SHM Converge Scientific Abstract ePoster Gallery-Connected Care: A Remote Cross Coverage Model in Hospital Medicine

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This pilot evaluated a “connected care” remote cross-coverage model in hospital medicine to improve nighttime operations across multiple hospital sites. The program began February 1, 2025, at two sites and expanded to a third site on June 1, 2025. It combined remote and on-site advanced practice providers (APPs) for 7 nights per week, 12 hours per night (7 PM–7 AM). Before launch, clear criteria were developed to help nursing staff determine whether a call should go to the remote or on-site APP. Remote APPs handled low-acuity issues offsite, while high-acuity concerns were escalated to on-site providers for bedside assessment and intervention. Education was provided to nursing staff in advance.<br /><br />The primary outcome was operational efficiency, measured by response timeliness and task completion. Secondary outcomes included nursing satisfaction, provider engagement, and maintenance of safety standards. Data came from surveys and descriptive statistics; the project was IRB approved.<br /><br />During the pilot, the team logged 5,646 calls and 849 patient care hours. Most requests (97%) were resolved by the remote APP without needing escalation. The median time to complete tasks was 8 minutes (IQR 5–10). Provider survey participation was high: 86% for remote APPs and 100% for on-site providers. Although nursing survey completion was low, informal in-person feedback was positive. Providers reported high satisfaction, with 83% giving top scores. No increase in safety events was reported by the institutional event system, nursing, providers, or hospital leadership.<br /><br />Overall, the remote cross-coverage model improved flexibility, redistributed workload, and allowed on-site clinicians to focus on more complex cases. The program was judged feasible, safe, and scalable, and it transitioned into a sustained operational model.

Asset Subtitle

Amanda Kurtz

Meta Tag

Author List Amanda Kurtz, Julia Abernathy, Michael Molineux, Nala Herring, Sarah R. Sabo, Shams Quazi

Category Research

Concept Remote Cross-Coverage Model

Concept Screening Criterion

Concept Advanced Practice Provider

Concept Acuity

Concept Care Needs

Distinguished Non-Finalist

Presenter Organization Medstar Health

Presenting Author Amanda Kurtz

Track Quality Improvement

Keywords

connected care

remote cross-coverage

hospital medicine

advanced practice providers

nighttime operations

operational efficiency

patient safety

nursing satisfaction

provider engagement

telehealth

Remote Cross-Coverage Model

Screening Criterion

Advanced Practice Provider

Acuity

Care Needs