ajfortin.com

From a report by the Center for Health Transformation (Newt Gingrich‘s shop) and Siemens Healthcare describing how Meridian Health in central New Jersey has been “steadfastly transforming its healthcare delivery system from an acute-care model to one focused on maximizing health and wellness for its community.”

The project began by developing a strategic plan focused on what was
required to support the needs of Meridian’s aging community. Using its
own clinical and financial data from the previous ten years, Meridian
identified the following situations most prevalent for readmission in its
community:

•  Congestive heart failure (CHF) and heart disease;
•  Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD);
•  Failure to manage medications.

Multidisciplinary teams for each situation determined the data to
be collected, trigger points, alerts, and interventions to provide the
best possible care for the community in these situations and leverage
information technology wherever possible. Other diseases such as
arthritis and diabetes have been added to the chronic-care program

The patient’s home is equipped with a wireless PC that is interfaced
to a patient portal. Discreet wireless motion sensors (not cameras)
are strategically placed throughout the home, constantly monitoring
activities of daily living such as getting out of bed, eating meals,
using the bathroom, and taking medications. This information is then
transmitted wirelessly to the portal where reports are generated and
reviewed by family caregivers through their home PCs or home-health
aids at Meridian. Monitoring devices collect clinical information such
as the effectiveness of blood clotting medicines, glucose levels, blood
oxygen saturation, blood pressure, fluid retention, etc., and transmit it
wirelessly to the patient portal where the results are measured against
trigger points.

When a trigger point is reached, an alert is generated, and the patient
is called by a Meridian home health aid to gather additional information
and relay further instructions.