by Marra McDonald | Mar 6, 2023 | Uncategorized
Utilizing online tools to connect with your patients is increasingly important in this digital age. This allows you to meet them where they are and provide them with the information they need to make decisions about their care. On top of that, there are digital tools available that allow you to streamline patient surveys and get the results your facility needs to improve patient care. Let’s look at some of the ways Notivate Health’s platform can help you achieve these goals.
Compare Results for Improvements
First of all, one of the best features of Notivate Health’s survey application is that it allows you to compare results across multiple locations. As a network of healthcare facilities, you may have different needs based on different locations. You can use this digital tool to streamline patient surveys and gather results based on the specific needs of each location.
In addition, you can then take the results from these surveys and compare them to other providers and locations. Our system utilizes CAHPS benchmarks to provide you with the data you need to come to a conclusion about individual providers. Viewing physicians and other staff across your healthcare organization’s ecosystem can significantly improve the overall quality of patient care.
Notivate’s surveys can identify top-performing physicians, analyzing performance metrics such as patient outcomes, complication rates, and patient satisfaction, so you can learn from their practices. In our easy-to-read dashboard, this analysis can also highlight areas where improvement is needed, enabling the system to provide targeted education and training to physicians who are struggling in specific areas.
Comparing physician performance within the system can also incentivize physicians to improve their performance, leading to increased quality of care for patients. Ultimately, this approach to physician evaluation can help the healthcare system identify and replicate best practices, resulting in improved patient outcomes and satisfaction.
Using these comparison tools, you can filter results to look at different data trends and get a better overall view of patient care.
Search for Keywords
Another great aspect of Notivate Health’s system to streamline patient surveys is the ability to highlight and search for keywords in survey results. Digital surveys can be valuable in gathering patient feedback about their healthcare experiences. However, it can be challenging to sift through the vast amount of data generated by these surveys and identify which patients may need additional follow-up care. This is where pre-set alerts can be particularly helpful. These alerts can be configured to flag certain responses or patterns of responses that may indicate potential issues or misunderstandings. For example, suppose a patient indicates that they did not receive clear instructions on how to manage their medication. In that case, an alert can be triggered to prompt a follow-up call from a nurse or pharmacist to provide additional guidance. Similarly, if a patient expresses dissatisfaction with their overall experience, Notivate’s system will trigger an alert to initiate a conversation with the patient to identify specific areas for improvement.
By leveraging these alerts, healthcare providers can quickly identify and address potential issues, thereby improving patient satisfaction and ultimately, patient outcomes. Additionally, these alerts can help healthcare providers to proactively manage potential issues before they escalate, preventing more significant problems down the line. Overall, pre-set alerts based on digital survey data can be a powerful tool to improve patient care and experiences. Using keyword alerts allows you to focus your efforts on the patients who truly need it. Rather than going through individual surveys one by one, this alert system enables you to streamline patient surveys and connect with patients in need.
Utilize Your Custom Survey
To streamline patient surveys for your facility, you may have a series of questions that you would like answered by your patients after they have been discharged. Luckily, Notivate Health has a solution that allows you to include these facility-specific questions.
You can upload and send a custom survey to your patients following their visit. This allows you to include questions that relate specifically to the type of visit your patient had or the type of facility they visited.
However, you can also send a standard CAHPS survey to your patients following their visit. Whichever option you choose, the system will automate the process and help you gather patient results quickly after their visit and return those results in a simple format anyone in your facility will understand.
Surveys play a crucial role in patient communication. In fact, research by The Journal of mHealth has shown that using digital surveys and telemedicine opportunities can increase patient retention and responses. By utilizing a digital platform to gather patient results, you can improve your facility and patient relationships in the future.
The Benefits of Using Digital Tools to Streamline Patient Surveys
There are many different ways to gather patient information after a visit. However, using the digital tools found in Notivate Health’s platform allow you to streamline patient surveys easily, gather the information you need to make improvements in the future and easily understand that data. Not only can you highlight specific keywords and phrases or include your own survey, but you can also compare the results of these surveys to create a better patient experience across the board
If you want to learn more about how Notivate Health can improve patient interactions, contact us today.
by Jeana | Feb 22, 2023 | Uncategorized
When it comes time to refer your patients to other specialists, especially those in your network, you want to ensure that they still receive high-quality care once they leave yours. However, there are many issues a patient may run into before they make it to the specialist’s office. Let’s discuss what those issues may be and how introducing automated messaging can improve their overall experience.
Issues With Patient Referrals
Patient Adherence
There are many problems that your patients may run into when it comes time to send them over to a specialist. One of the biggest issues is patient adherence. The physician may face challenges in ensuring that the patient follows through with the referral. The patient may be reluctant to see a specialist, or may not have the time or resources to do so.
To ensure a patient follows up with a referral, it’s critical that you explain to the patient the importance of following up with the referral. Emphasize the benefits of seeing a specialist and the potential risks of not doing so.
Timeliness
In some cases, time is of the essence when referring a patient to a specialist. The physician may need to expedite the referral process to ensure that the patient receives prompt care and prevent the progression of their condition. Some conditions, such as cancer or heart disease, require early detection and prompt treatment for better outcomes. Referrals to specialists can help diagnose and treat these conditions in their early stages, which may be crucial in preventing their progression. In addition, early intervention and treatment of medical conditions can reduce the need for more complex and costly treatments in the future. For example, catching a cancer diagnosis early can lead to a simpler and less expensive treatment plan, while allowing it to progress may require more extensive and costly treatments, such as surgery or chemotherapy.
Patient Interaction
Good communication between the referring physician, the patient and the specialists is critical to ensure that the patient receives appropriate care. The physician must ensure that the specialist has all relevant information about the patient’s medical history and current condition because a lack of communication between the referring physician and the specialist can lead to suboptimal care and outcomes for the patient.
How you handle patient interaction once they are no longer in your care is critical. When it comes time to move from one doctor to another, it’s important for everyone to stay in the loop. Unfortunately, this transfer can sometimes lead to misinformation or lack of communication with the patient.
When a patient leaves your facility, you want to be sure that they understand the next steps for their care. While there are many actions you can take to ensure this, iincluding sending out post-discharge surveys, when a patient referral is involved, using automated messaging is one of the the best courses of action.
The Benefits of Using Automated Messaging with Patient Referrals
When patients receive timely referrals to specialists, they are more likely to be satisfied with their care. They will feel that their health concerns are being taken seriously and that their healthcare providers are working together to ensure they receive the best possible care. Automated messaging can fill in many gaps at your facility. It can provide patients with care instructions, and appointment reminders and prompt them to fill out information or surveys before or after their visit.
Another benefit of automated messaging is how it allows you to lead patient referrals and keep open communication between your facility, the patient, and the specialist. By utilizing a secure messaging feature, you can share details with the patient about who they need to follow up with after they leave your facility, and ask questions about that follow-up care. You can also take this opportunity to provide a seamless transition from your facility to the specialists by prompting the patient to fill out the necessary information that is shared with the new specialist.
By referring patients to specialists in your own network, you can also use Notivate Health’s easy and affordable platform to share communications beyond your facility. Using EHR-integrated technology, you’re able to share important patient information with other healthcare providers quickly, always ensuring that your patient’s information is passed on securely and that the new specialist is up-to-date with the patient’s needs.
The Importance of Communication
Communicating with your patients should be a top priority. Good communication is the only way to ensure that the patient receives the information they need about their health and that there aren’t any gaps or problems moving forward. It also ensures that moving from provider to provider is a smooth transition and nothing about the patient’s history or their ability to reach the new specialist is left out.
According to a study shared at the AMIA Annual Symposium, it was shown how beneficial implementing an electronic messaging system is to share information with patient referrals.
They explain that the results from their study were overall positive regardless of outside factors such as an additional workload or hardware issues.
Overall, using automated messaging with your patient referrals can improve how your facility handles these interactions as well as your overall patient interactions. The issues that come from transferring patients from one provider to another become lessened by using this type of technology.
If you would like to learn more about Notivate Health and how our platform can improve patient care, request a demo today.
by Marra McDonald | Dec 1, 2022 | Uncategorized
There are so many different options for performing research on your patient’s experience and what their needs are. Although they all have pros and cons, one of the best ways to get the most accurate results is through mixed-methods research. Let’s briefly discuss these different methods and how you can combine them to get the full picture.
Text Research
This method can be seen in two ways: typical paper surveys, like the HCAHPS survey, or text message surveys.
After your patient leaves the facility, they may receive a textual survey in the mail to reflect on their experience and provide feedback. This is a much slower method as it must be mailed to the patient and then mailed back.
Your facility could also use text messaging to gather responses and patient feedback. However, it’s important to recognize that if you use this method, you need to have a secure, HIPAA-compliant SMS platform so that your patient’s data stays secure and private.
In-Patient Exit Interviews
Another popular option for gathering patient data is through in-patient exit interviews. This is a great method for gathering data before the patient leaves the facility and is also helpful to ensure the patient has any final questions answered and leaves with a positive experience.
To make the most of these exit interviews, providers may have specific questions they ask, but it should feel more like a conversation. This allows the patient to feel like their provider is actually listening to their responses, not just gathering information for mixed-methods research.
Phone Research
A few days after the visit, you could also perform phone-call research. This gives a more personal feel than an email because there is someone listening on the other line. Phone research should also be used to clear up any patient concerns or direct patients to additional information should they need it.
One problem with live phone research is the staff time required to schedule and conduct the call. When you consider the time it takes to work around missed calls, staff PTO, training and the actual time on the phone, live phone-call research is not the most cost-effective option.
Email Research
Similar to phone research, an email could be sent to the patient a few days after the visit to check in and clear up any concerns, as well as give the facility some valuable information. This method allows the patient to fill out questions on their own time and can gather greater details than a text survey alone. There are plenty of survey options, but similar to text messaging, you should use a platform that can keep your patient’s information private and secure.
Web-based Surveys
Many of Notivate’s healthcare customers combine email, text and web-based surveys. Sending an email or text message that links to a secure and personalized landing page to gather data, web-based surveys allows you to gather in-depth, actionable data to help improve your healthcare facility processes and procedures.
Performing Mixed Methods Research
In order to perform mixed methods research, you would use a combination of the previously-mentioned methods. This allows you to fill in gaps left from one method by using a secondary measure.
One article explains that mixed methods research combines the quantitative data that the provider would perform by looking through patient data and other research that provides numerical data. Then, they can combine this information with qualitative research through the methods discussed in this article.
For example, the data from an in-person exit interview could be used or “rolled over” for an SMS survey sent a few hours after the patient leaves the facility. This method of mixed methods research allows you to build upon the data you learned previously to ensure that your patient’s care is continuously monitored. In addition, they won’t simply be answering the same questions over and over again with each survey sent.
Additionally, you could use mixed-methods research to reach the patient in multiple ways. If they are not responsive using mail-in surveys, you could try email. Or, if they aren’t responding to an email, you could try an automated phone call. This ensures you have multiple touchpoints to connect with a patient and gather the information you are looking for.
Lastly, you can use mixed methods research to combine what your providers know about the patient and their conditions and compare it to the data they receive from these surveys. This will allow you to better treat patients with these same conditions or concerns in the future.
Mixed Methods Research with Notivate’s Platform
Notivate’s platform makes mixed methods research easy to perform. With our different EHR integrations, you can track previously-submitted data, contact information, and send out private and encrypted messages or surveys via email, text or phone to gather information. If you would like more information on how you can use Notivate’s platform to perform research, contact us today.
by Marra McDonald | Nov 17, 2022 | Uncategorized
You may be familiar with Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs. This focuses on the idea that people cannot properly thrive unless they have specific needs met. It is also possible to apply this same idea to healthcare. Here are some ways to use patient support programs to ensure your patients receive the care they need.
Tier 5: Finances
Before patients can feel comfortable receiving care, they need to know that they can actually afford the services they need.
This is a major concern for many people. In order to increase that confidence and move up the hierarchy, your facility can provide ways to work with insurance and options for patients who need financial support.
Tier 4: Logistics
The next step up the hierarchy is having patient support programs that ensure your patients have access to the knowledge they need for their care. This can include anything from understanding when their next appointment is, to being able to easily pick up their prescribed medications.
Tier 3: Administration of Care
In order to continue providing patient support programs that put their needs first, you should also consider how the patients are receiving care in your facility. Your patients should feel comfortable speaking to their providers, and providers should spend the necessary time to ensure patients’ needs are met.
This all goes back to a patient feeling secure and confident in their care. From the moment they enter your facility, patients should feel that their concerns are answered, and their needs met.
Healthcare hierarchy of needs
Tier 2: Communication
Patients need to feel that their providers are on their side. This includes a very important aspect of the patient support programs: communication.
In order to support your patients in this area, it’s important to have clear lines of communication. Understanding your patients and what information they need is crucial to their support. In addition, it should be easy for patients to ask and receive answers to their questions. Utilizing a secure messaging application, such as the one found in Notivate’s platform, allows patients to communicate in real-time and get answers to the questions they have.
Tier 1: Confidence
Finally, the top of this patient support program’s hierarchy is confidence. At this point, the patient has all of their questions answered, knows how they will receive and pay for care, and has had a good experience receiving care. All of these lead to the patient feeling confident in the care they are receiving and the next steps in treatment.
No matter what your patient is dealing with, being able to meet them on all five steps of the hierarchy ensures that they are ready to move forward and that your facility has excelled in providing a quality patient experience.
If you would like to hear more about how Notivate’s platform can help you create this superb patient experience and ensure that patients have the ability to communicate their needs with their providers, contact us for more information.
by Marra McDonald | Nov 2, 2022 | Uncategorized
Whether it’s in your facility, in a patient’s home, or a device worn on the patient, medical devices connected to the IoMT have become a major part of our healthcare system. They provide additional insights and assist healthcare professionals in a variety of day-to-day tasks. On top of that, they ensure that patient’s needs are met quickly. However, one of the biggest concerns with the IoMT infrastructure in a facility is its security. Here is what you need to know about the IoMT and how your facility can be prepared against cyber warfare attacks.
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by itconnections | Sep 19, 2022 | Uncategorized
Communication tools in healthcare are highly beneficial for several reasons. The tools your facility uses can improve the relationship with your patients and make organizing and delivering information much easier. Here is how a communication tool such as Notivate can improve three aspects of your patient’s care.
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