Background
In the early days of the pandemic, we knew we had a role to play in keeping people safe at home and minimizing anxiety during a very stressful time. The average age of people with our connected technology is 71 years, taking 7.5 meds / day for multiple co-morbidities. We set out to identify potential COVID-related symptoms early, and to connect people with the appropriate resources in their community.
Challenge
Rapidly designing and actioning a remote monitoring program to identify potential COVID-related symptoms, during a public health emergency, using our technology, network and resources to address the reality of COVID and the health risk it posed to our already at-risk patient population.
400
Patients
71
Average age
7.5
Meds per day
800+
Interventions yr 1
Solution
We designed simple screening questions to appear on the spencer device, every 8th time medications were dispensed. We deployed to our most at-risk patient population, in Canada & the US, and monitored in real-time.
With spencer, pharmacists are connected with their patients remotely, allowing for proactive, patient-centered care that helps their patients to live well at home. Home delivery of medications saves trips to the pharmacy, and video conferencing with physicians is safe and convenient. And during these unprecedented times, our COVID-19 screening program is keeping our users and communities safe by catching symptoms early, making sure people know how & where to get tested, and providing timely, appropriate care while keeping the rate of transmission as low as possible.
Results
During the first few months alone, remote monitoring of 400 at-risk patients led to 200+ interventions by community pharmacists.
With our clinical team monitoring and triaging to pharmacists in the community, we were able to act early to provide anything from additional medication counseling (i.e. for proper use of an inhaler) to coordinating a COVID test at a screening facility. Home delivery of medications saved trips to the pharmacy, and video conferencing with physicians was convenient and kept people connected, despite physical isolation. And with the extra layer of surveillance from our COVID-19 screening program, we kept at-risk patients and their communities safe by identifying symptoms early, ensuring people knew how & where to get tested, and providing timely, appropriate care while keeping the rate of transmission as low as possible.
Over the past few years, healthcare delivery has undergone rapid change and evolution through innovation and application of technology to provide clinical care, but never has there been such a marked need and public health requirement for physicians, nurses, pharmacists and other healthcare professionals to provide care to patients at home.
Remote screening questions led pharmacists to provide proactive, patient-centered care, keeping patients safe, at home.
Kristen, Clinical Outcomes Director
