Balancing the Scale of Success with eCareMD: Transforming Patient Weight Management Program

Client Background

The client is a Georgia-based healthcare provider specializing in the care and management of patients with obesity. They operate clinics and outpatient facilities dedicated to addressing the complex needs of individuals struggling with obesity-related health issues.

The client's success is attributed to its multidisciplinary team of healthcare professionals, including physicians, dietitians, psychologists, and exercise physiologists. These experts work collaboratively, each bringing their unique skills and knowledge to the table, to address the complex needs of individuals struggling with obesity-related health issues.

Business Challenges

Obesity is a complex disease involving having too much body fat. Obesity isn't just a cosmetic concern; it's a medical problem that increases the risk of many other diseases and health problems.

Although the client has a multidisciplinary staff, delivering value-based care to patients and accessing them is challenging. Some of the challenges the client faced are:

1. Frequent Weight Change Management

The patient and the care providers could not track the frequent changes in the patient's weight, which often led to serious health issues such as heart disease, diabetes, high blood pressure, high cholesterol, liver disease, sleep apnea, and certain cancers. Managing these frequent weight changes was a significant challenge for the client.

These frequent weight changes happen due to the patient not following the prescribed medications and lifestyle routines.

2. Multiple Chronic Disease Management

Patients with obesity frequently present with multiple comorbidities such as hypertension, sleep apnea, diabetes, etc. Addressing these chronic conditions and delivering the appropriate care per the specific needs will be difficult for the client.

3. Patient Mobility Challenges for Visits

Patients with excessive weights faced difficulties attending the scheduled client clinic visits due to mobility issues, transportation challenges, etc. These issues made it difficult for the care provider to deliver value-based care and obtain expected patient health outcomes.

4. Patient Engagement and Treatment Adherence Challenges

While addressing obesity patients, the client experienced challenges keeping the patient motivated and engaged with lifestyle factors such as diet, exercise, sleep, etc. This was particularly challenging as the obesity treatment requires a prolonged duration, making it difficult to keep the patient engaged for such a long time. The eCareMD software was instrumental in addressing these challenges by providing tools for continuous patient engagement and motivation.

As the obesity treatment requires a prolonged duration, it is challenging to keep the patient engaged for such a long time.

Solution

The client has approached Medarch Inc. for eCareMD software to deliver value-based care, reduce patient health complications, and achieve expected health outcomes.

Keeping the client’s requirements as a center and understanding the business challenges, our team of business analysts and subject matter experts took multiple calls and demonstrations with the client.

Upon receiving the client's final approval, which was obtained after multiple calls and demonstrations with the client, the eCareMD software was implemented in the client’s practice. Post-implementation, the client has experienced improved patient health outcomes and satisfaction rates.

Solution Highlights

The eCareMD software comprises remote patient monitoring that uses cutting-edge technologies.

1. Smart Weight Scale Integration

Our eCareMD software, integrated with an intelligent weight scale, allows patients to measure their weights in real-time at home. It helps patients to track their readings and to see their history of weight to analyze the changes and trends in their weight.

The collected readings are transmitted to the care provider’s eCareMD dashboard in real-time, which helps them monitor and track patient weight trends and customize treatment as needed.

2. Condition-Specific Care Plan Assignment

In some cases, the patient with obesity has multiple chronic conditions. Our eCareMD software allows providers to assign the care plan for each chronic condition a patient has to obtain expected patient health outcomes. As per the chronic condition of the patient, the software automatically suggests the appropriate care plans such as high blood pressure, high LDL cholesterol, Type 2 diabetes, Coronary heart disease, stroke, gallbladder disease, etc. This feature of the software significantly eases the burden of managing multiple chronic conditions for the client.

3. Teleconsultation



The eCareMD software enabled care providers to consult patients virtually using telecommunication capabilities like video conferencing. It helped care providers consult patients who have mobility issues or find it challenging to attend clinic visits due to transportation issues, etc. Also, the telecommunication capabilities of eCareMD software helped care providers manage more patients remotely compared to traditional visits.

4. Secure Communication Channels and Educational Material

Telecommunication capabilities like secure voice/video calls, messaging, and real-time chat functionality have helped care providers, and patients communicate in real-time to address health concerns or provide suggestions. Also, using the eCareMD software, care providers can send educational material to patients about the advantages of following lifestyle routines and medication adherence.

This increased patient-provider communication increases patient confidence and engagement with the treatment plan.

Value Delivered

1. Enhanced Patient Engagement

Empowering patients to monitor their weight actively fosters a sense of ownership over their health and encourages adherence to treatment plans, making them feel more engaged and responsible.

2. Personalized Care Plans

The eCareMD software automatically suggests tailored care plans based on each patient's chronic conditions, ensuring that treatment aligns with individual health needs.

3. Increased Accessibility

Virtual consultations enable patients with mobility issues or transportation constraints to access care conveniently from their homes, relieving them of the stress of travel and improving healthcare accessibility and patient satisfaction.

4. Improved Treatment Adherence

Increased patient-provider communication and access to educational resources enhance patient understanding of their treatment plans, leading to improved adherence and better health outcomes, reassuring the audience of the effectiveness of the eCareMD software.