Page 9 - Christiana Care Focus April 2019

There are growing opportunities for patients to self-schedule appointments, said Bryant, and plans call for an automated system that communicates newly available appointment slots to patients on a waiting list.
In a pilot project with cardiology, patients prepare for their visit with the “ambulatory visit navigator,” a tool that engages patients before and after their visit with the aim of helping them manage their condition. It uses “light touches” such as a pre-visit checklist, appointment reminders, parking instructions and post-discharge instructions.
“The goal is to help people feel more at ease ... with their caregiver,” Bryant said.
Twistle for Engagement
Patient engagement — the ability to participate in one’s own care — is increasingly being tied to better health outcomes, said Kate Rudolph, MS, corporate director of Medical Group operations.
By offering people more opportunities to connect with their caregivers and health records beyond the walls of the hospitals and practices, Christiana Care can have a positive impact on the health of the community.
Patient education is a good example of this type of engagement, said Rudolph.
“Just as the GPS makes a map seem out- of-date, we need to evolve the traditional ways of educating and communicating to patients to the ways and devices people are using for communication now,” Rudolph said.
Twistle, a digital platform for patient engagement being piloted at Christiana Care, may serve as the new patient
GPS. Twistle can ease stress and boost adherence by providing timed, clear instructions for procedures that require sometimes strictly following instructions, such as a colonoscopy.
Colonoscopy patients must take a series
of laxatives to clear the colon so it can
be viewed by the doctor. Rather than supplying paper-based written instructions days in advance, the Twistle app notifies patients at each action step, including when they should buy the laxatives, when they should stop eating and when they should take each dose.
“It’s information you need, at the right time, in an easy to understand way,”
said Rudolph. The goal of the pilot is to increase the rate of successful colonoscopy preparations and have patients feel confident for their procedures. This cuts down on the need for repeat procedures and can help doctors see small, precancerous lesions.
| Cover Story “Just as the GPS
makes a map seem out-of-date, we need to evolve the traditional ways of educating
and communicating
to patients to the
ways and devices people are using for communication now.” Kate Rudolph, MS
‘Smart Patients’ platform
Technology can be supportive as well
as informative, said Leigh Elko, project manager in the Office of Transformation. A social media platform called Smart Patients provides an online support group and information source for patients.
“When someone leaves the doctor’s office, maybe they still have questions but aren’t comfortable calling,” said Elko. “Smart Patients is a forum to ask those questions, get feedback and connect to other patients.”
Social media platforms with added privacy protection and information verification have also been shown to be a powerful tool for patients to find camaraderie and education.
Smart Patients monitors its forums
for accuracy and appropriateness, and provides a monthly, name-redacted report with questions patients have asked, so clinicians can learn what their patients are curious about.
The trending toward increased portal and other health care communicaton technolgy is leading to greater patient engagement.
FOCUS • APRIL 2019 7