An innovative integrated care model that enabled seniors to transmit medical information to various providers and specialists could turn out to be a huge cost savings for Medicare.
Juniper Communities, which operates senior communities, cut hospitalization rates in half among its residents and reduced hospital readmission rates by 80% by improving care coordination through high-tech, high-touch initiatives. Using an upgraded EHR system, Juniper seamlessly transmitted up-to-date patient records to the appropriate care provider.
“The results are so strong that I think this is a model that can be replicated and have meaningful results for hospitals, health systems, Medicare Advantage plans and individual providers. It’s a win-win,” Lynne Katzmann, Ph.D., founder and president of Juniper, told FierceHealthcare.
READ THE FULL STORY HERE: New integrated model of care for seniors lowers hospitalizations, readmissions, emergency care visits
The initiative aligns with other—albeit much larger—systems that have used technology to target patients with complex chronic disease. Recently, Banner Health partnered with Philips to launch a telehealth program that addressed the system’s sickest patients and reduced overall costs by more than one-third. In October, WellCare announced an initiative that uses in-home telemonitoring for chronic care patients.