AI in Skilled Nursing Facilities (SNFs)

Artificial intelligence (AI) is more than just a technological advancement — it is a crucial support system for nursing homes in the current era of financial challenges and a growing elderly population. While AI cannot replace compassionate human care, Dr. Azlan Tariq, Chief Clinical Innovation Officer at Medrina, believes AI in SNFs offers significant benefits. The content below is based on his discussion at Skilled Nursing News’ RETHINK Conference, during the Fireside Chat with Medrina, from September 2023.

Use Cases of AI in SNFs

You can leverage AI in skilled nursing facilities to achieve an array of tasks that ultimately improve patient care. Use cases for AI in SNFs include: 

Illness Diagnosis and Treatment 

The accuracy of diagnosis and treatment in SNFs has been enhanced thanks to AI. Artificial intelligence helps manage a multitude of common conditions like high blood pressure, congestive heart failure (CHF), pressure ulcers and diabetes. Because many SNF patients are battling more than one of these chronic conditions, skilled nursing software offers enhanced health care coordination and better overall treatment. 

AI in health care further enhances treatment by helping patients receive rapid help through biometric remote patient monitoring. These systems will alert clinicians when biometric data indicates an abnormality or deviation from the norm. 

Medication Management

Patients receiving care at SNFs usually take multiple medications simultaneously, making it challenging to track potential interactions and side effects. AI tools can identify when a new prescription will negatively interact with other patient medicines. 

Customer Service

SNFs also make use of AI through chatbots. Chatbots can offer residents and their families crucial information, address common questions about the center and even manage appointments. 

Benefits of AI in SNFs 

The bountiful benefits of leveraging AI technology outweigh the challenges of implementing these systems in SNFs. Some of these advantages include:

• Improved patient care: AI can provide SNFs with valuable insights and predictions to support decision-making for enhanced patient care. 
• Tailored care plans: Using residents' data, AI algorithms create custom care plans that consider their medical records, dietary limitations and physical activity levels, aiding in developing unique care approaches. 
• More quality time with patients: "Nothing can replace that hug, the tap on the shoulder, sitting down with the patient, talking to family, discussing things," Dr. Tariq says. Utilizing AI can unburden nurses from necessary administrative tasks, allowing them to spend more time at bedside with their patients. 
• Lower readmission rates: With real-time monitoring and data coordination, medical staff can offer effective and timely preventative care to mitigate hospital readmissions. Medrina utilizes AI to allocate resources according to patients' needs with astounding results. “We've already shown a reduction of 30% to 40% in readmission,” Dr. Tariq says.
• Lower operational costs: By lowering readmission costs, SNFs save money. These centers can also reduce expenditures by streamlining administrative tasks such as record-keeping, scheduling and billing.

The Future of AI in SNFs

Dr. Tariq believes AI systems will improve, resulting in enhanced clinical accuracy. He also predicts better workflow in SNFs. One significant AI challenge SNFs face is finding fitting AI programs to address a center's unique needs. There are a host of AI software platforms to choose from, and different AI programs also perform different tasks, making integration challenging. AI can become interoperable in the future, simplifying the coordination of AI-generated work. 

Medrina's Approach

Medrina offers purpose-built AI solutions coupled with physician support for SNFs. We're a doctor-operated organization that has improved patient outcomes in SNFs nationwide for over 10 years. As a seasoned company that knows the ins and outs of medical facilities, we provide:

• An experienced team: Leverage the know-how of a professional team without hiring additional staff. Our physicians and administrative staff work together as an experienced unit to enhance patient care.
• Excellent support: Medrina educates physicians so they have the tools to support a facility's shift to AI-operating systems. Dr. Tariq says, “We do our best to keep on educating, onboarding, innovating and helping […] facilities.”
• Holistic treatment: Medrina physicians provide comprehensive care and collaborate with specialized professionals to offer your patients specialty treatments for a better quality of life. 

Partner With Medrina

Medrina employs 600+ providers across 46 states who know how to leverage technology to enhance your patients' care while lowering operational costs. Learn more about partnering with us by contacting Medrina online.