Client Background
The client was a group of primary care physicians (PCPs) in the United States, based in Florida, who were managing multiple chronic conditions such as diabetes, hypertension, asthma, and more. These physicians are often patients' first point of contact and provide comprehensive, continuous care. They monitor and manage these conditions through regular check-ups, lifestyle counseling, and medication management. PCPs coordinate with specialists, track patient progress, and adjust treatment plans to ensure optimal health outcomes.
Business challenges
1. Lengthy Appointments
In the client's primary healthcare clinics, in-person appointments consume significant time for physicians due to multiple tasks, such as health checkups, understanding patient problems, creating SOAP notes, and counseling. This extends appointment durations, reducing physician productivity and challenging workflow optimization and patient throughput.
2. Staff and Support Constraints
Lengthy appointments prevent physicians from consulting more patients. The limited number of physicians and the high volume of scheduled appointments also create a heavy workload. This situation ultimately affects the quality of patient care and reduces overall practice efficiency.
3. Fragmented Care
Care provided by various specialists, physicians, and registered nurses leads to a cohesive approach, resulting in coordinated and consistent care delivery. This lack of streamlined coordination negatively impacts patient health outcomes.
4. Information Sharing
Achieving expected patient health outcomes requires centralized and accessible medical records for all healthcare providers. Traditional primary care clinics need more functionality to share and access patient records across different providers, resulting in fragmented care and inefficiencies.
Solution
The client implemented a Chronic Care Management (CCM) program to address the challenges of lengthy appointments and physician constraints. They approached Medarch Inc. for the eCareMD software. Our team of business analysts and subject matter experts from Medarch Inc. conducted multiple interaction calls and demonstrations to understand the client’s requirements and successfully implemented eCareMD in their practice.
Post-implementation, the client experienced improved practice efficiency and increased Medicare reimbursements.
Solution Highlights
1. Telehealth consultations
Our eCareMD software integrates telecommunication capabilities, enabling primary care physicians to consult patients virtually via video conferencing. Additionally, PCPs can call for health activity suggestions, send messages, and chat with patients. These telehealth consultations have significantly improved provider efficiency, allowing them to consult more patients effectively.
2. Streamlined care plan management and documentation
The eCareMD software assigns appropriate care plans based on the patient's chronic conditions. This is done through a comprehensive algorithm that takes into account the patient's medical history, current health status, and any specific requirements. The software also enables smooth documentation of each aspect of patient health, including monthly updates, physician sign-offs, and progress tracking. By facilitating access to comprehensive patient health information, eCareMD allows providers to make prompt decisions, improving patient outcomes.
3. Care team collaboration and task management
Managing a higher patient count requires efficient care coordination and task management. The eCareMD software allows care team members to assign tasks to others for various activities, such as care plan assignments, monthly updates, vital reviews, and prescription reviews. Timely completion of these tasks leads to improved patient health outcomes and increased provider efficiency.
4. Patient engagement and adherence to treatment plans
Keeping patients engaged and adherent to their treatment plans is vital to achieving expected health outcomes. The eCareMD software enables physicians to send educational materials to patients and configure reminders in SMS and email formats for activities such as medication intake, exercise, sleep, and appointments. This ensures patients stay informed and follow their treatment plans effectively.
Value Delivered
1. Improved Patient Health Outcomes
Using eCareMD software has led to a 30% increase in patient health outcomes.
2. Reduced Emergency Visits
The software's engagement features and remote monitoring technology have led to a 50% reduction in patient emergency visits. This reduction not only keeps patients adherent to their treatment plans but also reassures them about the effectiveness of the solution, thereby enhancing patient trust.
3. Reduction in Staff Burnout
Automated tasks such as bulk patient registration, virtual appointments, and efficient documentation of care plan activities have reduced staff burnout by 80% and enhanced productivity.
KEY RESULT
50%
Reduced Patient emergency visits
30%
Improved Patient health outcomes
80%
Reduction in staff burnout
50%
Increased practice revenue