Tech Trends in Long Term Care

1. Angie Falletti, MT (ASCP), BSN, RN Clinical Solutions Executive Siemens Medical Solutions Tech Trends in Long Term Care

2. Long Term Care Spending • Spending on long-term care services just for the elderly is projected to increase at least 2-1/2 times and could nearly quadruple in constant dollars to $379 billion by 2050, according to some estimates. • Without fundamental financing changes, Medicaid—which pays over one third of long-term care expenditures for the elderly—can be expected to remain one of the largest funding sources, straining both federal and state governments. - GAO Report, March 21, 2002

3. Medicaid is the largest funding source for LTC

4. Tracking & monitoring (elopement management; asset management) • Door alarms, tracking systems (RFID, GPS) • Telephone, Wired, Wireless • Bar-coding • Assistance Call/Emergency Call(patients and caregivers) • Includes technologies that enable a resident to summon assistance by means of a transmitter that they can carry with them or access from somewhere in their living area.

5. Preventing/Detecting Pressure Ulcers • Engineers designed an enhanced multi-spectral imaging system for detecting bruising and redness. • Researchers use a commercially available dermal scanner -- a 20 MHz ultrasound pulse echo device that works like the ultrasonic scanners used to visualize babies in the womb, except this scanner operates at a higher frequency to get more detailed images of the skin.

6. Barcoded Medication Administration • July ’06 IOM – 1.5 M individuals harmed; extra medical costs ~ $3.5 B • The main function of barcoded medication administration is to reduce medication errors at the point of care by helping to ensure adherence to the “5 Rights” of medication administration (Right Patient, Right Route, Right Dose, Right Time, Right Medication).