are renowned for their expertise in a wide range of cutting-edge clinical and supportive services for infants, children, adults, and elders. The Lawrence-based nonprofit organization delivers expert, compassionate care in more than 100 communities throughout the Merrimack Valley, northeastern Massachusetts, and southern New Hampshire. For more information, visit www.careathome.org.