One of the largest health systems in WI uses the TPC system for follow-up with discharged heart failure patients. They use our Inbound IVR task where patients call a toll free number and answer a set of pre-recorded questions.
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Document Medicare compliance, improve billing data, lower AR days.
About the Industry
Q: What is telehealth?
A: According to the CMS sponsored web site, MedQIC, Home telehealth is the remote care delivery or monitoring between a healthcare provider and a patient. There are two types of telehealth: phone monitoring (scheduled encounters via the telephone) and telemonitoring (collection and transmission of clinical data through electronic information processing technologies). Quality Improvement Organizations (QIOs) assist home health agencies in implementing and utilizing telehealth as a tool to help reduce acute care hospitalization.
Q: What is Phone Monitoring
A: (excerpted from www.medqic.org)
"Phone monitoring is the scheduled remote care delivery or monitoring in which scheduled patient encounters via the telephone occur between a health care provider and a patient or care giver."
Q: What is Telemonitoring?
A: (excerpted from www.medqic.org) "Unlike phone monitoring which requires only phone communication between the health care provider and patient/care giver, telemonitoring requires the use of technology and equipment. Telemonitoring includes the collection of clinical data and the transmission of such data between a patient at a distant location and a health care provider through electronic information processing technologies"
Q: What is the difference between Phone Monitoring and Telemonitoring?
A: Telemonitoring requires "electronic information processing technologies" to transmit data collected from a device connected to a patient to a provider. By this definition Telemonitoring requires electronic monitoring devices capable of this type of transmission. The TouchPointCare version of Phone Monitoring, on the other hand, uses the patient, themselves, to communicate the data they collect with easy to use and low cost scales, blood pressure cuffs, glucometers and other devices. These are all available at most drug stores and major consumer retail stores. The patient simply responds to a question asked of them. The data collected is the same. The transmission is the only difference. Further, post discharge, most patients will not be able to afford electronic monitoring devices. By training them on the equipment they can use all the time providers will increase the likelihood of continuous patient self-monitoring. Finally, the TouchPointCare system enables the gathering of a much broader array of data through a customizable set of questions and an interactive session with the patient. This more robust set of data gives the health care provider more information with which to make treatment decisions. By becoming a “data driven” business healthcare providers will be better able to manage the challenges of the Pay for Performance model.
Q: How do you believe telehealth will impact the healthcare industry?
A: Telehealth technologies offer one of the few concrete and readily available ways to dramatically increase the efficiency of the healthcare industry. Telehealth technology can reduce cost and improve care by providing information, monitoring patient progress, providing access to records or being used to deliver care. Specifically, the economics of the TouchPointCare phone monitoring system enables providers to have more frequent contact with their entire patient population. By being able to easily and cost-effectively gather data from all their patients, providers can move more rapidly to a "data driven" approach to health care. A data driven business will be able to respond more quickly and more efficiently than traditional visit only based practices.
Q: What can administrators do to decrease staff resistance to technology?
A: There are two general elements of resistance to the incorporation of telehealth technologies. The first is a fear of change, which is common to most everyone. This can be addressed by increasing familiarity with our software. The second is fear of personal consequences. Increased communication is critical to help staff understand the benefits of telehealth and the positive impact it can have, both for clients as well as for the organization. Management should seek to align the interests of interests of their staff with the interests of the organization. This may lead to altering compensation and other practices to increase this alignment.
Q: Where can I find information about privacy issues?
A: Check these Web sites:
Click here to learn about our HIPPA compliance
Telemedicine Information Exchange
Guidelines for Medical and Health Information Sites on the Internet
TouchPointCare - the Company
Q: Who are some of your clients?
A: Clients
Q: Who is the Management Team?
Q: We are encouraging patient self management, how can TouchPointCare assist us in this effort?
A: Through active Telehealth participation, the patient is learning the importance of monitoring certain symptoms important to their health. In addition, if a patient needs to monitor vital signs such as their weight, they are learning to do so with the nurses assistance on a simple digital scale that they probably own, and that will remain with them even after they are discharged. This contrasts with patients who are taught about self monitoring while using more expensive internet connected equipment, which when they are discharged, will probably be taken away from the patient, thus leaving the patient without the tools they have been trained with.
TouchPointCare - the Product
Q: Is it easy for my patients to use?
A: YES, All the patient has to do is answer the telephone and answer questions. Nothing else is required.
Q: Can I set thresholds to generate email alerts to me in real time?
A: Yes! The provider can establish parameter thresholds for almost every question, including the custom questions they may create so that if a patient’s/participant’s response falls outside of this acceptable range, an email is immediately sent – in real time.
Q: How much time does a call or "virtual visit" take?
A: It usually takes around 2 to 5 minutes for most calls, although it can take longer if you want to ask additional questions.
Q: How much will it cost?
A: TouchPointCare offers usage based pricing at typically less than $1.00 per call. There is no mandatory equipment to purchase so no capital investment is required. Also, there is no long term contract and no annual support fee required.
Q: Is there a licensing or maintenance fee with TouchPointCare?
A: No, you only pay when you use the system.
Q: What kind of questions can I ask my patients?
A: You can ask any kind of question you want. Answer types can be Yes/No, Numeric, Multiple Choice, 1-10 Scale, Time, and up to 1000 characters of free Text. Questions can be formulated to solicit vitals information such as blood pressure, heart rate, and glucose levels. You can ask questions regarding Activities of Daily Living (ADL), chronic disease management, psychological well being, satisfaction surveys, and a variety of other areas. Please see our customer references or sign up for a product demonstration to learn more about the various uses for the product.
Q: How does it work?
Q: Who makes the phone calls to the patient?
A: A non-clinician makes the phone calls. Typically, trained clerical staff or volunteers make the calls
Q: Does TouchPointCare provide predefined Question Series for various disease states?
A: Yes. We provide a number of Series that attempt to implement Best Practices for each condition such as CHF, COPD, Diabetes and others. Each Series can be edited to incorporate each providers individual Best Practices guidelines.
Q: Are there any companies that can help me develop my questions?
A: We are Partners with several State Associations who can help and we have several consulting partners who can help as well. Go to Partners VARs Resellers to learn more.
Q: Do I need to contact every patient every day to realize the benefit of Telehealth through TouchPointCare?
A: No, while as a general rule it is probably true that the more contact with your patient, the better, you do not have to schedule a "touchpoint visit" every day to create value. In fact, many organizations involve patients who may only need intermittent contact, such as once a week or even once a month. Since pricing by TouchPointCare is by usage, it is an economical way to "stay in touch" with almost all of your patients.
Q: Who will see the medical or other information?
A: Only those providers and individuals you have specifically authorized will have access to the information. Privacy will be protected.
TouchPointCare - Technology
Q: Do I need to install your software on my company’s computer system?
A: No. TouchPointCare offers our software using an ASP model.
Q: What is an ASP?
A: An Application Service Provider (ASP) is a way of delivering software over the internet rather than loading it on each company’s computer system. An ASP is not software; it is a delivery model – a way of accessing and using software. ASPs allow organizations to use sophisticated software that is located at a professional data center instead of installed on your own organization’s computers.
Q: How can it help me?
A: The ASP model provides top-of-the-line software that is more affordable, more secure, easier to customize, easier to upgrade, easier to fix and much easier to implement than traditional software.
Q: Do I have to purchase a software license?
A: No. TouchPointCare provides a Subscription Services Agreement (click Sign-up for details). The Agreement is a renewable 30 day contract whereby you simply pay for what you use each 30 days.
Q: Who owns the data?
A: You own all the data, which is kept securely and confidentially.
Q: What are the hardware requirements for using TouchPointCare software?
A: A computer with a Web browser, such as Internet Explorer or Netscape and a high speed Internet connection.
Q: What kind of reporting is available?
A: The TouchPointCare system provides real-time graphical reporting using Crystal Reports. All the data collected (the answers to the questions) are immediately available upon completion of a Question Series. The system features full "as of" historical reporting along with numerous ways of viewing the data based upon user needs.
Q: Can data be exported to Word or Excel?
A: Yes. TouchPointCare uses the industry standard, Crystal Reports, which allows for easy export of data to Word and Excel.
