Positive Outcomes

Better Care Leads to Improved Health Status of Patients

Tenderheart is committed to a value-based model of care — a patient-centric, quality-based system measured by health outcomes and patient satisfaction. In contrast, a fee-for-service (FFS) model features a payment structure where providers are reimbursed for each service or product they provide, which leads to a focus on the number of treatments or products issued instead of the health or wellness of the patient.

At TenderHeart, our focus is on the patient and their health and wellness. TenderHeart works with states and Managed Care Organizations (MCO’s) to provide coverage for their population’s incontinence needs. This provides the state and MCOs with a predictable budget and reduced administrative costs.

This is the foundation for TenderHeart’s approach. By focusing on proper incontinence management, patients will have a higher level of confidence, enjoy better health outcomes, and have the ability to lead more active and social lives. Proper management also prevents complications that come from improper incontinence management such as UTIs or hospital admissions.

Improved Medical Outcomes

It’s estimated that at least 25 million Americans live with incontinence every day. This condition often has a negative effect on their physical, psychological and social well-being. In older adults, it can reduce the ability to socialize or live independent lives, cause feelings of embarrassment and distress, and severely impair daily functioning.

Incontinence, challenging enough on its own, also leads to additional health issues:

• Greater risk from falls — one study showed a 26% increase in falls in patients with incontinence
• Urinary Tract Infections can lead to urinary incontinence, and the reverse is true as well; UTIs are the second largest preventable admitting diagnosis.
• Pressure Ulcers are another potential issue for those with urinary incontinence with incontinence sufferers 16% more likely to develop ulcers in response to improperly fitting incontinence treatment products or leakage.

A recent study, considering hospital admissions before and after TenderHeart patient engagement, found that our value-based program led to a 63% reduction in admissions for pressure ulcers, a 44% drop in admissions for UTIs, and an 11% reduction in admissions related to falls.