A Philips telemedicine technology helped a Georgia hospital system save $4.6 million over 15 months, and see a more than 2 percent reduction in readmissions over 60 days.

The results came from a three-year independent audit of Emory Healthcare by research firm Abt Associates. Called the Evaluation of Hospital-Setting HCIA Awards, the third annual report was conducted on behalf of the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) and looked at facilities using CMS Innovation grants to solve common problems in health care.

Emory Healthcare used Philips’ eICU technology, which helps hospitals overcome critical care staffing shortages by allowing nurses and intensivists to remotely monitor patients in the ICU. The system uses high-resolution cameras and microphones and the remote staff can alert the team in the ICU if a patient is in distress.

For the audit, Emory’s eICU program at five hospitals was compared to operations at nine other facilities in the Atlanta area. The report found that Emory reduced its average Medicare spending by $1,486 over 60 days compared to the other hospitals, which led to an estimated $4.6 million in savings for care of Medicare beneficiaries over 15 months.

Compared to the other hospitals, Emory saw a 4.9 percent increase in the rate of patients discharged to their homes, where they would be receiving care, while also seeing a 6.9 percent decline in patients discharged to skilled nursing facilities and long-term care hospitals. Emory also saw a 2.1 percent decrease in 60-day inpatient readmissions.

These results indicate that because they receive more consistent care, the patients leave the ICU healthier, without being readmitted or needing extended rehabilitation, said Dr. Timothy Buchman, the director of Emory Healthcare’s Critical Care Center and professor of surgery and anesthesiology at Emory University School of Medicine.

The report also showed that patient satisfaction was higher than the other hospitals for those who received care at Emory’s facilities.

“As the nation ages and chronic illnesses accumulate, the need for timely and effective critical care continues to grow,” said Cheryl Hiddleson, director of the Emory eICU Center. “The Emory eICU innovation offers patients, families, hospitals and payers a high-quality, cost-effective strategy to ensure that critical care can be provided when and where needed."

Such technology is part of a solution to several health care challenges, said Manu Varma, the business leader for Philips Wellcentive and Hospital to Home.

“As health systems transition to value-based care and depend more on population health tools, these long-term benefits to patients are not only reducing readmissions and improving outcomes, but also have the potential to increase hospital ratings and lower the cost of care,” Varma said in a statement.

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