Boston, MA (PRWEB) November 14, 2014 -- Hospitals using electronic patient engagement solutions to help patients navigate through the care continuum improve patient outcomes and increase annual revenue, according to a case study published in ORTHOPRENEUR® on Nov. 5, 2014.
As healthcare adjusts from a fee-for-service model to a value-based system, hospitals must improve patient outcomes and satisfaction to survive. They must engage with patients who are now empowered as healthcare consumers with a choice of where to receive their care.
The need for electronic healthcare communication is clear; studies show that 78% of patients don’t understand discharge instructions and 90% of them want to access health information online.
The case study looked at the effects of a pilot program at Parkview Medical Center’s Joint Center in Pueblo, Colo., to improve engagement with the hospital’sknee- and hip-replacement surgery patients.
The Joint Center partnered with UbiCare and Incendant to send 15 electronic healthcare communications guiding patients from six weeks pre-op to six months post-op. Messages contained evidence-based health content relevant to patients at specific points in their episodes of care.
Among knee-replacement surgery patients who received the healthcare communications, Parkview reported:
• a 5% reduction in length of stay
• $360 in average daily cost savings
• 32 additional procedures completed annually
• $192,152 in additional revenue annually
Among hip replacement surgery patients, Parkview reported:
• a 17% reduction in length of stay
• $2,000 in average daily cost savings
• 30 additional procedures completed annually
• $229,907 in additional revenue annually
“Patients are more confident and compliant when they are well-informed and supported throughout their care path—before, during and after a procedure,” the study cites.
Among patients who responded to a post-surgery survey:
• 95% reported that the email/video series was very helpful or helpful in explaining health care and information related to their surgery in a way they could understand.
• 86% said they would recommend Parkview’s Joint Center to friends and family due to the email/video series.
One patient wrote:
“I felt it was important to know exactly what was going to happen to me. I kept going back to the emails with the list of what to bring to the hospital. I used it as a checklist and it really helped. My daughter and husband also reviewed the information and made their own ‘to-do list.’ We knew exactly what to expect.”
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UbiCare, an award-winning digital healthcare communications company, creates connections that make us all better. By creating and sustaining effective patient/provider relationships throughout the care continuum, UbiCare reduces unnecessary care costs by up to 30%.
With a Dun & Bradstreet customer-service rating of 93 percent, UbiCare engages private practices and hospitals—including Texas Health Resources, Boston Children’s Hospital and the Department of Defense—to be patient-centered innovators enhancing their patients’ experience. For more information, visit http://www.ubicare.com.
Jackie Simon, UbiCare, http://www.ubicare.com, +1 617-524-8861, [email protected]
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