Sep 5 2013
AMC Health, a leading provider of telehealth solutions, announced today that the U.S. Department of Veteran Affairs (VA) has awarded the company a five-year contract worth up to $28.8 million to provide telehealth solutions and services.
AMC Health’s integrated approach to remote monitoring will further enhance the VA’s existing telehealth initiatives to reduce hospital admissions; allow veterans with chronic diseases to live independently in their own homes; expand access to care; improve veterans’ clinical outcomes and quality of life; boost patient satisfaction; and enhance the quality, continuity, efficiency and cost-effectiveness of care for veterans nationwide. This agreement marks a major expansion of AMC Health’s Government Services division.
Under the agreement, AMC Health will provide the VA with the following:
- Technology.
- Biometric remote patient monitoring using devices best suited to the patient population to measure blood pressure, blood glucose, weight, heart rate, temperature and oxygen saturation at home. Data is automatically transmitted wirelessly to AMC Health’s secure web portal or to any integrated electronic health record (EHR).
- A U.S. Food and Drug Administration-cleared web portal that integrates with EHR systems to provide patients with access to important health information.
- An interactive voice response (IVR) solution that provides an automated, customizable option allows patients to provide information about their symptoms, identifies care gaps, tracks adherence, sends reminders about physician appointments and tests, and alerts case managers when an intervention is needed to prevent a serious health problem. Patients can also receive coaching and educational materials to foster patient engagement and positive behavior choices.
- A personal emergency response system (PERS) that automatically alerts a call center when an individual has probably fallen or can be initiated by a patient experiencing a medical emergency. The alert triggers a two-way conversation with certified emergency medical dispatch attendants who can arrange for any needed assistance and contact family or friends.
- Televideo remote patient monitoring for patients who need real-time, virtual “face-to-face” interactions with a clinician. These consultations meet the VA’s Clinical Video Telehealth (CVT) definition.
- Medication management to address prescription non-adherence, which causes many avoidable adverse events resulting in hospital admission/readmissions or even death.
- Analytics and reporting. AMC Health’s platform will integrate and analyze near-real-time data from the installed devices, giving the VA actionable outcomes information to identify trends and help clinicians make better decisions at the point of care. Functionality includes customized reports for analyzing individual patient data, clinician workflow and resource utilization.
- Implementation and ongoing technical support. AMC Health will provide, install and maintain all devices within patients’ homes and will provide training to ensure they know how to use the devices.
- Customer care. AMC Health’s customer care team will ensure veterans receive optimal, timely and efficient care and support over the telephone or in person.
CLICK TO TWEET: U.S. Department of Veteran Affairs Awards $28.8 Million #TeleHealth Contract to @AMCHealth