HealthEast Studies the Effects of Interactive Episode-Based Care Intervention on Shortening TJR Length of Stay and Reducing Discharge to SNF


Boston, Jan. 09, 2018 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- UbiCare has partnered with HealthEast (a St. Paul, Minn.-based hospital system) to demonstrate how a proactively sending interactive, episode-based care messages provides a high ROI for these hospitals. Preliminary impressions of this new study suggest that HealthEast may be able to reduce length of stay (LOS) for total joint replacement (TJR) surgeries by 15.6%—meaning that, based on its surgery volume, it could add as many as 268 new TJR patients annually, representing up to $3.9 million in new revenue potential.

Also of interest, more than 70% of the 171 enrolled joint patients are “highly engaged” with the intervention (opening >50% of the educational messages sent to them). Likewise, so far, there has been a striking difference in discharge destination, with only 6.2% of the enrolled TJR patients going to a skilled nursing facility (SNF), rather than directly home, vs. 24.7% discharged to a SNF in 2016.

The Center for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS), the nation’s primary payer, has continually escalated its hospital penalties for readmissions since 2012, a trend that has forced hospitals to address triggers that are known to lead to readmissions and complications, including longer length of stay and discharge to a place other than home.

There are two main reasons that HealthEast’s specific solution might show such a significant difference so quickly:

  • Proactive – Patients access the care messages on their mobile devices with no login required.
  • Reaches patients earlier in the care episode – Starts engaging patients long before they enter the hospital, the ideal time to set expectations and behaviors for better health outcomes.

Study updates are now being shared with a group of chief nursing officers and marketing leaders nationwide. Want to learn more or get future updates? Contact us at info@ubicare.com.

About UbiCare

UbiCare, a digital health company, provides engagement solutions enabling hospitals to be at the forefront of patient-centered innovation and value-based care. Through targeted education, mobile connections and real-time data, UbiCare's interactive SmarteXp platform improves your hospital's quality of care and operational efficiencies. Learn more at www.ubicare.com.

 

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