Bridging gaps in post-acute care requires technology and interoperability

Post-acute care has emerged as a focus due to the aging baby boomer generation, but technology and interoperability for these facilities lags behind that of hospitals.

Over the past five-to-seven years, Longevity Health Plans Chief Population Officer Heidi Wold said she has seen an evolution in post-acute care, or PAC. With 25 years of experience in healthcare, Wold is scheduled to talk about what’s needed to improve patient outcomes while managing costs during the HIMSS24 session, “Transforming Post-Acute Care: Leveraging Strategies for Optimal Long-Term Health.” 

Longevity is a clinical services company and national Medicare Advantage Special Needs Plan that serves individuals in senior living settings in an estimated 14 states.

“There’s still nothing like the human touch,” Wold said.

But technology and interoperability in senior living settings should be upgraded to the level hospitals now have.

Simple medical devices such as blood glucose monitors for remote monitoring of blood sugar management could have a profound impact on the aging population, Wold said. 

One factor standing in the way is reimbursement. The medical devices are currently available for patients with Type I diabetes, but not Type II, she said.

“Everything takes money,” Wold said. “Funding is not at the hospital level.”

Most of the cost of long-term care is funded by Medicaid, which has very thin margins.

PACs could also use an AI tool with a dashboard for the nurse coming on duty to know how residents are doing and whether an individual has fallen or hasn’t eaten. This would help with daily work to assess and evaluate residents.

“These things are coming,” Wold said. In the meantime, she said, “How do we bridge gaps?”

Also needed is interoperability in a common platform between hospitals and nursing homes. Some senior living facilities don’t yet have electronic health records.

“Waiting a month for a discharge summary from a hospital is waiting too long,” Wold said. While some hospitals are ahead of the curve and sending discharge summaries sooner, she said, “How do we make the variation less variable?” 

“The tide’s turning every single year,” Wold said of technology and innovation. “Nursing homes are getting there.”

The session, “Transforming Post-Acute Care: Leveraging Strategies for Optimal Long-Term Health,” is scheduled for, March 12, from 12:30 to 1 p.m. in Room 307A at HIMSS24 in Orlando. Learn more and register.  

Email the writer: SMorse@himss.org