Signify Health, which is part of CVS Health, is unique in the healthcare ecosystem. While it performs comprehensive home health evaluations, it is not a home care firm per se. Rather, it sees itself as an extension of health plans, primary care providers and specialists, Heidi Schwarzwald, MD, MPH, chief medical officer and SVP of Signify Health, explained to McKnight’s Home Care. It brings data together to create a holistic patient assessment and help inform a patient’s care plan. The company’s data helps stakeholders understand patients’ social barriers to care, social determinants of health, and where behavioral health issues are affecting physical health issues, she said in a McKnight’s Newsmakers podcast.
Signify Health performed over 800,000 home health assessments in the first quarter of 2024 and over 3 million assessments in 2023, Schwarzwald said. The comprehensive yearly assessments aim to provide pictures of patients’ physical and mental health as well as their home situations. One key purpose of the assessment is medication reconciliation. Being a part of CVS Health has allowed the company to offer more services in the home such as piloting new ECG monitors. The partnership also has allowed Signify Health to leverage Oak Street Health, another CVS subsidiary, to connect more patients to primary care providers. Data helps to set Signify Health apart. It has a sophisticated algorithm, which helps identify the right members. It also allows clinicians to determine health gaps and select diagnostic and preventive services to offer in the home. Data reports then are used to inform primary care providers and health plans and find new ways for members to utilize CVS services. Going forward, Signify Health is considering performing patient in-home health assessments more than once a year. It is thinking about opportunities for visits focuses specifically on diabetic, cardiovascular or cognitive health, Schwarzwald said.
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Show contributors:
McKnight’s Home Care Editor Liza Berger and Heidi Schwarzwald, MD, MPH, Chief Medical Officer, SVP, Signify Health