As of July 1, 15,718 patients in 36 states have enrolled in Amedisys’ new Heart Failure Program, which provides patient and caregiver empowerment, coaching and tools to get patients moving to prevent unnecessary hospitalizations. The Amedisys Heart Failure Program improves the lives of our patients and their caregivers. We are monitoring potential improvements in the CMS Quality of Patient Care Star Rating outcome measures – an important measurement of quality for Amedisys.
Amedisys treated approximately 100,000 patients diagnosed with heart failure in 2016. Recognizing the need for patients and their caregivers to be independent and take responsibility in managing their chronic conditions, Amedisys launched a new Heart Failure Program that changes the way home healthcare delivers care for people with heart failure.
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The interdisciplinary approach educates clinicians, patients and caregivers on their critical role in the patient empowerment process, as well as the corresponding self-directed behavior changes needed to manage chronic conditions over the long term – long after they are discharged from home care. This CE-approved program, required of almost 13,000 Amedisys home healthcare employees, combines the Amedisys’ evidenced-based patient empowerment methodology and proprietary single-source educational materials to foster responsibility while ensuring adherence to clinical protocols.
Patient empowerment is a process to promote self-directed behavior changes in patients, so they are more likely to follow and meet self-established goals.
Goals include health maintenance and improvements, in addition to personal life milestones (such as a 50th wedding anniversary or the return to a golf league). Empowerment methodologies use patient engagement tactics and tools to help build the confidence necessary for patients to manage their disease, while reducing both patient and caregiver stress as they become active participants in their health and well-being.
The CMS Quality of Patient Care Star Rating measures are most often in alignment with patients’ self-established goals, which require a patient to get moving. The measures we are monitoring include improvements in:
- Bathing;
- Bed transferring;
- Ambulation;
- Dyspnea; and
- Pain interfering with activity.
The patient empowerment model is now used throughout Amedisys for all patients with heart failure. It gives each patient a consistent, positive experience in home healthcare. Physicians also experience consistency in treating heart failure patients that is evidence-based and improves outcomes while enhancing the lives and satisfaction of their patients and caregivers.
Click below to refer a patient for home health today!
