Issue link: https://beckershealthcare.uberflip.com/i/1047089
45 Executive Briefing the patient in person, and provide recommendations. This all takes a long period of time. With teleneurology, we're able to assess the patient immediately and make recommendations to the ED physician to begin treatment as quickly as possible. We can recommend tPA (tissue plasminogen activator), which is a strong clot-busting medication, or we can recommend intervention, which means mechanically going after the blood clot and pulling it out. When it comes to stroke, time is extremely critical. The longer tissue is deprived of blood flow and oxygen, the higher the chances the patient ends up with a life-altering deficit. Q: Given your extensive stroke management experience, how has teleneurology changed the game for stroke treatment? AO: I've been using teleneurology since I completed my training at UCLA where I was a stroke fellow. Back then, it was a novel technology. Now it's becoming the main approach for caring for stroke patients. Telehealth is one of the quickest ways for physicians to access patients. During a stroke, 1.9 million brain cells die per minute, so every minute matters. If a neurologist is not present at the hospital and needs to travel in, care can be delayed by up to 45 minutes. Using telehealth, we can access the patient immediately. Q: How is the healthcare landscape changing with respect to integrated care, and why is that change significant? RN: The healthcare landscape is changing because of several trends, most notably our rapidly aging patient population. It's estimated that every day 10,000 baby boomers turn 65. Some people affectionately call it, 'The Silver Tsunami.' Other trends include a growing shortage of physicians, the consumerization of healthcare, and the emergence of disruptive technology. These trends are producing one of the largest and most transformational shifts we've seen in healthcare history. Given this shift, continuing to do things the way they've always been done will not suffice. Therefore, an integrated care delivery model, including telehealth services such as teleneurology, is imperative to manage this new state of healthcare. Q: What are the impacts of an integrated model on different departments and care teams within a hospital? YM: An integrated model ensures that care teams are sharing information, developing comprehensive care plans, and making joint decisions about clinical care. It works well for the ED to allow access to neurology care in a timely manner during neurological emergencies, such as stroke. This model works for non-acute care needs as well. For example, when patients come in with non-emergency neurological issues such as a headache or Parkinson's symptoms, the ED physician may need a specialist's opinion to determine whether the patient needs to be admitted, what medication to give them, or what imaging to do. An integrated approach takes the burden off the ED team, creating more alignment that results in higher quality care. Q: What are the barriers to adopting an integrated model? RN: There are several barriers to adopting an integrated care delivery model. These include: siloed departments, competing priorities, misaligned incentives, overwhelmed staff, and frankly, at many facilities, unengaged physicians. Just because there are barriers, doesn't mean it's not worth the effort of putting an integrated care model in place. The benefits are numerous, and the impact is profound. Q: How do Vituity's teleneurology and neurohospitalist programs adapt to meet the needs of this growing patient population? AO: Our programs are unique because we tailor them to the needs of each site. We're not a one-size-fits-all model. We provide the entire spectrum of acute neurological care, in addition to other supporting neuro services, such as neurodiagnostic (i.e. EKG). A customized, needs-based program creates cost efficiencies, and improves patient throughput and outcomes. Not only does this customized approach deliver benefits for our partner hospitals, it allows us to create care models that leverage trained specialists to the fullest extent possible, so they can see more patients. Q: As a provider, what is it about an integrated approach to patient care that you find most satisfying? YM: It's a very rewarding way of working. Previously, we only used teleneurology in the acute setting and didn't have the luxury of caring for the patient throughout the continuum of care. Now, with teleneurology — both in the acute setting and the non-acute setting — we're able to evaluate a patient, give the recommendation, then follow-up, and walk through the hospitalization process along with the primary team including the hospitalist. We also work closely with both neurosurgery and trauma services because they require support, such as neurocritical care and long-term continuous EEG monitoring in the ICU to be able to keep their critically ill patients in the hospital and avoid transferring them elsewhere. Using teleneurology to create an integrated model means we are empowering hospitals to deliver effective and compassionate care. It connects me to more patients in need, and allows me to make a difference in their lives. n To discover more about Vituity's integrated teleneurology services, please visit: www.vituity.com/services/acute-neurology As a physician-led and -owned, multispecialty partnership, Vituity has proactively driven positive change in the business and practice of healthcare for over 40 years. Our 3,000 doctors and clinicians provide a wide range of integrated acute care ex- pertise. Serving over 6.3 million patients annually at 250 practice locations, our footprint continues to rapidly expand across the country as we partner with and support hospitals, health systems, clinics, payers, and employers. Our services span the entire acute care continuum including: emergency medicine, acute psychiatry, acute neurology, hospital medicine, critical care, anesthesiology, acute care surgery, telehealth, post-acute care, and outpatient medicine. Vituity's acute focus and com- passionate care are the driving forces that have placed us at the heart of better care.