Innovative ideas to improve the quality and decrease the cost of healthcare don’t have to be complicated, according to an Illinois gastroenterology practice that achieved just that outcome by sending a monthly questionnaire to patients’ phones, reports MedPage Today.
Speaking at the “Preparing for a Future with Alternative Payment Models” forum, Lawrence R. Kosinski, M.D., described for the American Medical Association how his practice reduced the cost of care for a group of patients with Crohn’s disease by nearly 10 percent by using more consistent virtual contact to increase patient engagement. His team analyzed claims data and discovered that fewer than a third of patients requiring hospital treatment for serious gastrointestinal complications showed procedural codes indicating healthcare providers had evaluated them or helped manage their condition in the 30 days before they were admitted.
In addition to regular clinic visits, the practice set up a pilot program with 180 patients who agreed to periodically answer a set of five questions on their phones to assess symptoms that can indicate they need prompt intervention. Kosinski said this increased patient response rates from 27 percent using the practice’s old patient portal to 80 percent using the cell phone app.
Claims data demonstrated a 57 percent decrease in inpatient costs, and the patients’ number of emergency room visits dropped by half, according to the article.
Using text messages as a low-cost way to increase patient contact isn’t exactly a new phenomenon, and FiercePracticeManagement has reported successful use of the technology in other specialty areas, particularly where increased patient engagement can aid in behavioral interventions, such as weight control. Kosinski also attributed part of the pilot’s success to his team’s adoption of the patient-centered medical home model, which “combined nurse managers, a committed team of physicians, guideline-driven care using the American Gastroenterological Association disease pathway, and clinical decision support tools embedded in the practice’s electronic medical record,” according to the article.
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