TELEHEALTH UTILIZATION TO REDUCE HOSPITAL ADMISSIONS IN HIGH-RISK PATIENT POPULATIONS

With the introduction of the Hospital Readmissions Reduction Program, hospitals have been under pressure to reduce their readmission rates by providing quality post-discharge care and avoiding financial penalties. Although some readmissions are expected and planned, the majority are not, and these additional costs have created a financial strain on the federal government and the hospital systems. Decreasing readmission rates is pivotal to the ever-increasing healthcare costs in the United States and the population's overall health. Readmission rates are highest in Medicare and Medicaid patients, high-risk populations, and low socioeconomic communities due to additional challenges they face once leaving the hospital. One intervention that could decrease these rates is incorporating telehealth in transition care management. Telehealth has shown to be a sustainable and effective method to provide post-discharge care to patients with a higher risk of readmission using different forms of technology. With comprehensive telehealth training, successful remote medical and social guidance can be an option to help reduce admissions in high-risk populations.