Group purchasing organizations are signing contracts designed to help their members improve the hospital discharge process and reduce readmissions.
In May, Yankee Alliance awarded Authentidate Holding Corp. – a provider of secure web-based software applications and telehealth products and services – two contracts, for its telehealth and hospital discharge solutions.
Authentidate’s Inscrybe Discharge Solution is designed to increase the efficiency of the patient discharge and post-acute-care placement process at hospitals. The system is designed to convert a manual procedure, which traditionally involves the management of paper files, phone calls, faxes and related delays, to an automated on-line, electronic process. The Inscrybe Discharge Solution helps case managers efficiently and rapidly locate a facility for post-discharge placement. For patients being discharged to their homes but who need home medical equipment or in-home care, the system places the referral for the required equipment or services.
The company’s InscrybeMD Telehealth product includes interactive voice recognition services and remote patient monitoring, designed to allow patients to enjoy their daily routines while transmitting medical data to healthcare providers. Automated reminders are designed to increase patients’ compliance with care plans, diets, medication schedules and follow-up physician visits. These solutions are designed for patients who require ongoing management of chronic diseases, as well as a number of other patient illnesses and behavioral health conditions.
Meanwhile, in August, Amerinet announced a new agreement for care transition management services with Vree Health, LLC., a subsidiary of Merck Sharpe & Dohme Corp.
Through this agreement, Amerinet members can receive negotiated pricing on Vree Health’s TransitionAdvantage, a hospital-branded, post-discharge care coordination solution said to balance technology and personal interaction services to improve patient care and reduce readmissions.