Vice President's Message

Greetings!

With the increasing age of the American population, there is a limitation of healthcare resources. We need to look at how we can make healthcare within reach of homebound senior citizens in order to prevent unnecessary hospitalizations and not waste the taxpayers dollars. The concept of bringing the hospital to home is taking shape. Many pilots have been done and bottlenecks have been identified. Concerns for continuous monitoring are valid.

There is a huge scope for hospitalists who are discharging patients home to create a hospital-less based primary care at home for closer monitoring of those patients who are permanently or temporarily homebound but are the maximum users of healthcare resources. More importantly, this concept is crucial during this pandemic. Movement for patients is difficult and healthcare providers are not easily available. Telehealth has expanded horizons. However, the receiving end of technology is still poorly managed. Elderly senior citizens and their families are not comfortable using or trusting telehealth at home. Many people who are homebound who will benefit from daily health services at any corner of the state are declining them and are not sure of what they are getting themselves into. It is our responsibility to train, teach, and gain the trust of the patients and their families.

At this time USBD House Calls is using simple technology to reach our remote patients who are homebound who have limited access to healthcare. We strongly encourage family and friends of our homebound senior citizens to organize and help to find assistance for the senior citizens in the community in order to make it a joint organized effort. It is very important that we have a buddy system in each community for each senior citizen who is homebound to a younger person who will act as a caregiver, friend, and guide. If we can develop this system it will serve us all for years to come. 

HIPAA compliance, data safety, and malpractice concerns will remain. Close personal communication is the key to avoid complex problems associated with using telehealth. We have to do the best we can under any given circumstance to move forward in this complex climate of healthcare delivery. 

Shaheen Faruque MD

Vice President

USBD Hospitalists & Consultants Inc.