In March 2010, OffSiteCare launched one of the nation’s first telemedicine-based hospitalist programs. Designed to deliver nighttime assessment and admission services to rural hospitals, the program quickly gained traction, expanding from one night in March to full coverage in June. This efficient, cost-effective telemedicine solution replaced the coverage that had been provided by traveling hospitalists.

Nocturnist Services

The nocturnal telemedicine hospitalist program has been well-accepted by the medical staff at the remote facility, raising the acuity of care and freeing overworked doctors from having to take night call. Staff physicians appreciate that the program’s function is to assess and admit patients to either the medical ward or the ICU, enabling them to maintain control over treatment options and ongoing care.

Well-suited for both hospitalist and intensivist applications, the OffSiteCare program enables hospital administrators in rural environments to contain expenses by using telemedicine to staff nighttime hospitalist shifts. Hospitals also benefits financially from access to specialists that enable higher-acuity cases to safely remain at their facilities.

The OffSiteCare nocturnist hospitalists are focused on patient assessment and admission. Our experienced team provides comprehensive care via remote telepresence, and is backed by specialists who are capable of handling emergencies in the areas of acute stroke intervention, adult and pediatric critical care, and the management of infectious diseases. When their shift is completed, the OffSiteCare physicians sign out to the hospital’s medical team for ongoing care.

Diurnist/Omnist Hospitalist and Intensivist Models

The same techniques that have been developed for the nocturnist program have successfully been extended to daytime hospitalist services. Additional challenges are present during the day, such as increased volume, discharge planning, familial interaction, pharmacology consults, etc. To address these additional challenges, OSC has adopted the use of onsite FNPs or critical care RNs to assist the remote physicians. This approach enables the physicians to focus on higher-acuity tasks, leading to greater overall efficiency. A combination of Nocturnist and Diurnist hospitalist services is referred to as an Omnist service, where coverage is extended on a 24/7 basis to a member hospital.