The Medical University of South Carolina (MUSC) Center for Telehealth team partnered with Stel Life, Inc. to present the results of their innovative “Not Home Alone: A COVID-19 Post-Discharge Remote Patient Monitoring Pilot” program at the October 2022 American Academy of Nursing Health Policy Conference in Washington, D.C.
The COVID-19 pandemic caused many hospitals, including the MUSC hospitals, to exceed capacity, delaying acute care for certain patients. MUSC’s multidisciplinary telehealth team designed a remote patient monitoring service that allowed COVID-19 patients with acute hypoxic failure requiring continued oxygen therapy to be safely discharged to home. Over 50 patients used the Stel Vitals Hub to transit biometric data, including oxygen levels, twice a day to a nurse care manager. Hospitalist physicians were immediately available to conduct tele-visits if needed. Seventy-seven percent of the patients attended the 2-week post-discharge appointment with their primary care physician, and eighty-eight percent had already weaned off the oxygen at home. This program also opened up inpatient and emergency department capacity, allowing MUSC to accommodate critically ill patients from surrounding communities during this time of hospital surge and limited bed availability.
You can view the poster presented at the American Academy of Nursing Health Policy Conference here.
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The MUSC Center for Telehealth is recognized as one of only two Telehealth Centers of Excellence in the United States, awarded by the Health Resources and Service Administration (HRSA). MUSC was awarded this national designation in 2017 because of the Center's successful telehealth programs with a high annual volume of telehealth visits, substantial service to rural and medically underserved populations through telehealth, and its financially sustainable telehealth models. The role of the COE is to fill important knowledge gaps in the national telehealth landscape through research, regional and national collaborations, and proactive dissemination of telehealth resources. www.telehealthcoe.org
Stel Life offers its Vitals Hub and secure patented technology to transmit home biometric data directly to the patient’s electronic health record for review by care teams. The Stel technology does not require Wi-Fi, apps or smart devices providing a frictionless home monitoring experience for both patients and the care team. Stel has transmitted 2 million vital signs from the homes of individuals managing acute and chronic illness across the United States. www.stel.life