{"id":8935,"date":"2020-03-27T08:00:55","date_gmt":"2020-03-27T13:00:55","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.osfhealthcare.org\/blog\/?p=8935"},"modified":"2022-02-11T08:58:57","modified_gmt":"2022-02-11T14:58:57","slug":"virtual-advanced-care-model-making-a-real-impact","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/osf-blog.live.imagescape.com\/blog\/virtual-advanced-care-model-making-a-real-impact\/","title":{"rendered":"Virtual Advanced Care model making a real impact"},"content":{"rendered":"
\n

Want to expand your nursing scope?
\nFind your future as an OSF Virtual Advanced Care nurse.<\/a><\/p>\n<\/div>\n

Her words burst with excitement:<\/p>\n

\u201cOur nurses\u2019 level of enthusiasm is almost over the top now.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cThere\u2019s nothing like this out there.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cNot by any means is this routine.\u201d<\/p>\n

Beth Wharton, MSN, NEA-BC, is operating manager for OSF Virtual Advanced Care, a new model that provides care for people at the highest risk of needing hospital or emergency care. Launched in August 2019 at OSF HealthCare Saint Gabriel Digital Health in Peoria, Illinois, the model already is transforming care<\/a> for critically and chronically ill patients who typically use the largest share of resources at a hospital.<\/p>\n

\u201cVirtual Advanced Care is about taking our resources to the patients instead of them coming to the resources,\u201d Beth said. \u201cIt\u2019s all about providing service more efficiently and timely.\u201d<\/p>\n

The\u00a0team<\/h2>\n

Once a patient is selected for OSF Virtual Advanced Care, they receive an Android tablet and monitoring equipment (such as blood pressure monitor, scale and thermometer) to use in their home. They report their vital signs and any new or worrisome symptoms daily. They have 24\/7\/365 access to the\u00a0team via phone, video conference or messaging.<\/p>\n

The OSF Virtual Advanced Care team consists of a physician, advanced practice registered nurses (APRN), registered nurses (RN), care manager, social worker, pharmacist, dietitian and clerical support.<\/p>\n

Team members share a large, horseshoe-shaped work station.<\/p>\n

\u201cYou still have to be physically located somewhere,\u201d Beth said. \u201cWe\u2019re finding that for coordinated care, this has been energizing because we literally have a social worker or complex care manager sitting right next to the nurse or the pharmacist or the provider. The coordination of care is enhanced by them being in that physical vicinity.\u201d<\/p>\n

How virtual care works<\/h2>\n

An OSF Virtual Advanced Care nurse may be video conferencing with a patient, who asks about their prescription, so the nurse beckons the pharmacist from a few feet away to join the video conference. Or maybe something the patient says raises a concern about their diet<\/a>, so the dietitian joins the discussion within seconds.<\/p>\n

\"VirtualIn a traditional outpatient setting, a person with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease<\/a> (COPD) might experience swelling or weight gain but not consider going to the doctor. But after a week or so, they also might develop an increased shortness of breath, prompting a trip to the emergency department.<\/p>\n

With OSF Virtual Advanced Care, a team nurse will be tipped off by the patient noting the initial symptoms in a daily digital wellness survey. That, or a simple \u201cI\u2019m feeling a little off today\u201d during a conversation, will trigger the nurse to ask a series of follow-up questions. The answers help lead to necessary intervention that can prevent an emergency visit.<\/p>\n

\u201cThis is very individualized patient care,\u201d Beth said. \u201cTime is of the essence with a lot of the problems these patients face. This program has been able to close the loop for them very quickly. We\u2019re able to tailor what we do based on immediate need.\u201d<\/p>\n

Nursing \u2018to the fullest scope\u2019<\/h2>\n

By the end of February, barely six months after the model was launched, more than 50 patients were enrolled. The plan for now is to add about 20 patients per month and eventually expand OSF Virtual Advanced Care to the entire OSF HealthCare Ministry<\/a>, serving thousands of patients.<\/p>\n

Expansion will create opportunities that previously were rare or did not exist.<\/p>\n

\u201cOne of the biggest things our Virtual Advanced Care nurses are excited about is they get to work to the fullest scope of their training,\u201d Beth said. \u201cIn traditional nursing, we don\u2019t always get to clue in to all of the knowledge we have. Here, we are looking more into disease processes and trying to problem-solve what the patient needs.\u201d<\/p>\n

When Beth considers a perfect fit for an OSF Virtual Advanced Care nursing position<\/a>, she\u2019s looking for qualities beyond clinical nursing skills. These nurses must be detail-oriented. They should be technologically savvy, flexible, innovative and excited by change; comfortable with thinking \u201coutside the box.\u201d<\/p>\n

Diverse communication skills are huge. OSF Virtual Advanced Care nurses need to be able to recognize verbal and non-verbal cues from patients and have an aptitude for picking up on subtleties. They should have a natural, holistic approach to dealing with patients.<\/p>\n

Nursing gets more personal<\/h2>\n

As with any new program, there was some natural uncertainty when OSF Virtual Advanced Care was launched. It\u2019s impossible to predict exactly how things will look in a year or two. Challenges will arise, but the innovation and flexibility required to find solutions contributes to the excitement.<\/p>\n

Beth has watched the energy on the team rise in the short time OSF Virtual Advanced Care has been operating. One of the contributing factors is the opportunity to develop personal relationships with the patients.<\/p>\n

\u201cSo many times, when you take care of a patient in the hospital, they leave after a few days and you might never know what happens with them. You\u2019re left hanging,\u201d Beth said. \u201cHere, we are getting to know these patients like they\u2019re part of our own family, because we are in touch with them every day, and we\u2019re going to be with them throughout their entire health care journey.<\/p>\n

\u201cAs our nurses get busier, they\u2019re really appreciating the work they\u2019re doing because they get to see the difference they\u2019re making.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

OSF HealthCare Saint Gabriel Digital Health seeks experienced nurses to help transform care for critically and chronically ill people.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":85,"featured_media":8980,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_lmt_disableupdate":"","_lmt_disable":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[176],"tags":[431,336,331,438],"coauthors":[912],"class_list":["post-8935","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-careers","tag-digital-health","tag-nursing","tag-technology","tag-telehealth"],"yoast_head":"\nVirtual Advanced Care model making a real impact | OSF HealthCare<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"OSF HealthCare Saint Gabriel Digital Health seeks experienced nurses to help transform care for critically and chronically ill people.\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, 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