Avamere, IBM to study gait, movements

Avamere is partnering with IBM to gather data on how residents move within their spaces, hoping to glean knowledge that could improve resident safety, lower falls risk and spot urinary tract infections earlier.

Portland, Oregon-based Avamere, which includes Avamere Health Services, Infinity Rehab, Signature Hospice and several home health services, will use sensor-based technology and IBM’s Cognitive Eldercare software to conduct analytics on the data gathered during the six-month study.

“Managing patient outcomes and clinical utilization is a major focus for us as our industry transitions from performance-based care to value-based care,” said Mike Billings, President of Infinity Rehab, in a release. “IBM will help us collect and analyze information that was previously inaccessible to our clinicians. We can then plug that info into our individualized care plans and create approaches to patient health that is both comprehensive and prognostic.”

By learning more about how residents function in post-acute settings, providers might be able to improve the way older adults age at home, too, added Ruoyi Zhou, PhD, Director of Accessibility at IBM. “Helping Avamere uncover new insights can help family members, caregivers, nurses and physicians identify potential risks and better prescribe care to minimize hospital readmission.”

Pamela Tabar

Pamela Tabar was editor-in-chief of I Advance Senior Care from 2013-2018. She has worked as a writer and editor for healthcare business media since 1998, including as News Editor of Healthcare Informatics. She has a master’s degree in journalism from Kent State University and a master’s degree in English from the University of York, England.