Last week, we published a blog on How do patients experience mobile app support. This week, we will focus on sharing healthcare professionals' and hospital management's experiences with using our Care Coordination and Patient Engagement Platform.
Healthcare professionals have used our BuddyCare Platform to monitor patients remotely, automate the care coordination process, and collect structured patient data. So let's see what has made our clients happy and what is really bringing value to the hospitals from the care personnel's and hospital management's perspective.
What are the benefits to the care personnel?
Reaching patients remotely
Reaching patients is now easier. When patients started using the mobile app, hospitals noticed that reaching patients became more comfortable. Reaching patients during office hours can be difficult when some patients are at work, or some don't answer phone calls coming from unknown numbers. Now, once patients are contacted through an app, they can read patient education and messages from the hospital at the optimal time at their own pace.
The remote patient monitoring tool provides valuable information
A real-time view of patients' care pathways pre- and postoperatively allows seeing if a patient is compliant and following the care. Such information gives a sign to care personnel that those patients are very likely to arrive at the procedure, and everything is going well at home.
Early signs of potential no-shows and cancellations
The platform provides alerts if a patient is about to deviate from the care pathway. Being able to see this critical information is helping healthcare providers to intervene sooner to early signs of potential no-shows or cancellations. One of our clients reported that they were able to reduce 50% of their no-shows and cancellations with the digitally guided patients with the BuddyCare Platform.
Reducing unnecessary post-operative visits to the hospital
The BuddyCare Platform enables secure and safe patient communication through the messaging feature. It's also possible to attach photos to the messages, which has reduced the need for unnecessary post-operative visits to the hospital. One of our clients reported that digitally guided surgery patients had 20% fewer postoperative visits to their clinic. Patients were able to send wound images through secure messaging for the orthopaedic nurse's evaluation. That offered convenience to patients, and it was valuable, especially during the pandemic.
Reducing costs by minimising empty operating rooms and unnecessary referrals
Scheduling more new patients for cancelled procedures
Care personnel have reported that the use of Buddy Healthcare's care coordination platform has been cost-effective since the number of new patients attending cancelled procedures has increased. Thanks to digital communication, new patients can receive all procedure-related instructions, patient education and questionnaires such as pre-operative assessment very quickly through their mobile app, which ensures they can prepare themselves for procedures faster than before.
Reducing unnecessary laboratory test referrals
Collecting electronic pre-assessment forms through an app is a very effective way to get information before a patient enters the hospital and has led to a remarkable reduction in laboratory appointment referrals. One of our customers reported that previously, all patients received laboratory test referrals, but once the health data can be collected in advance, it is possible to screen which patients actually need the referral.
Automated processes reduce care personnel's admin work
Better-informed patients reduced phone calls with patients
The time previously spent on phone calls has been redirected to more productive tasks. One of our clients reported a 98% reduction in pre-operative phone calls by guiding patients digitally with the help of Buddy Healthcare's care coordination platform.
Collecting questionnaires and forms through the app
Automated patient forms and questionnaire collection before and after the surgery day have streamlined hospital processes and reduced administrative work. Read here how to automate PREMs and PROMs collection.
What are the benefits to hospital management?
Below is a small list of what the hospital management has found valuable.
1. Cost and administrative work reductions
The platform has reduced administrative work with fewer phone calls, automated patient questionnaire collection, and learned processes.
2. Scheduling new patients for cancelled procedures brought cost savings
The ability to schedule new patients with short notice to replace the patients who cancelled their procedure late has brought cost savings. Faster digital communication with the BuddyCare Platform has helped hospitals to act faster and to reduce waste with expensive late cancellations.
3. Consistent care process
The use of the mobile app as a communication means ensures that all patients attending a particular procedure receive the same information through the same channel, which makes the care process consistent and standardised. Care process consistency helps the management, for example, to evaluate the patient-reported experiences (PREMs) better.
Optimised hospital resource planning and automation
The consistent care process helps hospital management to better plan resources and to automate processes even more in the future.
Do you want to discuss how to monitor patients remotely, automate care coordination and collect administrative forms or questionnaires from your patients? Send us a message.
