Post-acute care (PAC) facilities are increasingly tasked with managing more complex and acutely ill patients, in combination with unpredictable staffing levels. Driven by a combination of healthcare funding models, population aging, and the rising prevalence of chronic conditions, PAC facilities are seeing patients who would have previously remained in hospitals until reaching a stable recovery phase. Within this growing segment of cardiac patients needing specialized care, PAC facilities are looking toward advanced solutions like cardiac telemetry to provide the critical support required for these vulnerable patients.

What is Cardiac Telemetry?

Cardiac telemetry is a form of continuous heart monitoring technology that enables healthcare providers to track a patient’s heart activity in real time. Using wireless sensors, cardiac telemetry systems collect and transmit electrocardiogram (ECG) data, detecting irregular heart rhythms and other critical cardiac events. Unlike traditional periodic monitoring, telemetry provides a continuous stream of real-time data, allowing healthcare teams to observe and respond to sudden changes in a patient’s heart activity. This technology can be especially valuable in PAC settings, where patients may need immediate intervention for cardiac issues that could otherwise go unnoticed.

The Need for Cardiac Telemetry in PAC Facilities

Under activity-based funding models, hospitals are incentivized to discharge patients quickly, which allows them to transition patients out of acute care settings and replenish beds for new admissions. This approach, often called “double billing,” enables hospitals to increase patient turnover and reduce overcrowding. Meanwhile, the baby boomer generation is aging, increasing the demand for acute and post-acute care services. Consequently, PAC facilities are experiencing higher patient volumes, especially those with cardiac conditions who require complex monitoring and tailored care.

For PAC facilities, managing cardiac patients requires more than just standard monitoring. Real-time cardiac telemetry is vital in accurately identifying, diagnosing, and documenting cardiac conditions. This continuous monitoring technology is designed to detect sudden arrhythmias and other cardiac events, ensuring prompt response and intervention. This is especially crucial for cardiac patients with often unpredictable and short-lived symptoms.

Why Skilled Nursing Facilities Need Cardiac Telemetry

Skilled nursing facilities within PAC settings are well-positioned to benefit from cardiac telemetry. This technology facilitates real-time monitoring of cardiac activity, providing several key :

Real-Time Communication for Timely Interventions

Cardiac telemetry allows electronic access to cardiac data, fostering better communication among care teams. When a critical event occurs, the telemetry system can notify the bedside care team immediately, enabling rapid treatment decisions. In settings where patients may not always have symptoms that are easy to recognize, this real-time response capability can make a life-saving difference.

Enhanced Diagnostics and Documentation

PAC facilities can more accurately diagnose and document cardiac conditions with cardiac telemetry. This technology captures multiple ECG vectors continuously, so transient arrhythmias and other brief cardiac events are more likely to be detected and recorded. Such data supports precise diagnoses and aids in creating a detailed medical history that informs future care.

Continuous Monitoring to Capture Transient Events

Cardiac arrhythmias are often brief and difficult to detect, making intermittent monitoring insufficient. Cardiac telemetry provides a continuous, real-time view of the patient’s heart activity. When specific detection criteria are met, the system triggers an alarm to alert care staff, allowing them to respond immediately to any significant changes in the patient’s condition.

How Cardiac Event Notifications Work in PAC Settings

Implementing a cardiac telemetry system in a PAC facility requires coordination and customization to ensure that alerts are handled efficiently and appropriately:

Setting Limits and Contact Information

During installation, default limits are established for various cardiac event thresholds, and a designated contact list is created for alert notifications. This customization ensures that the system contacts the correct caregivers in an emergency.

Validation of Alarms

When the telemetry system detects a potential cardiac event, a monitoring technician verifies whether the alert indicates an actual event or an artifact (noise) before notifying the bedside team. This verification step reduces the occurrence of false alarms, ensuring that caregivers are only alerted when immediate action is necessary.

Real-Time Caregiver Alerts

Once validated, the monitoring technician contacts the designated caregiver at the bedside to take appropriate action. This streamlined communication enables PAC staff to provide timely interventions, potentially preventing a decline in the patient’s condition.

Documentation and Record-Keeping

Every cardiac event is documented with specific annotations and stored in the electronic health record (EHR). This documentation allows for later review by clinicians, enhancing continuity of care and providing valuable insights into the patient’s health status over time.

Benefits of Cardiac Telemetry in Skilled Nursing Facilities

Integrating cardiac telemetry into skilled nursing facilities within PAC settings offers multiple benefits, from improved patient outcomes to financial gains. Key advantages include:

Reduced Hospital Readmissions

Cardiac telemetry has been shown to reduce the need for hospital readmissions by approximately 40% in PAC settings. By identifying and addressing cardiac events as they occur, PAC facilities can prevent the escalation of health issues that might otherwise require an acute care readmission.

Higher Acuity and Enhanced Reimbursements

With cardiac telemetry, PAC facilities are better equipped to accept patients with higher acuity needs, such as those with complex cardiac conditions. This capability allows facilities to “skill-up” their reimbursement codes, receiving compensation that reflects the advanced level of care they provide. As a result, facilities can improve revenue without compromising patient care.

Increased Facility Census Through Discharge Planning

Hospital discharge planners are more likely to refer cardiac patients to PAC facilities that can provide specialized telemetry monitoring. This capability supports hospitals in managing their census levels and helps PAC facilities increase theirs by becoming a preferred destination for cardiac patients requiring post-acute care.

Ability to Treat in Place and Extend Length of Stay

Telemetry can enable facilities to manage and treat patients with acute cardiac needs on-site, minimizing the need for transfers back to the hospital. This ability to “treat in place” allows patients to complete their recovery without interruption, often resulting in an extended length of stay within the PAC facility, which translates to higher average revenue per patient.

Embracing Telemetry in PAC Facilities for Enhanced Cardiac Care

As PAC facilities face the challenge of managing a growing number of high-acuity cardiac patients, cardiac telemetry provides a powerful solution. This technology enables skilled nursing facilities to offer advanced care, reduce unnecessary readmissions, and create a more attractive option for hospitals’ discharge planners. Additionally, the ability to treat complex cardiac conditions on-site supports longer patient stays, elevating the standard of care in post-acute environments while benefiting from enhanced reimbursement rates.

With cardiac telemetry, PAC facilities can bridge the gap between hospital-level care and traditional post-acute services, providing critical, life-saving support for cardiac patients. For those working in skilled nursing PAC settings, adopting cardiac telemetry is a step towards better patient outcomes and a strategic move towards financial sustainability in today’s healthcare ecosystem.

Is your post-acute care facility ready to elevate its cardiac care? Contact us to explore how cardiac telemetry can help your team provide advanced, real-time monitoring and improve patient outcomes today.

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