Major US hospital uses Apple's CareKit platform to reduce readmissions

Cedars-Sinai Hospital is using Apple's CareKit platform as part of their Safe Transition Home initiative, aimed at reducing readmission rates and avoiding CMS penalties. Under the scheme, a licensed and trained post-acute caregiver sends real-time data, including home safety and patient health information, via the CareKit platform to case managers and even family members. HomeHero was part of Cedars-Sinai’s "health accelerator class".

Cedars-Sinai announced that it has tapped into HomeHero, one of the 11 startups participating in its first health accelerator class, to adopt its technology as part of its Safe Transition Home.

Through the initiative, a HomeHero caregiver meets a patient at Cedars-Sinai and discusses his or her care plan. They offer a ride home from the hospital – tracked with real-time GPS – during which they can pick up medications and talk about recovery steps.

Once at patient's residence, the "hero," with help from a mobile app connected to Apple's CareKit platform, can conduct guided home safety checks, log patient health information and social determinants and relay real-time data to hospital case managers and families.

By connecting patients with licensed and trained professionals for post-acute care, Cedars-Sinai said the program will be key to helping the hospital avoid CMS penalties for 30-day readmission rates.

Santa Monica-based HomeHero was a member of the 2016 class of the accelerator launched this past year by Cedars-Sinai and Techstars.

Bradley Rosen, MD, director of care transitions and complex medical management at Cedars-Sinai said that HomeHero is “a mature team with impressive individuals on both the healthcare and tech sides, and they are thinking creatively about how best to tackle fundamental challenges in patient care."

Twitter: @MikeMiliardHITN

Email the writer: mike.miliard@himssmedia.com

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