Client Overview
The client is a Michigan-based healthcare facility specializing in cardiology. Their staff includes nurses and care managers who provide Chronic Care Management (CCM) services to patients with two or more chronic conditions, billing Medicare for these services. To manage CCM, the client uses their EHR system, which is also utilized for daily practice management. The client has gained popularity in nearby regions because of their compassion, medical expertise, and willingness to deliver quality care to patients to obtain expected health outcomes.
Business challenges
The client has around 200+ patients enrolled in their CCM program, managed through their EHR. Managing these patients with different care managers and staff has become a hurdle for the client due to a need for more consistency in patient communication, directly affecting patient engagement and health outcomes.
Below are some significant challenges the client was facing:
1. Care team collaboration and task management
Chronic Care Management (CCM) programs involve many specialists, nurses, and social workers, making coordination complex. With traditional EHR systems, information sharing overwhelms the clinical staff and care managers with extensive reports and data, complicating care plan synthesis.
2. Time constraints and workflow
The eCareMD software effectively manages busy schedules, preventing rushed communication and missed updates, especially in complex cases. This relief from time constraints enhances care teams' ability to collaborate effectively, and the compatibility of the EHR systems ensures smooth workflow and care integration.
3. Disparate communication tools and mediums
The current system's lack of communication tools and mediums causes fragmentation, increasing errors and complicating care, leading to gaps in treatment and confusion for patients. A unified system is essential for efficient, high-quality, patient-centered care.
4. Lack of standardized CCM protocol knowledge
Due to traditional EHR systems and the lack of CCM program updates, users must know new rules and protocols. This leads to incorrect treatment planning and implementation, reducing patient health progress and decreasing reimbursement for CCM.
Solution
Having grappled with these challenges for a significant period, the client, recognizing the limitations of their EHR system, was in dire need of chronic care management software that could effectively address these issues and enhance patient care. The client turned to Medarch Inc. for their eCareMD software, a decision that was preceded by multiple discussions and demonstrations to ensure the software met the client's specific needs. Once the client's requirements were finalized, our team swiftly implemented the eCareMD software in the client’s practice.
Following the successful integration of the eCareMD software into the client’s practice, the client witnessed a significant improvement in patient satisfaction rates and health outcomes, a testament to the software's effectiveness.
Solution Highlights
1. Centralized Task Management
Coordinated care delivery produces expected patient health outcomes and helps in building patient trust in the practice. The eCareMD software’s efficient task management system has enabled care providers to assign various tasks to their care team members to ensure the tasks should get completed on time to prevent service delays.
The care team members involve specialists, nurses, and social workers who exchange patient medical records, such as sharing care plan reports, lab results, and medical notes. This efficient task management system helped providers deliver patient-centered care.
2. Advanced secure communication channels
Regular communication between the care team members and patients is vital in keeping the patient engaged and adhering to the treatment plan. The eCareMD software comprises telecommunication capabilities like secure voice calls, two-way text messaging, and real-time chat, which helps patients and providers to communicate in real-time for their health queries and suggestions. These communication channels bridge the gaps and promote enhanced care delivery.
3. Extensive training and education
For updates on medicare reimbursement policies and regulations, our team continuously provides insights to the clients. Also, to educate providers on practice setup, patient and provider onboarding, and program workflows, we delivered extensive training sessions and handouts to the client for effective implementation and navigation of software and the care management program.
Value Delivered
1. Improved Patient Engagement and Satisfaction
A 30% increase in patient engagement rates due to consistent communication and timely interventions, leading to better adherence to treatment plans.
2. Enhanced Care Coordination
A 40% reduction in care coordination issues among specialists, nurses, and care managers by using eCareMD's centralized task management and secure communication tools.
3. Time-Saving Workflow Efficiency
A 35% reduction in time spent on administrative tasks and data entry through automated workflows and task assignments.
4. Reduction in Missed or Delayed Patient Updates
50% fewer missed updates or patient follow-ups due to real-time communication features like secure calls, texts, and chat, ensuring timely responses to patient needs.