Compounded by the pandemic and driven by increased consumerism, patients are more interested in their healthcare than ever before. With patient satisfaction being an important aspect of value-based care, health systems must remain educated and focused on patient engagement preferences.
Movements toward increased transparency during care, the use of technology, and post-discharge communication are all growing in demand. Patient-center practices are resulting in improved outcomes as they evolve to meet consumer expectations. operating room intercom systems
This article outlines research on the connection between patient engagement and improved outcomes, as well as three key strategies providers are implementing to deliver on these outcomes.
In the years leading up to and throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, consumers have taken a greater interest in their overall health, especially those with chronic illnesses. In a 2020 survey conducted by The Advisory Board, 66% of respondents with chronic conditions were more interested in taking a proactive approach to health, and 56% were more interested in managing their underlying conditions than prior to the pandemic.1
With consumers’ growing interest in their care, providers and payors are increasingly seeing the benefits that greater involvement can have with regard to patient satisfaction and outcomes.
Recent studies support this connection with the following conclusions:
Greater patient involvement and satisfaction, therefore, are key contributors to patient outcomes.
Research also reveals that patient involvement lowers total cost of care:
These studies, among others, reveal the benefits to patients, providers, and payors of increasing engagement and satisfaction and therefore motivate health systems to explore and implement engagement practices.
One innovative approach to improving patient satisfaction and outcomes is to establish protocols for including the patient in typical care team discussions. Interdisciplinary care teams bring together physicians, therapists, nurses, and other caregivers in a coordinated approach to the patient’s treatment. This improves the efficiency and quality of care and minimizes the risk of miscommunication between all parties. This is essential as communication failure is one of the most common causes of patient setback and delayed discharge.6
When providers establish rigorous practices for patients to participate in these conversations, coordinated care becomes even more effective. Patients involved in care decisions have:
These benefits all contribute to greater patient satisfaction and improved outcomes, thereby reducing total cost of care.7
Technologies that can help patients, families, and caregivers communicate and track progress are also contributing to effective patient-centeredness. Mobile apps that allow patients and caregivers to set and track goals or access care notes can help patients visualize the next step in their recovery.
With 11% of family members living more than hour’s distance from the patient, and with the pandemic often preventing even local family members from visiting in person, technologies that can bridge geographical gaps are critical to patient satisfaction and the speed with which they can return home.12
While the aforementioned approaches are designed for patients in a hospital setting, patient-centeredness does not end with discharge. Research on the subject reveals that:
Implementing post-discharge follow-up services not only improves patient satisfaction but can also reduce total cost of care over time as rehospitalizations or other major setbacks are prevented.
Kindred Hospitals’ interdisciplinary care teams of physicians, nurses, dieticians, skin specialists, and rehab therapists collaborate to coordinate patient-specific care plans. As part of their advanced care delivery model, Kindred’s interdisciplinary care teams go above and beyond by conducting their daily meetings at the bedside of the patient whose care plans they are discussing. Previously, such meetings were conducted in a conference room away from the patient and family. Kindred, however, recognized the immense benefit of transparency during the care plan creation and progress, as well as patient and family inclusion, and therefore moved these meetings to the bedside.
Kindred Hospitals specialize in the treatment of patients who require intensive care and rehabilitation in an acute hospital setting. With RehabTracker®, a new proprietary patient engagement mobile and web-based app, they are transforming the way caregivers engage with patients and their families. The HIPAA-compliant RehabTracker app ensures that the patient, clinical team and family both near and far are informed on progress and can recognize progress milestones. RehabTracker is built with unique functionality serve patients of all levels of conditions, including the needs of medically complex and critically ill patients.
One key component in rehabilitation is mobility, the most common measure of which is walking distance. However, mobility in an LTACH setting includes movements such as rolling to one side of the bed or sitting up. For critically ill patients, clinicians use RehabTracker during sessions to monitor progress in areas such as range of motion exercises and time spent sitting at the edge of the bed. While these are seemingly minimal actions, our clinicians explain these critical accomplishments to patients during sessions using visuals in RehabTracker, which are also available to friends and family so they can follow along regardless of their location or time of day. Patients in restorative therapy have a particular need for this encouragement and motivation which can contribute to speed of their recovery.
Clinicians can also use Kindred’s RehabTracker to connect patients and families on respiratory therapy, which can be one of the more intimidating aspects of rehabilitation. Respiratory failure and respiratory conditions requiring ventilator support are among the top DRGs of patients admitted to LTACHs. Kindred Hospitals, with disease-specific certifications in Respiratory Failure from The Joint Commission, and with their Move Early Mobility Program, specialize in treating and rehabilitating these patients, especially those needing ventilator liberation. Patient progress in unassisted breathing and oxygen intake and saturation, are important aspects of respiratory therapy that can be monitored by clinicians in the RehabTracker app. With so many patients admitting to LTACHs with pulmonary conditions, Kindred’s app ensures that patients and families can connect on this critical component of their recovery.
The Kindred AfterCare program is designed to help recovering patients heal and to provide the support they need once they have discharged from our hospitals. Trained staff will review patients’ charts and reach out to patients 2, 7, 14, and 31 days post-discharge. They discuss durable medical equipment, medication needs and education, primary care provider appointments, continued progress and any additional post-discharge services needed. Patients are also able to reach registered nurses 24/7 within the first 30 days after discharging from our hospital. This program improves patient outcomes and satisfaction as well as reduces the rate of readmission.
Kindred strives to be a valuable partner for providers and payors alike and are committed to an innovative approach to managed care. We currently support the following contract products:
Visit kindredmanagedcare.com to request a conversation about how Kindred Hospital’s level of service can help manage your critically complex patients.
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