Healthcare professionals will be the first to tell you how undesirable working the night shift can be. This is largely due to understaffing and the need for a dedicated nighttime staff. Rural hospitals are disproportionally more affected by these shortages. According to the Association of American Medical Colleges, the United States could see shortages of between 37,800 and 124,000 physicians by 2034. These drastic numbers are the result of many changing variables, including burnout, budget cuts, and shifts in patient and physician populations.
When specifically studying the struggles of night coverage there are four recurring issues, high transfer rates, inferior patient care, staffing shortages, and unsustainable expenses. So how can telemedicine redefine night coverage?
Reducing Unnecessary Transfers
AnMed Cannon, a small hospital in South Carolina, struggled to maintain the same level of care at night as during the day. This resulted in them frequently transferring patients elsewhere, impacting community care and hospital revenue. To address the growing problem, they turned to telemedicine. AnMed Cannon partnered with Eagle Telemedicine and witnessed immediate improvement. The Tele-Nocturnists integrated seamlessly with existing systems, providing rapid access to patient care and reducing transfer rates by 35% per month. This allowed AnMed Cannon to offer care closer to home for almost 60 additional patients annually, supporting their commitment to community well-being.
AnMed Cannon is not the only case. UCDavis Heath studied how telemedicine affected sick kids in rural, community emergency departments. The study found that 84% of patients assigned to telemedicine and 90.6% of those assigned to telephone consults were transferred to UC Davis Children’s Hospital. The chair of emergency medicine, Nathan Kuppermann, was quoted saying “Telemedicine can help provide that expertise in real time to not only assist with clinical management, but also with disposition decisions. This includes avoiding unnecessary transfers, which allow many children to stay in their home communities.” Telemedicine was able to keep kids and their families closer to home.
Improving Patient Care
We have all heard the horrors of a loved one “getting through the night” in a hospital setting. Unfortunately, the data justifies the fears. Many studies have found higher mortality rates during night shifts. Telemedicine stands to change that. With the support of telehealth, nurses can offer life-changing services to patients, no matter the hour. Telehealth grants virtually immediate access to remote healthcare professionals, ensuring swift assessment and treatment. This technology enables seamless access to patient records, minimizing delays in care provision. By facilitating timely interventions and medication management, the risk of complications during crucial overnight periods is almost completely cut out. Through addressing and allowing continuous monitoring and increased access, telemedicine stands to better patient outcomes no matter the hour.
Solving Staffing Shortages
In clinics and hospitals everywhere, staffing shortages are an increasingly prevalent issue. The American Association of International Healthcare Recruitment found that ninety-three percent of nurses say their hospital is experiencing a shortage, this is up from 59 percent in 2020. It is only more prevalent in hospitals with rotating shifts, specifically in night shift hospital staff. Recent data suggests that telehealth stands as a promising solution. Through telemedicine technologies, healthcare facilities can extend their reach beyond the physical boundary of their practice, allowing ease of remote consultations and monitoring. This allows hospitals to tap into a broader pool of healthcare professionals and reduces the strain on on-site staff. Telemedicine will drastically reduce burnout of current employees, as well as entice new in-person recruits with a more flexible schedule. Directly, telehealth can fill current gaps while providing personalized patient care. Through the strategic use of telehealth, hospitals can optimize their workforce distribution and effectively tackle staffing challenges.
Cutting Costs
In recent years, there has been a decline in hospital revenue alongside an increased demand for higher-quality, more affordable healthcare services. This said, smaller, rural hospitals have disproportionally faced these challenges as a result of costly help. Studies have found that tele-hospitalist teams have saved rural hospitals up to 40% on their night-time coverage. This is largely attributed to the cut of locum tenens physicians. With an average response time of 1 minute and 9 seconds, hospitals can connect with a range of physicians who interact remotely with patients, giving hospitals the power to better serve their community.
Telemedicine proves to be invaluable, no matter the time, helping to rewrite the night coverage narrative and allowing all hospitals and clinics to reach their full potential. If you are considering adding telemedicine to your services, we would love to help. Eagle offers a diverse range of over 17 specialties and tailor-made coverage models to suit your community’s unique requirements. Recognizing the particular challenges of nighttime care, Eagle Telemedicine stands ready to provide assistance and support when it’s needed most. Learn more about Eagle’s night shift solutions today.
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How Does Telemedicine Provide Unique Care in Rural Settings?
