CASE STUDY

Two orthopedic hospitals strengthen pre- and post-op outreach

Challenge

Implement a comprehensive patient engagement solution to educate and navigate orthopedic patients
through their episode of care without adding workload to staff.

Florida Joint & Spine Institute and Panorama Orthopedics & Spine Center sought a more efficient way to prepare patients optimally for surgery and keep in daily contact during recovery. Participating in the Comprehensive Care for Joint Replacement model, the practices also needed a streamlined method of collecting and submitting patient-reported outcomes measures (PROMs). The practices turned to GetWell Loop’s automated, two-way communication platform to increase patient engagement, lower the risk for complications or readmissions, reduce call volume and promptly answer patients’ questions and concerns.

Approach & Solution

Scaling Up

Panorama began by enrolling 200 patients on GetWell Loop’s digital care plans (called loops) over the first five months. These care plans are developed by clinicians at GetWell Loop using evidence-based protocols and can be fully customized to meet client preferences. After using the solution for several months, the Panorama team gathered feedback from physicians, made care plan modifications and rolled out the platform to the entire practice of more than 30 physicians.

Panorama currently has 600–900 patients enrolled on loops each month and uses 18 care plans and 27 PROMs. The practice receives about four questions per patient for the duration of their digital care plan that begins three weeks prior to surgery and ends about three weeks after surgery.

Reducing Call Volume

During a pre-operative joint replacement class, Florida Joint & Spine patients are introduced to GetWell Loop as the best way to contact the office with questions and concerns. This introduction has helped increase patient activation with GetWell Loop and reduce call volume to the office.

GetWell Loop‘s rich content often preemptively answers patients’ questions, reducing the need for calling the office or sending a secure message via the platform. The reduced call volume has eased the burden on staff and clinicians alike. “I spend 60 to 70 percent of my time in surgery. With GetWell Loop, I can communicate with patients through the platform, which saves me a lot of time and allows me to respond more quickly,” says Juan Carlos Alvarez, MD.

Dr. Alvarez has also seen a sharp increase in the number of Healthgrades reviews because GetWell Loop automatically prompts patients to complete a review. Because GetWell Loop facilitates meaningful daily engagement between Dr. Alvarez and his patients, those reviews are overwhelmingly positive.

Delivering Big Returns

Since GetWell Loop’s implementation, both practices have achieved high patient activation and engagement. It’s enabled care teams to handle inquiries that would previously have come in through the phone lines while facilitating daily, empathic communications between patients and physicians. It’s automated digital patient engagement at its best.

 

71% & 80%

Patient activation

91% & 95%

Of patients "extremely likely to recommend their physician"

79% & 71%

PROM collection rate

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Facilities

Florida Joint & Spine Institute: Four locations in central Fla. | Six orthopedic surgeons

Panorama Orthopedics & Spine Center: Three locations in Denver, Colo. | 30+ orthopedic surgeons

 

“We were looking for a robust, comprehensive patient engagement solution. Before we discovered GetWell Loop, every solution we came across addressed only one of our needs, such as patient education, PROMs or two-way patient communication, but not the others.”

Julie Meurer, VP of Operations, Panorama Orthopedics & Spine Center