Diabetes is one of the most common chronic conditions in the United States and is highly predominant among Medicare recipients. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), an estimated 38.4 million people in the United States live with diabetes. Of these cases, approximately 38% of diabetic patients use Medicare. This is largely due to the staggeringly disproportionate number of cases among the senior population.
While the prevalence of diabetes has increased among younger age groups during the last 20 years, the vast majority of people with diabetes are over the age of 65. In that same 20-year span, the CDC reports that the number of Americans aged 65 and older with diabetes has nearly doubled.
Diabetes has become so common within this age group that more than 25% of Americans 65 and older are diabetic, though not all have been diagnosed. Approximately one in five individuals are unaware that they have the disease.
Mitigating Diabetes Complications With Virtual Care
Hospitalization rates related to diabetes management and emergencies have risen in recent years, due in part to an aging population that is more susceptible to the disease. Hospitalizations related to diabetic care account for a significant portion of Medicare spending. The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) reports that 27.5% of Medicare fee-for-service (FFS) beneficiaries had a diagnosis of diabetes in 2019.
Many of these hospital visits can be prevented with the right programs, resources, and devices to facilitate routine, preventive care. One of the keys to cost-effectively managing care for diabetes, from both the patient and provider perspectives, is working to prevent complications, including acute episodes that would require emergency care.
An increasingly common and effective way to address this issue is implementing a telehealth monitoring system for virtual care management (VCM). Combined with the capabilities and accuracy of remote patient monitoring devices, virtual care helps improve communication between patients and providers. This helps develop a disciplined approach to routine care and blood testing, which can lead to better treatment and fewer complications.
Reducing Costs for Providers and Patients
Utilizing VCM tools for patients with diabetes can help prevent excess costs for providers and their patients. By providing doctors with the right data at the right time, there is a greater ability to identify a potential health risk and intervene preemptively. Conversely, the ability to remotely monitor patients’ blood sugar levels and vitals allows providers to communicate updates virtually without scheduling nonessential, in-person appointments.
Many of the routine appointments can take place in a fraction of the time and are more accessible. The ability to have a brief appointment online means more can get the care they need.
Starting in 2021, Medicare introduced a new initiative to help elevate the standard of diabetic care that is being provided, with an emphasis on preventive care to reduce hospitalization. The CMS offered an increased reimbursement program for providers that implement a program for high-quality, comprehensive care for diabetes.
TimeDoc Health’s Tools for Elevating Chronic Care Management
Implementing these systems, workflows, and technologies into a health practice isn’t always easy. With TimeDoc Health, it is. Our software integrates seamlessly into your electronic health record system making data quickly and easily accessible while our services team supports ongoing management and coordination of your patients so you can focus on those in front of you. Once complete, we will train your team on the clinical design and software functionality to ensure they are fully prepared at launch.
Our highly trained team helps tailor your program to support the highest level of care and make your Medicare initiatives operational. We understand there is no one-size-fits-all solution and work closely with you to pick and choose the services to identify and address any care gaps.
Through our CCM software and services, we can help you drive a continuous stream of revenue and improve diabetes outcomes. Here are a few ways we do that:
- Automate Care Planning
Use our physician-created care plans or create your own templates to upload into our platform that synchronizes with your EHR to automatically fill patient information. - Maintain Medicare Program Compliance
Monthly encounter summaries, patient consent, and care plans are stored to be easily accessed in our platform in the event of a Medicare audit. - Track and Monitor Vitals
Ongoing vital measurements through cellular based devices like glucometers and blood pressure cuffs make physiological monitoring easy - Continuously Engage Patients
Care coordination services speak with your patients monthly to support care plan compliance, RPM adherence, and ensures proper care delivery service utilization - Improve ROI
Powerful reporting functionality can deliver insights to help to understand the financial impact your chronic care management program delivers.
Get in Touch
Find out more about how TimeDoc Health helps medical organizations to increase efficiencies, reduce unnecessary costs and improve diabetes outcomes.
Request a demo today to speak with one of our team members and learn how we can support your patients, your staff, and your business.