Podcast Feature: Innovating for Faster Clinical Research

/in , , , /by

The Covid-19 pandemic put thousands of clinical trials on hold, but it also showed pharma companies, regulators and clinicians that decentralized clinical trials are a less expensive, more convenient and equally as effective method for generating clinical research. Dessiree Paoli, Sr. Solutions Marketing Manager for Interlace Health, joined The Healthcare Solutions Podcast to discuss how decentralized clinical trials are improving engagement with study participants, improving data capture and shortening time to market for crucial drugs.

Listen to the full Podcast

Support remote clinical trials with Interlace Health

Interlace Health’s Clinical Trial Consent Solution provides the digital platform to collect and store consent of clinical trial participants and serves as a portal to access vital educational content needed to understand trial requirements.

Our end-to-end solution allows you to digitally consent a participant anywhere, any time, and on any device enabling seamless workflows for optimal outcomes and measurable ROI. As many researchers have moved clinical trials to a virtual format,  Interlace Health’s Clinical Trial Consent Solution safely provides information to participants remotely to continue trial enrollment during this unprecedented time of quarantines, travel restrictions, and restricted site visits.

NEW CUSTOMER: Sturdy Memorial Hospital

/in , , /by

Sturdy Memorial Hospital Adds Interlace Health’s eConsent Solution Hospital-wide

Since 1913, Sturdy Memorial Hospital has been dedicated to providing its community with a full range of inpatient and outpatient services. What started as a 15-bed facility over 100 years ago has grown to be a 126-bed facility. We admit over 7,000 individuals each year and treat nearly 50,000 patients annually in our Emergency Department.

Sturdy Memorial Associates, the medical group affiliated with Sturdy Memorial Hospital has more than 20 locations throughout our service area including Attleboro, North Attleboro, Plainville, Rehoboth, Seekonk, and Norton. Ranging from primary care, pediatrics, and specialties care services, Sturdy Memorial Associates has more than 90 physicians who can meet your families care needs.

 

The hospital will add Interlace Health’s eConsent solution to enhance their Cerner environment and improve processes for physicians, staff, and patients.

 

 

NEW CUSTOMER: Newberry County Memorial Hospital

/in , , /by

Newberry County Memorial Hospital Turns to Interlace Health’s eConsent and Forms-on-Demand Solutions

Newberry County Memorial Hospital is a medical facility located in Newberry, SC. This hospital has been recognized for Outstanding Patient Experience Award™ and Joint Replacement Excellence Award™.

 

The hospital will add Interlace Health’s eConsent solution and Forms on Demand to to their Patient Access Department and across their entire organization to enhance their MEDITECH environment.

 

 

NEW CUSTOMER: Redington-Fairview General Hospital

/in , , /by

Redington-Fairview General Hospital Selects Interlace Health eConsent and Forms on Demand Solution

Redington-Fairview General Hospital (RFGH) is a local independent critical access hospital providing quality comprehensive health care services.

The hospital will leverage Interlace Health eConsent and Forms on Demand Solution to enhance care processes at their organizations and to complement their MEDITECH Expanse environment.

Interlace Health Geared Up to Support the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation

/in , /by

This October, Interlace Health teamed up with the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation – Tennessee Chapter, to sponsor and participate in their annual CF Cycle for Life Tennessee event. 

Cystic Fibrosis is a rare, life-altering, genetic disease that causes a thick mucus buildup in many vital organs, including the lungs, and makes breathing very difficult for those impacted. The Cystic Fibrosis Foundation’s (CFF) mission is to cure cystic fibrosis (CF) and to provide all people with CF the opportunity to lead long, fulfilling lives by funding research and drug development, partnering with the CF community, and advancing high-quality, specialized care.

Each year the CFF hosts an exhilarating cycling and fundraising event, the Cycle for Life Challenge, that supports the Foundation’s efforts. Participants fundraise and cycle to help add tomorrows for people living with cystic fibrosis. The CFF Tennessee event featured a virtual option, as well as an in-person race on Saturday, October 30th, 2021 in Franklin, Tennessee.

“The CF Foundation is making unprecedented progress in the fight against CF and events like Cycle for Life help to contribute toward that in such a meaningful way. This event has provided such an exciting opportunity for our employees here at Interlace Health to come together to raise awareness and support for a worthy cause, while also having fun and cheering (and racing) each other on in the process.” –  Allison Reichenbach, President of Interlace Health and Board Chair of Cystic Fibrosis Foundation – Tennessee

As part of sponsoring the event, Interlace Health employees got their wheels turning for some friendly competition. Employees divided into inter-departmental teams and logged their mileage during the week of October 25. The winning team logged nearly 400 miles (that is further than the distance from St Louis, MO to Nashville, TN, which is 300 miles!).

Together, The Interlace Health Teams contributed 1,425 miles to the 3,849 total miles logged (that is 37%) and helped contribute to the over $80,000 raised during the event for the CFF! 

Rain Fisher, the CFF’s Tennessee Chapter Development Director kicked off the event for the Interlace Teams sharing educational information about CF and the CFF and rallying excitement for those participating. After the event, Fisher shared some additional words of encouragement and gratitude:

“We can’t thank the Interlace Health team enough for all of their support and time. We are so grateful for our partnership and their dedication to helping us in our mission to make CF stand for Cure Found.” – Rain Fisher, Development Director at Cystic Fibrosis Foundation – Tennessee

We look forward to amping up our employee competition for next year’s Cycle for Life event and continuing to support the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation. I am grateful to work for Interlace Health, an organization that does so much to give back to wonderful causes, like the CFF, that make a difference in the lives of so many.

 

ABOUT THE AUTHOR: 

 

Ellie Silver is a Solution Architect at Interlace Health. In this role, Ellie provides expertise to healthcare organizations, incorporating Interlace Health solutions, services, and integration technologies to help optimize workflows for patients, providers, and staff. Her degree in Health Science combined with her experience as a Project Manager and End User Trainer enhances her abilities as an innovator in the healthcare IT industry. Ellie is enthusiastic about healthcare and is passionate about helping healthcare organizations create continuous success.

New webinar: Leveraging digital intake for superior patient engagement

/in , , , /by

A friend of mine recently had some tests done at a major medical center near us. (Everything came back negative, thank goodness!) When she told me about it, though, she didn’t say anything about the testing process itself. Instead, she raved about the hospital’s digital engagement.

“Before I even got home, I had a text about the results,” she said. “I can log into the app, make my payment, see my test results, and get a message to my doctor, who responds within three or four hours. Everything about it is just smooth and easy.”

She says this hospital will now be her first choice for her future medical needs, instead of one she’d previously used for years.

It’s no wonder that so many health system CIOs make patient engagement their top priority. If you share that priority, please join me for A Positive First Impression: 3 Proven Patient Engagement Strategies—a free, 30-minute webinar on November 18.

Patients want better digital engagement

More than half of CIOs surveyed in Stoltenberg Consulting’s most recent Health IT Industry Outlook Survey named “patient engagement” the industry’s top priority for the year.

“Whereas healthcare organizations may have previously gone through the motions of patient engagement enablement for value-based care incentives,” said CEO Sheri Stoltenberg, “the pandemic’s dramatic shift to remote care and true digital health advancement has forever transformed consumer-driven patient expectations toward taking a more active, yet convenient role in their own care journeys.”

Other research bears this idea out. A study from PYMNTS and Rectangle Health revealed that “More than 65 percent of younger consumers…said they’d be willing to switch to providers that offer digital healthcare management options.”

Many patients got their first experience with digital health care during the pandemic—and they liked it. Now, they want the same digital experience with healthcare that they get from retail, hospitality, banking, and nearly every other industry.

But you know this. The real question is: What’s your main barrier to delivering it?

What does better digital engagement look like?

“Digital patient engagement” is, of course, a topic we could write volumes about, and it will look different for every health system. But it’s fair to say every successful digital healthcare experience shares most of the same characteristics:

  • It keeps patient information confidential and secure.
  • It integrates with the health system’s EHR.
  • It’s built on eSignature capabilities to eliminate the need for paper forms.
  • It incorporates text messages—patients’ preferred communication method.
  • It gives patients an intuitive, user-friendly experience.

That last point is hard to quantify but easy to recognize. When patients are comfortable in your digital ecosystem, you’ll see strong, steadily growing usage metrics. And when patients aren’t comfortable, you’ll hear about it!

Our upcoming webinar examines three ways your health system or hospital can help patients get comfortable with your digital ecosystem—starting with an improved patient intake experience.

Your digital front door sets the stage

One of the best ways to improve patient engagement is to start from the first moment of contact, with seamless, stress-free, digital patient intake.

A robust, user-friendly digital front door that meets all your patient’s needs and expectations—and which, by the way, also frees up your staff for enhanced patient care—would include:

  • Digital intake forms that come straight to their phones via text
  • Forms with all their information pre-populated from your EHR
  • Remote check-in before they even enter the building
  • Seamless payment processing options
  • A complete, personalized user experience

 

A positive intake experience sets the stage for patients to come back to their portals in the future. If their experience continues to be positive, they’ll come to rely on your system as their first and main point of contact with your entire organization.

That’s the kind of engagement they crave—and that CIOs everywhere name their top priority.

Start making it happen. Join me for A Positive First Impression: 3 Proven Patient Engagement Strategies on November 18.

 

About the Author:

Dessiree Paoli is a senior solution manager at Interlace Health, a company that transforms workflows by providing clinicians and patients with digital healthcare solutions. She has more than 18 years of experience in driving strategic marketing initiatives, leading teams, and developing integrated campaigns, and she has worked in healthcare for more than 12 years.

Increasing Accessibility and Emphasizing Interoperability

/in , , , /by

Technology brought so many of us together during the past year, but it’s not as accessible to some as it is to others. In certain underserved and remote communities, the digital divide is quite real — as are its implications. Many rural areas and locations heavily populated by disadvantaged groups have inconsistent internet access, and plenty of households lack the devices necessary to connect to the internet.

Households in rural areas were 11% less likely to have broadband access than those in more urban areas; those with incomes under $25,000 were also 45% less likely to have broadband access. Black and Hispanic patients with certain chronic conditions were respectively 51% and 42% less likely to have quality internet capabilities. A number of factors (e.g., age, sex, socioeconomic status, disability, and geographic location) play a role in decreasing the likelihood that some have better access to an increasingly digital world than others.

Without access to consistent, quality internet, patients can’t use video functionality to access telehealth. In some cases, they might even struggle to get an audio connection. There is a clear need to bridge the gap between hospitals and healthcare organizations looking to expand their digital front doors and enhance their telehealth options to the patients who would like to engage virtually but cannot.

Increasing access to healthcare is critically important — particularly digitally. Although the healthcare industry alone can’t address the problem, health systems can do their part now to ensure that their technology foundation is strong and capable of supporting a more accessible future.

Interoperability and the Digital Front Door in Healthcare

A major part of being ready to open the digital front door in healthcare is considering whether all of your integrations are digital. If a health system offers a fantastic digital registration process but still relies on paper documents once patients arrive for appointments, the lack of consistency hurts everyone involved.

However, implementing new digital healthcare solutions means nothing without a focus on interoperability. Any new technologies added should integrate with existing software for optimal data exchange and efficiency. For digital solutions to power health systems and expand their digital front doors, everyone involved must ensure seamless integration between existing and new technologies — also known as interoperability.

Here are three of the main benefits of interoperability:

1. Improved operational efficiency in healthcare.

Having digital healthcare solutions that communicate with one another in real time cuts down on repetitive tasks. The technology also improves data accessibility in healthcare, decreasing the administrative burden and streamlining clinical functions.

2. Increased efficiency — and quality of care.

With integrated, interoperable solutions, staff in healthcare organizations see improved and more efficient workflows. The automated nature of Interlace Health’s solutions frees up staff time, allowing them to focus on providing quality care.

3. Reduced burnout.

When digital healthcare solutions work together as intended, physicians and healthcare staff can minimize repetitive tasks and streamline manual processes. As a result, they can benefit from reduced burnout and improved workflows.

Interlace Health offers digital solutions that integrate seamlessly with other technologies health systems have in place. Contact us today to learn more about how your organization could benefit. We can help you prepare to open your own digital front door.

 

The Digital Front Door and Risk Mitigation in Healthcare

/in , , , /by

Every healthcare organization has spent the past year trying to mitigate the risk of coronavirus exposure for both patients and staff. A large part of these efforts depended on a digital transformation in healthcare and the virtual care and telehealth solutions that resulted. Ideally, telehealth reduces the risk of exposure and increases access to care for people everywhere.

But “everywhere” doesn’t give the full picture. There are still significant barriers to virtual healthcare access in certain places and for certain groups of people. Low-income households, rural households, and households that include someone enrolled in Medicaid were all less likely to have the broadband access necessary for virtual care — as were Black and Hispanic patients with certain chronic illnesses.

This is all indicative of a real and persistent “digital divide” in the U.S. Knowing that characteristics like age, sex, ability, and socioeconomic status hold people back in many areas of life, it’s just as important to note that these traits also hold them back from receiving the virtual care that has taken the world by storm.

How do we move forward with an increasing reliance on telehealth as a way to keep patients and healthcare providers safe? With an end to the pandemic in sight, health systems will undoubtedly continue to use the technology to reduce the risk of exposure to myriad illnesses — not just to prevent the spread of coronavirus. That means increasing access to telehealth solutions by finding ways to open the digital front door in healthcare to more people.

How Digital Healthcare Can Help

Access to healthcare in rural areas and underserved communities is limited, making in-person care more of a necessity. For many services and specialties, fewer healthcare professionals are expected to serve more patients per capita — and fewer opportunities for virtual care exist because of the barriers to healthcare mentioned earlier. These communities also have less access to PPE and other supplies than some larger communities. This means physicians and patients alike are at a higher risk of infection because they’re inherently in a position that requires in-person care.

Opening the digital front door to these communities by implementing digital healthcare solutions helps mitigate this risk. At Interlace Health, we are proud to offer digital solutions that do just this:

· Electronic Informed Consent – Our Informed Consent solution helps health systems offer more contactless care, mitigating the risk of contact exposure. Several illnesses have been shown to spread by touching contaminated surfaces, especially in hospitals and physician’s offices. A survey we conducted in April of last year found that 41% of health systems use shared clipboards and pens in their registration areas; this means Informed Consent can push open the digital front door, positively impacting safety and reducing the risk for everyone involved.

· Remote Patient Intake – Our Patient Intake solution allows patients to register and fill out forms before appointments from the safety of their cars, homes, or workplaces. This helps them avoid unnecessary time spent in waiting rooms, limiting exposure for themselves and staff members. Instead of arriving 15 to 30 minutes before an appointment to complete the necessary paperwork, they fill it out from the comfort of home.

· eSignature Capabilities – Interlace Health digital solutions are equipped with eSignature capabilities. This not only helps clinicians provide and encourage contactless care but also expedites form completion and ensures that only the most updated versions of signed forms are stored. This saves staff time and eliminates the need to re-enter basic information more than once. The solution also strengthens compliance by accurately and securely storing patient information.

At Interlace Health, it’s our mission to help healthcare organizations everywhere open their digital front doors. To learn more about our solutions, click here.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR: 

Over the past five years, Lauren Ziegler has been a member of Interlace Health’s Marketing team, coordinating and executing marketing communication initiatives, such as copywriting and content management, public and media relations, social media, and corporate communications. She has over a decade of experience in working with technology companies. Lauren is passionate about helping the healthcare community understand Interlace’s Health’s value, vision, and commitment to improving experiences for providers, patients, and staff.

Copyright © 2023 Interlace Health