Ohio’s Hospice turns to analytics to aid outcomes

Here is Health Data Management’s weekly roundup of health IT contract wins and go-lives.

Ohio’s Hospice, a partnership of eight community hospices in the state, will use an analytics technology platform from Netsmart to connect the hospices together and more easily manage quality reporting, referral relationships and exchange of data to improve the overall well-being of patients at the end of life. The provider and vendor also will analyze data in the electronic health record system to improve reimbursement and optimize workflow with the goal of reducing administrative burdens from clinical staff so they can spend more time providing care.

Geisinger Health System has launched a patient access platform from Kyruus to help patients find the right providers across the organization’s network. A provider directory gives insights into providers’ clinical areas of focus down to the conditions they treat and procedures they perform, giving patients the ability to search for providers based on their specific needs. “We know that healthcare consumers today are increasingly proactive in taking control of their health and accessing care, and are searching online for physicians and other providers who not only meet their clinical needs but also are convenient and relatable,” says Don Stanziano, chief marketing officer. “More importantly, the data we gather will give us the insight we need to continue to improve the customer experience and support our marketing growth goals.”

Wake Forest Baptist Health in Winston-Salem, N.C., has deployed the clinical communications and workflow software of Vocera Communications at a second hospital—Wake Forest Baptist Health Davie Medical Center—to improve clinical workflows, enhance patient surveillance and elevate patient and staff experience. Now, notifications are sent to a patient’s nurse when vital signs cross alarm thresholds and durations are set to help reduce alarm fatigue. This is accomplished by sending alarm notifications directly to a care team member, which will promote a quieter environment.

Broward Health serving South Florida has a new Patient Logistics Center that transfers real-time patient information into the network from all access points including the emergency department, admissions and transfers from other hospitals. The center also offers real-time reporting, analytics and dashboards to aid long-term improvement projects. Initial data suggests the changes are having an impact with decreased wait times in the ER and faster physician response times to pages, says Alan Goldsmith, executive vice president and chief financial officer.

Doctors on Call Maui, a two-site urgent care practice in Hawaii with 27 staff members serving 30,000 patients annually, has selected Care Cloud as its electronic health records vendor. The cloud-hosted system includes revenue cycle management and patient experience modules. More than 60 percent of patient volume comes from one-time patients and the practice is planning to open a third site of care.