How UMass Memorial's digital hub is redefining patient care

Worcester, Mass.-based UMass Memorial Health has launched a digital hub to centralize digital medicine capabilities and improve patient care across inpatient, outpatient, and home settings.

The 20,000-square-foot space, which opened in September, merges the health system's remote patient monitoring, patient transfer and access, and in-home care management under one roof.

"When we think about a digital hub, it's a setting that locates clinical caregivers and digital medicine capabilities to provide better care for patients, whether they're in the inpatient setting, the ambulatory setting, or at home," Eric Alper, MD, senior vice president, system chief quality officer and chief clinical informatics officer at UMass Memorial Health, told Becker's. "We've been trying to use digital strategies to help drive some of the more important system-level strategies that we have."

Enhancing critical care with eICU

One of the key services within the digital hub is the eICU, which provides 24/7 remote monitoring for patients in critical care units across UMass Memorial Health and even a few hospitals outside the system.

"Our eICU is available 24/7, but they're most active at night when most of our physicians go home," Dr. Alper said. "We've got a series of banks of monitors where our doctors can see all the patients throughout the system, access their imaging and electronic health records, and conduct telehealth visits directly into patient rooms."

If a nurse encounters an emergency, such as a sudden drop in blood pressure, they can press a button that immediately connects them to an eICU physician via two-way video communication.

"They can guide them through the administration of medications or whatever is needed to take care of that patient most safely and effectively," Dr. Alper said.

Expanding remote patient monitoring

Another key service housed in the digital hub is remote patient monitoring for high-risk inpatients. Previously, these patients required in-person observation, but digital technology now allows for continuous virtual monitoring across multiple hospital sites.

"We commonly have patients in the hospital who are confused or have a tendency to harm themselves," Dr. Alper said. "In the past, we had to have someone sit with them one-on-one 24/7, or check in every 15 minutes, which was suboptimal. Now, our teams can monitor these patients in real time. If a patient is attempting to get out of bed, we can immediately intervene via microphone, alerting them and, if needed, getting a nurse on the line."

Facilitating patient transfers

The digital hub also houses UMass Memorial Health's Transfer and Access Center, which ensures efficient patient transfers between departments and facilities.

"This is a group that's been working for quite a while to rapidly facilitate transfers from the emergency department to inpatient beds," Dr. Alper said. "Physicians from local community hospitals can quickly connect with our doctors to discuss a patient's condition and determine if they need to be transferred to UMass Memorial."

The Transfer and Access Center collaborates closely with the eICU for critical care patient transfers. Now, these teams are co-located within the hub, allowing for faster, more effective coordination.

"Patient flow is one of our biggest challenges," Dr. Alper said. "Having these teams sit right next to each other has significantly improved efficiency and communication."

Expanding home-based care

UMass Memorial has also become a leader in hospital-at-home initiatives, leveraging the digital hub to expand remote care capabilities.

"If we can deliver care more effectively to patients at home, we can keep them out of the emergency department and hospital, which helps alleviate strain on our overwhelmed facilities," Dr. Alper said. "The digital hub allows us to monitor and care for patients in any setting — whether they're at home, in a skilled nursing facility, or in an outpatient clinic."

By consolidating digital services into a single hub, UMass Memorial aims to drive cost reduction, improve efficiency, and enhance patient outcomes across its health system.

"We're hoping this space will stimulate even greater innovation in the future," Dr. Alper said. "By bringing teams together and de-siloing services, we're creating a more effective and collaborative model for delivering digital healthcare."

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