Health systems are under increasing pressure to retain their patients – who have a variety of care options to choose from, both in-person and virtual. At the same time, inpatient capacity is limited and hospital care teams face a lot of strain.

By using cardiac data gathered through remote devices, ambulatory care is helping these facilities preserve and care for patients within the health system, but not always in the hospital.

Philips is one company that plays in this arena and has insights on what facilities should know about leveraging this data to better work within their existing capacity and retain patients.

Healthcare IT News spoke recently with Julia Strandberg, chief business leader for connected care at Philips, to talk about some of the challenges hospitals and health systems face with patient retention. She also discussed capacity issues, how leveraging cardiac data via remote patient monitoring technologies can help overcome them – and what it will take for more healthcare organizations to adopt remote patient monitoring technologies.

Q. What are the challenges hospitals and health systems face regarding patient retention?

A. Impactful patient care, in and out of the hospital, is a nonnegotiable – it's what patients require and desire. In the hospital, they seek high-quality care that is delivered quickly. Once home, they want to remain an active partner in their treatment, looking for timely updates on their health and clear guidance on next steps, including whether their healthcare provider recommends an in-person visit.

However, ongoing clinical staffing shortages and the complexities brought on by siloed hospital data often lead to longer wait times and delays in care.

As patient volumes grow and cases become more complex, fragmented data poses a significant challenge for hospitals and health systems. When clinicians lack a comprehensive, holistic view of a patient's health, it can add unnecessary roadblocks to determining a diagnosis and necessary treatment.

As a result, patients may be subjected to unnecessary tests and specialty visits. Not only can this increase patient stress, cost of care and dissatisfaction, but it can also take time away from patients who actually do require that specialty care.

To improve efficiency and ensure timely, high-quality care, hospitals should prioritize interoperability across all systems and devices, regardless of vendor. With seamless data access, clinicians can quickly review a patient's condition history and current health status, leading to faster, more accurate diagnoses.

These workflow improvements also free up clinicians' time, allowing them to focus more on direct patient care – whether in-person or remote – rather than sifting through disjointed records.

Q. What are the challenges hospitals face regarding capacity?

A. Health systems nationwide continue to struggle with overwhelming patient volumes and staffing shortages. These issues will only worsen as the population ages, and simultaneously, patients have become more complex, their conditions more acute. These factors significantly impact both patients and staff – eroding staff satisfaction and contributing to burnout, while decreasing patient safety and satisfaction.

One of the growing challenges healthcare professionals are facing, however, is they are overwhelmed by the volume of data generated. Almost 4 in 10 healthcare leaders (38%) say staff lose precious time pulling patient data together, leaving less time to care for patients.

Other administrative tasks, such as scheduling and reporting, also are time-consuming, with nurses spending 15 to 20 minutes per hour on such tasks, taking time away from patients.

Open, interoperable systems will eliminate barriers and turn the vast pools of clinical data into actionable insights. For companies like Philips, it's critical we team up with healthcare providers and ecosystem partners to co-create systems that enhance care pathways and operational workflows, while reducing costs and the burden on staff.

Q. How can leveraging cardiac data via remote patient monitoring technologies help overcome some of these challenges?

A. Remote patient monitoring technologies, paired with advanced data analytics, are game changers when it comes to alleviating capacity bottlenecks.

Consider this scenario: a patient arrives at the ED following syncope, a fainting episode. While historically, this patient may have been admitted for observation, remote monitoring technology – in this case, a mobile cardiac telemetry device – can allow them to safely return home while their cardiac rhythms are monitored in real time.

Meanwhile, their data is shared with care team members, and their cardiologist will have this information in hand before their follow-up appointment, accelerating diagnosis and subsequent care.

This model reduces overcrowding by removing unnecessary admissions, allowing staff to focus more on acute cases. And the patient avoids a hospital stay and can recover comfortably at home.

Q. What will it take for more hospitals and health systems to adopt remote patient monitoring technologies?

A. We need to begin with an industry-wide mindset shift. First, we must recognize how quickly the care delivery model is evolving beyond the walls of the hospital and recognize the potential of this evolution.

Moving forward, we'll continue to see the advancement of home-based care technology, which is proven to improve patient outcomes, minimize acute care setting stay lengths for patients, and reduce the strain on healthcare facilities.

Riding the wave of this shift, we're in a better position to prioritize high-quality care delivery to patients virtually anywhere – and leverage remote patient monitoring tech to do so. Health systems can retain their patients while freeing up capacity by opening doors for more care outside the hospital.

Finally, hospitals and health systems must partner with technology vendors that prioritize interoperability. This approach gives clinicians access to high-quality, real-time patient information for enhanced care delivery.

Having a solid foundation of interoperability creates both clinical efficiencies and sets the stage for AI to empower providers with more timely, informed decision-making across the care continuum – ultimately improving patient outcomes, cost savings and resource management.

Follow Bill's HIT coverage on LinkedIn: Bill Siwicki
Email him: bsiwicki@himss.org
Healthcare IT News is a HIMSS Media publication.

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