Increased Medicare and Medicaid underfunding
According to the 2007 American Hospital Association (AHA) Underpayment by Medicare and Medicaid Fact Sheet, Medicare and Medicaid account for 55% of all care provided by hospitals and both Medicare and Medicaid payments have been falling relative to costs. For example:

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Increased operational costs
According to the AHA, hospitals, clinics and other medical practices nationwide are experiencing dramatic increases in operational expenses, such as pharmaceuticals, supplies, malpractice insurance, etc.

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Staffing shortages
Findings from the 2007 AHA survey of Hospital Leaders showed that medical professionals are facing workforce shortages, such as an 11.4% shortage in therapists and an 8.1%, or 118,000, shortage in both nurses and pharmacists. These shortages are resulting in such service impacts as 49% decreased staff satisfaction, 36% ED overcrowding, 17% reduced number of staffed beds and 17% delayed discharge/increased length of stay.

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Decreased customer satisfaction
Another impact of the staffing shortages is a sharp decrease in patient satisfaction. The 2007 AHA survey showed that due to staffing shortages, medical practices, hospitals and clinics are seeing a 38% decrease in patient satisfaction. Additionally, a recent McKinsey study reported that, faced with healthcare decisions, consumers are concerned, confused, and unprepared, which also negatively impacts satisfaction.

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Hospital Systems

Hospital Systems  <  Providers  <  Customer Focus  <  Home

Partnering with Hospital Systems for Clinical and Financial Performance Improvement

Underfunded care, increased operational costs, staffing shortages and decreased customer satisfaction impact the success and profitability of hospital systems and individual hospitals nationwide.

Solutions tailored to meet the unique needs of hospitals to improve care quality, streamline operations and enhance profitability are needed.

The Pharos Solution

Through thoughtful implementation of our enabling technology platform that improves care coordination and processes and decreases operational burden, we help providers improve care quality and financial performance improvement. We do this by reducing underfunded care and operational expenses; expanding the reach, efficiency and effectiveness of staff and programs and improving patient satisfaction.

There is no other remote monitoring solution like the Pharos Solution. Our difference includes:

Device-free, technology-based, enabling platform

Tel-Assurance is a cost-effective, technology-based platform solution that does not use special equipment. Participants use any available telephone (land line, cell phone or payphone) or internet connection and basic health measurement tools, such as a generic bathroom scale or glucometer, to gather and report basic symptom information. This means that system access remains high, the cost remains low and your care managers do not have to deploy or retrieve any equipment, worry about equipment infection control issues or worry about special equipment to accommodate language, vision or literacy impairment challenges.

A recent article in eweek.com reported that remote monitoring can save money (an estimated $4 billion/year in heart failure expenses alone) and lives, but that the equipment that most remote monitoring companies use is hard-to-operate and too expensive at an estimated $150 per month.

Seamless integration

Tel-Assurance can flexibly integrate with your other care coordination/health management documentation systems. This means that there is no need for duplicative documentation or charting.

Tel-Enrollment turn-key enrollment and retention (optional program)

Unlike other remote monitoring companies, Pharos partners with you to maximize the success of your program through a Pharos-managed enrollment and retention campaign to encourage maximum program participation.

Proven

Our solution is the most proven solution available. Some of our third-party validated results include:

  • $5 million savings to Medicaid, equaling $13,500 savings per participant per year, in the Iowa Medicaid Congestive Heart Failure Population Disease Management Demonstration
  • 2.5 point reduction of HbA1c levels within six months in a statewide study of a diabetic population at a large regional healthcare entity
  • Virtually eliminated 30-day readmissions in a heart failure pilot with a statewide Medicaid Population
  • Adding Tel-Assurance to existing case management at a renowned cardiology institute reduced the average length of stay and eliminated 30-, 60- and 90-day readmissions
  • Results of a study of 226 heat failure patients in five centers in a rural state showed:
    • 4.83 out of 5 patient rating that participation was beneficial in improving quality of life
    • Three- to five-fold increase in workload capacity (from 75 to 375 patients per case manager)

Learn More
Collaborative Forum

Visit Pharos' new blog on the issues that will get us closer to transforming our healthcare delivery system.

Virtual Pharos

Commonwealth Fund Briefing: "Pathways to Payment Innovation in a Post-Health Reform Era" View video of the May 10 briefing on the impact of healthcare reform on our healthcare delivery and payment system.

Chicago Business Today Features Pharos Innovations on Healthcare Reform View video news clip of Lisa Leiter's interview with Pharos' CEO on shaping healthcare delivery system reform.

Pharos Findings

South Jersey Healthcare Seeks to Reduce Readmissions, Improve Quality - Preliminary results show an 83% reduction in avoidable admissions and .5 day decrease in average length of stay per admission.

Henry Ford Health System Reduces Costly, Avoidable Admissions - Results show 36% admissions reduction in HF program participants and return of 2.3:1 vs. program costs.

Inova Mount Vernon Hospital Reduces Hospital Admissions - Admissions reduced in HF program participants by 75%; includes preliminary results using Tel-Assurance®

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