The vision for this blog is to create a community of harmonious professionals across the care continuum who encourage each other in exploring digital media as a way to support businesses and families dealing with elder care.
Written on August 4th, 2010 by tasha
Smooth transitions of care require a solid understanding of medication needs and changes. Often the management of new regimens falls to family members. How to be sure they understand what the new medications are, when to take what, and any special instructions?
In this blog post I’m excited to share a free service available to families at MyMedSchedule.com. (I receive no financial compensation for my description, by the way. I’m just impressed by what they offer.)
Written on June 22nd, 2010 by tasha
Secure Web-messaging, shared assessments, medication lists, and appointment calendars that everyone on the team has access to—including the family! I have been begging various Web developer colleagues to create a product that meets HIPAA specs and will allow families to connect with providers so they can all coordinate like a team to ease transitions across settings. Finally I found a service that does this and more. (I have no financial ties with this company. I’m just really excited about what they have created.)
MyRemCare.com offers brandable online communication tools designed so you can securely communicate with physicians, hospitals, long-term care facilities and family members. With CMS’ move to reduce hospital re-admissions and improve collaboration across the continuum, this is the type of simple interface you need to effectively position yourself as the easy-to-work-with partner that is committed to smooth transitions of care.
Read the rest of this entry »
Written on June 9th, 2010 by tasha
I loathe phone tag. Don’t you? And while email is not ideal for everything, you can’t argue with the convenience of sending a non-urgent question when you have the time, and the respondent answering when they have the time. In the Web world, this is called “asynchronous communication” and it has improved access to resources and revolutionized many businesses.
Despite initial reservations, studies of provider/patient email have shown that both parties benefit. Patients are not nearly as demanding as providers fear, and providers get information that can save the need for a physical visit (often saving on expenses, thereby improving the bottom line). In clinical trials within the same practice, patients who used online communications expressed greater satisfaction with their health providers and rated the practice at higher levels than patients who only had telephone phone access. It’s not surprising, therefore, that large companies, such as Kaiser-Permanente, are adopting secure communications systems and making them a regular part of their health care delivery.
Written on March 25th, 2010 by tasha
The Remington Report just hosted a great webinar yesterday on integrating disease management across the continuum. As many of you may know, CMS is working hard to reduce unnecessary expenditures, create continuity across providers/settings, engage patients in self-care, and improve outcomes. Every one is a worthy goal!
This webinar was a showcase of several programs designed to meet these goals while also addressing new OASIS-C regs for home health.
Even if you are a hospice, geriatric care manager, or private duty care provider, these changes will affect you—in a positive way! Read the rest of this entry »
