8 October 2022By Rose Madden, Baer DNP, APRN, MSN, MHA, FAAN, BC-PHCNS, CPHQ, CHCE Senior Vice President, Population Health and Clinical Support Services Visiting Nurse Service of New YorkHome Care Technologies: Helping Us See More, Know More, and Do More for People IN MY OPINIONWe are in the middle of a home health care revolution, one shaped by the rising numbers of people living with multiple chronic illnesses and accelerated by the COVID-19 pandemic. Following the harrowing surges in 2020 and continuing into 2021, it is clearer than ever that, moving forward, New Yorkers want to age in place, in their own homes, no matter their state of health. And health plans have begun focusing their efforts on making that happen, safely and in a cost-effective manner.The Visiting Nurse Service of New York, where I work, has been taking care of vulnerable people in their homes for 128 years. We understand the home setting and how a coordinated, team-based approach can help people across the spectrum of illness understand and live better with the physical and behavioral health challenges they face. We increasingly care for those with multiple chronic illnesses, including serious conditions that limit mobility and other daily activities. They will not "recover" from their conditions, but with the proper care and care coordination, as well as patient/member education, coaching and empowerment, they can live many fulfilling years or decades. Our wrap-around care addresses social determinants of health as well, which have a profound impact on how people live.At VNSNY and other care organizations across the country, technology has become a vital tool for amplifying access and the impact of home care, both on an individual basis and at the population level. I've written before on the vital role telemedicine can play in keeping vulnerable individuals connected to care in the safety of their homes. The use of remote everyday and urgent care in the home has been accelerated by the pandemic, and I believe that these advancements, thankfully, are here to stay.On the population level, VNSNY has been pioneering exciting technologies that help us improve care and drive better outcomes by allowing us to see patterns in our care, predict risk, and guide interventions based on data. Leveraging machine learning, we deploy predictive algorithms to inform our plans of care. Using data that begins with a comprehensive assessment at the first visit, these algorithms can predict whether someone is at low, rising, or high risk of hospitalization. Based on this information, we can tailor our Rose Madden
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