Better HEDIS scores affect health centers’ bottom line, since better measures mean higher reimbursement. Remote patient monitoring (RPM) can be the answer for Federally Qualified Health Centers (FQHCs) in providing more consistent patient monitoring and having the ability to make treatment adjustments, bringing Healthcare Effectiveness Data and Information Set (HEDIS) measurements back within the guidelines.
FQHC patients face obstacles to healthcare including poverty, lack of health coverage, immigration status, and language and cultural barriers. Consequently, FQHCs strive to provide affordable, comprehensive health and dental care to people of all ages, cultures, and health conditions, with a goal of improving outcomes.
HEDIS provides the means to measure outcome improvement. It tracks how effectively patient services and care are provided in a given year – such as whether a health center is providing timely immunizations for children, and regular colorectal screenings for patients over 50. Developed and maintained by the National Committee for Quality Assurance (NCQA), HEDIS covers over 90 measures including prevention and screening, respiratory conditions and children’s programs. HEDIS provides annual updates of its guidelines. 2022 HEDIS changes are available now.
High blood pressure and diabetes are two examples of patient population needs for FQHCs. HEDIS guidelines are linked here for those two conditions:
Both high blood pressure and diabetes are examples of care conditions for which RPM can help monitor, impact and improve HEDIS scores. Our RPM@Home kit uses a web-based intelligence platform to monitor patients and transmit real-time biometric data to healthcare providers to facilitate proactive intervention. The platform allows healthcare providers to review patients’ biometric data as frequently as needed – even daily – between office visits, making it easier to detect, diagnose and treat symptoms on a monthly basis. Medical devices in the base kit are Bluetooth-enabled and include a pulse oximeter, a weight scale, and a blood pressure monitor. Additional devices available are a glucometer, a 24-hour continuous monitoring SpO2 sensor and an ECG/respiratory rate sensor.
The RPM@Home kit also includes an 8-inch tablet that transmits vital data to the physicians’ office in real time and communicates critical alerts programmed for the individual patient. The physician can set parameters for each patient’s vital signs which will trigger a critical alert if the patient’s vital signs fall out of their normal range. This
allows for timely intervention, making a real difference in outcomes. If the provider’s staff is overworked, an RPM company that also provides clinical monitoring by state-licensed, registered nurses can be utilized. WITHmyDOC provides this clinical monitoring service.
FQHCs are acquiring RPM programs through private grant funding as well as through various federal grants, including the American Rescue Plan and the FCC COVID-19 Telehealth Program.
