Philips (NYSE:PHG) announced today that it debuted its Philips Virtual Care Management portfolio of flexible solutions and services.
The Amsterdam-based medtech giant aims to help health systems, providers, payers and employers connect with patients from virtually anywhere. It designed the portfolio to reduce pressure on hospital staff by decreasing emergency department visits and reducing care costs by better managing chronic care.
Philips Virtual Care Management’s condition-specific protocols now include diabetes, hypertension and heart disease. It also covers chronic kidney disease, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). Philips also implemented gestational programs for diabetes and hypertension.
These protocols combine with connected devices and engagement tools on a secure, interoperable cloud-based platform. They deliver data and actionable insights to enable timely intervention and workflow efficiencies. Licensed clinical professionals offer monitoring and personalized coaching, while Philips brings expert-led professional services.
“Virtual care is paving the way to meaningfully reduce the cost of care through fewer hospitalizations and emergency department visits,” said Nick Wilson, GM, ambulatory virtual care at Philips. “Care providers and health systems today are often short on time and resources, accelerating the need to find new ways to gain visibility into patients’ health amid an overwhelming variety of options. For patients, the opportunity to understand and take proactive control of their health can potentially lead to improved outcomes.”
More on the Philips Virtual Care Management portfolio
Philips said its virtual care program “goes beyond traditional remote patient management.” It features scalable solutions and services to foster patient engagement and empower healthier behaviors. Philips said it also expands access to care, improves outcomes and lowers healthcare costs.
Outcomes in studies using the products in the portfolio produced a range of positive results. That includes a 38% average reduction in emergency department visits.
Patients also experienced an HbA1c (blood glucose) reduction of 3.06%. Results suggested potential savings of $3,086 in annual claims per patient or member. They also indicated fewer 30- and 90-day hospitalizations compared to usual care.
Philips said it designed the solution to enable customization for the evolving needs of health systems, providers, payers and employer groups.