Sugati Ventures
Infection Detection and Management: A Huge Burden to Health Systems
Rachna Dayal
Through this article, Rachna Dayal explores the staggering human and economic toll of healthcare-associated and chronic wound infections in the U.S.. She makes the case for technology-driven, integrated care solutions that enable early detection, timely intervention, and smarter claims management to improve patient outcomes and reduce systemic burdens.
US. Healthcare systems struggle with Healthcare-Associated Infections (HAIs) and Chronic Wound Infections. Both these kinds of infections lead to an alarming number of deaths: In the U.S., every 5 minutes, a patient dies of Healthcare-Associated Infection. Pressure Ulcers in chronic wounds alone lead to 60,000 deaths annually in the U.S. Infections significantly diminish the quality of life for patients and impact the physical, emotional and financial well-being of patients and their families. Hospitals pay a heavy cost for readmissions due to infections and are often penalized by payors. Under the HACRP program, CMS penalizes Hospitals with a Total HAC Score greater than the 75th percentile of all Total HAC Scores with a 1-percent payment reduction.
From a financial perspective, wound-related infections account for >$ 30 billion annually in U.S. healthcare spending. The economic burden is much higher when you include disability, lost productivity, long-term care, mental health and legal expenses.
To combat this challenge, hospitals are embracing multi-pronged solutions to reduce the burden of infections on human health. But if all the solutions that are being embraced were working well, we would not be dealing with such high infection management costs. There is a need for new solutions that integrate technology in and out of provider settings to detect infections early, detect them where the patients are: in hospitals or homes and when detection happens, ensure that timely and adequate treatments are provided for fast remediation.
Understanding how any disease presents itself and the limitations in existing care pathways is critical to disrupt the space effectively. For example, post-surgery, in the initial days, it might be hard for a patient recovering at home tojudge if the pain and discomfort they feel is due to surgery or infection. In such cases, a device that non-invasively detects infection via infrared combined with optical sensing can indicate that infection is developing early. Once detected, this secure EHR-integrated device can signal the provider to schedule an urgent appointment with the appropriate clinician. Treating a mild infection is much easier and cheaper than treating a severe infection. It also significantly improves patient outcomes and lowers hospital readmission rates (read better reimbursements).
“If we can detect infections early—wherever the patient is—we can treat faster, reduce readmissions, lower costs, and most importantly, save lives.”
Another way technology can help speed up the treatment of infections and reduce the burden on providers is to provide data and bundle information for these cases in a manner where claims are not initially denied. A device that can take an optical and/or infrared snapshot of the wound space indicating the onset of infection and send it to an infection care management platform that automatically prepares the claims submission packet based on previous surgical or wound history and clinicians’ notes can help avoid costly (both in money and outcomes) initial claims denials. We are moving closer to these integrated solutions and better streamlining of care.
This data gathering and timely claims filing also prepares the basis for avoiding damaging reputation and expenses by avoiding litigation. Providers and clinicians are starting to see how technology can help record data to support them in case they are faced with malpractice claims, as severe infections can lead to loss of limb or life.
Clinicians, Hospitals and Patients all want the same outcome in infection management: a healthy patient who can return to living a normal life. This aim now seems a little more attainable with the onset of new solutions leveraging devices and platforms that create a continuous spectrum of patient care.
