VitalCaring Group has leveraged AI technology to help improve quality among patients with cognitive conditions and ease caregiver burden.
The home health and hospice provider released results of its new automated intelligence (AI) program. The Cognitive Care Pilot Program was offered during a seven-month period to 52 home health patients with conditions such as Alzheimer’s and dementia, Parkinson’s and brain tumors, among others.
More than half, or 55%, of the home health patients had increased cognitive function by at least one level after receiving the AI therapy services. About 35% of the patients achieved a normal cognitive function score following a home health discharge.
Texas-headquartered VitalCaring emerged in 2023 and provides a range of home-based services across 74 locations in Alabama, Florida, Louisiana, Mississippi, Oklahoma and in its home state. The company operates 14 brands and offers hospice, home health, veterans’ services, pediatric and companion care.
The AI initiative was driven by a growing need to maximize cognitive functioning, which can impact physical capacity and help patients age in place more effectively and safely, according to Riggins. The program is designed to “fast-track” patients’ cognitive recovery and support their long-term care goals.
The pilot program’s results will help provide important evidence-based data to better support patients with cognitive conditions, Riggins stated. Patients saw improvement in their cognitive skills and gained a better understanding of which specific areas of cognitive functioning were deficient, she explained. This allowed clinicians to better educate their family and caregivers on how to support the patient in a home environment.
“The data collected through the program provides caregivers with a better understanding of a family member’s cognitive abilities objectively,” she said. “This helps them better anticipate and plan for the future as patients’ conditions decline. A key benefit of the program is that it allows patients to remain in their homes longer as their cognitive abilities decline.”
Among the considerations of launching an AI program include technology integration and collaboration with IT departments, sales, operations and clinical teams. The pilot required training for patients and providers alike around technology utilization. Financial considerations included evaluating the cost-effectiveness of the AI program in terms of improved outcomes and medical necessity documentation requirements.
VitalCaring has plans to explore additional opportunities to extend the AI initiative across its network, according to Riggins. Among the goals is to enhance quality by leveraging advanced technological and analytical approaches, she explained.
Ultimately, the insights gained from the programs will help inform and transform the company’s future approaches to care, said Riggins.
