Thornberry, Ltd, and FGA Software Solutions, developers of power2, a Web-based clinical and financial information management system for home care agencies and hospice, have announced the latest successful implementation of a telehealth interface solution for South Jersey Healthcare HomeCare in Salem, NJ.
The interface solution links the home care agency's telehealth monitoring equipment from Honeywell HomMed, Milwaukee, WI, with the clinical point-of-care and financial information management system from Thornberry and FGA. This follows an earlier successful installation of the same interface at Twin Tier Home Health at Binghamton, NY.
South Jersey Healthcare HomeCare started using telehealth monitoring in early 2005 and currently has 60 to 65 units in patients' homes at any given time, with another 31 on order to make available to private-paying individuals. Measurements such as heart rate, blood pressure, and pulse oximetry or blood oxygen content captured by HomMed equipment in patient homes are sent electronically, via Skytel satellite or telephone line, to an agency-based HomMed central repository. The new interface automatically extracts these data and merges them for seamless presentation to nurses and therapists.
The use of the monitors in combination with Thornberry's point-of-care solution, NDoc or power2, developed by Thornberry and FGA, means that nurses now carry a caseload of up to 40 patients, most of whom are on monitors. Using laptops, nurses can start the day from home with the entire patient chart at their fingertips, and they can review the results with a patient during a visit instead of waiting for a fax at the end of the day, increasing patient involvement in managing health.
According to the agency, the reaction from nurses and patients has been extremely positive. Patients feel more secure knowing that they are being watched for subtle changes, whereas nurses can respond with early interventions when a change in condition occurs, rather than making a random visit.
In addition, reduction of paperwork, needless patient visits, and hospitalizations and improvement in care planning have the potential to improve profit margins for home care agencies.
The Honeywell HomMed interface is just one of several Health Level Seven telehealth interfaces Thornberry is preparing for its customers. In addition to installed and planned interfaces for several clients using HomMed's monitors, including South Jersey Healthcare HomeCare, Twin Tier Home Health, Muhlenberg Regional Medical Center (a member of Solaris Health Systems), Warren County Public Health Nursing, and LaPorte VNA Home Care, Thornberry is actively designing interface solutions that will work with telehealth monitoring equipment from Advanced Monitored Caregiving and WebVMC.
South Jersey Healthcare HomeCare is part of South Jersey Healthcare Community Services, which, in turn, is part of South Jersey Healthcare, a charitable, nonprofit health organization where hospitals and doctors work together to provide quality care. South Jersey Healthcare HomeCare is dedicated to providing the citizens of the Delaware Valley high-quality healthcare in their own communities. For more information, visit http://www.sjhs.com.
Thornberry, Ltd, is based in Lancaster, PA, and is a provider of information systems to the healthcare industry, specializing in clinical documentation systems since 1992 and home health point of care since 1996. Thornberry systems, including NDoc and power2, use Web-based technology and are designed and user tested by healthcare providers and information systems professionals. For more information, visit http://www.powertwo.com.
FGA Software Solutions, Inc, is a healthcare consulting firm specializing in financial software products and support services for the home care industry based in Piscataway, NJ. For more information, visit http://www.powertwo.com.