INNOVATIONS LEAD TO WORLD-CLASS CARE AT HOME

TAMPA GENERAL HOSPITAL’S NEW HOSPITAL AT HOME PROGRAM ALLOWS LOW-RISK PATIENTS TO RECEIVE INPATIENT CARE FROM THE COMFORT OF THEIR HOMES

The innovative new TGH at Home program enables patients with certain conditions to remain in their homes and receive continuous care from the TGH team. The Biobeat sensor allows the hospital staff to monitor vitals remotely, and patients are visited in person twice daily. They also receive food service directly to their homes.

IT’S A TRULY GROUNDBREAKING PROGRAM THAT BRINGS THE EXPERTISE OF A WORLD-CLASS HOSPITAL INTO A PATIENT’S HOME, ALONG WITH A FULL SUITE OF SERVICES THAT ARE SHIFTING THE PARADIGM OF HOW CARE IS DELIVERED.”

—DR. PETER CHANG

Imagine personalized, hospital-level care in the comfort of your own home. Thanks to the newly launched TGH at Home program, that dream is a reality, explained Dr. Peter Chang, vice president of health care design at Tampa General Hospital.

“It’s a truly groundbreaking program that brings the expertise of a world-class hospital into a patient’s home, along with a full suite of services that are shifting the paradigm of how care is delivered,” said Chang, who has been at the vanguard of curating and implementing new technology and operating systems at TGH. “It allows us to evaluate whether or not a patient needs to occupy a hospital bed versus providing the same or better level of care in their home.”

The program focuses on patients with conditions such as congestive heart failure, urinary tract infections, cellulitis, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, blood clots, and diabetes. However, eligibility is quickly expanding across a host of other diagnoses that can be safely treated at home, including for COVID-19 patients.

To be enrolled in TGH at Home, patients are fi rst seen after presenting to the emergency department or in the hospital if already admitted. Eligible patients must also be able to perform “activities of daily living,” such as brushing their teeth, eating, and showering without assistance.

Unlike traditional home health, TGH at Home provides an inpatient level of care, including continuous vitals monitoring versus intermittent nursing care once or twice a week. This is made possible through a

Dr. Peter Chang

The TGH at Home program is available to program is available to patients living within a patients living within a 30-minute drive of the 30-minute drive of the hospital. Those enrolled hospital. Those enrolled in TGH at Home have in TGH at Home have access to every service access to every service available at TGH, includavailable at TGH, including respiratory, physical, ing respiratory, physical, occupational, and speech occupational, and speech therapies. In addition, a therapies. In addition, a virtual health platform virtual health platform enables physicians to enables physicians to fully examine patients fully examine patients remotely. remotely.

Biobeat sensor and a cellular-enabled tablet like an iPad that streams a continuous signal of the patient’s vitals to the hospital’s central monicontinuous signal of the patient’s vitals to the hospital’s central monitoring station. The Israel-based Biobeat platform serves as an FDAtoring station. The Israel-based Biobeat platform serves as an FDAapproved blood pressure cuff, pulse oximeter, and thermometer, all in approved blood pressure cuff, pulse oximeter, and thermometer, all in one. Biobeat attaches to the patient’s chest using a small, easy-to-wear one. Biobeat attaches to the patient’s chest using a small, easy-to-wear adhesive patch. For patients with allergies to adhesive materials, there adhesive patch. For patients with allergies to adhesive materials, there is a wristwatch version with the same monitoring capabilities. is a wristwatch version with the same monitoring capabilities.

In addition to around-the-clock remote monitoring, patients are pro-

In addition to around-the-clock remote monitoring, patients are provided with at least two in-person visits per day by a dedicated member vided with at least two in-person visits per day by a dedicated member of the TGH at Home clinical team, which comprises physicians, physiof the TGH at Home clinical team, which comprises physicians, physician assistants, nurse practitioners, and registered nurses. cian assistants, nurse practitioners, and registered nurses.

TGH at Home provides everything a patient would need during hos-

TGH at Home provides everything a patient would need during hospitalization, including a food service that delivers meals to the patient’s pitalization, including a food service that delivers meals to the patient’s home, said Chang. “Every service that is available in the hospital is home, said Chang. “Every service that is available in the hospital is available in the patient’s home, including respiratory therapy, physical available in the patient’s home, including respiratory therapy, physical therapy, occupational therapy, or speech therapy.” therapy, occupational therapy, or speech therapy.”

“ T G H a t H o m e i s a t r u e m o d e l o f i n n o v a t i o n — i n t e g r a t i n g h i g h -

“ T G H a t H o m e i s a t r u e m o d e l o f i n n o v a t i o n — i n t e g r a t i n g h i g h t e c h a p p l i c a t i o n s s u c h a s r e m o t e p a t i e n t m o n i t o r i n g a n d t e l e h e a l t h t e c h a p p l i c a t i o n s s u c h a s r e m o t e p a t i e n t m o n i t o r i n g a n d t e l e h e a l t h v i s i t s w i t h i n - p e r s o n c a r e b y t r a i n e d h e a l t h c a r e p r o v i d e r s , ” s a i d J o h n v i s i t s w i t h i n - p e r s o n c a r e b y t r a i n e d h e a l t h c a r e p r o v i d e r s , ” s a i d J o h n C o u r i s , p r e s i d e n t a n d C E O o f T G H . “ W e c a n g i v e p a t i e n t s w h a t t h e y C o u r i s , p r e s i d e n t a n d C E O o f T G H . “ W e c a n g i v e p a t i e n t s w h a t t h e y

TGH AT HOME IS A TRUE MODEL OF INNOVATION—INTEGRATING HIGH-TECH APPLICATIONS SUCH AS REMOTE PATIENT MONITORING AND TELEHEALTH VISITS WITH IN-PERSON CARE BY TRAINED HEALTH CARE PROVIDERS. WE CAN GIVE PATIENTS WHAT THEY REALLY WANT—WORLD-CLASS CARE IN THEIR OWN ENVIRONMENT .

” —JOHN COURIS

r e a l l y w a n t — w o r l d - c l a s s c a r e i n t h e i r o w n e n v i r o n m e n t . ”

The program is currently limited to those living within a 30-minute drive from TGH, but the hospital is in the process of exploring opportunities for TGH at Home in Palm Beach and Martin counties.

“Programs like this are gaining traction around the country, and the benefi ts are tangible, namely an improved patient experience, shorter hospital stays, reduced risk of hospital readmission, and more costeffi cient care,” said Chang. “The COVID-19 pandemic signaled a giant leap forward in the use of technology that’s been available but needed an impetus to expand. It’s defi nitely shifted the way we think about how we provide care.”

TGH has also partnered with United States–based telehealth provider TytoCare, which has created a virtual health platform that provides patients with a cellular-enabled tablet to conduct telehealth visits with providers. The equipment is available at no additional cost and is continually monitored by the TGH at Home care team.

“Not only can we remotely listen to a patient’s heartbeat and their lung sounds with digital stethoscopes, we can actually examine a patient without physically being in front of them, which is extraordinary,” said Chang.