American Heart Association Launches Virtual Care Program to Reduce Hospital Readmissions
The American Heart Association's new virtual care program, American Heart Association Connected Care, Powered by Cadence, aims to reduce hospital stays and readmissions for patients with chronic diseases. The program provides ongoing heart and cardiometabolic care to patients at home after their hospital stay, integrating with hospital discharge workflows to refer eligible patients before discharge. With nearly one in four heart failure patients readmitted to the hospital within 30 days, this initiative addresses a critical gap in healthcare.
Key Takeaways:
- The American Heart Association's Connected Care program combines advanced remote patient monitoring with guideline-directed care to extend high-quality care beyond hospital walls.
- The program aims to reduce 30-day readmissions by providing timely interventions for patients and their families, supporting heart failure patients from hospital admission through safe discharge and recovery at home.
- The Connected Care pilot program is currently underway at four hospitals: Texas Health Allen, Rutherford Regional Health System, Frye Regional Medical Center, and Community Hospital of the Monterey Peninsula.
- Dr. Marat Fudim, a heart failure cardiologist at Duke University Medical Center, notes that remote patient monitoring allows clinicians to "bridge that gap by keeping a close eye on patients' health while they're at home, avoiding unnecessary hospitalizations and achieving better long-term outcomes."
- John Meiners, chief of mission-aligned businesses at the American Heart Association, emphasizes the program's goals, including reducing avoidable hospitalizations by providing proactive, personalized support outside of the hospital setting.
Statistics:
- Nearly one in four heart failure patients are readmitted to the hospital within 30 days of discharge.
- The program aims to provide ongoing care to patients at home after their hospital stay, with the goal of reducing hospital readmissions.
- The Connected Care pilot program is currently underway at four hospitals.
Sources:
- (https://www.heart.org/en/)
American Heart Association
- (https://www.cadence.care/Cadence
- (https://www.dukehealth.org/)
Duke University Medical Center
- (https://www.texashealth.org/)
Texas Health Resources
- (https://www.montagehealth.org/)
Montage Health