Current Health announced that it has launched a collaboration with Mayo Clinic to develop remote monitoring solutions that accelerate the identification of COVID-19-positive patients and predict symptom and disease severity in patients, healthcare workers and other at-risk individuals in critical service sectors.
Using digital biomarkers collected by Current Health’s FDA-cleared remote monitoring sensors and platform, experts from Mayo Clinic and Current Health will also be able to expedite identification and assessment of treatment efficacy and improve care for patients with or at risk of COVID-19 infection. Through this collaboration, Current Health and Mayo Clinic aim to improve patient outcomes while preserving and optimizing health system capacity worldwide.
Today, more than 40 hospital systems around the globe use Current Health’s remote patient monitoring platform to monitor and manage patient health. These systems are now increasingly using Current Health to monitor and manage patients infected with COVID-19 at home and in the hospital. The next stage is to use digital biomarkers collected by the Current Health solutions, such as temperature, heart rate, oxygen saturation, activity and posture, to develop AI-based algorithms that can detect and predict symptom and disease severity to enable proactive treatment.
This collaboration will leverage Current Health’s existing patient database – which already includes anonymized vital sign data and raw physiological sensor data from hundreds of patients infected with COVID-19 and thousands of uninfected patients – as well as algorithms developed by Mayo Clinic, which will be used to provide individualized care to patients with complex and critical medical conditions. By working together, Current Health and Mayo Clinic hope to scale data analytics, add to Mayo Clinic’s major advancements in accelerating COVID-19 detection and diagnosis, and further efforts to understand and treat this disease.
“Our collective ability to save lives hinges on our ability to understand this virus quickly. COVID-19 has presented in many ways across different people, which has made it very challenging to understand the virus and how it develops,” said Chris McCann, CEO and Co-Founder, Current Health. “By combining our platform with the deep medical and scientific expertise that exists at Mayo Clinic, we seek to explore both known and novel biomarkers, as well as how they manifest in entirely diverse populations. This will be critical to determining how we define, and enable effective treatment of, this disease.”
“Combatting the COVID-19 pandemic is our number one priority,” said Jordan D. Miller, Ph.D., who directs the Center for Surgical Excellence and leads the investigative team at Mayo Clinic.
“Real-world, continuous data – from patients infected and not infected with the disease – is essential to understanding and predicting how the disease presents and evolves,” says Abinash Virk, M.D., an infectious disease expert at Mayo Clinic. “If we are successful in accomplishing our goals, we believe we will improve how patients with COVID-19 are identified, monitored, managed, and ultimately help with their recovery.”
Mayo Clinic will also become an investor in Current Health as part of this collaboration.
Struggling rural hospitals face financial pain amidst the coronavirus outbreak. Revenue has been lost as elective procedures have been canceled since patients can’t safely visit in person for fear of being infected or spreading the disease. As a result, rural communities may lose access to critical care as the pandemic progresses.
Rural residents hurt
The financial and operational pressures on rural healthcare facilities can leave patients who are displaying COVID-19 symptoms or require ongoing care for chronic conditions with limited access to critical care, especially considering many rural residents live more than 30 miles away from the nearest hospital. Plus, rural populations are often more vulnerable to severe to serious outcomes with COVID-19. Compared to urban populations, rural Americans:
Are older: More than 20% of the population in completely rural counties are ages 65+, according to U.S. census data, compared to around 15% in mostly urban centers.
Have higher rates of: obesity, diabetes, high blood pressure, and cigarette smoking
Have increased mortality rates from: heart disease, cancer, lower respiratory disease, stroke, and unintentional injuries.
Technology must be used to solve the problem
Mobile, Alabama-based healthcare technology company CPSI understands the challenges facing rural hospitals and clinics, so the company is providing a free telehealth portal so doctors can continue to provide quality care.
While telehealth regulations were quickly changed amidst COVID-19, allowing providers to be reimbursed at $220 per remote appointment instead of at $13, telemedicine is not a reality for cash-strapped rural hospitals that:
Lack the technological infrastructure and resources required to implement telemedicine
Require a highly secure, HIPAA-compliant platform (Zoom, Skype, Microsoft Teams are not secure options)
Need a platform that operates smoothly on low-bandwidth connectivity, common in rural areas
Treat patients who don’t have computers or webcam capabilities
Rural hospitals need an affordable, secure, easy-to-use telehealth platform that can be set up in hours, not months, to give their patients quality care while allowing them to tap into a desperately needed revenue stream that could help them stay afloat. They need CPSI’s turnkey telehealth solution: Talk With Your Doc.
The COVID-19 pandemic has magnified the need for autonomous healthcare as frontline physicians and medical personnel struggle to handle overloaded hospitals and overflow facilities. It is imperative to keep non-emergent patients out of emergency rooms and simultaneously empower physicians to deliver diagnoses via telemedicine.
Remote diagnostics will be required to care for astronauts in deep space yet it is incredibly relevant to quarantined populations. It assists healthcare providers see all the possible conditions a patient might have. Remote care helps patient get care while still at home.
The VisualDx’s app combines machine learning with clinical data to accurately diagnose a number of medical conditions. The technology has been implemented by tens of thousands of providers and in more than 2,300 hospitals and large clinics globally. In response to emergent needs of the pandemic, the company modified the app to contain the information needed to differentiate between COVID-19, the flu or a common cold.
“Telemedicine is now a requirement if we are to deliver quality care for all patients during this global health crisis,” said Art Papier, VisualDx CEO. “VisualDx is uniquely suited to provide preparedness in critical situations such as COVID-19 and support everyday clinical complaints.”
The VisualDx app requires internet connectivity so TRISH supported transferring the software onto a local computer so it can be used by astronauts on the way to Mars and by healthcare workers in places where internet access is limited.
“Now more than ever, we’re seeing how the research we fund to help our astronauts survive deep space missions has immediate impact for all of us on Earth,” TRISH director Dorit Donoviel, Ph.D. explained. “During deep space missions astronauts will need to rely on technology like VisualDx’s app, to self-diagnosis health issues when access to a physician might not be possible.”
VisualDx has COVID-19 resources available to the public on their website.
With the COVID-19 pandemic unleashing its impact on a global scale, numerous nations are scrambling to adopt various strategies and protocols to mitigate further spread of the virus. One common protocol initiated across more than 25 nations is social distancing.
In a bid to ensure this social distancing, worldwide economies have begun the implementation of partial or complete lockdowns. While this is considered to be a largely helpful endeavor, one challenge arising from these lockdowns is limitations in access to healthcare. This presents a significant conundrum for global populations as the need for healthcare access is becoming increasingly important in the current scenario.
Amid these concerns, however, technology presents a lucrative solution; telemedicine.
Many healthcare facilities and regulatory authorities are rapidly seeking alternative healthcare solutions to offer seamless medical aid whilst mitigating risk of exposure. Telemedicine shows immense potential in this regard, by limiting the need for hospital visits, and implementing more optimized allocations of hospital capacity to integral cases, by offering access to robust healthcare through digital means.
The telemedicine market is also witnessing great support from global regulatory authorities like WHO and CDC in recent times, in an effort to safeguard medical staff and other frontline workers, without influencing the delivery of healthcare services.
The evolution of telemedicine
Telemedicine refers to the use of software and electronic communication devices to deliver clinical services to patients, without the need to make in-person visits to the hospital. Telemedicine technology is used extensively for chronic condition management, medication management, follow-up visits, and a host of such healthcare services, via secure audio and video connections.
While telemedicine has emerged as a prominent entity only in recent years, it has been in existence for several years. The origins of the telemedicine industry can be traced as far back as the 1950s, when certain university medial centers and hospital systems began to experiment with methods to share images and information through the telephone. Two Pennsylvania health centers were among the first to achieve success with this technology, through the transmission of radiologic images via telephone.
Over time, telemedicine technologies began to evolve, and witnessed a significant turn with the rise of the internet. With the emergence of smart devices, designed to facilitate high-quality video transmission, delivery of remote healthcare solutions to patients in their workplaces, homes or assisted living facilities became more prevalent, thus presenting an ideal alternative to in-person clinical visits for both specialized and primary healthcare.
Rising risk of COVID-19 transmission through contact is necessitating the development of effective telemedicine solutions
As concerns arising from the global pandemic continue to surge, telemedicine is beginning to emerge as a lucrative and sustainable preventative and treatment solution to curb the spread of the COVID-19 virus.
Virtual care services are helping bridge the gap between the population, health systems, and physicians. These solutions enable everybody, particularly symptomatic patients, to seek medical health from the comfort of their homes and communicate seamlessly with their doctors via digital means, thus reducing the risk of exposure for both medical staff as well as the general population.
By Kelly Brassil, PhD, RN, director of medical affairs, Pack Health.
Kelly Brassil
While the world has come to a pause during the COVID-19 pandemic, one thing that does not stop is the presence of chronic conditions. This is particularly true of cancer where many individuals are navigating the cancer continuum during the coronavirus pandemic.
An estimated half million individuals have been diagnosed since the first confirmed case of COVID in the United States earlier this year. Unlike other conditions that can be managed primarily at home, cancer often requires in-person, and sometimes, experimental treatment.
For over a decade, I’ve worked as an oncology nurse, supporting individuals across cancer diagnoses. For those who are newly diagnosed, in treatment, or in survivorship, I’ve compiled some commonly asked questions along with suggestions and tips.
Am I at higher risk for COVID and its complications?
Preliminary data suggest that individuals with cancer or a history of cancer, especially those in active treatment, may be at higher risk for severe complications of COVID-19. The best way to reduce your risk is to practice social distancing. This also applies to members of your household or your primary caregiver. If you or your caregiver must leave the home, always use precautions like wearing a mask and frequent hand washing to reduce risk of transmission.
Will I still be able to receive treatment and access care?
Health systems are exploring ways to reduce risk of transmission. One way is to reduce the number of individuals coming into hospitals. This can result in changing the timing of in-person treatment or type of treatment you receive. They are thoughtfully coming up with safe, creative ways for individuals to access care and receive treatment, ranging from implementing telehealth to provide a platform to connect with your oncology team, to transitioning to treatment that can be taken orally or infused at home.
If you are receiving care at a facility far from your home, your care might transition to a nearby cancer provider. In some cases, treatment may need to be held or postponed, particularly if you have symptoms or a confirmed case of the virus. You may be asked to undergo COVID-19 testing prior to a procedure or treatment. Your caregiver may not be able to attend your hospital visits or visit you in the hospital. All of these decisions are made to protect you—ensuring you have the strongest possible immune system and reducing risk of COVID-19 transmission.
For the past month or more, doctors in the US have had their hands full with the rapid onset and spread of the coronavirus. Affecting thousands of citizens each day, it’s all hands on deck to try to treat patients in need.
With an increased attention on patients suffering from this deadly virus, however, many doctors worry about their non-coronavirus patients. From those fighting off the flu or some other virus to those with preexisting conditions like diabetes, heart disease, and cancer, lots of people aren’t getting the care they should be.
Some patients are afraid to come forward out of fear they’ll contract COVID-19, others hold off on contacting their doctor to avoid taking up precious time or available hospital beds for those they feel are in greater need right now. In any event, the concern is that there could be a lot of people out there suffering in silence. If you run a healthcare practice and have some of these same concerns, know that there are some effective solutions to help you treat and support your non-COVID-19 patients.
Telehealth
Many healthcare facilities across the country have implemented telehealth options. It is a digital platform that allows medical professionals to provide care and treatment to their patients remotely. Not only can this type of platform be instrumental in helping you to pre-screen potential COVID-19 patients, but it can be used to help non-coronavirus patients as well.
Advising your patients to utilize this application when in need of medical attention allows you to meet with the patient virtually and assess their health status. You can prescribe medication, provide self-care tips to treat their problem at home, or, if necessary, advise them to get to a healthcare facility or hospital for immediate attention. This prevents them from coming in the office unnecessarily (saving thousands of lives), but still provides them with an option to get medical care if they need to.
Hospitals across the globe are experiencing a demand incomparable to any event that most of us have experienced in our lifetimes. Providers on the front lines of the coronavirus pandemic tirelessly and courageously dedicate countless hours and immeasurable amounts of energy to combat this virus, all while compromising their own safety and the safety of their families.
This strain on the health care system stretches far beyond patients with COVID-19, as people with chronic diseases such as diabetes, Crohn’s, cancer and their providers struggle with the best way to manage their illnesses. With few medical resources available and the risk of exposure to the virus, a new way of providing care is desperately needed.
The Case for Telehealth
One might ask how these patients receive the care they need if they are unable to physically visit their provider and support team. Many are being forced – or choosing – to wait indefinitely until the risk of exposure and provider demand declines. As the United States and every country moves forward and learns from this crippling pandemic, it is apparent that there is an absolute need for a bigger emphasis on remote patient monitoring and telehealth services to provide effective care. The need is so significant that legislation is being passed to support the uptake of remote treatment options and to ensure health care facilities have high quality internet connections.
Telehealth services allow patients to be seen by a provider through video calls, giving the traditional face-to-face feel that many experience in general appointments with their providers. However, the extent of the personal interaction may end with the action of the provider, such as a prescription or advice on at-home care options.
Remote Monitoring: From Improved Workflow to Empowering Self-Management
Remote patient monitoring typically includes a support platform that allows a patient to monitor and manage their disease, often with the support of their health care team, remotely and over a period of time. The term telehealth is often wrongfully used interchangeably with remote patient monitoring. The two work together, but are not the same. Telehealth interactions are often part of a larger, ongoing remote patient monitoring system.
There are various types of remote patient monitoring platforms. Some are created with the intent to enable easier workflow and patient management for the physician, others are created to support patient self-management. Some cardiology devices such as pacemakers and ICDs use remote patient monitoring directly by sharing data on the performance of the device and the heart’s response with the physician.
The Office of the National Coordinator for Health IT (ONC) and the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS), in conjunction with the HHS Office of Inspector General (OIG) announced a policy of enforcement discretion to allow compliance flexibilities regarding the implementation of the interoperability final rules announced on Mar. 9, 2020, in response to the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) public health emergency. ONC, CMS, and OIG will continue to monitor the implementation landscape to determine if further action is needed.
“ONC remains committed to ensuring that patients and providers can access electronic health information, when and where it matters most. During this critical time, we understand that resources need to be focused on fighting the COVID-19 pandemic. To support that important work and the information sharing efforts we are already seeing, ONC intends to exercise enforcement discretion for 3 months at the end of certain ONC Health IT Certification Program compliance dates associated with the ONC Cures Act Final Rule to provide flexibility while ensuring the goals of the rule remain on track.” – Don Rucker, MD, National Coordinator for Health Information Technology.
“Today’s action follows the extensive steps CMS has taken to ease burden on the healthcare industry as it fights COVID-19. Now more than ever, patients need secure access to their healthcare data. Hospitals should be doing everything in their power to ensure that patients get appropriate follow-up care. Nevertheless, in a pandemic of this magnitude, flexibility is paramount for a healthcare system under siege by COVID-19. Our action today will provide hospitals an additional 6 months to implement the new requirements.” – Seema Verma, CMS Administrator
For the past month or more, doctors in the US have had their hands full with the rapid onset and spread of the coronavirus. Affecting thousands of citizens each day, it’s all hands on deck to try to treat patients in need.