Two physicians on ending the waiting-room era: bring care home

Several years ago, Gerard Folse, a 76-year-old shrimp fisherman from a bayou outside New Orleans was diagnosed with end-stage renal disease (ESRD) as he battled several other chronic diseases, including vascular disease, hypertension, and heart failure. His doctors told him he needed dialysis, sobering news given the additional strain the treatment can bring: traveling three days a week to a center, fatigue from the treatment, transportation challenges, hours in a waiting room, and piles of paperwork. 

Instead, Gerard and his wife were trained in how to do in-home dialysis by Monogram Health and, since starting, both his kidneys and all his pre-existing conditions have improved. Gerard still receives dialysis, but he does so at home, conveniently supported by a virtual care team, remote monitoring, and regular in-home visits with a clinician.

Gerard’s success is one example of what we can achieve when we evaluate the whole patient and treat multiple conditions where the patient feels most comfortable: at home. Rather than make patients sit in waiting rooms, this model offers a simpler, proactive, technology-enabled approach that meets patients where they are. We now have the tools – and partnerships – to make it possible.  

AI and data analytics help identify risk of acute conditions and trigger a proactive clinical intervention before a crisis occurs. Digital........

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