Why Virtual Care Technology is Critical for Hurricane Planning

The official June 1 start of the hurricane season is fast-approaching…  Are you prepared to continue delivering patient care in case a disaster strikes your area?

Researchers at Colorado State University recently released predictions for the upcoming Atlantic Ocean hurricane season.  Although the forecast indicates a slightly below-average probability for major hurricanes making landfall along the continental United States coastline and in the Caribbean, CSU highlights that “as is the case with all hurricane seasons, coastal residents are reminded that it only takes one hurricane making landfall to make it an active season for them.”  Residents and visitors are reminded that they should “prepare the same for every season, regardless of how much activity is predicted.”

Healthcare preparedness programs are critical components of patient engagement strategies for home health agencies and other post-acute care organizations.  Virtual care / telehealth technology is crucial to providing continued patient care – and even augmenting traditional patient care – during natural disasters. 

Synzi’s virtual care communication platform can help your healthcare organization continue to reach and engage your patients in their care during the hurricane season.  Our platform can help your staff communicate with patients at any time, on any device, anywhere, and via multiple channels – such as email, text, secure messaging, and video:    

  • Continue to maintain the continuity of care – even when your staff can’t physically reach your patients’ homes.
  • Access your offsite or remote specialists to obtain critical diagnosis and decisions – whether during a natural disaster or any other time. 
  • Include one of our interpreters into the video call – or translate your email or text message into the primary or preferred language for each patient.

If roads are blocked and your home health staff is unable to reach patients at their home, a virtual care platform can help bridge potential gaps in communication and care.  For patients recently discharged from the hospital pre-disaster, you staff can ease the transition from hospital to home with video-based check-ins which keep the patients on track with post-discharge plans. For patients with chronic conditions, a home health agency can continue using the platform to send a cadence of appropriate communications such as text messages and emails to remind patients of their medication and day-to-day diet and exercise requirements.  For patients needing wound care management, virtual visits enable your team to continue monitoring the progress while delivering timely guidance for ongoing care and recovery.  For patients with emerging issues – especially related to a natural disaster – the platform can assist your patients in accessing your designated, first available clinicians for immediate care, on-demand.   By using a platform such as Synzi, your team is able to maintain scheduled appointments and continue delivering care – virtually. 

Comments are closed.