4 Virtual Visit Best Practices for Serious Illness Conversations
IMPLEMENTATION, TECHNOLOGY | 3 MIN READING TIME
4 Virtual Visit Best Practices for Serious Illness Conversations
Published April 27, 2022
Reading Time: 3 minutesAs COVID-19 infections surged in 2020, the U.S. federal government stepped in with policy waivers to help overcome the biggest obstacles to telehealth, and medical associations released practice guidelines. Within weeks, there was as much as a ten-fold increase in virtual doctor visits. The increased adoption of telehealth revealed the enormous potential of telehealth to[…]
Understanding the Obstacles to Telehealth
Published April 19, 2022
Reading Time: 3 minutesThe COVID-19 pandemic forced clinicians to alter how they deliver healthcare, ushering in a new era of telehealth. The increased adoption of remote medical care revealed its enormous potential to transform healthcare delivery. Policy and regulatory flexibilities that were granted under the public health emergency declaration eased some of the biggest barriers to telehealth; however,[…]
A Guide to Employing Shared Decision Making in Clinical Practice
Published April 15, 2022
Reading Time: 4 minutesShared decision making (SDM) in healthcare is a communication process that involves a patient and provider collaborating to determine the medical treatment that best fits the patient’s values and preferences. Although there is a preponderance of evidence to support the use of SDM, its adoption into routine medical practice has been slow. Even when a[…]
Advance Care Planning: A Tool for Healthcare Empowerment
Published March 30, 2022
Reading Time: 4 minutesThe onslaught of COVID-19 cases early in the pandemic derailed the process of shared decision making in healthcare by forcing in-the-moment medical decisions. The pandemic elucidated how health can deteriorate suddenly and unexpectedly, driving a call to action for individuals, families, and providers to initiate advance care planning (ACP) discussions and ensure end-of-life care wishes[…]
Addressing Senior Loneliness and Isolation
Published January 20, 2022
Reading Time: 4 minutesSocial isolation and loneliness are common problems among older adults and are linked to several health conditions, such as depression and heart disease. According to the CDC, social isolation is a lack of social connection, while loneliness is the feeling of being alone, regardless of the amount of social contact. Healthcare professionals can take steps[…]
The HEDIS Advance Care Planning Measure: What it is and Why it Matters
Published September 14, 2021
Reading Time: 3 minutesMrs. S., 68 years old, suffers from end-stage liver disease. Her husband, Mr. F., cares for her at home; however, it has been increasingly difficult for him as her condition has progressed and she has had to go to the hospital more frequently over the past year. While Mrs. S. has been making her own[…]
The Potential of Artificial Intelligence to Transform Advance Care Planning
Published August 13, 2021
Reading Time: 3 minutesWhile once the stuff of science fiction, there have been significant advances in artificial intelligence (AI) over the last several decades. Today, AI is transforming industrial sectors across the world, including finance, transportation, national security, travel, city management and healthcare. Artificial intelligence (AI) is defined by the English Oxford Living Dictionary as “the theory and[…]
A Planning Checklist: Do Your Homework Before Implementation
Published April 22, 2020
Reading Time: 4 minutesQuality improvement (QI) initiatives are key to improving clinical outcomes, enhancing patient experience and reducing costs within healthcare organizations. However, an estimated 70% of large-scale change programs fail. Unfortunately, performance improvement efforts that are poorly executed result in very little – if any – sustainable change, while using up time, money and resources. There is[…]