Vizient, Inc. has teamed up with medical suppliers to provide new resources and technology offerings that address hospitals’ immediate and unique needs for care delivery and improving patient satisfaction amid COVID-19. Medtronic Care Management Services and Zimmer Biomet are participating in the program.
“We have heard the urgent and evolving needs of our member hospitals and have collaborated with several suppliers to deploy programs that offer the technology, tools and support necessary for the wide variety of patients who need care in this new environment,” said Erik Axter, managing principal for Vizient. “These solutions create the framework for providers and suppliers to enhance their partnerships to improve patient care, which is the type of collaborative solutions our members have told us they are looking for.”
The healthcare industry has historically been slow to adopt telehealth and remote monitoring technologies, but COVID-19 has dramatically changed provider and patient perceptions and acceptance. The programs are focused on suppliers who can offer optimized telehealth support relative to care of patients and remote monitoring and rehabilitation services for those who have implanted medical devices. Other services for implants include case support, coding assistance, performance-based price stabilization, inventory management and risk sharing.
Medtronic has developed a suite of monitoring solutions that are designed to help clinicians evaluate, monitor, and treat patients from a distance through telemedicine and remote monitoring. Medtronic programs assist health care systems in addressing clinical challenges, patient and healthcare provider safety, and economic concerns in a new care model that is relevant during the COVID-19 pandemic and beyond. These collaborative efforts will improve patient outcomes and help avoid unnecessary trips to the hospital and clinic while safeguarding patients and healthcare providers from unnecessary contact.
“Medtronic created the first internet-based remote monitoring system nearly two decades ago, enabling the convenience of telemedicine by remotely monitoring patients implanted with Medtronic heart devices and providing comprehensive data to their physicians,” said Mike Coyle, executive vice president and president of the Cardiac and Vascular Group at Medtronic. “Since the coronavirus pandemic hit, Medtronic has swiftly enabled additional exclusive features and capabilities to reduce complications, ER visits, and hospitalizations, and has implemented secure remote support of implant procedures, check-ups and device reprogramming, to continue supporting health care providers while adhering to physical restrictions.”
Zimmer Biomet offers mymobility with Apple Watch, a remote care management system that allows physicians to manage the patient’s surgical journey for orthopedic procedures from 45 days ahead of the procedure to 180 days after the procedure. It also enables effective patient recovery and rehabilitation without requiring patients to come back into the hospital or clinic for follow-up care.
“Our Goal at Zimmer Biomet is to lead the way with connected solutions,” said Chase Idleman, vice president of sales at Zimmer Biomet Connect. “We are excited to offer new and effective ways to optimize the patient experience throughout the episode of care and look forward to working with Vizient members to address this patient need during these unprecedented times.”
