Acuity Link Announces New Solution for MIH-Community Paramedicine

PRESS RELEASE­

Acuity Link, a comprehensive non-emergency medical transportation (NEMT) communications and logistics management platform provider, today announced that it has enhanced its platform to provide transportation logistics management for mobile integrated healthcare–community paramedicine (MIH-CP) programs being offered by hospitals and health systems. The enhanced capability streamlines the transport request and dispatch processes to facilitate programs that improve care, cut costs and reduce readmissions.  

Acuity Link addresses the mounting need for a comprehensive platform that links healthcare systems with NEMT providers and ambulance crew members for all levels of care and modes of transport, and the additional capability to support MIH-CP programs further extends this offering. As defined by the National Association of Emergency Medical Technicians (NAEMT), MIH-CP is “the provision of healthcare using patient-centered, mobile resources in the out-of-hospital environment.” With this type of program, when a patient is discharged from a healthcare facility, paramedics can be dispatched to evaluate the patient at home in an effort to reduce the chance of readmission. This approach leverages the skillsets of EMS providers in the field, only bringing in higher levels of clinical expertise when needed to better utilize staff and equipment.  

Through a partnership with Acuity Link, hospitals and health systems can use the company’s platform to request an MIH-CP assessment of a patient, and the paramedic(s) would then be notified and dispatched. From there, a clinical assessment of the patient would be completed, and if needed, a tele-consultation with a provider would be performed. If the patient does not need further medical treatment, they would remain at home. Should it be required that the patient be transferred to a healthcare facility, the paramedic would then use Acuity Link’s platform to request the closest and most appropriate level of transportation. The company’s software goes beyond the standard transport request procedures, allowing for streamlined interactions and more efficient and effective data collection which can be used to make more informed decisions to streamline patient flow through the healthcare ecosystem. 

This added capability comes at a critical time as the nation’s healthcare systems face the COVID-19 pandemic. With crowded emergency departments and an emphasis on keeping people at home to reduce exposure and prevent unnecessary hospital visits, mobile integrated healthcare and community paramedicine are more important than ever. If programs accommodate it, COVID-19 screening/testing could also be performed during a MIH-CP visit.   

“As an industry we were already seeing an elevated interest in leveraging technology to expedite access to healthcare and bring that care into the home. Now, amid the COVID-19 pandemic, keeping patients out of the hospital is more critical than ever to prevent unnecessary virus risk and exposure,” said Anup Vidyarthy, Acuity Link’s Chief Technology Officer. “Acuity Link was built from the ground up to streamline medical transport communications and logistics. While traditionally our focus has been on NEMT and interfacility transport, our team felt it was a natural evolution to now bring this technology to MIH-CP programs to facilitate at-home assessment, and when needed, appropriate and timely transport to healthcare facilities.”  

Acuity Link has recently integrated its platform within one of New York’s major healthcare systems to provide NEMT communications logistics management throughout its hospitals and within its community paramedicine program.  

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