TY - JOUR
T1 - Telehealth and hospitalizations for medicare home healthcare patients
AU - Chen, Hsueh Fen
AU - Kalish, M. Christine
AU - Pagán, José A.
PY - 2011/6
Y1 - 2011/6
N2 - Objective: To examine the effect of an integrated, clinician-focused telehealth monitoring system on the probability of hospitalization within the first 30-day episode of home healthcare. Study Design: Retrospective, nonexperimental design. Methods: The study sample includes 2009 data from 5873 Medicare beneficiaries receiving home healthcare services through a network of community-based home health agencies operating in Texas and Louisiana. Propensity-score matching was used to control for selection bias. Logistic regression and postestimation parameter simulation were used to assess how the use of an integrated, clinician-focused telehealth monitoring system might affect the probability of hospitalization during the first 30-day episode of home healthcare. Results: The 30-day probability of hospitalization for telehealth and non-telehealth patients was 10.3% and 17.1%, respectively. Patients in the telehealth group had a 7-percentage-point (95% confidence interval 4.2, 9.4) lower probability of hospitalization within the first 30-day episode of home healthcare than those in the non-telehealth group. Conclusion: The use of an integrated, clinician-focused telehealth monitoring system can substantially reduce the 30-day probability of hospitalization for home healthcare patients. Telehealth monitoring systems that integrate skilled clinicians can lead to substantial hospitalization-related cost savings.
AB - Objective: To examine the effect of an integrated, clinician-focused telehealth monitoring system on the probability of hospitalization within the first 30-day episode of home healthcare. Study Design: Retrospective, nonexperimental design. Methods: The study sample includes 2009 data from 5873 Medicare beneficiaries receiving home healthcare services through a network of community-based home health agencies operating in Texas and Louisiana. Propensity-score matching was used to control for selection bias. Logistic regression and postestimation parameter simulation were used to assess how the use of an integrated, clinician-focused telehealth monitoring system might affect the probability of hospitalization during the first 30-day episode of home healthcare. Results: The 30-day probability of hospitalization for telehealth and non-telehealth patients was 10.3% and 17.1%, respectively. Patients in the telehealth group had a 7-percentage-point (95% confidence interval 4.2, 9.4) lower probability of hospitalization within the first 30-day episode of home healthcare than those in the non-telehealth group. Conclusion: The use of an integrated, clinician-focused telehealth monitoring system can substantially reduce the 30-day probability of hospitalization for home healthcare patients. Telehealth monitoring systems that integrate skilled clinicians can lead to substantial hospitalization-related cost savings.
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=79960236220&partnerID=8YFLogxK
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/citedby.url?scp=79960236220&partnerID=8YFLogxK
M3 - Article
C2 - 21756016
AN - SCOPUS:79960236220
SN - 1088-0224
VL - 17
SP - e224-e230
JO - American Journal of Managed Care
JF - American Journal of Managed Care
IS - 6
ER -